I think Motherhood...

Yeah dp and I are lazy, go with the flow type of parents. We're very lucky dd is also quite cruisey and go with the flow (except bath time, that is a MUST at 7-7.30 or there are huge tears!)

I agree, when you have a bad day, it feels like the world is coming to an end or like the day will never end, although we've only had a couple of those days.

I was never worried about the birth (I was too scared about birthing the placenta! )

Once she was here, I suppose because I had imagined it and thought about it for so long, the mummy gene kicked in.

Loving my baby is easier than I ever imagined and staying at home is easier in most ways than I thought BUT lack of sleep is easily as hard as I thought it would be!!

Giving birth was about as hard and painful as I thought it would be so no real suprises there lol

TBH it has been a whole lot harder than I thought it would be, particularly in the first 3-4 months. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would still be getting up with my baby 5 (sometimes 8) times a night this late in the piece. I new and expected it for the first couple of months but everyone said the first few weeks were hard but it all got easier. Well, its only got easier in the last month.

I never expected a baby with reflux or intolerances or excema. Those things never crossed my mind.

 

So, initially it was just as expected, from about 2-4months it was a h*ll of a lot harder than I imagined, but now it is much better than I ever imagined.

I think Motherhood is something you can try to prepare for, but the reality is that it is like nothing you could ever imagine until you hold that wee baby in your arms.

For me, it was harder at the beginning, but that was because I was in a toxic relationship and was unable to fully give myself over to the joy of being a mother. So I tried too hard to be perfect, to be who I thought I was supposed to be as a mother, and pretty much ran myself into the ground in the process.

Now, as a single mother, the stresses are different, but I accept my limits a lot more readily and allow myself to enjoy being a mummy rather than strive for perfection.

I have my failings. But I also have my strengths, and I think I'm gonna focus on them

Motherhood is what it is. A rewarding, love inducing, scary, beautiful, frustrating, amazing experience. And I love it.

Being a mum is mostly what I expected it to be... I am the thinker type too, so would contemplate all kinds of situations... I am also really blessed with a DH who feels the same about 99.9% of parenting issues...that helps...

Even though it is a choice to stay at home and do the office work...I find the loss of my independence the hardest...doesn't help of course that I only moved here 2 years ago and had to start from scratch making new friends...no family here either.

But it is slowly getting better on the social life status so I'm ready to have another baby and be bound to the house again

Edited by Chops1975

It's definitely harder than what I thought it would be. I thought about it and knew it would be difficult, but until you actually experience it - in my opinion, you can't really prepare yourself for it. It's true what they say about it being the best and the hardest job in the world. It is the single most amazing and rewarding experience having your own child but it's blardy tough!

For me I had no idea about those first 6-12wks - NOBODY told me what it would be like so it was a complete shock. And my labour experience was nothing like I had expected. And I had no idea how isolating motherhood would be or how much it would change my life so radically. And I have been a fulltime nanny many times - but motherhood is totally different.

ETA: I agree with those that have said that the loss of freedom and independence is the hardest - I was a very independent person and to be a SAHM relying so much on DH's income and him running quick errands for me and not having a car (we share one) so being tied to the house a lot even at night because he works shifts - that's all really hard. I also agree with the endless housework thing. I don't know why it never ends. Before I had a baby it would take a few hours once a week, and maybe dinner and dishes was otherwise it. Now it just goes on forever and is never finished! Why is that?!?!?! And housework/baby caring being all your day plus the same 4 walls can get a girl down!

I think it's really important to find ways where you can factor yourself into your day somewhere somehow. DH and I have had fights and discussions about this alot. And all these changes and stresses can put a strain on your relationship. But once you start to figure it out, I think it deepens it and you become more of a team and binds you together as a family.

Edited by newlywed

newlywed i sent you pm...