The newborn phase is magical… and also really hard. It’s a time of round-the-clock feedings, body aches, leaking everything, and wondering if you’ll ever sleep again. But in between the hard moments, there are these soft, sacred ones that can pass unnoticed. The way your baby smells. The sleepy weight of them on your chest. That tiny smile that feels like it’s just for you. Even the specific sound of their newborn cry.
I’m now three months postpartum and the newborn phase passed quickly…too quickly. There were things I did to live in the little moments and soak in the imperfect beauty of this stage, but also so much I wish I had done.
Here’s a list of things I did and wish I did to romanticize the newborn stage:
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1. Lean Into the Slowness
This season isn’t meant to be fast. I worked on letting go of productivity guilt during pregnancy so I could enjoy the slowness of postpartum. No rush. No pressure. Just soaking in the way my son’s eyelashes fluttered as he slept in my arms and allowing myself the time and rest to heal. Also, forget the clock. “Time is a social construct” as my husband says, and time really doesn’t hold much weight in this short phase. Sleep whenever you can and enjoy all the moments your baby is awake, whether it’s 2pm or 2am.
2. Use All Your Senses
Romanticizing life starts with noticing it. That newborn baby scent of his head after birth. The warm weight of him sleeping on me. The way he quietly snorted when getting ready to feed. I reminded myself to fully experience these things—really take them in—because they wouldn’t last forever. (And they really did come and go so quickly).
3. Get Dressed for You
No pressure to “bounce back,” but I found that slipping into a soft matching lounge set or cute nightgown (this one was easy to wear in those early postpartum diaper days) and washing my hair gave me a little spark back. To do something as small as “get dressed for the day” purely for myself. Because I deserve to feel good in my skin, even if I’m still in postpartum diapers just pacing the living room.
4. Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To
Usually in the early mornings or middle-of-the-night feeds when the rest of the world felt still, I’d watch one of the movies off the list I created during pregnancy. Sometimes I’d cry, sometimes I’d laugh, and sometimes I’d pause the movie to just sit in silence with Oliver asleep on my chest. But having a list of movies to watch made those middle-of-the-night moments or chunks of time being nap-trapped something to look forward to.
5. Take the Photos You’ll Want Later
Not the perfect, posed kind. The real kind. Your baby’s hand on your chest. The coffee cup next to a pacifier. A sunbeam across their fuzzy little head. Take the photos (and videos!) for you—to remember what this phase really felt like. And don’t forget to take pictures of yourself too. You’ll cherish looking through the photos capturing you as a new mom.
6. Find Beauty in the Repetitive
Sometimes I look down during a feeding and think, “This is what love looks like.” Over and over again. Showing up. Rocking. Feeding. Wiping tears. Kissing tiny foreheads. These moments matter more than they seem. They’re your baby’s first interactions with the world, and what better way to introduce them to it than with consistent loving gestures.
7. Journal One Sweet Thing a Day
Most days I forget what I did an hour ago, so I wish I had kept a journal of all the little moments that made me smile or even cry during this time. What I have done that I love is use an app called “Family Album”. We upload photos and videos with captions highlighting precious moments, like Oliver’s first laugh or first time using a teether.
8. Romanticize Your Space
Even if the sink is full and laundry is everywhere, try to keep one peaceful spot. A cozy blanket, a warm lamp, and maybe some quiet music. A diffuser with lavender. Flowers on the counter. Fake candles adorning the bathtub. Just a little space of calm and romantic self care. This is something I wish I spent more effort curating.
9. You Don’t Have to Love Every Moment
Let me say this louder: you can love your baby and still want time alone. You can want to run away for a walk outside alone or hide in the bathroom with chocolate. That doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you human. Finding ways to romanticize the newborn phase isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to notice the beauty, even when it’s mixed in with chaos and spit-up. If you need some gentle words of encouragement in this trying phase, read this letter I wish I could have given myself in the newborn trenches.
Final Thoughts
The newborn phase won’t last forever. Some parts I miss deeply, and others I’m happy to leave behind. But I tried hard romanticizing it in my own way, even when exhausted. Through little moments. Tiny resets. A slower rhythm. And most of all—grace.
Because this season is hard. But it’s also unbelievably beautiful.
