Let me explain, when I was pregnant it just never clicked in my head fully that at the end of the nine months I was going to have an actual living breathing baby, almost like she wasn’t real? I don’t know how to explain it but when I first saw my baby I was in so much shock that she was actually real, and was here.
Did anyone else feel this way?
yes. it’s like i did all this prep knowing I was having a baby, got a nursery set up, bought clothes. But she was still a “concept” of a baby if that makes sense. Even though I could feel her moving, see her on ultrasounds.
And then after I had her I was looking at her in the bassinet like holy shit this is a real baby lol
@Blaze
This was me too! I couldn’t believe they were gonna just let me walk out of the hospital with that thing even though I was so clueless 
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Yep! I was so disconnected from my pregnancy (despite it being planned) that people around me were worried about me. In my head I knew I was pregnant, had a very active baby that I felt moving all the time, but there was just something that refused to click in my brain. In all honesty it took a few weeks after she was born for me to be like yep, this is real.
@Mckinley
People were worried about me too! (I’m also young so that could be a factor) but I was so disconnected that people had to sit down and have talks with me and be like this is a really serious thing dude, I also put several things off till the last minute because to me I was going to be pregnant with this thing forever and she wasn’t real.
@Zayne
Yes I totally delayed things as well because I couldn’t grasp the fact that I’d be giving birth soon and have an actual living breathing baby to take care of! Like I knew it was going to be happening soon but it still just didn’t compute lol. Luckily my husband was super excited and took care of the things I neglected but still it wasn’t until we were like, leaving the hospital that it all actually clicked for me.
@Zayne
I put things off too long too! It got the the week before I was due and my husband was scrambling to get things put together. 
I wanted to put them all together so he was kindly waiting for me, but then was like nope I’m just going to do it! I didn’t fully finish setting up her nursery until she was 3 months old and I knew I had to get it done before I went back to work.
@Zayne
Going through this again with my second! I finally was like okay we’ve got a little one coming so we gotta actually sort stuff out. I’m 31 weeks tomorrow and just barely considering buying another crib like I know logically what I have to get but actually buying it is so hard! Like there’s really another little guy?? It’s strange. It’ll click after a few weeks but I really don’t like this stage where it doesn’t quite feel real.
@Mckinley
100% the same. I look back at videos of my belly moving and somehow still can’t remember or acknowledge that I was even pregnant when in fact I know I was?? Wildddd.
Timber said:
@Mckinley
100% the same. I look back at videos of my belly moving and somehow still can’t remember or acknowledge that I was even pregnant when in fact I know I was?? Wildddd.
I’m actually excited about eventually getting pregnant again, because even though pregnancy was awful and I was so sick the entire time, I think I’ll be able to enjoy it more and be more connected to the process!
@Mckinley
Good point! Plus, now that I’ve had my son, pregnancy was a breeze (luckily for me, I know some people have a really hard time and don’t want minimize that) compared to the newborn phase and parenting in general.
@Mckinley
It’s so weird to transition from not having a kid to having a kid one day. My baby is five months and sometimes I still think “wow, I’m a parent.”
I also was a little disconnected from my pregnancy - I had a previous miscarriage so I was very afraid of a bad outcome and would say things like we will probably have a baby in a few months because I didn’t want to fully 100% commit in case things turned out for the worse again.
But I think even without that, it’s so hard to imagine life with a baby until they are there because it’s such an unfamiliar experience for most first time parents. I took a lot of care of my nephews when they were babies but this is still so beyond that.
@Mckinley
Yeah, same. My pregnancy was really uneventful. I didn’t get morning sickness or anything to remind me that I was pregnant. I’m pretty plump, so I didn’t show until the very end. It didn’t feel like I had a real baby. Heck, even now, 3 months pp, I don’t feel like I was ever pregnant even though I pushed him out and everything.
I was also in shock when they put him on my chest after he was born. I didn’t really want to touch him because he was slimy and gross. I didn’t know what to do, or how to talk to him or comfort him. I was afraid to hurt him, I didn’t know how to change a diaper or bathe him or breastfeed, and they were just gonna send me home with this thing?!?!!!
It worked out. He’s 3 months old and has started to develop a little personality. I adore him, but it took a while for him to feel like a person who was part of my family and not just a chore I now have to do. (He’s still a chore sometimes, but I love him and he’s worth it.)
Yes!! It was such a weird feeling. After I pushed her out and they put her on my chest I was freaking out and in shock. I didn’t know what to do so I awkwardly and gently laid a hand on her back. Like holy fuckin shit I have an actual living breathing human baby that I’m now responsible for. I also didn’t feel immediate love and I felt so guilty about it. I was just in complete and total shock.
I don’t think the shock went away until the first month was over. I kept feeling like I needed to ask someone permission to do xyz. I didn’t feel like a grown up let alone an actual parent.
@Gale
This is so similar to my story. I told my mom the entire time I was in labor that I didn’t believe she was real and when I saw her for the first time I just repeatedly said “oh my god.” For five minutes. I also did the exact same thing when I first held her! She was crying and I just put my hand on her head and shushed her. I didn’t even want to hold her at first because I was so scared. My mom just ended up putting her on my chest and said no hun you have to hold her she needs her mom, and I was like oh shit I’m her mom. And it took me a couple weeks to feel actual love for my baby too. Like I loved her, and I knew I loved her, but I didn’t feel love? It’s so weird.
@Zayne
Yeah i know how you feel. I didn’t even know how to hold her. The nurses were showing me how to support her head and body. I broke my tailbone coming out so I was in a lot of pain and also couldn’t really hold her because of that.
She’s 6 now and I absolutely adore her. We’re incredibly close. But I still feel a lot of guilt from the beginning.
@Gale
I’m convinced you’re me from the future now (jk) I also broke my tailbone! If you don’t mind me asking how long did it take to heal? She’s a month old now and I can still barely sit down or walk.
@Zayne
Lol that’s wild I’ve never heard of anyone else who experienced that! It took a few months I think to feel comfortable again. I used a donut pillow to sit on for a while. Did they give you anything for pain?
@Gale
Not yet 
hopefully they give me something at my six week appointment they told me that it should’ve gone away by now but it’s only gotten worse I just got used to it lol.
Zayne said:
@Gale
Not yet
Oh that sucks I’m sorry. Yeah it’s not easy to heal a bone you’re constantly using. Do you do ice or heat or anything. Definitely ask them about that.