What have you found hardest in the first 3 years?

[Swirl]

Am in middle of potty training DS1 who is 2.3yrs and am finding it completely draining/frustrating/a real rollercoaster. It got me thinking about the challenges we've overcome so far - for me the first weeks of breastfeeding were brutal and the hardest thing I have come through with him (did end up loving it and breastfed until 6 mths), with the sleep training I had to do at around 5 months coming a close second . I keep telling myself if I got through those then I can handle the potty training. Just wondered what anyone else has found hardest.

Missing most of it due to working away.

Having my stitches redone after a really botched episiotomy. The pain both before and after it was done was worse than giving birth, but I am so glad I decided to go through with it! One midwife advised me not to bother, unless I had a second career she didn't know about "as no-one is looking down there anyway" ! Dp had a brief look, blanched, and kindly told me to go and have it redone. Sorry, probably TMI...It's all sorted now, anyway.

1. Wanting so much to breastfeed DS but being too afraid to stand up to the health visitor (as first time mum) when told he was losing weight and he should go on formula when he was 3.5 weeks old.

2. The associated guilt and feeling as if I'd failed him somehow. 3. Re-starting work and putting him into creche so that we can all actually have a normal standard of life. Only been back 2 weeks and it kills me to leave him. 4. My well-meaning mum making me feel even more guilty about returning to work. 5. Not having family and friends around (they're back in Dublin) 6. Not having any time alone as a "couple" anymore 7. The constant guilt for feeling whingey when you know he's a treasure as he hasn't had colic, sleeps through and although is teething hard isn't as fussy as he could be - but wanting to be able to just decide to do something on the spur of the moment and not being able to. 8. Feeling so tied down all the time and so OLD when you're only 28!!!

God that felt good. Sorry for dumping, first time to post a message and just needed a bit of type-therapy!!