New Moms Discuss Unexpected Baby Behaviors in Wholesome Yet Eye-Opening Thread: 'No one prepared me for that!'

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Sep 4, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

Hi, mommas. Becoming a mother comes with all sorts of unexpected surprises. No amount of parenting books, podcasts, or mommy TikTok accounts can truly prepare you for having a baby - your baby. There are plenty of baby behaviors and habits that go unwritten because they vary from baby to baby, or they are so innocuous that they are not worth mentioning when giving childcare advice. For example, every new parent knows that newborns do not sleep much. It is important to be aware of this fact to mentally prepare yourself for months of little sleep and erratic daily schedules. However, no one tells new parents that their baby's grip is stronger than that of a gorilla, and getting them to open their tiny fist to relinquish that tiny, hazardous object will be harder than trying to open a sealed pickle jar with oily hands. Read below to read what other behaviors no one told these mothers about!

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  • 01
    r/Mommit u/PrettyGreenEyes93 • 9h What's something babies do that you didn't expect before having children?
    via u/PrettyGreenEyes93
  • 02
    For me it's the startle reflex. Somebody briefly mentioned it whilst I was pregnant but I didn't understand what they were talking about. I think it's the cutest thing how babies will extend their arms and legs in a cartoon-style display of being shocked. I'm not ready for it to disappear. 1230 D
    via u/PrettyGreenEyes93
  • 03
    Sure_its_grand • 9h I didn't expect them to be so loud when they're sleeping. Grunts, hiccups, toots, whinnies etc. was like sleeping in a barnyard lol ... ← Reply 264
    via u/Sure_its_grand
  • 04
    Ο KnockturnAlleySally ⚫ 8h • And see I expected that! I did NOT expect my babe to never move or make a single sound whilst asleep I had to check in on her so often to make sure she was alive lmao. - ... 35
    via u/KnockturnAlleySally
  • 05
    bearlyawake2023 .7h Mine was the same way! Very quiet sleeper! He would shove his legs up in the air but very quiet 12
    via u/bearlyawake2023
  • 06
    KnockturnAlleySally ⚫ 6h • Same with mine! I kept reading about these people who had to move the baby to their own room early because of the noise they made and I was just like... IS SHE DEFECTIVE OH MY GOD?! Lol but I'm secretly grateful because I got great sleep in the newborn phase as she slept so quietly and for so long. I said it the other day but I'm hoping that this new addition is the same way but, I'm not holding my breath Imao. ... +93
    via u/KnockturnAlleySally
  • 07
    PrettyGreenEyes93 OP. 8h So true! A barnyard is a good way to describe the sounds. ... G ↑ 14
    via u/PrettyGreenEyes93
  • 08
    jessi_g9.8h I always called it a symphony, although mine was more when I'd unwrap her from the swaddle in the morning. It was like they were all locked in there and I'd unwrap her and she'd stretch her arms up and just release everything that had been stored! ... 10
    via u/jessi_g9
  • 09
    the_baker_e .7h I second this, my first didn't make much of any noise while sleeping, my second sounds like I brought a dinosaur home from the hospital ← 14
    via u/the_baker_e
  • 10
    Zhaefari_⚫ 9h Baby Girl born Jan 23, 2024 I didn't realize the loudest farts could come out of such tiny bodies Reply 132
    via u/Zhaefari_
  • 11
    bearlyawake2023 .7h We call ours "toots" for a reason ... 843
    via u/bearlyawake2023
  • 12
    Easy_Initial_46 • 8h How fast they can grab things you think are out of reach! ← Reply û 77 ♡
    via u/Easy_Initial_46
  • 13
    tarabletara • 8h And the super grip! ☆☆ 14
    via u/tarabletara
  • 14
    -Experiment--626- • 2h Whoever said "it's like taking candy from a baby" must not have ever met a baby. ... Vote
    via u/-Experiment--626
  • 15
    Helping Meet • 8h How devastating a booger can be! I tell you what, one booger can end the world! ... Reply 45
    via u/HelpingMeet
  • 16
    PrettyGreenEyes93 OP. 8h Oh, haven't experienced a reaction yet. I've got this to look forward to. ← & Ŷ 3 B Helping Meet • 8h My newborn rn is just so upset about the slightest nasal impediment! 818
    via u/PrettyGreenEyes93, u/HelpingMeet
  • 17
    Acrobatic_Ad7088. 8h How observant they are of every detail in their surroundings. Reply 43
    via u/Acrobatic_Ad7088
  • 18
    shay-doe⚫8h Picking up on sign language. Both my kids by 6 months knew how to ask for milk, to play, and ask for mom or dad. It blew me away. And I know it's about babies but by one they really have an understanding of language and know so much and it's easy to forget and hold them accountable for their actions. Reply ↑ 35
    via u/shay-doe
  • 19
    Myhoneydew-92.7h How did you teach them? 2 shay-doe .7h Repetition all day every day. Whenever I nursed I'd do the sign first. When ever I handed her to her dad I did the sign. When ever he handed her to me he did my sign. Whenever we played we did the sign. We started at 2 months. 28 53
    via u/Myhoneydew-92, u/shay-doe
  • 20
    hermella29. 8h When they roll their eyes back when they're sleeping! That freaked me out Reply Ŵ 32 ♡
    via u/hermella29
  • 21
    Modest Peach • 8h Leg drops/slamming while trying to settle and how often I'd be filing little baby talons! Reply 31 ♡
    via u/Modest_Peach
  • 22
    Nationals KitKat2theMax • 7h The talons! I file and 8 hours later, little dude still manage to draw blood somehow. I feel so bad! ... ← D 8 7 3
    via u/KitKat2theMax
  • 23
    DueEntertainer0 • 8h I didn't realize that they ball their little fists up so tight the first couple months you have to pry them open to get the lint out haha Reply 26
    via u/DueEntertainer0
  • 24
    DesertHippie4 .7h And you have to lift the fat rolls to clean out the neck cheese! 16
    via u/DesertHippie4
  • 25
    kaleycuts 8h · The newborn scrunch. Miss that so much that their joints pop really easily Also Reply Ŷ 51 ♡
    via u/kaleycuts
  • 26
    BigBraga • 5h the popping joints is insane. I was talking to my husband about this with our first and he goes "yeah, they're just some bones loosely put together floating around in their skin" Imaaaoo Vote
    via u/BigBraga
  • 27
    Choice-Ad-6819 • 6h More from the mom standpoint, but phantom crying totally freaked me out! I jumped out of many warm luxurious showers in those early days because I swore I heard the baby screaming only to find him calm and asleep with dad. ☆ 23 ↓ ← Reply ☑
    via u/Choice-Ad-6819
  • 28
    Sunshineal 7h • Mommit User Flair I don't know but how fast they grow. My kids are 8 and 10. It's like every month more inches and 5 pounds. Like wait slow down. They weren't big babies, but sheesh. It's incredible; like one day baby can't walk then one year later, walks and has a personality. ... ← Reply 9 3
    via u/Sunshineal
  • 29
    Mountain-Blood-7374 .7h I didn't fully expect how much he would copy me. My son is 11 months now, but since around 6 months he has mimicked faces I make, the pitches he hears including his version of singing, and silly things I do with him. I may have used this to get him to do cute tricks. He walks around with a duck face half the day because I kept making the face to him the past two months cuz I think it's so cute when he does it. I knew kids mimic adults, I just didn't realize how young it c
    via u/Mountain-Blood-7374
  • 30
    AKEsquire 7h • They sound like pterodactyl. ← Reply Ŵ 6 63
    via u/AKEsquire

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