This week, The 4 Moms of 35+ Kids are reminiscing about what to expect the first weeks after having a baby.
(Be sure to see our advice on how to manage the home while nursing a baby.)
I have to admit that even though I have had 8 newborns, I can’t remember a lot of specifics about those first few weeks because I was so. Very. Tired.
I even specifically remember once falling asleep while reading aloud and having one of the children ask me what was wrong and why did I keep closing my eyes while I was reading.
Yes, you will be very tired because the newborn baby needs to be fed around the clock and she doesn’t know about your preference for sleeping between midnight and 6a.m.
And if you have other children who do know about your preference for sleeping during the dark hours, they will be wide awake and raring to go during the daylight hours, which means you will basically be subsisting on a series of 2 hour naps, broken up with bouts of nursing, diaper changes, and keeping your other children from wandering the streets looking for food.
In case I have scared you off of reproducing ever again, take heart! There is good news!
That li’l critter you gave birth to will capture your heart with her teeny tiny fingernails, her perfectly formed eyelashes, and her gassy smiles.
You’ll marvel at how soft her skin is and that she can thrive and grow on your breast milk alone. You will wonder at the miracle God performed inside you when He created her.
You’ll manage to incorporate the baby into your daily routine, taking her to church, wearing her in a sling while cooking dinner, and reading a story to the kids while nursing her.
And then you’ll doze off again because you’ll be so tired.
Then, nurse, change diaper, repeat.
I wonder what the rest of the 4 Moms team remembers about life in the first weeks after having a baby?
Other posts in this series
- How to Easily Cut Homemade Bread
- The 4 Moms Head to Church With 35 Kids
- 4 Moms Answer Reader Questions
- 4 Moms Teach History
- 4 Moms Eat Inexpensively While Traveling
- How To Keep Kids Still and Quiet During Worship
- 4 Moms Answer Reader Questions
- 4 Moms Reveal Where Babies Come From
- Summertime Company Meals
- How to Lose Baby Weight
- Large Family Moms Answer Your Questions
- 4 Moms Choose a Church
- Favorite Naptime or Bedtime Read Aloud Books
- Homeschooling a Child With Learning Differences
- 4 Moms Picnic Linky
- 4 Moms Announce a Book Club!
- Teaching Children Diligence
- 4 Moms Discuss Lunch Menus {Linky}
- 4 Moms Interview Kim Brenneman, Author of Large Family Logistics
- 4 Moms Discuss "Large Family Logistics"
- 4 Moms Discuss Managing the Week ~ Large Family Logistics
- 4 Moms Review Chapters 28 - 47 in Large Family Logistics
- 4 Moms Finish Reviewing "Large Family Logistics"
- The 4 Moms Keep Our Patience in the Midst of Chaos
- 4 Moms Pack a Lunch
- 4 Moms Discuss Memorizing {and 2 GIVEAWAYS}
- Keeping Up With Housework in the Midst of Homeschooling
- 4 Moms Tackle Large Projects
- 4 Moms Q & A
- Food Storage For Large Families
- Best Vehicle For a Large Family
- 4 Moms Celebrate Thanksgiving
- Preparing Children to Deal With Differing Beliefs
- Favorite Holiday Recipe {Linky}
- 4 Moms of 35 Kids Go Christmas Shopping
- 4 Moms of 35 Kids Answer Reader Questions
- How Do You Organize ALL Those Clothes?
- 4 Moms Q&A
- Encouragement For Homeschoolers
- 4 Moms Share Favorite Desserts
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Questions
- 4 Moms Discuss Storing Keepsakes
- Ebook SALE! {Goes Live at 11:00a.m. CST}
- 4 Moms Answer Questions From Readers
- 4 Moms Make Time to Manage the Budget
- 4 Moms Manage Blogging Time
- What Do Large Families Do About Tithing, Saving for College, and Saving for Retirement?
- 4 Moms Q&A Time
- Large Family Moms Homeschool Through Chronic Illness and Pregnancy
- Large Family Moms Serve Leftovers
- Favorite Frugal Tips of Large Family Moms
- How Do Large Family Moms Manage Everything? {4 Moms Q&A}
- Homeschooling Through Bad Attitudes
- Teaching Children to Cook
- How Did Large Family Moms Know They Could Handle a Large Family?
