Things you never expected from being a parent (good and bad)

[aurynne]

Hi all,

After 33 years being child-free and never even considering having a baby, I am now living with a wonderful man that has made me, if not change my mind, indeed think about the possibility and what it would entail.

I have been lurking in MN for months now, participating sometimes in the "relationships" thread, but also reading the parenting ones. I remember several threads in which parents express their utter surprise at this or that. I would like now to ask all of you mums and dads (or the ones of you who have some time to spare to talk about your experiences) what are the things that came out as completely unexpected when you had your first child, the situations that you never counted on when you thought about maternity/paternity and that simply blew you away or utterly horrified you.

Perhaps I'm just bracing for the shock if it ever comes?

That it would show DH to be a child too. Having children made him run a mile.

On the plus side, it's showed me that I have an enormous capacity for love. Every day my love for my two boys grows and I can't imagine what I would do without them. I hope I can find somebody to give me another!

Even though i am utterly exhausted and cry sometimes cos i just want to sleep, he only has to smile at me when i go into his room and all thoughts of a lie in go out of my head.

although i don't have much money to spend on myself i don't care that much, when i return to work i imagine it will now just be a job.

It has been really hard on me and dh, but in most ways it has strengthened us.

Auyrnne

You are where I was a few years ago, Dh and I had a great life, weekend breaks in new york, impromtu turning a saturday afternoon shopping trip into a saturday in all bar one, thining about no-one but oursleves.

Having DD blows all that out of the water. Hearing her giggle when playing peekabo is better than any shopping trip, getting up at 7.30 on a sunday morning with her is a pain, but she's so pleased to see me when I walk in it's worth it.

I can't imagine having a baby ever makes a relationship easier, but sharing those brilliant baby moments (and actually not so brilliant) makes it all stronger

this thread is making me cry- in a good way! it is simply the best thing u ever do in your life- i thought i knew- but i had no idea!v beautiful unconditional love. u just wouldn't do the slkintness and tiredness for any other reason in the whole world, because actually it doesn't even begin to figure in how u feel about this wee individual u have created. (just as well i feel like this as about to have 3 under 3!!!)

oooh where to start!
some one once said on here that becoming a mum is like that scene in the wizard of Oz, you know when Dorothy steps out of the black and white and into the colour well thats what its like.
And it is, i thought my life was colourful and happy before ds came along. We had fab holidays, had a great life, i was 33 when i had ds, but nothing could have prepared me for what came with him.