After 40 weeks of growing little human inside of you—having experienced all of the nausea, food cravings, difficulty sleeping, and whatnot…a few weeks of caring for your newborn has made you realize that pregnancy was the easiest part of motherhood.
Being a mom is hard. Here are 15 experiences we know only moms will really understand.
1. That glorious feeling of finally eating your favorite sushi.
After nine months of craving for the ONE thing you wanted to eat but COULDN’T (curse you, mercury poisoning!), you’re finally able to satisfy your long-awaited craving of sushi. But wait, you better hurry, because the baby could wake up for a feed anytime now.
2. Fearing the first look at the mirror post-partum.
Adjusting to being pregnant and growing bigger every month was one thing—but post-birth you is a totally different story. Birthing hips and stretch marks (your mama battle scars!) are real. Also, if you thought the pregnancy made your boobs balloon, your post-baby boobs are even bigger. If you had melons before, you probably have coconuts now. (Relax mama, the boobs balance out when your milk supply evens out!)
3. Not wanting to leave the hospital because you can’t believe they’re letting you take the baby home without supervision.
What? We have to take the baby home? What if we swaddle him wrong?! How do we know if his diaper is dirty? How do I know if he’s hungry? How do I know if he’s eating enough?! How can I tell if he’s able to breathe?!
4. Showering and pooping are LUXURIES.
This is especially true if you are exclusively breastfeeding your baby, and/or you don’t have a nanny or someone to help you take care of the baby while your husband goes back to work. Sometimes, you just really CAN’T get to the shower. Or sometimes, you can’t even poop when you want to, because the baby refuses to be put down, so you have to hold the urge until it passes. Then you’ll have to deal with constipation.
5. Your smartphone, social media, and a charger, must be within reach at ALL times.
Especially if your baby is the unli-latcher type, and if he’s especially clingy. A 20-minute nursing session can turn into a marathon baby-carrying session on those days when your little one just refuses to be put down. Rather than risk waking up the baby again, you opt to just sit in what some mamas like to call the “Whatever Cramped Position.” This usually means the only thing you can do while your baby sleeps is scroll through your phone, browse social media, and maybe do some online shopping. The charger should also be within arms reach in case the baby sleeps for a long time and your phone dies, god forbid.
6. Hating your husband for sleeping through the night.
HOW does he sleep so soundly?! When the baby cries, we’re up in a panic; when he doesn’t cry, we wake up in a panic and check if he’s breathing. And usually, the whole time, the hubby sleeps through it all.
7. Using the baby as an excuse when you just don’t feel like going out…
The baby is fussy, we have no yaya tonight, he won’t sleep… the excuses are endless!
8. But also really just not wanting to go out.
Time with your baby is sacred and you’d rather stare at your sleeping baby than watch the latest movie or catch up with friends. There’s always Netflix and chilling with the husband!
9. Your baby’s photos are taking over your social media accounts.
You’ve officially become One Of Those Moms. But you can’t help it, because your baby is so cute!
10. Wondering if your baby is as cute as you think he is.
Relax mama, ALL babies are cute and you have every right to think yours is the cutest!
11. Going to the mall to finally get something for yourself, but coming back home with something for your baby.
Everything you see for yourself is too expensive, or not nice enough, or not worth it. But when you see baby clothing, toys, or gear, it’s something you just have to get. Every single time.
12. Going out for the first time and checking up on the baby every ten minutes.
Is he okay? Is he looking for me? I should go home! He might be crying! You probably end up dragging the hubby home waaaay earlier than expected.
13. Finally getting a long, uninterrupted sleep, and then waking up in a panic because you can’t find the baby.
You finally get a few blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep, but wake up completely disoriented—where’d the baby go?!—because you forgot that he’s in the other room with the hubby so that you can sleep for just a little longer.
14. Having a complete lifestyle change is effortless.
People will ask you why you don’t join social gatherings anymore, or tell you that look like such a mom, or even tell you that you still have the baby weight and look manas. But really, you simply do not care. All the changes that come with having a baby are totally natural. Maybe you’re not as skinny (or not as shapely) as before, or you’re not the social butterfly you once were. You always thought you’d miss the freedom of being childless, but really, you wouldn’t trade this time for anything!
15. Every little thing your baby does or says is a beautiful milestone.
A few months ago, he felt like an alien in your belly, and suddenly, he’s a living, breathing, smiling, cooing little human that you created. You finally understand the depth of your own mother’s love, because that’s what you feel about the little baby in your arms.