Collaborative Post
If we were to ask you to describe motherhood in three words or less, what would you say? Chances are, you might use words such as chaotic, scary, and tiring. Hopefully, you might also use words such as rewarding, meaningful, and exciting.
Motherhood is many things, and despite the occasional sleepless nights and worrisome thoughts, there are many reasons to celebrate the fact that you have a child in your life.
So, if you are about to have a baby (or if you have recently given birth), here are just a few of the best things about being a new mum.
Before your baby is born
Motherhood doesn’t begin after giving birth! It starts when your little one is in your belly, as you need to do all you can to protect your baby before your due date arrives. This can be a challenging time, as there will be days when you might feel uncomfortable, especially when your baby starts kicking, and you will have that dreaded morning sickness to contend with too.
However, despite the negatives, there are positives too. Here are just a few of them.
The announcement stage
Letting people know you’re pregnant can be an exciting time, especially when it comes to your partner, family, and friends. This is the moment when motherhood starts to become a reality, as once people hear the news, you will be talking about nothing else for the next nine months. Of course, when you announce your happy news, you could make the event even more special by using these cute and creative pregnancy announcement ideas. The people in your life will be as surprised (and hopefully as excited) as you were when you first heard the news.
The kindness of others
When you’re standing in the checkout queue at the supermarket, you might be encouraged to skip the line when people see how tired you are on your feet. You might also experience kindness when people move for you on the bus or the train. And besides the hoped-for kindness of strangers, you should also benefit from the kindness of the other people in your life. Your partner might finally take his turn with the housework, your in-laws and parents might prepare foods for your freezer, and your friends might bless you (or your expected baby) with gifts when you hold your baby shower. Despite the challenges of being pregnant, you will enjoy feeling like royalty during these pivotal first few months of your little one’s life.
You have a good excuse to get out of doing things
Don’t want to do overtime at work? Let your boss know that you need to relax at home for the sake of your baby. Don’t want to have an evening out an event you know you are going to hate? Let people know how tired you are so they don’t pester you to come. Need to get out of a boring conversation on the phone? Let the person know that you desperately need the loo because of your pregnancy. These are just a few of the excuses you can make, and while you might occasionally bend the truth, there might also be times when these excuses are very true!
The excitement about what’s to come
Yes, you will have dirty nappies to contend with, sleepless nights, and the constant pestering of your in-laws. Yes, you will have less time on your hands than you used to. However, you won’t care too much about these things, as your mind will be filled with creating family memories, raising a superhero, and the pride you will feel once your baby is finally in your arms. Your life is going to change, and you will understand the challenges. But the excitement of what is to come will overtake any negative thought that might filter through your mind.
After your baby is born
This is what it’s all been leading up to. This is the moment when you finally get to experience the joys of having a baby in your arms. This is the moment when you can breathe a sigh of relief after nine months of waiting. Your baby is here, and there is much to look forward to.
You can play again
Okay, so you won’t be cranking out the Monopoly board for a while yet, and you won’t be playing catch with your little one in the garden until their fine motor skills have fully developed. However, there are games you can play with your baby during those first few months after giving birth, and you will bond together and have fun while doing so. Then, as your little one does get older, you can start to play board games together, have fun outside in the garden, and play with games that you probably enjoyed when you were younger. As a mum, you will still have adult responsibilities, but if your life was becoming a little too serious, you will be glad that you have somebody in your life to let you bring out your inner child again.
You will laugh
Yes, there will be days when you feel like crying, probably after a night of little to no sleep. These sleeping tips might be useful to you, however. And yes, there will be days when you are less patient than you want to be (again, probably because you are tired). However, there will be days when you catch your baby doing something funny, and the laughter you experience will do much to relieve your inner-most stresses. It might be when your little one pulls an unusual face, or when he or she has a funny reaction to something that is going on inside your home. Here are a few other funny things that babies do. In most cases, they won’t understand why you’re laughing at all – a little like when your cat or dog does something to make you squeal with laughter – but they will benefit as much as you will when your home is filled with happiness.
You will keep fit without trying
Many mums worry about baby fat after giving birth, but they shouldn’t worry too much, as in most cases, it should soon drop off. And the same should be true for you if you are about to give birth. Your little one will keep you on your toes, literally, as you will be spending a lot of time carrying your baby from place to place and wheeling him or her in their buggy. You will also keep fit when you’re rocking them to sleep of a nighttime, and when you’re doing the extra laundry that your baby will create. And as your baby gets a little bit older, you will be exercising your body every time you chase them around the house, play games in the garden, and when you’re spending time together in the park. Gym fees? You won’t even need them!
You will become Wonder Woman
As a mum, you will develop skills you never thought possible. Juggling your household while caring for the needs of your baby will become second nature to you. Your problem-solving ability will increase when you’re trying to find ways to get your baby to sleep or to keep them entertained. You will develop more empathy for other mums when you realise how challenging it can be. And whenever your baby does something that could potentially put them in danger, you will somersault through the air, move at lightning speed, and pull them away before anything catastrophic happens. In short, you will become Wonder Woman, with or without a star-spangled costume to wear when you’re going about your day!
You will make new friends
As lovely as your baby will be, you can’t rely on them for the entirety of your social life. After all, there is only so much baby speak you can endure before you start to lose your sanity a little! You will need some adult company, not only for moral support but for fun reasons too. Hopefully, you will already have a few friends you can rely on, but as a new mum, your social life will increase. There will be mums and toddler groups you can attend, for example, where you will meet people that you will be able to relate to. You might also make friends online by connecting with people on parenting blogs and social media groups. And there will be planned activities arranged for new parents by local community groups, so it’s always a good idea to attend if you need to escape the four walls of your home and meet new people.
You will experience inner joys
Your heart will leap and swoop every time your baby looks up at you with loving eyes. You will have strong feelings of love when you hold your baby in your arms. You will experience tears of joy when your baby utters their first word. You will feel immense pride when you start to see your baby reach those other milestones that take place as they are developing. And you will start to see the world through their eyes, and that will give you an innate sense of wonder and awe. Being a mum is the best thing ever, and despite the challenges, you might occasionally experience, your life might finally start to feel complete.
So, what do you think? Have we missed something in our list? Let us know below, and tell us what you think the best things about being a new mum are.
