Most women dream of being mothers but don't fully understand what it truly means. If you're aspiring to be one or you know someone who is, grab your drink or blankie and get to know a few things before diving into motherhood.
1. Pregnancy
♡ Once you find out that you're pregnant, you need to start your antenatal clinics as soon as possible. You also have to take your supplements religiously and eat a healthy diet to ensure the well being of your unborn baby.
♡ Moreover, you need to set aside some money or ensure your health insurance is up to date so as to cover the birth expenses and baby stuff. You have to be meticulous about what you buy for your baby. Some items are not really necessary as the baby might not need or use them. However, do what works for you.
♡ For some, the pregnancy journey is smooth but for others, it's a rollercoster ride. If you're having a difficulty pregnancy, you can do your research on how to relieve bad symptoms such as nausea, fatigue or any other.
2. Birth
♡ It's always good to have a birth plan but things don't always go as planned. A birth plan involves where you want to give birth, who you want with you in the labor and delivery room, your labor preferences such as walking, labor stool, ball or chair, whether you will want an epidural, your delivery preferences such as vaginal or CS birth and feeding and caring for the baby once they arrive.
A doctor will have to review your plan as the hospital you want to give birth at might have different policies.
It's not necessary to have a birth plan but it helps you feel in control. Things might change along the way and thats okay. Labor is a natural process.
3. After birth
♡ Once your bundle of joy has arrived, it's time to start the nursing journey. You should enroll as much help as you can get especially for the first 3 months post paturm. This is because you will be exhausted as your body went through a lot and newborns are also demanding. Find someone who can help you with the house chores or taking turns to help with the baby.
♡ Bonding with your baby may not happen immediately. It may take a few days, weeks or months. The more time you spend cuddling, feeding, singing, talking and caring for your baby, the more closer you will feel to him or her. That love grows gradually.
♡ You may have baby blues that last for 2 weeks. If they last longer than that, then it could be post paturm depression. After birth, your hormonal levels drop and the fact that your life has drastically changed can affect your mood. Symptoms of baby blues include; mood swings, exhaustion, irritability, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. If you have PPD, you will feel hopeless, worthless and alone, you will feel as if you're doing a bad job as a mum, you will struggle to bond with your baby and you may find it difficult to take care of your baby. If you suspect that you're suffering from PPD, please seek the help of a health care provider as soon as you can.
4. The invisible load of motherhood
♡ Typically, mothers do the bulk of the labor in a household and often times, this labor is invincible to onlookers.
Moms take care of the housechores, they are more proactive in meeting the emotional, mental and physical needs of their babies and are also in charge of keeping tabs on any appointments for their kids and keeping the babies' records (Health, academic etc).
Fathers on the other hand take care of finances but the results are not as severe as running a household and taking care of the wellbeing of the kids. What mothers do takes alot of energy and time but unfortunately, it goes unnoticed or unappreciated. The consequences are exhaustion, depression, irritability, isolation and feeling underappreciated.
What can help, is having adequate ongoing support. Men should also be more involved in child care and development.
5. Motherhood is not as Romantic as people make it seem
♡ It's an honour to be a mother and you will do just about anything for your kids. However, motherhood is not just about proclaiming how much you love your kids unconditionally. It can be draining, taxing, annoying and frustrating. The typical responsibilities of a mother can compound these feelings and make her hit the limit pretty easily. Romanticizing motherhood is not realistic. Though, of course, we keep doing all we can as we seek and accept all the help we can get.
