Is it normal to regret having a newborn?
Yes, you can feel regret or wish you could go back to life before the baby, especially when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed. A passing feeling doesn’t mean you don’t love your child, but if it’s persistent or frightening, you deserve support.
A newborn can turn your sleep, body, routines, and sense of yourself upside down. Lots of parents have moments of thinking, “What have I done?” or missing their old life. Feelings like that don’t automatically mean you’re a bad parent or that you don’t love your baby.
What matters is how you’re doing overall. If regret feels constant, you’re feeling hopeless or unable to cope, or you’re having scary thoughts about yourself or the baby, tell someone you trust and contact a health professional. You don’t have to wait until things are unbearable to ask for help.