The Newborn Phase is Harder Than I Thought!
Wow I can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks since Izzy was born! Sometimes it feels like she has been here forever and other times it feels like she just arrived. I am finally starting to feel more rested and like I am getting my energy back (kind of). So far motherhood is all that I imagined and more. I love the different faces she makes, her cute rolls, and it melts my heart when she looks me right in the eye!
There are many obvious perks to being a mother 🙂 Growing up I always loved babies. Maybe it was because my brother was born when I was 9 so I had a real-life baby doll growing up! My sister and I would fight over who could hold him. We even had to set a timer so we both got to hold him the same amount of time.
Don’t get me wrong I love holding Izzy, but there are times when I think “what did we get ourselves into!?” No one seems to talk about the difficult parts of being a mother. And when it’s not your baby you get to enjoy all the perks, but when the baby is hungry or tired or cranky you hand him/her back to mom.
It’s crazy to think that I haven’t slept for more than 3 hours at a time in 4 weeks. It’s even crazier to think that I’ve fed Izzy 8 times a day, 7 days a week, for 4 weeks (that’s over 200 times). That’s exhausting!
Thankfully I feel comfortable talking to my husband about the not so pretty sides of motherhood. He reminds me that my feelings are completely normal, even healthy. No one ever said it would be easy. In this post I hope that I can share a realistic view of motherhood with others.
I don’t want to sound negative, but I think it’s important to have a realistic perspective. I remember before I got married my mom warned me that marriage wasn’t always easy and I may not always feel like sharing my love. Looking back, I am grateful that she shared this with me. Because then I wasn’t disappointed when I felt that way.
Nowadays with social media we can share all the good aspects of our lives. The awesome vacations we take, the adorable moments we capture in photographs, the awards we win, etc. However, no one posts the hard things and this can make you feel like everyone has a perfect life, but you! That is obviously not true. It’s okay if you don’t always FEEL happy or ecstatic.
But the Bible tells us to rejoice for this is the day the Lord has made. Even on the tough days it is important to remind ourselves of the promises of God. Thankfully our Father’s love is not based on our feelings. He loves us continually and unconditionally!
I want others to know it’s okay to not always FEEL perfect or like you always LOVE motherhood. But we must remember that every good and perfect gift comes from above and what an awesome privilege it is to raise a child up in the Lord.
I’d love to hear about your journey in motherhood!
What is the one thing you didn’t expect about being a mother?
BEAUTIFUL. Well said, and what a beautiful girl!
So true and absolutely normal! Such a precious girl! xxx
One thing I did not expect about Motherhood was how responsible it has made me become and I surprised myself how giving, and concerned for others, Motherhood has turned me into a better version of myself, it has increased my self esteem and confidence in myself. A lot of the time I don’t want to put some e else’s needs ahead of my wants but I do it anyway. Motherhood has pushed me into going that extra mile and forced me to improve and make healthier habits for my own life. It has been a blessing, the hard days are a part of the growth.