Becoming a parent is a defining moment in a person’s life. Many women spend months or even years preparing for that fine day of finally becoming a parent. You have baby showers and prepare the nursery and pick out those cute little baby clothes. Not to mention the birthing classes, parenting classes, and picking out the right car seat while Googling and reading on everything in relation to Parenthood.

 

When the day finally comes and you’re holding that tiny baby in your arms, it is one of the joyous moments a woman will have – but it may also be the day where all the rules that you’ve read fly out of the window. While there are certainly joys that come with parenthood and definitely a life-changing depth of love and devotion, that’s not what this article is about.

 

Let’s be honest about the not so pretty side of it as well, without sugar-coating or pretending that it’s not life-altering, sometimes ugly, and just plain hard sometimes.So here are a few things a lot of people don’t really talk about much when it comes to becoming Mum or Dad for the first time.

 

Delivering your baby is the easy part of Parenthood

Yup! Pushing the baby out or having to go through a c-section or whatever route you have to take to get the baby into the world is the easy bit.

Even when enduring the hideous pain of contractions/perineum tearing/crowning, or watching your partner go through this, in the back of your mind is the knowledge that it will be over, and soon, whether it be hours or days.

The end is always relatively imminent in the grand scheme of things.

Once the baby is here and all is well, it’s the next 16 years or so where all the major work is.

 

Your baby’s cry will send shock waves to your head and heart

 

No matter the decibel level, your own baby’s cry will hit you instantly and nothing can distract you from it.

This is possibly the most stressful period of new motherhood, enduring the crying of your precious child and not knowing how to soothe them is actually heart-breaking.

But it will pass. Just take a deep breath and try to think positive as much as you can. Babies cry. It’s normal.

 

Say goodbye to ‘sleeping-in’ for the next decade or so

 

Before you give birth to your first baby, everyone (or every mum) will tell you to get as much sleep as possible before the baby arrives- they weren’t kidding.

‘Sleeping-in’ will be a thing of the past and you probably won’t get that for the next 10 years or so.

 

You will have absolutely no time to yourself

This ties in with the previous point. As soon as your baby wakes up in the morning, your day starts, and it finishes when he goes to bed at night.

Even if he takes a nap during the day, you will have baby-oriented tasks to do, such as washing milk bottles and washing their clothes.

Not to mention all the other house chores like vacuuming and mopping.

 

An adult conversation will be a highly valued thing in your life

 

After having a baby, you’ll soon realise how any conversation that doesn’t revolve around bowel movements, sleep routines, weaning process, latching, vaccination, etc, will be seen as great escapism from the sometimes mundane nature of motherhood.

It’s good to escape from baby talk once in a while- it keeps you sane.

 

You gain a new perception and respect for other parents

Before your baby is born, you would probably cringe at the sight of a crying baby or at a naughty kid at the mall.

Now you’ll realise that it isn’t easy bringing up a child, you’ll feel connected to other parents and you’ll probably find yourself having conversations with that stranger about your baby’s sleeping and eating patterns.

 

Breastfeeding is really tough

 

When you attend classes on parenting or breastfeeding, you might think that breastfeeding is going to be easy. Just pop the baby on the boob and you’re done right?- Wrong.

It can take up to 6 weeks to learn how to breastfeed your baby correctly. If you’re having trouble or need more guidance, look for a lactation consultant to help you.

Meeting with a lactation consultant can do wonders in helping to breastfeed your baby correctly and will benefit you in the long haul.

 

You will get secretly competitive

Even if you are not a competitive person by nature, you’ll suddenly find yourself comparing your baby’s progress to other babies of the same age.

It’s natural to compare and feel a little worried if your baby hasn’t reached a milestone when other babies the same age have, just keep in mind that every baby is different and progresses at their own pace.

 

Your priorities might completely change

 

Having that little person in your life now might just change the course of your life.

If you’re planning to go back to work as soon as your maternity leave is over, you might just change your mind and realize that there’s more to life than working 9 to 5.

Wherever life takes you, know that it is solely your choice and no one should decide that for you besides yourself.

 

 

Parenthood can be isolating

 

If you’re used to working in an environment with lots of social interaction, having to stay at home and take care of your baby can feel very isolated and lonely.

Top that off with loads of new things that you’ve just learnt and are still learning as a parent, it can get a little overwhelming.

It’s important to get out of the house every single day, even if it’s just for a short stroll around your housing area or park.

 

You didn’t think you could Love someone or something this hard

It’s true. Your heart will feel so full with love you can actually feel it physically when you think about it.