Do you ever feel you have time to yourself with a newborn? isit really as hard as some people make out?

Question

im 32 wks pregnant and have been in deep tohught about actually having a baby

i mean i am so excited and cant wait of course =D .... but i also know that it is alot of hard work - a constant fulltime job as some people say!

but is it true you really have absolutely no time for yourself at all? and that its really hard?

anyone find a newborn baby to look after ok and not incredibly hard or vice versa?

so excited and cant wait to experience my new baby =) any stories you have for me thanks!

Answer 1

Yes, it's very hard

I think i started hving time for myself, & still not much, when my son was around 3-4months.

The 1st months are the hardest ones. It does get better eventually.

God Bless, Congrats!!

Answer 2

if you have a bf-husband--.. the dad there to help it is alot easier........ but yes it is time consuming ... but also boring at first babes sleep alot at first......... but you really dont feel like doing much inn the fist few weeks, me personally my #2 is 15days now and I was so happy to sleep when i got home, I got three days of good sleep, but than the breast milk comes in and 4more days of ouch....... (but my daugher it a great sleeper already)...........

Answer 3

Being a mother is the hardest job there is, in my opinion.  You sacrifice everything for your child.  You get little to no sleep, hardly have time to eat, can hopefully take a shower everyday, and just are plain exhausted.  But at the end of the day, when you look at your little one...all that disappears...you don't remember anything bad that has happened that day...you just see the most beautiful baby in the world and wonder to yourself how you could ever love someone so much!

Answer 4

In the beginning it was not so bad - my little one used to sleep a lot and i had tons of time on my hands. But since i pumped milk it was not all to myself. As she started growing she became very very clingy - i couldn't put her down even to use the bathroom or eat. She would start crying so bad...Not just crying - you would think somebody was cutting her toes off:-) LOL. I couls not go anywhere because she would not stay in her car seat - again she was screaming bloody murder. I ended up carrying her most of the day. She was getting chubbier, i was getting skinnier since i had no time to eat plus physical exercise - carrying your baby in babybjorn literary EVERYWHERE. In 2 weeks i went from 130 down to 110 lbs. ...( being 5.5) She is 8 months now, she still loves being held but it got so much easier. and looking back i can say that it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO WORTH IT. i would not accept any help  from anybody which was kinda stupid...so use help and support from your family. Congrats and best of luck!!!

Answer 5

i have a 3 week old and i'm lucky if i have time to take a quick shower or brush my teeth.  i haven't had a second to myself yet.  i've also been averaging about 2 hours of sleep a day.  wish i was still pregnant to tell you the truth.

oh, trying to eat is interesting too.  i can only make food that requires one hand.

i agree with jessie.  it is super boring.  my son doesn't sleep unless you are holding him, but thats basically all he does 24/7

Answer 6

with my first, my daughter, everything was very easy. pregnancy, labor, sleep at night, everything. i thought i had it made! but when i had my son i learned how hard babies can really be. complications during early pregnancy and after birth including breastfeeding, its hard to get stuff done cuz he always wants to be held, he doesnt let me sleep, teething early, etc...it just seems like there is always something with him and i never had any problems with my daughter so its really hard sometimes. i feel like a first time mom all over again cuz i just dont know what to do sometimes.

Answer 7

People have a habit of making it harder than it needs to be by trying to force their babies to do things that don't come naturally, and by being unrealistic. Newborns want to be held all the time and if you don't want to listen to them scream, you have to hold them. They'll grow out of the need for such close and constant contact eventually, when they are ready. These things aren't flaws to be fixed, they are normal phases that babies are supposed to go through, and grow out of when they are ready. They grow out of them faster if you support them, instead of denying them. Demand breastfeeding is hard work, but it is way less effort than trying to make a kid stick to a schedule. Same with sleep issues.

You don't get much time to yourself, but if you have a hubby around, that helps. If worst comes to worst you give him the baby and barricade yourself in your bedroom. It helps if you have friends and relatives that will come and talk to you, or help out a bit. I had no such thing, which sucked quite a bit! Don't be stupid and prevent your hubby from doing baby stuff. Some women get carried away and think they are the only ones who can care for the baby. Dads do things differently, but that doesn't make them automatically wrong. If they are wrong, they'll learn just like you did. They just learn slower because they get less practice :)

Babies go through easier and harder phases. They get really hard to deal with just before each major development. It's frustration, they know there's something better, but they can't quite manage it. Then they get it, and life is cruisey again for a while.

Ultimately, it has been easier than I expected, but I was a bit more realistic than many. That you're actually asking bodes well for your future :) Go with the flow. Observe your baby, and he/she will let you know what is needed.

I recommend teaching your baby to sign. It increases their vocab quite a bit, and really reduces the communication frustrations of toddlerhood. Start learning the basic baby related signs now, that'll give you something to do while you wait, and by the time your bub is old enough (around 9-12 months) you'll know plenty of signs. Anyway, it's a fun game for kids. They like actions.

Answer 8

the first couple weeks will be easy--the baby will sleep..A LOT.

after that, no..you really do not have any time for yourself.  however, it's not that bad..you are cultivating a little person into a great little kid!!

you will have a good time and treasure every moment of it!!

of course, there will be nights or even days where you will want to find a babysitter to get some time to yourself..but that is only normal!!

so, no..you will not have time to yourself.

but, no..it is not as bad as people make it out to be. it is a thrilling adventure where you live for each new smile, giggle, goo, gaa and development.

to become a mother is to watch your heart walk around outside your body..

congrats on the new baby!!

Answer 9

You will survive, we all do!  And so women even go on to have more babies!  

You will be so wrapped up with your baby you won't even notice not having time for yourself.

CONGRATS!!!!!!

Answer 10

Yeah, when they are napping.  Which, thankfully, with a brand-new baby, is pretty often.  

It isn't really as HARD as some people claim, but it can be difficult.  You suddenly have this other life to plan yours around, where you didn't used to have anyone to plan around, except for your husband, who often finds he has no part of it all.  You have to be careful to include him in your everything.  

And, relax, you'll be fine!  It's a grand ride you're embarking on!  Remember to kick back and just ENJOY your child!  (all the way...you won't believe how quickly the time passes!  Mine's NINE!!!!  And I just can't figure out how that happened!)

Oh, yeah, the shower thing...women are always saying they don't have time to shower.  I just moved him, baby chair and all, into the bathroom.  He was fine with that.