Everyone told me to enjoy the newborn stage when I had my first baby because it goes fast, and I would miss it. But I was so exhausted and overwhelmed I didn’t believe them. While I was living through it, it felt like it took forever!
If you are there now or about to enter this stage, it’s a yummy, delicious, snuggly stage. But for me, it has always been one of the harder ones every time I go through it. So I see and feel you, mama! It’s physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. Hold tight, though, because it doesn’t last forever.
So, while you are struggling to keep your eyes open and your mental state together, here are a few things to try to savor while your baby is still a newborn:
8 Things to Savor in the Newborn Stage
That Sweet Baby Smell
Newborns smell so good. Drink it up because, in no time, they’ll be eating real food, playing in the dirt, and emitting less than delicious odors from their bodies. And let’s not even talk about how stinky they’ll get as adolescents!
It’s Easy to Be Mama Bear
You can easily protect them and keep them sheltered. It’s not easy when our babies get a little bigger, and we may have to bring them to daycare, leave them with a nanny, and later on drop them off at school or for a playdate. It’s fun for them and a nice break for us, but they come with new challenges. Enjoy this time where you get to watch over them, protect them, and take care of everything for them.
Snuggle Time!
Sweet baby snuggles are the best! Enjoy those kisses, hugs, raspberries, and holding them close to you. Within the year, they will be wriggling out of your arms and seeking their freedom. And you will find yourself wishing you could snuggle them close just one more time.
They Can’t Get Away
They stay put! Your newborn can sit in a bouncy chair or lie down in their bassinet while you shower or use the bathroom. Once your baby starts rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking, not only are they moving, but they won’t want to stop! Soon, they will be protesting for their freedom and getting into everything. Enjoy being able to place your newborn down without worrying about them grabbing small items off the floor to put in their mouth or running to play with the electrical sockets.
Meals are Easy
It may feel like you have to bring a lot of gear with you everywhere you go, but you don’t have to worry about food! If you are nursing, all you need is yourself. If you are formula feeding, just bring a bottle, water, and formula. After the newborn phase, you will have to start worrying about meals and preparing food, cooking and cutting up the food into small pieces, bringing snacks, being near a high chair for mealtime, and your ever-evolving child’s palette! It gets a lot messier, and you never know what your baby will want to eat, so there is a lot more to coordinate.
Adult Conversation is Still Possible
Newborns don’t talk over you or eavesdrop or butt into your conversation. As time-consuming as having a newborn can be, continue to enjoy having time to talk to your partner without being interrupted in the same way.
Have Baby, Will Travel
Newborns are portable. They can sleep anytime and anywhere: the car seat, in your arms, or the stroller. They are not distracted by everyone and everything else around them, and they don’t yet have a set schedule that, if interrupted, throws the entire day (and potentially the night) off.
They’re a Great Excuse to Stay In
You get a free pass to stay home and no one has expectations from you to do anything outside of being home and taking care of yourself and your baby! So if you’re feeling tired, worn out, or just need a night in, just pull the “I-just-had-a-baby” card and hunker down for a quiet night.
As hard as it is to believe right now, these newborn days will be gone before you know it. Try to remember to savor as many of these moments as you have right now. And give that baby an extra snuggle for the rest of us!
