Calling all mums

[bubbablubber]

Been feeling panicky about loss of old life and apprehensive as I approach my due date. Please could I have a lovely list of all the positive good things having a baby will bring

You can do all kinds of stuff that would look a bit odd if you did without children like go to the zoo every week, splash in puddles after it's been raining, plus you get unlimited cuddles and smiles.

And even if you EBF and don't express at all you can still get away for a couple of hours once you've got into the swing of things. I never bothered expressing and I used to feed DD to sleep and then sod off to the local pub for a couple of hours with my friends.

There are a couple of things about my 'old life' that I don't miss at all that I thought I would, but I am still the same person interested in mostly the same things.

Dont see it as a loss of the old life, its just a new stage in ur existing life and in my opinion the most exciting, rewarding, amazing stage

I to like eaurouge am still interested in the same things i still love a good shopping trip most weekends and now i always have my best friend to come with me ( dd age 2 ), i mean dont get me wrong the first few times were mostly spentnt the feeding/changing rooms but you soon learn u have to take things at a slower pace lol

I love attending m&b groups and have done since dd was 6 weeks and have made some fab local friends from it.

Trust me you will wonder what you did with ur time once bambino arrives x

bootboy???

Get off this forum and get a life, loser.

Moving on from that bit of (reported) weirdness...

I've had exactly the same feelings OP, but am now just very excited about starting a new chapter. I think it's a normal part of the process to worry about the things that'll inevitable change.

Good advice from the experienced Mums- thank you.

Bubbablubber - my mum said something to me when I was pregnant and panicking and I didn't believe her, but it's true.

'Everything is better with your baby.'

It really is. Obviously you have bad days, and I've had one occasion of having to stay in etc... But really, it's fantastic.

1. The clothes. We've all grown out of dolls by this age, but suddenly we have a new one that we can buy SO MANY CLOTHES for! Little cute ones with paws and ears... Amazing.

1. The kisses and cuddles are out of this world!

1. The social life! I've never been so busy!! Not only do all your pre baby friends want to see you, but you make an entirely new set of baby- friends and generally lunch... A lot!

1. You look forward to the future like never before. Sometimes I look at my baby and get so excited about silly things like watching her in the school nativity play and making eggs for the egg competition.

1. Christmas will never have been as good.... Even when you were a DC yourself! My DD was only 7 weeks at Christmas but it was stil fantastic.

1. Watching all the Disney & Pizarro films with them, curled up on the sofa under a duvet!

1. Did I mention the clothes??

Lol - in all honesty I think everyone feels like this at one time or another, but please try to put it out of your mind! Having a baby is amazing! And all the worries like sleep / nappies etc just melt away!

Congratulations btw!!

Pizarro? Damn predictive text ;p

I meant pixar!! Lol

Every supposed "love" song will have new meaning to you, and may well make you cry.

I swear that most love songs are written about real babies, not "baby" in the sense of "boyfriend"/"girlfriend".

Have a listen to some later Take That songs..."Rule the World"? Blatantly written about a child! "Up All Night"...ditto!

But seriously, life will have new meaning in all kinds of sentimental ways.

And you get to read Mr. Men books again!

...and I didn't even like Take That very much before having a baby.

Sorry, not sure if that's a good thing or not!

It does change, more than you can imagine right now, BUT, aside from the early tiredness and the learning curve you go on, the benefits are immense.

I was a complete career girl, and I am now a sahm - NEVER thought I'd make that choice. I wake up every day and it's like christmas when you're a kid. My DD is 1 and I peek around her bedroom door each morning and she is so excited to see me. Each day is so precious I can honestly say it is the best thing I ever did.

Don't get me wrong - there are days when I get it horribly wrong, she gets over tired and is a monster - but the good times far outweigh those days! It is still tiring, but so worth it.

Oh and I felt the same as you, totally normal - told my DH that I wasn't sure I wanted to have a baby...on the way to the hospital!

Oh no pukey I agree!!!

I sat in my car sobbing while Leona Lewis' "Run" was on...had been to see my Solicitor to do the "will" bit that day and that just tipped me over the edge! Arrived home with panda eyes and made a beeline for itunes!

Oh, and one great thing about baby & beyond?

They will always look at you like you are the most fascinating, beautiful thing on the planet no matter how bad you look/feel...! Unconditional love is priceless!!!

Being a Mummy is the most difficult job in the world - but it is also the Best. You suddenly have Responsibilty for a complete little person, who is totally reliant on you. And that is scary. But the first time they smile at you, you will never forget, as well as the first time they reach out to touch your face..........
Yes there are bad times - sleepless nights, teething etc, but it is all worth it for the times you look at them sound asleep and are amazed that your body was capable of producing something so breathtakingly beautiful.............
But watch out for the hormones - they will keep you feeling unnecessarily hormonal for longer than you think