Please tell me nice things about motherhood

[anonmom1992]

Hi, soon to be first time mum here (DS due November)

Throughout my pregnancy I have found that I have received a lot of comments like “be prepared for sleepless nights!”, “you’ll never be you again” etc. All of the negatives of motherhood which I understand there is some, this month is probably my last chance of a good nights sleep, my life will change dramatically and my free time will be pretty non existent.

Mums,
Please share with me some nice parts of motherhood? I know there is a lot, one being the indescribable love you feel for your child (already feeling it but can’t imagine how much it’ll grow when I lay eyes on him for the first ever time ) but I feel like every one has been telling me the negatives rather than positive aspects? I would love to hear any cute stories you have with your children too

There is mostly joy in motherhood.
Yes, it is a learning process and there are several things you do not know yet and that are impossible to explain ( like how do you feel the first time your baby has really very high temperature) .
There is nothing in this world that has given me the same joy and the same pride and nothing I would not do again and again and again.
There is no job in this world that has ever been so rewarding and no other person I have loved so fiercely and unconditionally.
Motherhood has changed me for the better and made me grow into a true adult.
It changes you from the second you see your child and only at that moment you will realise that you have changed the world.
Enjoy!

I hate negative people! For starters some babies sleep! Mine has slept through since she was 8 weeks old.
I lost my baby weight straight away and in 4 days I was back in my jeans.
The way they look at you with a big smile and when they nuzzle Into you is amazing. Everyone has different experiences but the good outweigh the bad by far!

Just to add I mention the weight thing because I was sick of people telling me my baby will 'ruin my body'.
Every baby is a miracle!

My DD now says ‘i love you’
Yesterday she said ‘i lub you mummy’
I may of squeezed her a little bit too much after

When my 1 year old "hides" by putting his head down until I say "oh no, where's he gone?" and he looks up and giggles like its the funniest thing. I could do that all day. Their giggles are the best. sound. ever.

When they are in a room of other children playing and doing something they are proud of and they look up and you know that it's you they are looking for to boast to.

The fact you know them better than anyone else in the world, silly little things like the way they like their bed when they fall asleep what they say when they wake up at first. My DS is a great speaker but went through a stage of getting excited and struggling to get the full sentence out when speaking to a stranger, I always knew exactly what he was saying.

When people say their kid only cuddles them when they are unwell but you just have to suggest a little cuddle and yours drops everything and runs to you.

You will be sat downstairs smiling and giggling to yourself when you hear your baby & husband playing.
You will stand in doorways being as quite as you can to watch them with a huge stupid grin on your face.
You will have cuddles and kisses all of the time.
You will watch them grow and develop into silly, crazy little people and probably cry when they do something new. You will be so incredibly proud, even when they do a big poo or just look so damn cute in a new outfit! Everything will make you proud.
Bathing, moisturising and snuggling baby, putting then into fresh pyjamas and having cuddles while they drink their milk and stare into your eyes.
That is probably my the best thing about newborns. They don't take their eyes off you when you're cuddling them and feeding - they look at you like you are the most incredible thing in the world, and to them you really are. (And then they get milk drunk and pass out but that's great too because you can take cute pictures)

Honestly, it's just the love. Even when they have been screaming and crying for the past 10 minutes you cannot help yourself but to love them. You will feel your entire body warm up and that is just pure love! There will be times when you feel like you could burst with love and pride and happiness. It's is the best thing ever.

There are so many bad times and hard moments but you only remember the good stuff. And if it does get too much, you will forget about it in half an hour when baby is asleep or babbling to themselves while you sit with a cuppa and relax. The feeling you get when you have settled them is great! So each time you're finding it hard just tell yourself 'in 10 minutes they will be asleep/daddy will be home/the milk will be ready'

Yes it's the hardest thing on the planet but my god its rewarding. Even when she gets me up in the night the cuddles are the best. When I'm ready to give up she smiles or giggles and it changes everything. Motherhood is amazing you'll be great xx

Just to add, there will be negativity about every stage, and obviously every stage will have its tough moments, but largely I think people just tell you it's going to be difficult because they're (subconsciously) jealous of all the good things coming your way.

It's not all easy, but it's so worth it. We had a rough start for a number of reasons, but like somebody else said up thread, I feel like I've won the lottery about five times a day. Don't forget to take advantage of whatever local support there is, my local breastfeeding group have been invaluable

hormonesorDHbeingadick I'll try that! He loves a bath

I hated having a baby so much I wanted to die - by the time she was 6 months she was the best thing I'd ever done and now at 20 months I love her endlessly and couldn't comprehend life without her.

It IS hard, OP. Harder than anyone can really get across to you. But it's worth it.

I forgot the excitement at everything.

