Hey Pandas, How Was Your Experience When You Had Your First Newborn? (Closed)

My first one was born at 8pm and my husband and the child fell asleep soon. I was full of hormones and couldn't sleep, was looking the whole night at this precious child and was full of wonder about this little person. She was real and breathing and I couldn't believe she came from me. It was the most frightening and happy night of my life- if that makes any sense.

I work seasonally and managed to get through a hellish summer and finish work at 7 months pregnant, tired and ready to rest up and enjoy the well earned last weeks of pregnancy. After two days my nesting Instinct went crazy and I convinced my husband we needed to white wash the walls. We set up the ladder and dip the brush in the paint when I felt my first contraction.
I knew about Braxton hicks and tried to convince myself it was normal, but I started getting period pains shortly after and just couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right. 1 hour drive to local hospital,and I have a contraction whilst gynecolorist is firing up the machine. She goes full red alert and puts me on a drip to stop contractions. Informs me that with these drugs they’ll likely have to induce me when I get to full term. She also notices that I have way too much amniotic fluid and suspects something is wrong with the baby. A quick ultrasound confirms that the baby has a block or a malformation of the intestines that will need surgery once she’s born so it’s really important she’ll be at a healthy birth weight and that I get to full term. They keep me on the drip for 2 days and on the final morning, waiting for my husband to come and pick me up I start getting really panicked. I find a quiet corridor away from the general hubbub of the maternity ward. I suddenly feel damp and warm on my upper thighs. I had no impulse to relieve myself so I’m super confused and embarrassed. So I change into clean leggings and go back out to walk up and down the corridor and wait for hubby. I get a contraction after several steps and get this sinking feeling. Firstly that I know the drugs haven’t worked and the baby is coming and she’s too small to be operated on, then also the feeling of being cheated out of my last few weeks of relax and mental preparation. I wasn’t checks for amniotic fluid leakage but it’s negative. eventually I’m called to doctors office to be discharged. I tell her my worries and she agrees to check once more for ambiotic discharge. As I’m getting up on the gurney the sack breaks and doctor gets soaked. I kind of giggled and asked “now what?” She doesn’t look impressed and states that the baby has to be born… duh. She abruptly leaves the room and I tearfully call my husband to let him know. He’s still at work and promises to get some baby stuff together and come up (which we haven’t even prepared yet, as were only just into the 7th month). I leave him to it and trust he’ll find something suitable and hopefully remember some pjs for me.
Doc comes back with really intimidating surgeon who I barely understand (I live in Italy and whilst have a good grasp of the language, a lot of technical language goes over my head). I ask some questions and I’m met with eye rolling and sarcasm. A nurse later breaks it down for me that he’s to operate on my baby, and will he lurking in the wings waiting for the birth. Great. Anxiety peaks and I start crying.
Husband turns up after an hour and a half and I’m ready to bolt for the door. I plead with him to take us home, something that I had to come to terms with wasn’t going to happen now.
From this point they couldn’t offer me any medication as it could interfere with my baby and she needed to be operated on immediately after birth, so that lovely concoction that they gave me to block contractions meant that it took another two days of contractions and no sleep and no pain meds before she’s finally born. I briefly see her bundled up and then she’s whisked away to operating room. Husband and I both collapse from exhaustion and they have to cattle prod us awake to sign consent forms for the baby’s operation: in the end they cut away 20cm of dead intestine. She spent a month in the NICU and is now a bright and beautiful 5yr old. She has a neat little rainbow scar over her belly button.
I did get bad post partum depression, also because my mum had a stroke a few days after my daughters birth, but good now.

My experience with my first child was pretty normal, I think. I went through 18 hours of labor, yelled like a fool because of the pain, but had no special problems or procedures.

My only problem was with the hospital nurses. They had two sets of nurses, one for the mothers and one for the babies and the nurses never consulted each other.

Apparently, my daugher had awakened one night and the nurses gave her sugar water to put her back to sleep. I was breastfeeding and I guess it never occurred to them to bring her to me.

So when she was brought to me for her regular feeding, that is, the one more convenient for the nurses' schedules, she was asleep. The nurse who brought her would wiggle her to wake her up, joggling her brains something awful. But even when my daughter was half awake she wasn't hungry because of the sugar water.

