Let’s face it…becoming a mom is not something you can ever be FULLY prepared for! No matter how many baby books you read, or people you talk to, there’s just something about completely changing your life that will leave you wondering, “WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS?!”
With the impending arrival of baby #2 I’ve been trying to mentally prepare myself for the newborn phase again & while I’ve been through it before, I’m about 99% sure I’ve blocked out all the rough stuff.
So I turned to my mom friends on Instagram & asked them to share all the things they wish they had known before having a baby. Mostly to remind myself what to expect & also to share with other moms-to-be. Enjoy, these women are WISE beyond their years (also, I chuckled at almost every single one of these and nodded in agreement)!
That breastfeeding doesn’t make the weight fall off for everyone.
I wish I would have known how important delay cord clamping was with my first.
The hair loss, postpartum blues from the hormones & cluster feedings.
The pain postpartum! And the way being a mom is SOO different from being a dad.
That for some, post-birth pain is 100x worse than labor pain or that going #2 was miserable for 2 months.
That it’s okay to grieve my pre-baby life. Grieving what was doesn’t mean I love my baby less.
Wanting/needing alone time & setting expectations with family/friends for that.
How to survive.
That I could feel contractions down my thighs & up my arms.
That your first labor could go fast.
That my body would feel so exhausted like I got hit by a truck after I ran a marathon the day AFTER delivery.
That I wouldn’t want any visitors.
That my milk would come in & make my boobs rock solid.
That I would dread going pee because I just pushed a baby out.
That I would be weepy over happy things & sad things.
That I would think everyone was living their life while I was stuck in some weird twilight zone.
I wish I knew the difference between normal mom fears and postpartum anxiety.
How much I needed physical touch from my husband or a foot rub or scalp rub from my mom.
THE SWEATS!
That I would feel so much love and attachment to the baby right away.
That I wouldn’t mind waking up with her all throughout the night because I was so happy she was here.
That I would love cosleeping.
Everyone should read, “The First 40 Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother”.
Buy all the robes & button-down pajamas!
That the transition from 1-2 was way easier for me than 0-1.
That my marriage would feel the most stretch than it had ever felt, 100x over.
How much I’d have to face my selfishness and angry/selfish thoughts.
I love how these moms just lay it allllll out there…the good and the bad! Being a mom is an incredibly huge transition, no matter how much you prepare. It can feel so isolating & lonely. My hope is that any mom-to-be or mom reading this feels a little less alone & a little more affirmed in the way she is or isn’t feeling.
Raising children looks different for every single person & every single child is their own unique person. The best thing about being a mother is being able to do what’s best for you & your child, not what everyone else is doing. I love when moms with different viewpoints or personalities or beliefs on child-rearing can come together & support one another. That’s what it’s all about…being there to say, “You’re not alone…I feel crazy too!”
Thanks for stopping by, friends!
Grit & Grace Blog 