What is it really like the first night you bring your baby home from the hospital?

Question

My husband and I were talking about ths last night. This will be our first child and we are just trying to think about how it will be the first night we come home from the hospital and we are 100% responsible for this little person with no help. Can anyone share their stories or advice?

By th way, we are really looking forward to it. It will just be a life change that neither of us can really fathom right now.

Answer 1

In the hospital we were desperate to leave, we visited my nan and Mum on the way home so it was a constant flow of ohhhs ahhhhs and advice. then when we got home i carried my baby girl in her car seat upstairs to see her new room while my husband started unpacking essentials out of the boxes they had sat in for months (Sterilisers, packs of babygrows and bottles. the only thing unpacked and unravelled were the things in her nursery.
She opened her little eyes and took a little unsure look around her new home and I picked her up and gave her a cuddle sniffing her head while she fell asleep. then I put her in her cot and came downstairs. i was only on the first step when I realised that was the furthest she had been away from me in her life! I felt this huge overwhelming mix of love, guilt, fear and pride but decided that I would leave her to adjust.
When I got downstairs I found my husband sitting staring into space, tears rolling down his face but still smiling.
I asked what was wrong and he said.. "I just cannot believe i'm a Daddy, I have a little daughter upstairs and my beautiful wife is now a Mummy too." we both had a little sob (Sounds really corny..) then we went upstairs and watchd our little new person sleep.
After that everything felt completely right and normal. By morning we could not remember what it was like without her and we both slotted into our new roles easily.
I would definately say the homecoming is as emotional as the birth..
It's a memory i will cherish forever.
I always remember my Mum saying that you don't really learn how to drive on your driving lessons and passing your test won't suddenly equip you with the skills to be a good driver, you will learn from the minute you hit the road on your own.
I liken that to pregnancy, birth and parenting too xxx

Answer 2

I just had my second at home and that was waay easier. For one thing newborns tend to sleep most of the first 24 hours which gives mom a rest -a rest which you probably will not get if you are in the hospital.

The other thing is many hospital routines are designed to make you be a "good patient"; which mens relinquishing control. You wear their clothes, eat when they say, feed the baby when they say, etc. You are feel you don't have to worry about whether the baby is healthy because the nurse is checking every so many hours, etc.

So when you come home from the hospital it can be quite a shock. Suddenly there is no one checking your blood pressure every 4 hours, and listening to the baby's heart, etc.

Just remember that you ARE the parent and you KNOW your baby best -period. And then take it one minute at a time. And while you are in the hospital wear your own clothes, have hubby bring you food when you want it. Go to the kitchenette and make yourself tea/coffee. Go down to the caf if you can with the baby. Change the baby's diapers, etc. Do as much as you can for you and the baby and try to ignore the staff.

Answer 3

It is the most surreal experience -- you go to the hospital as a couple with no real responsibilites and leave with a new being dependant entirely upon you. While you're in the hospital you have help -- nurses checking on you all the time, people to ask questions of etc. Then you're driving home and like, "How is is possible that I need a license to drive, to fish, etc. and here I am bringing home a human being to care for without any real knowledge of how to do that!" Totally surreal.

It might be a weird feeling but a totally wonderful one as well.

The first two weeks were really hard for us, but more because my son had latching problems, not for any other reason. He actually slept really well in the beginning, 3-4 hours at a clip, so not too bad.

I will also say that something happens to you when you become a mother -- it's like nature realizes you're going to be worn out and gives you a shot of adrenaline to prepare. I think I probably slept 3-4 hours each day for the first week, not because the baby was up all the time, but because I was so "juiced up" on adrenaline/hormones/whatever chemicals your body produces at birth that I couldn't sleep.

Congratulations on your baby and good luck! It'll be a wonderful experience, surreal or not. :)

Answer 4

Give her time to settle into a routine with you and your partner. It's likely to be all over the place for a while, just bare wit it and grab sleep when she does and eventually things will begin to go back to normal. Try swaddling her. It's probably not recommended these days as they change the rules on babies every 5 minutes but my 3 kids all went out like a light when they were swaddled. All 3 also slept through the night by 2 months old. You're not doing anything wrong through. Don't worry :) Edit: there are a few different shapes of dummy. Try the very smallest teat you can find that might help?

Answer 5

It was a tough adjustment for me from the second he was born. You go from sleeping when you like, indulging in whatever and whenever to the polar opposite...all in less than a day. The is no adjustment time, you're just thrown into it. Bringing him home was scary but you just figure it out and find a system that works for you. My husband and I started switching off at night. I'd pump during the day so he'd have something to feed with. Basically, I'd go to bed at 7pm and my husband would be up with the baby until midnight...then I'd take over again so hubby could sleep for work. Sometimes I was up longer in the early morning, sometimes I was able to sleep longer....it just depends. Find a system that works for you and you'll be fine. The baby will eventually settle into a predictable routine and it gets much easier. Oh, and something no one told me is that babies sleep A LOT the first week or two but then they wake up and become more alert at night. Don't get fooled by that first couple weeks and think, "Well, this isn't so bad, he's sleeping well." Good luck!

