5 Things You’ll Actually Miss About Having A Newborn
Newborn babies are adorably exhausting. This shouldn’t come as breaking news, but somehow it does for every single one of us. Our babies are so cute and so immobile, and it fools us into a false sense of “I totally got this” confidence when what we’re really signing up for is survivor island filled with an obstacle course of sleep deprivation, diaper blowouts, and clipping teeny nails under pressure.
But here’s a secret: Literally every part of parenting your kids is hard. Newborns don’t corner the market on adorably exhausting. And while this isn’t going to be an “enjoy every moment” screed that you eye roll through — because that will just make you feel inadequate and you’re not — there are some legit things you will miss about your tiny human once they’re not so tiny anymore.
Your Newborn Can’t Move
This is the be all, end all perk of a newborn. They can’t run from you, pull all the books off the shelf, smear their hands on literally everything, or play in the living room like a cyclone. Nothing, nada, nope your new newborn isn’t going anywhere — and it’s freaking glorious! Sure, you’re going to lose your mind with pure joy when they roll over for the first time, but know that it’s a bittersweet milestone because, well, they only get faster.
Their Heads Smell Like Happiness
Is there anything more warm and inviting than the smell of a newborn’s soft dome? Absolutely not. Seriously, how does “newborn head” not exist as a room spray? Once you get a whiff of that super-fine baby hair, it will have you feeling a way — like your heart might explode from the tsunamommy of love you’re currently experiencing. And then before you know it, you’re sniffing your friend’s baby’s head and it’s not awkward at all. Nope.
They Only Eat One Thing, and They Love It
The upside of a newborn is that they only eat one thing, and they eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. With a baby-baby, you’re never going to say, “I really need to diversify this menu.” And yet feeding our babies is one of our biggest challenges. If you’re bottle feeding you can feel like the weight of the world rests on the type of bottle you choose OR ELSE. But the stakes are not that dire, promise. Selecting a bottle system with features that are similar to breastfeeding is a nice choice. Dr. Brown’s allows babies to feed at their own pace, and their unique bottle design helps reduce colic, spit-up, burping, and gas — which are all things you want to avoid so you can get back to enjoying that one time in their life when they eat whatever you put in front of them.
Their Clothes Are So Teeny and Precious
Of course there are more important and necessary things for your newborn than matching coordinates and layettes, but is there really? Oh alright, there is, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn’t hand over their entire wallet for footie pajamas in soft terry cloth in size newborn–3 mos. They’re just so tiny and clean and in ALL the pastel colors. Notice no one mentioned shoes because we can’t even go there we miss those adorable things so much.
They Have Rubber-Band Wrists and Roly-Poly Thighs
Once your newborn chunks up, it is the BEST. You’ll want to squeeze and cuddle them every minute of every day, and you will because you’re their mom and that’s what moms do. Chubby thighs and thick wrists along with rosy, puffy cheeks don’t last forever, and no matter how old they are, you’ll look back on these days and think to yourself “too soon.” You just can’t go there, the loss is that great.
Yes, babies are exhausting, but this stuff, eventually, you’ll miss. In the moment with each day’s survival theatrics of “Was that cough serious?” or “How does one fumigate vomit from minivan upholstery?” you’re never going to see it. And that’s OK. So take all the photos, snuggle as much as you can, and know that this too shall pass and some of it — dare we say a lot of it — you’ll eventually miss.
Dr. Brown’s is dedicated to providing well-designed, healthful feeding products for baby. These acclaimed products have won numerous consumer awards and accolades, including No. 1 best-selling bottle in America (Retail Unit Sales) and No. 1 bottle recommended by pediatricians in the U.S. Learn more at www.drbrownsbaby.com.
