It doesn’t matter how many parenting books you read, or how many nephews and nieces you’ve minded, becoming a mum for the first time catapults you into an entirely foreign world that you could never be fully prepared for.
So here are a few things you should know, if you want to make it through motherhood without going mad…
Your gut is worth more than you know
It saved you from a string of Mr Wrongs, so there’s no reason not to listen to your instinct when it comes to parenting. Never mind what the mum next door thinks is okay. What do you think is okay?
Most mums have no idea what they’re doing
Actually, none of them do. No, not even the PTA mum whose kids are fluent in Irish, French and Chinese. Sure, you’ve got a little helping hand from mother nature’s intuition, but beyond that you’re pretty much undertaking a two decade-long exercise in winging it…
Many tears will be shed
Yes, you expect your newborn baby to scream the house down half the night, but it doesn’t end there. Cut knees, sibling spats and pure attention seeking all mean that crying happens A LOT. And we haven’t even mentioned the tears you’ll shed when nothing you say or do will stop them...
You will feel things more deeply than ever before
It’s true what they say, you really do love your baby more than anything in the world. Ever. You probably didn’t even know you could love someone so much. But unfortunately, you’ll feel other emotions more intensely too – guilt, fear, resentment, frustration, even loneliness. Motherhood’s a tough job, after all.
You can’t go it alone
We know, you fancied yourself supermum, but that’s just not realistic. We all need time to ourselves, even if it’s just to have a cup of coffee with a friend sans all the baby paraphernalia hanging out of your arm (and the baby!)
Enlist a helpful neighbour, close friend or book a baby sitter and you’ll see how much better you feel after some down time…
Your old life is gone…but not forgotten
Everything changes when you bring home a new baby, and you'll probably have the odd 'Jesus, what have I done?' moment. You'll miss your identity, your marriage, your daily routine, and don’t even get us started on your body.
It’s normal to miss the past, your old life, the old you. But as your baby gets older, you’ll reconnect with your old ways.No it will never be the same, but you'll have a beautiful child to be proud of. That's better.
SHARE if your newborn changed your life dramatically!
