First it took so long and then suddenly it happened very fast: The baby is here! You can get a little insight into the first times as a new mom here!
Day X
It is the night of Christmas Day at 1.8 pm. I lie in bed one day before the expected delivery date and wake up with the feeling that I have to go to the bathroom. Oh dear, too late. Or no, thought wrong. It’s amniotic fluid and a few minutes later the first contraction already follows. Well, one day too early, but at least I could still enjoy the delicious fondue at the in-laws’ house. Well fortified, we take a cab to the hospital and anticipation mixes with fear of what is to come. I don’t have much time to think about it, because just five hours later I’m holding my little Christmas baby in my arms and I’m suddenly a mommy. The baby is here. Help.
The first time cuddling
I haven’t forgotten the first thought about my son even a year later. After the birth I grabbed him under his tiny armpits and lifted him up to me on the delivery room bed. „Oh God, he is small!“, I was frightened. He seemed so fragile and I was afraid I would hurt him when I picked him up. I still held him a little awkwardly in my arms, but he looked at me seriously with his beautiful dark eyes and it was all about me. A bit blindsided, I realized that I was now a mommy and had a little baby that I wanted to protect from everything bad in the world and for whom I would go to the ends of the earth. That’s how I felt for the next few days when I cuddled with him. He slept almost continuously for the first few days and it was the best feeling in the world to have this little sleeping and snoring creature in my arms and to have the world stop.
So enjoy the first time and cuddle a lot with your baby, because this stage goes by way too fast! It is good for both of you and you recover faster from the strains of the birth. But if you need some time for yourself, that’s just as well. The upheaval of "pregnant to "Mama" Goes very fast sometimes but still takes its time. The birth leaves its traces and must be processed first of all. It is equally normal not to immediately feel that insane feeling of happiness about your baby after birth. Motherly love grows with time and does not have to be there on command! You are still getting to know each other!
Breastfeeding for the first time
The first time breastfeeding unfortunately took a while and didn’t really work out. Naive as I was, I never thought that there would be any problems, as you read everywhere that babies automatically look for the breast after birth, drink and are happy and content. With us it came however differently. The little one slept through everything, was too tired to drink, then drank incorrectly, so that only at home, after several attempts and help from the midwife, a successful breastfeeding attempt and a full baby was achieved. In consultation with other mothers, it became clear to me that this is not a rarity, because babies are often very tired after birth, there is hardly any support for breastfeeding problems from the hospital staff or there is too much pressure on the mothers and therefore too little milk comes in.
Already in the birth preparation course it is a big topic to put on the baby immediately after birth. The pressure this builds up is enormous and often not in line with hospital routines, or. Compatible with the consequences of birth. In case of birth injuries, it is important to take care of the mother and the baby must stay with the attendant for the time being. It is not uncommon for mothers to be so upset by the birth that they first need a little time for themselves. The days in the hospital are usually characterized by a tight schedule of the staff and one examination follows another. Between meals and visits, they try to put the baby on, often under duress from the nurses and even though the baby is asleep. This will definitely not provide a calm and relaxed breastfeeding atmosphere.
Don’t be alarmed if breastfeeding doesn’t work out perfectly the first time. Give it time, because if breastfeeding is not something that is easy or symptom free. Put your baby on when you feel it is right for you. Don’t let nurses push you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable. When you feel that now is not the right time to "force" your baby to drink, If you feel uncomfortable with certain touches and behaviors, please express this to us! You and your baby first have to learn how to work together and with the help of your midwife or a breastfeeding counselor you can practice at home in peace. In our article about the 7 most common breastfeeding problems you will find more valuable tips for breastfeeding. And if it doesn’t work out at all, you can’t cope with the situation anymore and the pressure is just too great please don’t think that you are a bad mommy. The main thing is that you and your baby are doing well- and if that is the case with pumping or bottle feeding, then your baby will grow up with that too and doesn’t love you any less because of it. This is where our guidebook "You can’t breastfeed-" can help you it also works without" continue.
Changing diapers for the first time
The first time I changed him, my husband did it under the guidance of a nurse, so I was a bit overwhelmed the first time I changed him: Where can I touch him without hurting him and how do I have to take the legs again so that the hip is protected?? How must the diaper be placed and the umbilical compress applied so that the umbilical remnant is well protected? And what is the best way to get rid of that sticky black meconium? In the beginning diapering was rocket science for me. At least the little one slept through most of it due to his high sleep volume, so I had time to go over the basics of baby care again in my head. (Well, actually my husband showed me everything, but I would never give him credit for that. After all, I am the mommy who gave HIM a manual for babies, because everything is anchored in my mother-genes. Or should be.)
Like everything else you do with your baby for the first time, you will learn to swaddle and eventually do it literally in your sleep. Over time, you’ll learn all sorts of tips and tricks like the ones in our guide and become a swaddling pro who knows exactly what to do, how tight the diaper should be and what helps best against a sore bottom.
Diapering theme week
You do not know what it is? Read about it here in our "Diapering" theme week and win a 6 month supply of diapers with the help of the solution word! What are you waiting for?
Enjoy the first times
The first days with your baby are not only marked by first times, but also by ups, downs, feelings of happiness and tears. Despite all the innovations, enjoy the time and don’t put yourself under pressure if some things don’t work as they should. At home, many things will be easier and you will grow more relaxed into your role within your own four walls. Give you and your baby time and you will become an inseparable team.