Which is worse, the last two months of pregnancy or the newborn stage? All things considered I’ve had a good pregnancy, but the weight of the baby and mini contractions are starting to weigh on me. I even have to mentally prepare for showers because it feels like a mini workout now.

The newborn stage was significantly harder for me. I was recovering from a C section plus I’d never really had much to do with babies before so it was a huge learning curve

The newborn stage is harder. I've had 3 high risk pregnancies, 3 pitocin induced labors, 3 non c-section births (don't want to trigger the bots by using the anatomically correct term), and 3 newborn phases.

Pregnancy is hard, but different because ultimately you only have to take care of yourself and people generally dote and you and help to make things easier. When you have a newborn every instinct on you takes care of the baby plus everyone else really pays the baby attention.

Going from no kids to 1 was the hardest transition. It's been almost 10 years and I still vividly and explicitly recall days 10-20 being the hardest. I naively recall saying at day 7 that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

They are difficult in different ways. I have 2 girls and my 2nd is a week old. I have major insomnia at the end of pregnancy + restless leg syndrome which is really rough. But having a newborn means a lot less sleep too (and the sleep you get is fragmented) plus you are recovering physically (I had 2 c sections) and I was very emotional with my first (not as much this time). But the newborn stage also means that your sweet baby is here to cuddle and love, which is amazing. And the sleep eventually improves, your body will heal, and you will find your rhythm as a parent. Wishing you the best!

Newborn stage is hard, you have to wake up ever 2-3 hours to feed the baby. By the 10th day you’re delirious from lack of sleep. Then there’s the hormone crash and pain from delivery, so you’re mentally, physically and emotionally not at your best but have a baby to take care of. Pregnancy is a piece of cake in comparison imo

They're hard in different ways but the newborn stage is far more rewarding so it was much easier for me to deal with.

They feed themselves and sleep on their own on the inside, not so much on the outside 😊

My third is six months old and while each has been different, the newborn phase is by far more intense.

Newborn was harder but those last few weeks if pregnancy were torture. I’d rather the newborn stage.

1st baby: newborn stage. That kid did not sleep.
2nd baby: end of pregnancy. She was sitting awkwardly and it was so painful. She was a great sleeper as a newborn though.

Pregnancy was always blissful for me. Worked out until the day I gave birth after due date.

Newborn stage revs things up substantially. You have a lot more hours of care and chores and mental energy added to your plate.

with first kid -- newborn stage for sure! with 2nd kid -- end of pregnancy with a super clingy toddler was harder IMO! haha

Had a high risk pregnancy and was literally in hospital or doc office for NST every other day for the last few weeks. But the new born stage wins hands down for me. Baby blues, no sleep, feeding difficulties, kiddo got jaundice, pumping, washing those parts…and the baby is just laying there like a potato. The rewarding part came pretty late for me.
In the end it’s all worth it. Couple years in, we co sleep now and he’s currently lying on me like a sack of potato 😂

I think this largely depends on 1) your birth experience and 2) how you decide to feed the baby at night.

For my first, I had a c-section and took care of night wakings exclusively on my own, so post-partum was WAY harder.
For my second, I had a VBAC and co-slept from night one. We sleep on an extremely firm mattress, and I stay at least 2 feet away from baby when I'm not nursing. Not for everyone of course, and yes, I understand there are risks, but I wake up feeling very refreshed every day. I was way more exhausted in pregnancy, especially the last 2 months or so and despite staying very fit.

I found the newborn stage better because the endless pregnancy heartburn stopped and I could enjoy food again. I also slept better when I did sleep even recovering from a c section. It helped a lot that my mom stayed for the first couple of weeks. The extra pair of hands was everything.

3weeks into the newborn stage and I can 100% say it is so much better than the third trimester. :)