5 Thoughts You'll Have When You Bring Your Baby Home For The First Time
I remember it like it was yesterday...
Being wheeled out to the hospital parking lot with a sweet girl in my arms, love in my heart, and a nervous rush running through my veins. As my husband and I bickered over the correct way to strap our new addition into her car seat it hit me,
This is it. The beginning of the rest of our lives.
So many things will go through your mind those first few days, but here are the five thoughts that you'll definitely have when you bring that sweet little nugget home for the first time...
1. OMG THIS IS TERRIFYING.
The first thought I had as we pulled out of the hospital parking lot was, "I literally know nothing about caring for a newborn, what the hell do I do now??" How am I allowed to leave this hospital now responsible for a tiny, helpless human?!?!?! I can barely take care of myself! (I'm honestly a mess, don't judge me..) When the realization hits that you are now 100% in charge of another human life, it's pretty freaking terrifying.. hell, I'm still terrified and my kid is almost 2... The important take away here is that having these fears is completely normal, and somehow parents just figure it out. I still have no idea how I've managed to keep my family alive this long..but look at me... just killing the mom game over here...
2. Why does her/his poop look like that?
It was momentary panic in my household when I opened my very first #2 diaper to find a dark, tar-like substance...I nearly had a panic attack as I quickly referred to Dr. Google, (who needs WebMD when you've got Dr. Google?) only to find that my baby wasn't in fact dying, and that this ghastly looking poop was totally normal for newborns... Crisis averted.
3. Why is Caring for the Stump so Stressful?
That damn umbilical cord stump... first of all, its disgusting. Let's be honest. And second of all, it is SO STRESSFUL. Keep it dry, let it fall off on its own, use a cotton swab to clean the area.. then if it starts to hang off partially, you panic about it catching on something and ripping off.. ugh.. freaking gross. I was so glad when it finally fell off.
4. Am I doing this right?
Feeding, changing, bathing, pumping, rocking...there are SO many things to know...So many things to figure out...So many things to stress over...So many opportunities for mistakes... It can feel overwhelming sometimes... After about a thousand Google searches and phone calls to every other parent that I know, I started to get the hang of it... If you haven't yet, you will... Keep calm and parent on.
5. OMG THIS IS AMAZING.
(Insert cheesy cliche here) Yes, being a new parent is terrifying. Yes, you become full of self doubt and sleep deprived. But even with all that, it is amazing. It's only the first time once. I'm sure bringing home your second and third babies are just as terrifying in their own unique ways, but there is absolutely no time like the first. Savor it, enjoy it, freak out about it, stress about it, laugh about it, because it is amazing.