Reddit user IAmTheOneWhoKn0cks wrote: "When the nurses showed me my newborn after a c-section (and still on some pain meds obviously) I said hesitantly 'Are you sure that's my baby...?'
"He looked like a little rat with jet black hair and dark almost black eyes. I just...couldn't believe it.
"He has since grown into his looks and his eye colour and hair colour have changed. He's very cute now.''
And Rpgwaiter agreed, saying: "I've kind of always known I guess. My son had a very odd shaped head due to birth complications, and he never really grew into it.
I guess the moment that made me realise it was when he started balding at 16. I felt kind of bad for the kid, but tried to give him tips on how to make what he had work."
A common theme seems to be the fact that children grow into their features as they get older.
Huiki commented: "I think my son is a good looking boy now...but my god he was an ugly baby. He sort of looked like a cross between a monkey and a frog. No lie he had a hairy forehead until he was about six months old. Then bam! Suddenly he became cute."
And MotterFodder has perhaps the best anecdote, saying: "My daughter born with this ridiculous nose and I gasped in the delivery room.
"I was so bad, I noticed it immediately. It looked like a f****** beak. Luckily it turned out that it was really swollen from pushing against my insides during my 26 hour labour. It's much much better now."
Facebook regret
Some users even expressed that they regret sharing photos of their new babies.
One commenter wrote: "I think 95 per cent of newborns are ugly. I naturally thought my daughter was the most beautiful creature on the planet...six months later looking back on newborn photos I was horrified that I posted some of them on social media."
Some even struggled with their feelings for the children because of their appearance, with pm-me-a-stray-cat saying: "It was very challenging having loving feelings for a screaming ball of rage that was so disappointing looking".
The stories of mothers sad about their ugly babies inspire pity. Susan_Werner wrote:
"When my second daughter was born my mom looked at her and said 'Now there is a face only a mother could love'. I was heartbroken because I thought she was beautiful."
Puberty doesn't always help
And once children have overcome that initial awkward stage, they've got another one to look forward to before they can blossom - puberty.
"My son was absolutely adorable until he hit puberty...coupled with his wavy red hair and poor eyesight, made for a rather geeky looking kid", wrote sammy_nobrains. "Now he's almost 17 and has grown into his body more, has acquired a better sense of style and personality, and is shaping into a handsome young man."
And republicanloverz had an inspiring story. They said: "There was a girl I went to grade school with and she was not ugly but not memorable. She was teased a bit, being called a boy and stuff.
"Well she got the last laugh because she grew up and became a stunningly attractive woman...I saw her and totally did not recognise her at first."
There were some contributers who were more interested in humour than admitting to thinking their kids are ugly.
"The worst is people showing you photos of their ugly offspring and having to lie and say that the mutant in the photo is 'So cute'. Or better yet just say 'He looks just like you'," said Nickolai808.
And RickC139 commented with a confession to their child and response to the original poster, pretending they're the parents. "Listen honey, we knew when you were two. It just got worse from there. We are thrilled you grew up and could post on Reddit, but let's face it, you aren't going to be in an Abercrombie as anytime soon. Stay strong."