Answer 6

Well you will be sore from the birth and so it is a good idea to have someone around to help with housework for a few days.

As for the baby, will you breastfeed? If so expect it to nurse several times. You can nurse it while laying down in bed. Hubby cna be involved by bringing the baby to you, changing it's diaper after nursing and returning it to it's bassinette.

If you are bottle feeding, then you and hubby can take turns feeding and changing the baby.

Baby might be a little fussy the first night as it adjusts to it's new home.

This is normal. Don't expect to sleep much the first night. However, you will need some rest, so sleep as much as you can (this is another eason to have a gramma on standby helping out if possible)

Good Luck and congrats on the bew baby

Answer 7

I had 2 nights in hospital with our little girl so was quite prepared for what was in store once we were home.
The first night we had the moses next to my side of the bed, i'd put Jasmin in to sleep & relaxed.All of a sudden my hubby put one of his crime programs on the tv in our bedroom & it was quite loud. It woke Jasmin up & she screamed non stop. After a few hours of her being very unsettled, falling asleep for 5 mins & waking again my hubby was quite flustered.
He was very naive & thought a baby wouldn't change our lives much-it cracks me up when people now say this. I have to say the first night wasn't all romantic,i was weak from c-section & felt like i'd been hit by a bus but it was amazing to stare down at this tiny person who was beautiful & so perfect .we didn't get more than 5 hrs broken sleep for the first 6 months, she wanted holding all day & cried when i left her which was a bit draining to say the least.

If i sound like im moaning, im not, i know all parents feel the same & you do adapt to it.Our girl is 12 months & such a wonderful little character, even if i had not a minute of sleep she would be worth it & i'd do it all again for her.
Good luck, its an exciting time!!

Answer 8

Well first, it took us nearly an hour to drive home, even though we live only a few minutes from the hospital. That's because I was so protective of our newborn son that I would yell at my husband if he drove over 20 mph! We do laugh about that now.
The first night isn't as scary as you'd think. We practiced cosleeping with our son - first in a cosleeper that attached to our bed, but he later gave that up and practiced regular cosleeping (with the proper safety precautions, of course). Because of our sleeping situation, he was able to sleep through the night almost immediately. In fact, friends of ours who put their babies in cribs or bassinets were quite envious as they paced the halls with screaming infants at 3 AM! Anyway, my son would occasionally wake up to nurse, the first night, but settled right back and went to sleep. We, on the other hand, didn't sleep much. We just couldn't stop staring at him; we were in awe of the tiny, perfect little person we had created.
I remember thinking about what our first night would be before he was born, and I was a bit apprehensive. But really, your maternal (or paternal, in your husband's case) instincts just take over, and things happen naturally. It is still a good idea to read up on how to care for a newborn, take classes and ask lots of questions while you're in the hospital. Good luck!

Answer 9

I was scared to walk out of the hospital holding my tiny little baby boy, you just feel so safe in their its weird!! Walking out into the carpark and getting into the car made me nervous for some reason, you just feel such a sense of over-protectiveness and that you dont want anything to go wrong!!When we got home i had a nice warm shower while daddy got to have a long hold of him and stare at his little man!! We then all just layed in bed together and rested, it was sooooo nice to lay in familiar surroundings and be back in your own comfy bed but then all the visitors start arriving and it all gets a bit much because your so tired you just want to sleep and relax!! I let dad hold him a lot whilst i caught up on sleep, they watched movies and played playstation together it was very cute although bubs was pretty much always sleeping for the first two weeks!! Whenever he woke up daddy would bring him in to me for a feed if i was sleeping. It was really helpful doing this as daddy did the "dayshift" and mummy did the "nightshift". I also thought it was great for them to bond together. Good luck with everything and just do whatever feels right for you. Dont worry about people telling you what you ahould and shouldnt be doing and dont read too many books, they are all so conflicting it just confuses you more!! Go with the flow and relax and you will both do just fine!!

Answer 10

I couldnt wait to get my son home. I was in the hospital 4 nights and 5 days- three days and two nights in labor, and the rest we stayed because he was jaundice. Naturally I couldnt sleep at all while there, so I was exhausted and sick of nurses always butting in.

I got home, went to bed with my son, sat and cried because he was so perfect and I had waited my whole life for a child, and just thanked God for such a perfect baby.

The first two nights were hell when we got home. Its was horrific. I was sooo exhausted and anemic and my son was sooo brand new and didnt know how to sleep, so i spent the nights crying from being sooooooooo incredibly overly tired.

But, by the third day I realized I needed to set things up different, be a die hard stickler about routine, and give in and sleep whenever it was quiet in the house. That night was better, I was able to sleep in short spurts, and by the following week my son was able to nurse in bed with me and we both slept for upwards of 6 hours a night with no interruptions.

Its hell. Ive never heard anything else from any other new mom. But if you're smart you remain calm and ease right into a strict schedule and it sorts itself out really fast.