Had first baby nearly a year ago. Feel like I got through first six months just fine and stupidly felt like it 'wasn't as hard as people said'. Baby fed well, slept well and no issues.
Then I went back to work, baby started nursery and baby has become more mobile with crawling etc.
Baby settled in well to nursery but I struggled with returning to work due to changes in the team and feeling a bit pushed out by this ( but was nothing discriminatory against me) and paid for a private therapist for a few sessions, felt much better after that.
but I do just find everything such a slog now, like a never ending state of worrying and chores.
We have a fairly organised routine, dh helps a lot, parent lives far away but comes up for a week every six weeks to give us a break. Contracted a cleaner, do batch cooks so feel like I try my best to be organised but it just feels neverending.
When we try to do a family day out or short break somewhere, it's just even more stress so feels easier to stay home most weekends and not waste money But then I feel like we're not doing enough and should make more effort. Last weekend we had made some nice plans but then baby got ill so all was cancelled.
Aren't these days with young baby supposed to be enjoyed/ treasured? I feel like they're passing me by in a sea or domestic drudgery and viruses and before I know it baby Will be bigger and I'll have missed out (not having anymore kids)
Maybe I'm just putting too much pressure on things and have silly expectations? Just feel like I'm doing something wrong as I see social media feeds full of happy families doing fun things with babies and not getting bogged down in practicalities while I've spent all weekend cleaning up diarrhea and crying from frustration