What some parents have experienced
For many parents, the emotional reactions, changes and challenges of early parenting can seem as daunting as they are exciting. Some parents feel as if their world has been turned upside down, expressing surprise that no other parent had warned them about how difficult, and constant, looking after a newborn baby was going to be. For others, the experience of parenting unfolds naturally and quite smoothly, meeting their expectations and presenting few challenging hurdles. A few parents feel so honoured to have (or are so enthralled by) their new baby (especially if they have experienced past pregnancy losses or prolonged infertility treatments) that the difficult demands of parenting are accepted in their stride.
Most people expecting their first child are not fully aware of how demanding looking after their new baby will be. Few are prepared for the physical tiredness and emotional roller coaster ride of early parenting, nor do they have a realistic concept of the amount of time it takes to care for such a little person. Parents having subsequent children inevitably expect similarities with their previous children. An 'easy' new baby can come as a pleasant surprise when compared to their previous child, but a baby who proves to be more demanding than their older sibling can come as quite a shock.
Newborn babies are individuals, and each will bring with them a large degree of unpredictability and chaos, especially in the early weeks. Unsociable feeding, sleeping and crying behaviour, that normally comes with very young babies, can be quite a shock to the adult system. Most parents learn about caring for their new baby 'on the job', or discover how to juggle their known parenting skills between the new baby and an older child(ren). The support network (or lack of it) can also impact on how parents feel about themselves, and caring for their new baby, especially in the early months.