Life Changes for Moms

Motherhood is so beautiful, such a blessing, and something that you can cherish forever! I love every bit of it. ♥️ But, if I'm being totally honest with y'all, motherhood has altered my life so much that sometimes it's hard to wrap my mind around it.

While I’d anticipated certain challenges like having to renegotiate how I balance my social and family life, for example — others were a complete surprise (uh, hello, engorged breasts!) From the loss of my free time to endless loads of laundry, everything about my life is different today. I mean everything.

I understand that change is inevitable and that adjustments would come with my new infant, but somehow I still find myself learning to transition to this new normal of life. So, to help a future mom out there here are 6 ways my life has changed after pregancy. I share these with you not to scare you, but to prepare you, so hopefully you won't be as surprised as I was.

• There is so much laundry!

No matter how often you wash, fold, and put up clothes there is always SO MUCH LAUNDRY! Between my husband and I who already have a regular load of clothes being cycled each week, when you add in baby laundry - it is something else! Babies clothes can change about 2-3 times a day, they have spills, drool bibs, poopy pants, everything! I just realized that every time I feel like I'm ahead on the laundry schedule, there are baskets full waiting upstairs to be washed. Don't be surprised by this. It's life.

• Engorged breast (This may only apply to mamas who breast feed or exclusively pump.)
  

Y'all, don't let me miss an overnight pump or get off my pumping schedule! 😫 Basically, your body produces milk based on how often you feed your baby (or pump in my case.) I pump quite often to keep up a strong milk supply and so that I'm never without milk for my hungry little one. BUT, be careful that once you create a strong supply that you constantly relieve yourself of it because engorged breast are a pain I was not ready for. During the day it isn't so bad because you can either breast feed or pump it off, but, when you're sleep its a whole new ball game. So many nights I said to myself, "I'll just wake up in the morning and pump (instead of 4:00 am like scheduled) and I'll wake up in a puddle of milk. Not only that, but my chest will be so hard and full I can almost cry about it. lol Not trying to scare anybody, it's just life. Get a breast pump. It'll save you so much pain (and milk.) lol.

• Sleep is never the same

I envy all you morning people. lol This might not be hard for you if you like waking up early but for me, I love sleep. That's why this one is still so hard to adjust to. Imagine a Saturday morning when it's the weekend and you just want that good ol' rest and nope, your little one is up and ready at 5, 6 or 7 am waiting to eat and play! Or, another scenario is when you put the baby down for a nap and you actually decide to nap with the baby and then... they wake right back up not even 20 minutes later. 🥴 I don't mean to sound like a complainer but this is just how my life has been and I don't want any other mom to be surprised at how hard this can be. You really gotta try to sleep when the baby sleeps no matter how hard that can be. Just try it.

• Loss of friendship

Yes. It's true. I've experienced it myself. I've lost a few friends after becoming a mother and it has been very hard to deal with. Some of the losses were friends whom I'd considered life long but unfortunately we have taken different routes. I've come to accept this change (now after healing from it for some months) but I think the reason this loss of friendship happens is simply because your life shifts in a different direction then some of those friendships you had. As a mother, you can't be out as much, you don't have as much free time anymore, and if you're married as well then you also have a partner you share life with, too. It doesn't mean you can't wish old friends well, but it does mean that I've had to recreate a circle of friends, mothers, and wives who can relate to the experiences that I'm currently dealing with - and that's OKAY! Just be prepared mamas and cherish the friendships you have. I really wasn't ready for this one and I can only pray your experience isn't as hard as mine.

• Alone time never exist

Don't ever think for one minute that if you have a baby you will have alone time (unless you have a handful of baby sitters or an awesome hubby like mine who takes the baby so you can have some me time.) That baby needs to be fed, changed, played with, read to, cared for, watched constantly, sung to, everything! You really can't just say, "let me take a minute to myself." So, mamas, be prepared! My advice - get your baby on a sleep schedule. You will truly cherish bed time because that means time for yourself! (Oh - and sneak a long shower every now and again.) 😂

• There is SO much love

There really is something so sweet about the love you feel for your baby. So much love, that I've cried so many times just looking at him, thinking about him, or even looking at photos. You start to just feel this emotional tie to your little one that is so strong it can overcome you at times. I would laugh after crying sometimes like, "what is wrong with me! 😂" But, it was really just an outpour of love I feel for my baby. So, if you have a little one or kids at all - I completely understand the emotion behind the love we have for our kids. It's just different. ♥️

As usual, thank you all so much for continuously reading my blogs. I really appreciate the love and feedback I receive every time I write something new. Please feel free to comment here below (if you are a member) or follow me and comment on my socials - @moniefresh. I'd love to here your stories of how things changed in motherhood or what I have yet to expect. Until then...

Thanks for reading!

- Monie Mommy ♥️