5 'firsts' they don't tell you about when you've got a newborn.

It’s all about the birth, isn’t it? All the way through pregnancy all we can think about is that mysterious moment.

How much is it going to hurt and will we actually get through it? What will that first moment with the baby be like? What will the gender be (if you’ve waited to find out), and what should we name them?

After we’ve got through the hype of childbirth, as if slightly unexpected, we’re handed a small baby who we have to actually keep alive, with no real-life training and just a few encouraging words from a midwife.

The first three months, better known as the fourth trimester, with a new baby is a wild ride. A rollercoaster of highs and lows, happiness and often despair, but most of all, a whole lot of firsts.

And while everyone tells you about the first smile and that first heart-stopping giggle, there are a few other firsts that your mum friends aren’t that forthcoming about.

Here are five that immediately come to mind:

1. The first social media ‘reveal’.

My own first baby photo is tucked away in an album in my parents’ home, pulled out every couple of years to be shared around at family gatherings. But it’s a bit different these days, right?

The first photo of your baby is now shared on social media and it’s kind of a big deal. Some go for post-push hospital realness while others go down the celebrity route of privacy and share a little foot or hand.

The pressure is real as you only get one chance to share a first photo. How will you do it your way?

2. The first poo from hell.

Babies are adorable bundles of joy…until they have their first poo, that is. Yep, your sweet-faced angel baby produces a poo that is so black it looks like it’s come straight from the pits of hell.

Luckily, it doesn’t actually smell too bad, but far out, unwrapping that nappy and coming face-to-face with that satan smear is unnerving, at best. But it’s not only all natural and normal but also marks the start of a true obsession with your baby’s bowel movements.

3. The first snotty nose.

No one tells you that a baby can only breathe through their nose for the first part of their life.

That means when they get their first bout of sniffles, it’s actually a bit scary. They will often struggle to drink milk and sleep properly.

That's when you start to become a bit of a nurse, ready to attend to any problem with that nose that pops up. Thankfully it's not so hard - a saline solution like FESS Little Noses is a natural way to help relieve blocked noses caused by excess mucus. You spray directly into each nostril a few times and you're a pro.

It's preservative free and totally non-medicated so it can be used as often as needed on your wee little one, right from birth. Life saver.

4. The first night’s symphony.

‘Sleeping like a baby’ drums up images of a little cherub silently asleep. Don’t be fooled.

That first night is a shock for most parents because babies makes so much noise when they’re sleeping. Sounds of groaning, grunting, snuffling and even whistles escape from the bassinet all night long!

And then there’s those times when they stop breathing for a few moments (totally normal). Yep, you’re never going to sleep soundly again.

5. The first sight of their belly button.

You’ll never be so grateful to see a little belly button for the first time as you will your babe’s.

That’s because for the first two weeks they’re rocking the remnants of an umbilical cord that stinks.

Yep, that thing looks unpleasant and smells unpleasant. And then one day it finally falls off and you get to see your baby’s beautiful belly button for the first time and it’s a hell of a relief.

What firsts took you by surprise with your newborn?