You’ve had your baby and every few hours someone comes in to check on you, asks you if you need help and answers all those silly questions that feel world-ending at the time. Even when they leave your fortress of hospital curtains, they’re just a call bell away.

Then they discharge you, cut the tags off and show you the door. You are now in charge of keeping a tiny person alive, and nobody gives you any instructions.

So what can you expect on your first night home with your brand-new baby?

1- Everyone Wants To Visit

If you have told people about being in labour/ having your baby you will be familiar with the texts of how are they? Share photos? When can we meet them? Everyone gets very excited when a new baby is born, but it can feel overwhelming to new parents.

In my case I was ready to see people, I finally felt good again after 9 months so it was a dream. But for others the thought is overwhelming, others just prefer to enjoy the newborn bubble with just close family- this is entirely up to you. Whatever choice you make stand strong in your decision. Once we were home people could only visit if we wanted them to. This is your baby and you don’t owe anybody access to them. If you want visitors, brilliant. If you want to spend a week in your newborn bubble, that’s totally fine.

2- Babies Are So Noisy

Now everyone knows babies cry, that is common knowledge. However not many people tell you about all the other noises they make. Grunts, gurgles, squeaks, I swear one time Ozzy meowed. All normal, but you analyse each one. And they don’t just make noises when they are awake, they can be dead asleep and be practically beat boxing.

Babies can have active sleep where they wriggle, grunt and even cry. Waiting a few minutes to see if they’re actually awake before picking them up can stop you accidentallly waking a baby who might have settled back off to sleep on their own.

3- Second Night Syndrome

It sounds intense, it’s really just your baby being more aware of the world and a bit frightened by it all. They want more comfort they find it hard to sleep on their own, they’re just super unsettled. It is super tiring but if you put it in perspective it makes sense. They have spent 40 weeks somewhere warm, safe, noisy and comfortable. Then they are born and the first day they are sleepy. Birth is tiring for them, then there’s learning to breathe on your own, eat etc. By day 2 they have woken up a bit and figured out they’re somewhere different, it’s scary. They aren’t being difficult or trying to test you- they just need a little extra comfort while they adjust.

With Ozzy he wouldn’t sleep unless he was one somebody’s chest, so me and my partner slept in shifts. I’d get 2 hours of sleep while he was up holding Ozzy and then we’d swap.

Just ride the wave of fussiness, hold them when they need it, feed them when they are hungry, they will adjust and settle down they just need a bit of time.

4- Cluster Feeding Can Start

If you are breastfeeding day two can be the start of cluster feeding where your baby is feeding more frequently to help increase your milk supply- read more about this in my post Cluster Feeding-What Is It?

5- It Doesn’t Last Forver

Soon you will be a pro at raising your little one. Nappies will be put on easily and they won’t leak as often. Dressing your baby becomes second nature as you realise they aren’t as delicate as you think. Feeding starts to feel more natural too. Before you know it, your new family will be perfectly settled into your new routine and those overwhelming first nights will become a faint memory.