Our First Week With Baby: What Surprised Us Most
I thought I had prepared. I’d read the books, watched the videos, listened to every piece of advice (wanted or not). But nothing — absolutely nothing — compares to living that first week with a newborn. It’s a blur, a dream, a storm, and a miracle all at once. Here are the things that surprised us the most.
💛 1. How instantly everything changed
People always say life shifts the moment your baby arrives, but feeling it is something else entirely. One minute we were two people waiting, the next we were a family. The world didn’t look the same. Even the quiet felt different — fuller somehow.
💤 2. The sleep… or the lack of it
We expected broken sleep, but we didn’t expect the pattern of it.
It’s not just waking up — it’s the constant cycle of feeding, burping, changing, settling, repeat. Time becomes strange. Morning and night blur together. But somehow, even at 3 a.m., when the house is silent and we’re exhausted, there’s a sweetness to it.
🍼 3. How tiny, yet powerful, a newborn can be
The strength in those little fists.
The determination in those cries.
The way a single sneeze can make us both jump.
We didn’t realise how expressive a newborn could be — the scrunched faces, the squeaks, the dramatic stretches. It’s like living with a very small, very adorable actor.
🧡 4. The emotions hit harder than expected
Not just love — though that’s overwhelming in itself.
But everything else too:
• The worry
• The pride
• The tenderness
• The sudden tears for no reason at all
It’s like someone turned the emotional volume up to maximum. And honestly, it’s beautiful and messy in equal measure.
🌙 5. How quickly we learned to read our baby
By day three, we could tell the difference between the “I’m hungry” cry and the “I’m uncomfortable” cry.
By day five, we knew the exact position that soothed them fastest.
By day seven, we felt like we’d known this little person forever.
It’s wild how instinctive it becomes.
🧺 6. The amount of washing
No one warned us.
No one prepared us.
The washing machine has become a member of the family.
🌊 7. How grounding it felt to step outside
On day four, we took our first slow walk — just around the block. The fresh air felt like a reset button. If you’re in Plymouth, you’ll know how calming it is to see the sea or feel the breeze on the Hoe. Even a short walk made us feel human again.
🤍 8. The small moments mattered most
The tiny hand gripping our finger.
The warm weight of a sleeping baby on our chest.
The quiet moments between the chaos.
Those were the moments that made the exhaustion worth it.
✨ 9. We’re stronger than we thought
Not in a heroic way — just in a quiet, steady way.
We handled things we didn’t think we could.
We adapted faster than we expected.
We found a rhythm, even if it’s still a wobbly one.
And that surprised us most of all.
I you want to capture these early days and create moments that last a lifetime contact
me today www.puddleduck-studio.co.uk