The head of the nurses for the mothers told me that since I couldn't breast feed, she would give me formula instructions.

I didn't say anything. Once I got her home, I fed her when she woke up and we very quickly got into our own schedule. Everything was fine.

That was when I learned that being an expert doesn't mean you know everything and that ignoring what's in front of your face makes you almost worthless in your job.

Horrible birth experience.

My anesthesiologist hit a nerve when giving me an epidural and then had the audacity to tell me to sit still. He was the one who made my body react. Then the anesthesiologist didn't reduce the drip as I approached 10 centimeters therefore I couldn't feel the contractions or if I was pushing. This resulted in the doctor having to using a vacuum to assist in delivery. The suction misshaped a portion of baby's head which later resulted in a calcium deposit. It had completely disappeared by his teen years and his head is nicely shaped.

Once the doctor clamped the umbilical cord he cut it between me and the first clamp instead of between the two clamps. There was blood everywhere. Finally, the doctor left a sponge inside of me which was removed a few days later after I noticed an awful smell. My baby was his second delivery. Needless to say a different doctor delivered my 2nd and 3rd babies.

My 1st born vomited every time he ate. Not spit-up but full on projectile vomiting. Under pediatrician supervision baby was moved from Enfamil to Soy milk. When that didn't work baby was moved to Nutramigen which also didn't help. Baby's diet was supplemented with Pedialyte so he would at least stay hydrated. No further diet changes were recommended by the pediatrician.

After two to three months of this I took to the internet to research why my baby vomited every time he ate and what I could do to help him. Eventually I discovered that some babies cannot process the fats in formula and that there is a formula for just this condition. It is called Pregestimil and is made by Enfamil. The catch is that it cost $25 for a 1 pound can of powder and was only available OTC through a pharmacist. It was also hard to find.

After many phone calls I finally found a pharmacist that could special order it. So I requested 1 can. After 24 hours on Pregestimil I had a brand new baby. No more vomiting. I can't tell you how relieved I was. For the next two years I ordered this formula by the case. No I did not bottle feed him for two years. There's 14 months between 1st and 2nd born who also had feeding problems.

Why didn't the pediatriciantell me about this formula? His reasoning was the high price tag. Come on! Any good parent would and should do everything in their power to ensure their children are healthy. I was enraged.

Now for all of you formula haters out there. Not everyone is able to breast feed for a multitude of reasons. I am one such person.

On top of all that was going on in the beginning with feeding he developed a high fever that was noted at his two week checkup. No I didn't notice because he was hot feeling from the day I took him home. The pediatrician gave him baby Tylenol and sent me home with instructions to return in two hours. I did and the fever had not gone down so we were sent directly to the hospital where a bed in the pediatric ward was waiting for him. He spent 18 days in the hospital because he had kidney reflux, Vesicoureteral (ves-ih-koe-yoo-REE-tur-ul) reflux. A condition that causes the bladder to empty back into the kidneys. Sometimes the entire contents of the bladder. Other times just a portion.

He was put on a wide spectrum of antibiotics in the beginning. However, they could not begin them until he had an IV inserted. Because of his young age a nurse from a hospital three hours away drove in just to insert it in his head. Yes I said is head. That happens to be the easiest vein to get for babies.

Today he is a healthy 23 year old.

Father here. Wife in hospital for inducement and I was told it would not happen until morning so was sent home. Got a call from a nurse at 0700 who said 'get in here now!' and hung up. Rushed in to find wife sitting in bed reading. Nothing happed until mid day.
Was in the waiting room while things were being prepped in the delivery room. Three of us expectant fathers. One guy was his third child and us two first timers. We were trying to talk the other fist timer into going in for the birth. We hear the elevator doors open followed by a tremendous ruckus going down the hallway as a guerny is heard being rushed down the hall. Ad a guy runs into the room. There was a supply of the protective gowns, booties etc and he was frabtically trying to get into them. A nurse yelled down the hall for him to hurry up. Almost like a cartoon, hopping from one foot to the other, trying to find the sleeves etc. "Hurry up! ....Hurry up!....Never mind, it's a girl".
We had a boy. And, it is true - women giving birth would make a sailor blush.

