Yeah, my wife and I have been through it three times now, newborns are tough for a few reasons.
First, they’re a total shock to the system. For a lot of adults, it’s the first time they realize they can’t just do whatever they want, whenever they want. Suddenly this helpless little human dictates when you sleep, how much, when you get up (and how many times). Your whole routine gets thrown out the window and that’s hard for some people.
And then my wife and I didn’t have a nanny or outside help, which really drove home how unnatural that is. Having a newborn makes you understand why humans evolved in tribes and extended families. The whole “it takes a village” thing is very real. In most non industrial societies, new moms get far more help from relatives, and it makes a HUGE difference.
And then, on top of keeping this little human alive, you’ve still got to work, pay the bills, and keep the rest of your life going. Nothing hits pause (aside from whatever parental leave you might get).
So really it's that combo of a shock to the system, lack of help, and the need to keep everything else afloat that makes the newborn phase a real grind.
But here’s the funny part: you’ll forget how hard it was. If you’re in the thick of it, you won’t believe me but most of that newborn chaos will blur into a hazy memory a few years down the line.