There is nothing that can prepare you for how tiring it is to be a new mom.
The late night feedings. The aching and leaking. The diapers and soreness. The fog and confusion. A recent study has shown that new mothers still experience excessive daytime sleepiness over 18 weeks after giving birth. So if you’re a new mom and you find yourself feeling like a zombie, you are not alone.
There is also nothing that can prepare you for how awe-inspiring it is to be a new mom.
The first time you look into your baby’s eyes. The sound of your baby’s giggle. The coos and babbles. The sheer volume of love you have for this new person in your life can be overwhelming. It’s amazing, joyful, ecstatic, humbling, frightening, and confusing all at once. And you wouldn’t give it up for the world. Here are 12 things you would only understand if you were a new mom:
1. You are filled with relief when you finally hear your baby cry
You’ve just endured 40 weeks of intense body changes you couldn’t have ever imagined. You’ve been through who knows how many hours of labor, contractions, needles, waiting, and pushing. You’ve done all of this knowing that you’ll eventually get to meet your beautiful baby. There is nothing more glorious than those first wails, when you know he or she is finally here and healthy.
2. You sweat constantly
Between the natural hormone detox your body goes through, and the actual, physical effort it takes to walk, lift a baby, and carry a car seat at the same time, you sweat more than you ever have in your entire life. You wind up craving the one thing you wind up never having time for: a shower.
3. You realize how scary the world really seems
You lived in ignorant bliss before your baby came along. Intersections, parking lots, and public spaces seemed perfectly innocent. Watching the nightly news never bothered you. Now, you see everything as a possible cause of injury or harm to your precious newborn, and you realize how much danger there can be in the world.
4. You never actually sleep when the baby sleeps
In a perfect world, a new mom could gently close her eyes and immediately fall into a peaceful sleep the moment her newborn falls asleep. In the real world, new moms have laundry to do, milk to prepare, and emails to answer. If you’re lucky, you can squeeze in a phone call with a friend. On the rare instances you can fall asleep, it’s guaranteed the baby will wake you up ten minutes later.
5. Your body looks different, but you actually love it more
Your body just created, housed, and delivered a human being. It was asked to do incredible things and stepped up to the task. It may feel battered and broken, but it is also stronger and more powerful than ever before. Your body gave life and nourishment to your baby, and that is truly amazing.
6. You find your breakfast cold on the counter at 1 p.m. and remember you never ate
Babies know the exact moment you are about to eat, and they tend to chose that moment to need something from you. You will either stuff whatever you can in your mouth in .5 seconds, or, more likely, make food and then forget to eat it because you have to deal with diaper explosions and spit-ups.
7. You stay up late researching baby information online
How many times should my baby be pooping per day? How much milk should I give? Is a cough at night normal? How long should I let my baby cry? When can I exercise again? What doctor should I see? Each new day brings a new question, and you will find yourself scouring the Internet into the wee hours of the morning trying to find answers.
8. You’ve been waiting to go out with your girlfriends, but now you just want to stay home with your baby
You finally have time to go out for a drink and let go a little, but now you don’t really want to. While you love your friends and cherish the details of their lives, this little life in front of you is suddenly so much more important and interesting. You just want to stay in for now and snuggle your new baby.
9. You have to become the most patient person you know
One simple diaper change turns into three diaper changes, two changes of clothes for the baby, and one change of clothes for you. One nighttime feeding turns into 3 hours of feeding, crying, playing, crying, feeding, feeding and crying again. You know that becoming frustrated only makes things worse, so you take a deep breath and prepare to do it all again.
10. You’ve become “that mom” who shows off endless pictures of her baby
You swore you wouldn’t do it, but you just can’t help yourself. Your baby is the most adorable and amazing thing in your life, and you want to show everyone you know. You now understand why moms do it, and you become more excited to see their pictures as well.
11. You love and appreciate your partner more
They may still snore or forget to take out the garbage, but your partner had an equal hand in creating your amazing new baby. They share the love and responsibility of raising your baby, and echo the hopes and fears you have for your child. Nothing compares to the first time you see your partner holding your new baby.
12. You are always exhausted, and that’s okay
Yes, you are sleep deprived. But you are also constantly lifting a baby and a carseat. You are bending over to pick up toys and recovering from giving birth. You suddenly love someone more than you ever though possible and you want to protect them with every fiber of your being. You are mentally and physically exhausted, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Featured photo credit: Danielle MacInnes via unsplash.com
