The first night home with your newborn baby may be an exiting time for you and your partner. But, it can also be scary and full of unknowns and questions. Trust me! With my first born, I was clueless and honestly did not know what to expect. Today I’m sharing with you what you can expect the first night home with your newborn baby.
Even though you’re staying in the hospital, you will be anxious and happy to finally be home alone with your new baby. You will soon realize that being in the hospital full of helpful nurses and doctors, is a more better idea, ha! Reality definitely sinks in once you’re home with baby! It’s so surreal, there’s a tiny cute little human in your house that you have to take care of and keep alive.
Remember mama, that you are doing your best even though it may sometimes feel like you’re not. I am going to boldly say that you are not alone and that many if not all moms have a rough first night home with a newborn. As new parents just take a deep breath and just be prepared for it!
Things to help your new postpartum life with a newborn feel easier:
- Take a breastfeeding class (learn to breastfeed with ease and like a pro)
- Have effectives schedules and routine for your new baby
- Create a good newborn sleep schedule
- Ask for help
- Practice selfcare
10 things you can expect the first night home with your newborn baby
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1.Team no sleep
So one of the things you can expect after bringing home baby from the hospital is no sleep. You will not get any sleep and that is real my friend. Either your baby is waking up every hour or so or you’re too scared to fall asleep because you might not hear your baby cry.
You need to try to rest as much as you can when baby is taking a nap during the day. If you have visitors over, take advantage of that time to catch a nap while they take care of your baby. This way, once it’s time for bedtime. You at least have had a decent sleep during the day.
Products that help baby sleep better at night:
Baby & Toddler White Noise Sound Machine
Baby Brezza Safe Sleep Swaddle Blanket for Crib Safety for Newborns and Infants
2.Baby will wake up every 2 to 3 hours
Since there will be no sleep from your part, you can bet that the main reason is because your newborn baby wakes up every 2 to 3 hours. If you’re lucky your baby will wake up every hour of the night! (being sarcastic here).
The point here is that your baby is going to wake up multiple times during the night for a feeding or for a diaper change. It is reality mama! You can help baby sleep longer and more comfortable through the night by swaddling your baby.
Watch how to swaddle a newborn baby:
Help your baby sleep longer tough the night so you can too! Learn to teach your baby to self soothe, read the ebook here!
3. Self doubt creeps in
The first night home with baby can make you questions life itself. The sad part about this is that I’m not even joking. Imagine having to care for twins like I did! It’s hard! So, yeah self doubt will creep in once in a while while you are figuring out this whole mom thing.
The first night with baby after coming home from the hospital is brutal. You will start questioning everything that you’re doing and wonder if you’re doing it right. Don’t worry mama, you are doing just fine!
Learn everything that you need to thrive as a new mom by having more sleep, having more “me” time, rediscovering yourself, balancing life and career, get more things done and feel in control. Click here to thrive as a new mom!
4. Diaper changes
Be prepared to change your baby’s diaper more than once through the night. Make sure you practice changing diapers on dim to no light at all. It’s just something us moms have to get used to! Make sure you have your own diaper basket to make things easier and more convenient!
here’s a quick guide of a newborn baby different type of poop and what they mean:
5. You will be paranoid
Oh talk about mommy paranoia! During the first few nights home with your newborn, you will be paranoid even to sleep at night. This is because you are nervous you won’t hear your baby cry and can’t attend to his needs immediately. Also, you’re probably too scared and worried about SIDS! Which is sudden infant death with no apparent cause.
I get it mama, I was the same way! But to help you have peace of mind, you should definitely get your hands on the Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor. Which helps track your infant’s heart rate & oxygen levels.
6. Partner may or may not wake up with you
Baby’s first night home from the hospital will test your relationship. It is what it is. Your partner may or may not wake up to help you with the baby. Or he might just need extra help and motivation to wake up at 2 in the morning. How about a pillow thrown to his head or smack him a little. Haha!
My hubby did not wake up at all! Well unless I would literally push him from our bed. With our twins, he had no choice but to help me because there were two little mouths to feed. Just be aware that your partner will not have the mommy instinct as you, so he may need a little help with that 🙂
7. You will still feel pain from childbirth
With everything that is going on after bringing newborn baby from the hospital, you still have to worry about your recovery. You still need to take care of you because you matter as well. Remember to care for your incision if you had a C-section or your vagina if you had a vaginal birth.
Make sure to not lift anything heavy, to wear large maxi pads and use your peri bottle to clean up. Start nourishing your body, so you can heal quickly, produce a healthy milk supply and lose the baby weight. Here’s how!
Read this next:
11 fast and realistic ways to recover from a C-section
12 quick ways to recover from a vaginal tear or an episiotomy
8. Baby will constantly cry
By now it’s safe to tell you that you have to get used to your baby crying. Babies cry a lot and it’s really up to you to figure out what baby wants and needs from you. Here’s a great article on the 8 common reasons why babies cry!
Just know that during baby’s first night home, he/she will cry when she/he is hungry, uncomfortable, cold, hot or needs a diaper change!
Read this next:
A step by step guide on how to change baby’s diaper
5 important signs and cues that your baby is ready for a feeding
9. Hormonal
During the first night home with your newborn baby and the first days as a new mom, you are going to be very hormonal. Heck! During the first few weeks and even months after bringing baby home you’ll feel different kinds of emotions. You are a new mom with many questions, doubts, feelings and more!
You are recovering from child birth and now you are left to fend for yourself and figure everything out on your own. It can feel lonely and you may shed a tear or so.
Read this next:
14 excellent ways to feel more like yourself after having a baby
10. Reality sinks in
The reality of being a mom sinks in once baby is home from the hospital. I mean, can it get any more real than this! There are no nurses or doctors catering to you and your baby’s needs. You and your partner are together in this and both of you have to parent in harmony. You have to be a team and get through the first couple of rough nights with your newborn baby.
But guess what? I know you can do it because you’re smart, strong, and determined. Your mommy instincts are there to guide you. You are already doing an excellent job!
As a new mom you have to figure things out on your own. You can read all of the books in the world about preparing you for baby. You get a lot of wanted and unneeded advice from everyone, but at the end of the day, you will learn as you go.
The first night home with your newborn baby can be scary, tiring and very different from what you may think it’s going to be like. Just know that this too shall pass. Your newborn baby is trying to get used to life outside of the comfort of the womb.
With every day and night that passes by you’re going to learn more and more about your baby. Yes, the long nights are not going to end soon but it will eventually fade away, hopefully!. I hope you found this post helpful in knowing what to expect the first night home with your newborn baby.
