Being Alone, Just You And Baby… Eeeeek!

What thoughts went through your head during those first few days?

Like my first day with a cat, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t have any younger siblings. I never spent time around babies. Most of my friends are childless. I had no clue the newborn stage would be so challenging — that sometimes the baby would be impossible to soothe; that the exhaustion would be so profound, I would feel it in my bones; that my emotions would slide from sad to angry, guilty to lonely, helpless to nurturing– back and forth, all day long.

It was a very dark time. Literally. We live in the desert, and it was 110 degrees that month, so the blinds were shut and the curtains were drawn. Even with the air conditioning on I couldn’t wear a robe without sweating, so I swaddled myself in a sarong, even though it was pointless to wear anything at all. I think I just wanted to feel like the kind of person who could get dressed in the morning.

With no family nearby to pitch in, and friends who had their own lives to lead, I sat with my baby all day long and tried to get acquainted with him. Most of all, I watched the clock, willing the hands to move forward, each hour bringing my husband closer.

Definitely take a few minutes and read the rest of this on the Baby Center Blog and don't forget to leave us a comment and share your experience the first time you were home alone with your baby.