this was 42 yrs ago. i had been told that i couldn't get pregnant and, due to my weird anatomy, if i was to get pregnant i wouldn't carry to term. had the miscarriages to support this fact. at the time, i was working as a roofer, a very untraditional role for a woman. i had noticed a little weight gain but nothing else.

i went in for my annual pap and my doctor casually asked if i still lived in that one room cottage. told him yes; he said to make plans to move...because i was not only pregnant but from his exam and other things, figured i was about six months. and, my reaction was two-fold: first - wtf?! second - well, how long til i miscarry. doc said all looked well but to take it easy. yeah...right. i kind of didn't believe him because i had no real symptoms i had had from previous pregnancies.

fast forward three months and i distinctly remember standing in the elevator going up to maternity and having a shocking realization: when i walk out i am going to be a mother! all the time leading up to that moment i truly did not believe i was pregnant or that something negative would happen. i really didn't show until my 8 month and after that i blew up. so, i wasn't in denial per se....i think i didn't want to get my hopes up.

i ended up having a c section by a doctor i didn't meet until he put his hand up my wazoo to confirm the issue. that alone was unnerving because i think you build up a relationship with your o.b. and it was kind of feeling like being abandoned when, at the last moment, he told me that he didn't do c-sections.

when i woke up i was handed this 10lb 8oz 24 inch long bundle and saw my son. i was amazed. stunned. and, scared that i was now responsible for this little life.

looking back, i think all the things that happened that led me to that moment of becoming a mother actually made me more determined to make all the right decisions which, of course, is such a folly because there is no blue print or manual for this. it was a ride.

i cried.
overwhelmed with joy.

My first ‘newborn’ was adopted in Mexico. There instead of families going to visit in the new mother’s rooms, all the families sit in a waiting room with a viewing opening. A nurse brings each newborn out for the families to see. Everyone gets to see everyone else’s baby. You cannot imagine all the oohs and ahs! I swear I had the mist beautiful newborn of the day! She had a lot red hair and green eyes!!!! That was my miracle baby!

Something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Went into early labour on a Thursday, was finally given a drip to help me along on Sunday night, went into emergency C-section on Monday morning, found out that apparently I'm a bleeder (at least when it comes to my womb) and was in the hospital for 4 days. My son started having seizures 2 days later and I spent my healing time in a Children's hospital worried sick about what was causing his condition (extreme hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia, which is strange as when one is low the other is usually high). HE is 14 and doing pretty well now.

Being, ahem, a geriatric pregnancy, I was monitored every other day the last weeks of my ivf baby. I did not want to let her go, so on the eve of my 42nd week I was induced.... 3 days later and a lot of stuff in-between she was forcibly removed through an artificial opening, which was then summarily closed.
I was high, tired, hilariously loopy. When my husband says to me, "which breast gives the strawberry milk and which one gives the chocolate?" I asked the lactation coach🤦‍♀️🤣

Had my first contraction at breakfast at Mc Donald's. All my partner could say was ".... But, but... Not now, we're still eating!"
It did take all day, slowly building up. We went to hospital late in the evening. The bubble popped at 2am in the morning, midwife started preparing everything because she thought it would go quick from then on. It didn't. 12 hours later the baby was stuck, I was running a fever, vomiting, baby's oxygen levels dropping with every contraction... They finally let me have a c section, showed me the little bundle and carried her off while I was laying on the table, getting stitched back together and crying from stress and exhaustion. A nurse comes in and tells me that there were complications, baby had stopped breathing, and only AFTER all the blood drained from my face she said that she's recovered and is fine.
Also, they took her away from me at night with the reasoning that I needed to sleep to recover. I heard my baby cry and I was crying myself, so not a lot of sleep for anyone. They didn't even bring her in when I begged them to wake me up so I could breastfeed her.

Mine wasn't too bad but I did tear quite a bit to the point of almost needing a blood transfusion. A few difficulties: my husband was only able to take a week off of work so after that I was on my own. My son never latched but I pumped and bottle-fed. It worked out because my husband could do the midnight feedings. One great thing was that my son started sleeping through the night at 3 months which freaked us out...the first few nights when he didn't wake up we thought "Is he ok?!? Should we check on him?!?" He's now almost 12 years old and a great kid! :)

Epidural shifted. Felt all the scraping and every stitch of the emergency Caesar.

