Your first baby

[HS Mom in NC]

Confident and in control.

[LMD]

I was so happy.  A little nervous but mostly just happy!  DH was pretty confident so together we knew we'd be ok, we were 20 & 22.  My oldest was born in the evening and then slept most of the night, I remember waking up to her whimpering and thinking 'Oh yeah, I have a baby now, I actually have to put all that stuff into practice!'  I've been told that I make it (mothering) look easy, I'm a pretty relaxed, laid back, confident person and I love love loved having/caring for my babies!

[Jennifer132]

With my first child, I was really nervous and felt a huge weight of responsibility. With my second, I wasn't nervous much at all! But after having her home a few weeks, I had pretty bad PPD, although I didn't realize that was what it was at the time. My dh ended up having to work from home for a few months because I just couldn't deal. With my third, she was a foster child (our first placement) who we later adopted. I wasn't nervous at all with her. In fact, when we brought her home at 10 days, I told my dh to work that day and I'd just go and get her. I wasn't nervous with my last, but then when she was 2 days old she stopped breathing, and was admitted to the hospital after I dialed 911. She was on a heart monitor for 3 months after that, and you better believe I was a nervous wreck for a long time after!

[Dory]

I had never loved something so much as I loved that little bundle. It wasn't until I had been home for 2 months and he was still up every hour around the clock that I started to feel overwhelmed.

Well, that time and when I tore back open because they took my c-section stitches out too early and I had to rush back to the hospital. That was kinda overwhelming. Taking care of the baby was a joy to me though. He wasn't a fussy baby, just happy and contented, and he smelled heavenly to me. I had wanted babies my entire life.