Not feeling excited
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Please know as well that you are not alone in these feelings! Your hormones are all over the place and it’s a massive change coming. There is a lot of unknown and it’s ok to be scared. I was like this with no.1 and I feel it even more with no.2 due in a few weeks. Please talk to your midwife and let them know how you are feeling as they can help. I would say something to your partner too - you aren’t failing you are just processing loads of emotions and you’re allowed to.
I’ve always hated the question ‘are you excited?’ With my first, and now being pregnant with my second I’ve never felt that excitement. It’s not that I don’t look forward to meeting my babies but I always think things through and know that there are big changes coming, lack of sleep ect.
I felt exactly like this with my first. I also remember someone asking me about 3 weeks post partum ‘oooo are you enjoying it!?’ all happy face and thinking ‘er… no?’ Talk it through with people but also it’s totally normal I would think to feel mixed/worried/scared… it’s tough!!
Not getting the "instant rush of love" is honestly so normal! I didn't have it with my first, we needed to get to know eachother first. She's the absolute light of my life now, i love her more than life! To be honest, I think your feelings are all really realistic. It's flipping hard adapting to all of the changes that come with your first baby. You're absolutely not failing at all by feeling any of this!
This resonates with me a lot. I had my first in 2023 and I was so scared about giving birth and how I would cope and how my partner would cope and the size of our house and everything else that I almost was just dreading the arrival of baby. Once she arrived I did suffer with PPD and PTSD and I struggled. Some people genuinely do not bond straight away and I can really see why. You have to go through alot for 9 months and then overnight your life has just changed and it's intense. Get yourself prepared now. Check where you can go to for mental health support. I spoke to my GP and was referred to therapy but I wish I did it earlier on. Honestly, you are not alone in how you're feeling. Talking to a therapist helped me alot and I found them easier to talk to than my partner initially. However, with time and alot of discussions my partner did understand and he is so supportive but I think he struggled with how to help me for a long time because I closed off from everyone. Don't close off, talk to people!
Please don't worry on how you're feeling. It's totally normal to feel scared, worried etc. I'm due our 2nd in a few weeks & one minute i can't wait, and the next i feel sick to the pit of my stomach, worrying about how life will change & what am I going to do if this happens or that happens. It's such a stressful time. You're not failing by being worried it just means you care x