Sometimes I wonder how mothers get through the first year. When people are warning you about having kids and how things "will be different", they should really give you specifics so you'll be prepared. Here are some things people don't tell you about babies that everyone should know:
Breastfed babies have yellow, sweet smelling poop
After all that meconium (the first few tar-like poops your baby will have) is gone, your baby's first poops will be yellow and seedy and look really strange. It's totally normal, I promise.
Growth Spurts
Babies go through growth spurts where they get extrememly irratable and fussy, don't sleep and then sleep for hours and hours the next few days. There are specific ages for these, but you can basically expect that as soon as one growth spurt is over, it seems like the next one rolls around. You can basically blame anything on a growth spurt. Is baby hungry and then screaming when you try to feed them? Growth spurt. Not sleeping well anymore? Growth Spurt. Looking at you funny? Probably a growth spurt.
Babies DO NOT and are not supposed to sleep through the night.
When you imagined having your baby, did you imagine them sleeping soundly in their crib most of the time while you and hubby stared lovingly at her and then did your own thing? Nope. Nuh uh. At the beginning, babies will nap, nap, nap like crazy. However, babies aren't meant to sleep through the night. So don't expect that you will be either.
Teething
We haven't experienced this one yet, but I didn't realize that it's such a bad time. Fevers, crying, fussiness. Not looking forward to it.
Puke
From about 2 weeks on, Aven puked everyday. No, not spit up. Projectile vomit. It's tapered off, but as soon as I type that she'll probably do it again.
Four month sleep regression
I just found out about this one. Aven is four months. I'm not excited.
Last night I was in tears because every time I would lie her down (right beside me, mind you) she would cry and cry.. in her sleep. Supposedly this is the time when babies start sleeping like adults and not babies. That phrase "sleeping like a baby"? Pshaaa!
What would you add to the list of things people don't warn you about?
Leave a comment below and I'll add to the list in another blog post.
Baby Acne!! I always thought of babies as having perfectly soft and smooth skin and then about a couple days after they get here these tiny little bumps pop up all over their nose! Weird!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Aven had it all over her face! Fortunately, I knew about that one because of reading so many photography blogs though! They say to get the newborn's pictures taken before the baby acne pops up. I DIDN'T know about cradle cap though, and we're still dealing with that, and every flake that falls off takes a few pieces of hair with it. My poor little baldy. haha
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