- How Do Large Family Moms Keep Their Energy Up?
- Favorite Freezer Meals
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Discuss Dating and Courtship
- How Do You Manage the Home While Nursing a Baby?
- How to Begin Homeschooling With a 5 Year Old
- How Do Large Families Handle Older Children Disciplining the Younger Children?
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Reader Questions
- What To Do About Tattling
- Favorite Fruit Recipes {LINKY}
- 4 Moms Discuss First Weeks With a New Baby
- 4 Moms Answer Questions About Sharing, Boys, College, and MORE!
- 4 Moms Handle Different Standards Between Husband and Wife
- Kids and Electronics - What Age and How Much is Too Much? {4 Moms}
- 4 Moms Discuss Food Preservation
- 4 Moms Discuss Laundry, Labor, and Clothes Management
- Large Families Keep Up With Technology
- Giving Food as Gifts
- 4 Moms Answer Questions About Christmas
- Quick and Easy Christmas Crafts
- Quick and Easy Holiday Recipes
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Questions on Preschool, Homeschooling with a Newborn, and More
- On Encouraging Self Sufficiency in Children
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Questions
- 4 Moms Answer Reader Questions
- 4 Moms Talk Buddy System, Dinner Recipes, Hand-Me-Downs, and Sharing
- 4 Moms Q&A - Birthdays, Switching Seasonal Clothes, and Grieving a Stillborn Baby
- 4 Moms Discuss Difficult News Stories, Naptime, and Sleeping Through the Night
- 4 Moms Answer Questions About Personal Space, 15 Passenger Vans, and Dawdling
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Questions About Seating Arrangements, Snacks, and Books
- 4 Moms Answer Questions About Sharing, Church, and Extreme Honesty
- 4 Moms on Bedtime, Home Construction, Forced Association, and Favorite Read-Alouds
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 4 Moms Answer Questions About Road Trips, Bedtimes, and Cool Meals
- 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Discuss Tattling
{ 8 comments }
In the first week of my first child, one of my friends told me, “Survive now, thrive later.” Beautiful words. The perfectionist in me wanted it all done – the shower, clothes on, the bed made, the meals made, etc. Let some of that stuff go and be sure to ask for help when you need it. If everyone is alive after the first week, mission accomplished. Take time to enjoy every minute of that sleep deprived state to enjoy and snuggle with that newborn. You will thrive later.
I’ve only done it once, having a 4-month-old son, so my advice is as a first-time mom who had no other kiddos in the house.
In the beginning, I resisted the “sleep when he sleeps” philosophy, preferring instead to clean or meal prep or laundry. Eventually, I figured out that I didn’t need to sleep everytime he slept, but I did need 1-2 decent naps a day. And I learned that a shower does wonders for one’s mental state! And that I shouldn’t worry about meal prep – that was the reason that I had made some meals before hand – use those instead of new things! And that my husband was more than happy to boil some noodles while I tended to the baby, so I should let him.
Biggest thing that I learned is just to hold him – that was the most fun!
My advise after 3 kids is, let the freezer and crockpot be your friends. Even if this is not your normal way of doing things. Don’t worry about repetition.
Agreed about the crockpot! Every dinner this week is coming from the slow cooker
I’m currently 16 days postpartum, and I have found that I’m better off emotionally after several kids but the physical recuperation takes longer. Was that your experience?
Yes, I would agree, Carrie. I am much more relaxed about how on earth I’m going to manage. I *know* I’ll be able to manage, but I’m much more tired while doing it these days.
Im curious as to the age of your youngest child. Is this the largest age gap you’ve had between children? Might more Smockities be in the future?
The first weeks of having a newborn to me were heaven on earth. Done it 7 times and felt the same every time. Loved all the cuddles ,clean baby smells and nursing loving moments. Yes it was tiring but looked into that little ones eyes made it all just melt away. Might think I’m crazy but I couldn’t wait for them to wake up to be nursed so I could have them in my arms.Thank God every day for those beautiful gifts he has given me especially those first weeks of life.
I wrote a post about this a while ago! http://mylittlebitoflife.com/?p=1349
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