Being a mother is the most amazing feeling in the world. When you bond with your child, it’s a surreal feeling, and often mothers find themselves wondering if their child really exists at all. They do! They are right there in front of you or growing in your stomach as we speak, and that is one of the best things ever. But, being a mother does not come without its challenges, and it’s time to speak about just how difficult it can be. It’s not always going to be smooth sailings and fun days, and dealing with this can be quite difficult.
If you have been having a hard time recently, or if you are just trying to prepare for when the baby arrives, we’re glad that you have found this article. Down below, we’re going to be talking about some of the things that you should know about being a mother, both the highs and the lows. Keep reading if you would like to find out more about this topic.
Get Used To Lack Of Sleep
The first thing that you are going to need to do is get used to a lack of sleep, at least in the beginning. The truth is that babies generally sleep really well and for long stretches when they are first born, but after a month or so this can change dramatically. Some babies don’t like to sleep at all, or it feels that way at least, while some will continue to sleep very well until their toddler days.
Your newborn should be fed every couple of hours, so there’s going to be no long stretches of sleep for you, even if you have a partner or someone else who is there to support you. It’s important that you are preparing as best you can for the lack of sleep, even though nothing is going to adequately prepare you for the feeling of being desperate just for a little while longer. Even though you feel like this, being with your little one is still amazing, as you are bonding every time you are together.
Your Thoughts Will Be Occupied By Them
If you like thinking about other things, then you’re going to need to throw this out of the window, at least for a little while. All of your thoughts are probably going to be centered around your child. You are going to be thinking about how much they are eating, how much they are sicking up, how often they are pooping and what color it is, how much they are sleeping, how cute they look in certain outfits and so much more. Some parents find themselves feeling the need to check on their kids when they are sleeping just so that you can see them and keep your eye on them.
You will pretty much have your child on your brain most of the time, and this doesn’t really change as they get older. Even when you know they can manage on their own and they have their own lives, you are still going to be thinking of them constantly, so you might want to get used to this now!
It’s Wonderful To Watch Them Grow
It is so wonderful to watch them grow, and watch them change from a baby, to a toddler, to a little boy or girl and so on. They do so many amazing things, and you get to watch them work out life, develop their personality, and become the person that they are supposed to be. It’s the best feeling in the world to watch your child develop, watch them learn new skills, and figure out their interests.
Everyone says that the toddler stage is the hardest, and we’re not going to lie, it really is. Your child is starting to develop the ability to talk back, to question, to think for themselves and while it’s amazing, it’s very difficult at times. But, people forget to talk about the fact that this is the stage where they start walking, it’s the first time that you will hear their voice, and it’s the first time they will tell you that they love you. It’s an experience unlike any other, and it’s worth every second of the trouble for these moments.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
As a mother, it’s very important that you are taking care of your mental health. We completely understand that you feel the need to be there for your child above everything in the world, including yourself, but you are important too. You are not going to be the best mother that you can be if you are constantly struggling and yet pushing your struggles to the back of your mind. You need to take care of yourself, and make sure that you are the very best version of yourself, so that they can grow into the very best version of themselves. Not only this, but they deserve your best version.
Taking care of your mental health looks different for everyone, so think about what you need. Stop overwhelming yourself and thinking like you’re alone because we’re sure that there are people around you who would be only too happy to help you.
Lean On Those Around You When You Need To
Speaking of people around you, don’t be afraid to lean on them when you need to. They are there to help and support you, and there are schemes that you can look into if you really don’t want to use the people in your life. It’s okay to need help, and it’s okay to admit that you need help. As the age old saying says, it takes a village to raise a baby, not just one person. You do not have to do everything alone, and you are not a bad mother if you leave your baby with someone else while you relax or get some sleep. You are not a bad mother if you feel the need to have a little time away from your baby. You are a person outside of motherhood, and that is okay.
Grow With Your Baby
When you have a kid, your whole world is going to change. The views that you once had may change, the way that you feel about certain things may change, and you will be constantly growing and evolving as they do. They say that your first kid is the one that you grow the most with, and this is true because it’s like you are learning to become this new person while they are learning to navigate the world. It’s not going to be easy, there are going to be times where you feel like you are a failure, and there are going to be days where you lose your marbles, but this is all normal. Growth is not a straight line, and you shouldn’t try to treat it as it is.
You will change as a mother and as a person countless times over the course of your child’s life, but one thing that will never change is your love for your child. Growing together will give you a stronger bond than you could ever imagine, and it’s something that you have to look forward to.
Planning For The Future
It’s also important that you are constantly planning for the future. It’s amazing to live in the here and now, but you also have to make sure that you have taken precautions for the future. You need to ensure that you are saving as much as you can so that you always have a security blanket to fall back on if you need to. As well as this, you should ensure that you have a will in place to ensure that all of your belongings go to the right place. Ensure that you have someone lined up to take care of your child in the event of your passing, or else they may end up in the system which is the last thing that anyone wants for their kids. Plan out things like your funeral, including details like looking at headstones by Memorials.com just to take some of the burden off of the people who are left behind.
The more that you can plan, and the more that you can accomplish, the easier your life, and the life of your child is going to be. It’s not always going to be possible to plan too far ahead, but just do your best mama, and that’s enough.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should know about being a mother. It is simultaneously the most wonderful, and yet the hardest thing that you are ever going to do in your life. This has nothing to do with loving your child, or how much you love your child, but it’s about the changes it makes to your life, and who you are as a person. We wish you the very best of luck, and urge you to grow with your child, because there really is nothing better than this.