Terrifying. I had no idea what to do with this little person. I usually babysat kids that were walking and talking. Now I had a new family member that was completely dependent on me and I was sure I would screw it up. Now, 30 years later, it was hair pulling and heart wrenching...but he turned out to be a good person that is kind to the people around him and very caring to those in need. I couldn't ask for more.

My pregnancy was the result of rape (no one knew except my parents) and I suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum my entire pregnancy and I was 17 so I was feeling pretty rough.
My mom was overjoyed to have another grand baby and I was…numb. I was numb through my entire pregnancy even though I had a tonne of support from friends, family, church…
When he was born I didn’t feel like I was allowed to celebrate him. Like I was just supposed to be there and everyone else was supposed to love on him. I felt like I was just the birthing vessel and that’s it. When I brought him home I was so overwhelmed and people were constantly telling me what to do, how to do it…I had many break downs before I went back to finish my senior year of high school.
I love my son so much though. He’s my first born baby and so incredibly smart and amazing. We grew up together and even when we go long periods without talking, we’re still super close.

First of all, English is not my native language so sorry for any miatskes.
I was very young when I got pregnant, 22. I live in a country where we have universal healthcare but it's not very good. I was petite so pushing a baby out was super hard. To make matters worse, I wasn't getting dialation so they gave me some oxitocin.All the time the midwives would make comments about my breasts or my socks which was not comforting.I was stressed out, I was in labour for several hours, with several midwives and two doctors on board. The finnaly decided to cut me and I finally managed to push out my son. He was exhausted, they gave him 6 Apbgar points and he was immediately transported to the neonatology ward. Afterwards, I've been told he might not survive the night. He survived, but the doctors told me he had several brain injuries and a broken occiput (the part of scull at the back of the head). They told me he might be handicapped. He spent his fist month on neonatology. Ever since then it's been doctor's appointments, test and so on. My kid is soon turning 12, he was diagnosed with Aspergers and I'm still traumatised. I no longer want to have any more children because of this.

Me and my wife had a few rough times when my daughter was born and even though we wouldn't change it for anything, having a newborn comes with a set of challenges, lots of my friends are having their first born, I wanted to hear some of your 1st year experiences.

Interesting to say the least.
I was on bed rest for 6 weeks then went into labor when I was at 31 weeks, pain started at midnight, husband took me to the hospital at 2am, they tried to stop the labor, but the baby was having none of that so I had an emergency C-section at 7am, since he was still feet down. Baby spent 6 weeks in NICU, could have been longer but since they knew baby was coming early I got steroid shots to help with brain and lung development.
And now I'm the proud mom of an amazing 7 year-old.

Dad here. Was 7 weeks before due date and late on a Friday evening. She started bleeding. Rushed her to the hospital. Doctor did not think baby was coming yet but wife was in severe pain so nurse convinced him to get an ultrasound. In the ultrasound room as doctor was leaning over to examine her, her water broke. Fluid sprayed clear across the room. Doctor jumped back two steps in surprise. They rushed her to delivery. By the time they go there the feet were coming out. He was breech. They had a hard time getting his head out managed after a lot of pushing and pulling. He spent 7 weeks in the children's hospital. He had a brain bleed which could have been serious but they caught it in time and he had a shunt put in when he was 3 weeks old. Today he is in his 30s and perfectly normal.

I always thought to expect the unexpected as everyone tells you their experiences and they are all different. I went in for an induction and 2 days later I was in so much pain from the contractions (only 1cm!) that I was told to take a shower to relax. That turned in to me feeling sick and faint (nothing new). The heart rate monitoring also suggested something wasn’t right too and I pushed to have a second opinion - I’m glad I did. After being sick I had the surgeons rush me in for a caesarean. Turns out he had the cord wrapped around his neck and he was stressed. He came out blue and limp. He was perfectly fine once he was checked over and I was told I did the right thing by asking for a second opinion. Trust your instincts is all I will say! It’s actually made me want an elected caesarean if I had another. Not every experience turns out that scary as you think.