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“How Being A Mum Changes You” By Lauren Smith, Aussie mummy blogger and founder of Peanut Butter Push Ups.
Entry into Mummyhood has been both exciting and scary.
Of course, it is a steep learning curve, however I feel that the opinions and advice around bringing home a newborn were scarier than the day we walked out of the hospital holding our new bundle of joy. I was told to sleep before she comes because I wouldn’t get any afterwards and wave goodbye to my freedom (and sex life). I know now to never ever utter those words to a first time expecting Mummy. So I thought I would tell you the truth about what to expect!
Partner, friends and family will call you Mummy. Not to mention the narration of everything that you do, in the third person of course! You will say the words Mum or Mummy more times in one day than you could ever imagine. Is it for bub, or is it for us? Maybe we just like to remind ourselves what we have now become.
Now, I’m not talking about crying. They grunt, groan and squeak in their sleep like some type of baby animal. The first night you spend with your new little bub next to your bed, in a bassinet will be a shock. Have a snoring partner? His snores will now be drowned out by bub’s super cute but extremely loud noises. Don’t worry though, you will get used to sleeping next to a baby who sounds like a piglet and won’t wake up until you actually need to.
I have never spoken about bowel movements so often in my whole life. The excitement when your baby does a poo after a few days without one is more exciting than getting Chanel for your birthday. When your baby is pooing, they will be happy, have less belly aches and won’t cry. See why there is so much excitement centred around baby poop?
Your friends will soon learn to text instead of call. Picking up the phone can be such an inconvenience (sorry baby-less friends, I do still love you). You have a few hours in between feeds to have important time to yourself. At least if I have a text there to remind me, I will either call or text back when I have ticked everything else off my daily to-do list.
Take all of the expectations you have put on yourself being a Mum and just let them go. I guarantee you will check if your baby is breathing multiple times in a day and when you need to settle her, you will be shoving that dummy into her mouth knowing that she will comfort suck until she falls asleep. We have enough pressures put on us as new Mums, don’t contribute to that.
“Oh look at those tiny baby shoes, they are just so cute.” Yep, they were cute until you are trying for fifteen minutes to shove them onto your newborns floppy feet, after it has already taken you ten minutes to get her dressed because she wiggles so much. You then scratch her with your fingernail and she cries. I swear dressing a baby is a two person job.
The baby blues are most definitely a thing. You will cry happy tears, sad tears, proud tears and tears that just roll on out for no damn reason (Thanks Hormones). This IS completely fine, just embrace those tears, laugh at yourself if you can, blame those pesky pregnancy/post birth hormones and pass bubby off to Daddy for a little while so you can get yourself together.
Ok, it sounds mushy but it’s so true. There is nothing that compares to seeing your partner with your gorgeous bundle. You loved them before but now you see them in a totally different light and the love gets just that little bit more crazy than it was before. Oh and as for all of those people who told me to kiss my sex life goodbye – I didn’t. Yes, it may take a while for those (once again) pesky hormones to balance out and for you to feel like yourself again but I promise, you will be having a quickie during your bub’s nap in no time!
You never know when you will need them, so they end up within arms reach in every single room. Bub’s room, your room, the car, your Mother-in- laws house, your local café (okay, maybe not there) but bloody damn close! You never know when a poo explosion could be coming for you, so keep those baby wipes close and handy, trust me on this one.
This is just a small amount of the fun you will have when you enter the crazy world of Mummyhood. Don’t take it too seriously. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Just wing it and take in all of the baby cuteness and love that you will experience in those first few weeks of being a new Mum. Remember, it’s okay to feel lonely, down or like you need some help. I’m sure there will be lots of people who would love to have some baby cuddles whilst you have a break, or those awesome family/friends who bring over pre-cooked dinners to help you out. Don’t be afraid to ask! Just because you have become a Mummy doesn’t mean that you need to relinquish that much needed alone time every now and then.
I am a city girl who has recently moved to a small town in country New South Wales, Australia. I created Peanut Butter Push Ups as a way to write about the often comedic or untouched sides of balancing fitness, food, life, pregnancy, and NOW Mummyhood!
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