When I was pregnant everyone around me would often tell me that your life is about to change soon. At that time I never understood what they meant by that. I had read all the recommended pregnancy books, planned the nursery well, taken multiple childbirth classes on how to take care of a newborn, and was ready with my hospital bag. It has been three months and two weeks now and I have realized that being a mother does not come with any manual. Every day is a new day where I learn something new about myself, about the baby and about motherhood. Below are my twelve discoveries about motherhood so far which I am sure are just the tip of an iceberg.

 

My top 12 learnings about motherhood

  1. Messy bun and gym leggings have become my new favorite – Pajamas, yoga pants, and loungewear have become my new wardrobe essentials and they come to my rescue all the time when I am unable to fit in my old pre-pregnancy clothes. Your body changes a lot after having a baby and it will take some time to be back to its original self. Till then I plan to enjoy my loungewear and still feel great about myself as they fit snug tight and look good on you no matter what.
  2. I can operate at 2-3 hours sleep through the night and still get all my work done – I was a person who loved her full night sleep but I am amazed at how quickly I have adjusted to my lack of sleep. I am able to get through my whole day, make conversations, and complete most of my daily tasks even though I have been up for the most part of the night.
  3. I have become a morning person – I have started to enjoy the sunrise, looking at the empty streets in the morning through my window, my hot cup of tea and some morning cuddles with my little one. Most importantly, for all this to happen, I don't have to set an alarm clock anymore, thanks to my dear baby. Getting anywhere on time in the morning is no more a problem!
  4. My ears have become extra sensitive to the sound of a falling pin – Trying to make a newborn fall asleep in the initial months is a herculean task as you and baby, both are trying to get used to a routine. Once the baby is asleep you try your best not to make the slightest noise that could wake her up. Hence most of the time I am walking around in the room on my toes to avoid the squeak of wooden floor, slowly closing my door and moving as slow as possible in the room with the minimum noise possible.
  5. I can’t clean my house regularly and I have no regrets about that – I used to be really worried about keeping my house clean. I would clean my house every weekend but now I am able to clean my house once every few weeks. My priorities have changed and guess what, I am rather a happy spending that time with my little one than going crazy with house cleaning.
  6. I don't get a sick day off – When did sleeping in on a sick day turn into a luxury? Taking care of a baby has suddenly become my utmost priority. Even if you fall sick you have to get up and try to function as normal as possible. Rightly said, mom never gets a break.
  7. I love to talk in baby language – I enjoy my ‘coos’ n ‘caas’ with my daughter and that's not it, I am capable of talking in this newfound language anywhere – friends place, in public places and over international Skype calls to family. I don't find it weird anymore and it has become my new normal.
  8. Breastfeeding is not easy – However simple this entire process looks I find it difficult. To breastfeed you need to eat healthily, eat healthily you need to cook healthy, and to cook healthy you have to plan way ahead with all your groceries. With work, taking care of a newborn, house chores, and etc I am always struggling with time management. It gets difficult at times to take care of everything and make sure to eat healthily. I am thankful that I have a great husband who helps me out a lot on this front but as a new mom, there is still a lot to learn.
  9. Planning for baby’s wardrobe has taken over my own – I have always loved shopping for myself. I used to shop once every 2-3 weeks but now shopping for my little girl has become my new favorite thing to do. Suddenly planning her outfit for an evening out has taken over mine.
  10. I am capable of napping at any time of the day – Who said you can only sleep in the afternoon or in the night. As a new mom, I have realized that I can sleep at any time of the day. It seems as good as sleeping in the night or in the afternoon or at least I have to hold on to this perception for some time now.
  11. I have become extra emotional and capable of crying like a baby– Well it's rightly said that you cannot see tears in your baby’s eyes. I thought I was a very strong person who would look at everything practically. But it so turned out that I can cry at anything that brings tears to my daughter's eyes, be it her first vaccine shot or when she is sick or even dropping her off at the daycare. Now I understand why MOMS gets so emotional when they see their baby in pain.
  12. I have infinite reserves of patience – One great learning – Patience is an art, which I practice every day with my little one, be it trying to calm her on a fussy night when she won't agree to sleep, or feeding her when she is not feeling well or those times when you have a sore throat after singing to her for hours but she still wants you to talk to her. Taking care of a little one can be daunting at times and there will be times when you think you are right on the edge of sanity. Perhaps, there is no sanity check for being a MOM, maybe it's simply all MOM-Sense – you just get up, smile, and take one day at a time. Smile is a great thing!

“Being a mother is discovering strengths you didn't know you had and dealing with fears you never knew existed” – Sherene Simon

 

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