As soon as pregnancy is discovered, a woman’s world (and often the couple’s) is transformed in the blink of an eye. Although pregnancy is a time to enjoy this entry into a new world, after the baby arrives, everything changes completely by 180 degrees! What many women who want to get pregnant often don’t realize is how life-transforming this moment can be—and, in some cases, this beautiful time can turn into a traumatic experience for her and for the couple. Despite the difficulties, as soon as a baby arrives, a family is also born. If this is the second or third child, the changes might be less surprising, but they will still shake up your daily routine a lot.
But hold on, I’m not saying that you’ll never be the same again (even though that’s exactly what happens when motherhood arrives: you become a different person and have new perspectives), being a mother radically transforms your life, and until you adapt, the baby’s arrival will completely disrupt your routine. But do you know exactly what I’m talking about? If you’re still pregnant, you’ve probably already heard a relative or friend talk about the hardships of motherhood, saying how great but exhausting it is to be a mom. But to really understand 100% how the baby’s arrival transforms everything—only when your miracle comes into the world! Want to know what to expect when your first baby arrives? Then let’s go!
What Changes With the Arrival of the Baby
Bye bye, sleep-filled nights! Ah, but that’s an easy one, and also a cliché… Everyone who has lived with moms of newborns knows: sleep becomes a privilege, my friend! But hearing about it is one thing; going months without sleep, without restorative, uninterrupted rest is another! Of course, nothing compares to the joy of breastfeeding, caring for, and watching over your little miracle, but I consider lack of good nights of sleep one of the worst parts of recent motherhood. But don’t be fooled, my friend! With the arrival of the baby, you’ll sleep much less, but throughout life, I’ve already lost count of the sleepless nights I’ve had even without having little babies anymore. Nighttime is never quite the same again!
Long, relaxing showers, pampering sessions with creams, hair and nail care: It’s not that you’ll never do your nails, get a blowout at the salon, or put on moisturizer again. It’s that time becomes very short! For the first few months (why not say years) of the baby’s life, everything will be much more complicated, unless you have a 24-hour nanny to take care of your little one while you have a princess day. However, I assure you your mind will still be on your baby’s needs while you’re at the salon’s wash station or between one coat of nail polish and another. If you have older kids, know they’ll call you every three minutes asking for something. Same goes for showers—at least I haven’t taken a shower in my life since (unless all the kids are out of the house) that I could call a moment just for me. Even the most basic, necessary bodily functions have become a show with an audience! Why do kids love watching their mothers sit on the toilet?
Hot meals? What’s that? After the kids were born, at least for the first few months, it was really hard to have lunch or dinner like I did before. Meals always got broken up. Two spoonfuls, a little rocking of the baby, two more bites, then back to soothe the baby’s cries again. Not that this is a bad thing—after all, what woman doesn’t want to lose a few pounds after pregnancy? That’s your baby helping the hot mama get into action!
Always wearing spotless, perfectly ironed clothes? Those days are over, my friend. White pants for women with babies over three months (sometimes starting from zero months!) become impossible. That’s because there’s always a chance of reflux or a diaper blowout! Imagine the embarrassing moment I had once, with Joana, my first daughter, at three months old. The poop went through the diaper and landed exactly where? On my caramel pants! With little babies, I also never had my clothes as crisp as before, I’m always looking for outfits that at least don’t look wrinkled, that way I don’t feel so unpresentable (not sure that’s even a word, but I think you get it) lol.
The arrival of a baby will make the new mom invisible> Have you ever imagined arriving somewhere with your child in tow and not being greeted, not even noticed? It’s like magic! All the attention you got during pregnancy is now focused exclusively on your baby. When news gets out that the birth has happened, most people only want to know about the baby and forget about the poor mom who has just given birth. How much does the baby weigh? Who does he look like? And they don’t even remember to ask about the woman. Is she okay at least? That’s the least, right people…
Chaos, my life is chaos! Dear friend, if you once had the memory of an elephant, don’t be surprised if you become one of the most forgetful people on the planet. Remember Dory from Finding Nemo? I totally relate to her! The daily rush, especially with three kids, makes me forget important things like vaccines, school meetings, bills to pay, and many other things. My salvation? A planner where I mark everything and check my commitments for the day and the next day. #protip.
Don’t be fooled—if you already have one or two kids, you might think the arrival of the next one will be a breeze. Experience does help, but the chaos, my friend, comes even if it’s your 10th child! Until you adapt, you can feel totally lost. The good news is that everything does fall into place, no matter how it seems.
The arrival of a baby won’t only bring these little inconveniences; after all, when we become mothers, a new world opens up around us. Our outlook on life becomes shared, and we can’t see ourselves without including those we’d give our lives for. The world becomes so much more colorful, way more full of singing chickens, Patati Patatá, stuffed animals, and all those famous kid characters who bring so much joy to children. The protective instinct comes automatically for moms and dads! Never mess with a child, because you’ll certainly awaken the fury of a mother.
But motherhood brings a special sparkle beyond what you could ever imagine. The arrival of a baby makes us better people: better as men, as women, as human beings. We start to care more for those children in the AACD, feel greater compassion for kids supported by ABRINQ, and all the preemies who spend time in NICUs. The world around us becomes completely different after a baby is born, and to sum it all up, motherhood brings out the very best in each of us: LOVE.
See also: What Not to Say to First-Time Mothers Photo: Angelina Cupcake, Kala Bernier, Gordon