DT1 is obsessed with traffic. His idea of the best day ever would be standing by the side of the road watching traffic go by. He jumps up and down and flaps his hands and squeals with happiness.

I wish I was excited by anything as my twins are about subtitles, end credits to films or moving cars!

I have never felt more beautiful, powerful and happy than I do now I have a baby (well, nearly toddler).

It's amazing, I absolutely love being a mum. I love watching my little boy (6) grow. He's amazing. I loved all of it, all the sleepless nights I used to love because I would just sit when him, feeding him, cuddling him, it never mattered, those days where he would look into my eyes. Also you get used to the lack of sleep. Now my ds sleeps through for 12 hours, he has definitely taken after me as I used to be able to sleep for hours. I love it all.

Enjoy it and take the negative stories with a pinch of salt.

I'm on my last baby. And she's already grown so much in just 3 months.
Please savour it all. Ignore the chores. Nobody coming to visit should care about the laundry, or dishes.
Just hold the baby. And look at them. They change ridiculously fast. I'm now trying to work out where the last 5 years have gone.

When your 12 year old asks how your day went and makes you a cup of tea. Seeing them sleeping.

Obviously lots of other things too. The feeling of immense pride I have is a constant.

So many really great things. My eldest ds is almost 18 and it really has gone so fast. I actually remember the last time he reached out to hold my hand........
The best thing is nurturing a human being into a grown person, watching them learn and form their own opinions. Parents evening when they say he’s a good kid! Proud moments!!
Enjoy your new life!

DS is 15 months. He is the whole world. Currently snuggled in my arms napping before I put him in his cot.

A few highlight:
Young baby:
Snuggles!
When you're feeding (breast or bottle) and a little arm creeps round and hand stroked your side
The first smile
The first laugh
The babbles
How quickly the learn and change.

Outside of newborn:
Ds is hilarious and cheeky and loving.
Kisses from ds which are basically open mouth slobbers
Words! Hes been saying mummy for months and it still makes me all squishy.
How happy they are to see you in the morning.
Hes started coming over to sit on my lap when he wants to look at a book or toy with me.
Ds talks in his sleep which is super cute and funny.
Watching them work things out and be so proud of.themselves.
Watching your partner become a father or mother is incredibly special.

Parenthood is wonderful. It's not easy but I dint know if I'd say it's hard, it's a lifestyle change. Currently thinking I only want one as I dont want to go through the nights again, but I would do it 100 times over if I could clone ds! The love is overwhelming. You get through the first bit, it's different and you will wonder what on earth you've done but you quickly get over it.

As I’ve read this,say in a parked car, my little baby is in the back. I giggled at the incorrect explanations of abbreviations (baby said uh OH, take with a pinch of SALT) and she giggled at me giggling.

Having a child has made my days full of laughter.

I think there’s a danger that discussions of parenting can be one extreme or the other - it’s either “your life is ruined” or it’s “you’ll love them so much you won’t care if they vomit in your mouth or keep you awake for 10 days straight”.

(Yes, DT2 did vomit in my face and mouth recently. I did care).

The reality is of course somewhere in the middle. What I’ve found is that everything is more extreme - exhaustion is more extreme, sadness and guilt are much more extreme, anxiety is more extreme... but the happiness and pride and love are more extreme too. I can no longer watch sad films or TV, struggle reading the news, I’m a heightened emotional wreck.

Oh and my back is absolutely fucked 😂

Last night DH cut his knee and put a plaster on. DD immediately kissed it better. Just adorable

Every night after dinner she wants to put music on and dance. The joy in her little face is just wonderful. We all dance around like loons for ten minutes and I just want to freeze time it’s so lovely.

“Mamma, more?” When I’ve finished my dinner, or “mamma, tea?” If I’m getting her a drink

Watching her develop little friendships

Seeing her do a kind thing for someone else without her knowing I’m watching (heart bursting with pride)

“Love you” is just the best.

She is 2.5 and an utter joy. The amount she has taught me is incredible. I found the baby days incredibly difficult but am enjoying this stage so much more than I thought possible. I know these times when she is young are the happiest of my life so I am making a real effort to properly appreciate it, and also press record mentally: it’ll be these times I want to look back on when I’m old and grey

I’m going to step away from the thread as I struggle with some of this stuff and wanting these things to happen so much (still waiting for first words is tough and we have a long way to go for that).

Just wanted to say you’ll be great OP - just do things like going to the cinema and nice child-unfriendly restaurants a lot now :D

I have three children and, when I was expecting twins in my first pregnancy, there was so much negativity. It’s very wearing, because obviously there must be good bits about having babies or else no one would do it! Now my twins are nearly four and their baby sister is nine months. I have always said that, even on the worst days, they each do at least one thing that saves it. Three recent favourite bits:

1. My husband reads stories to the boys while I feed the baby to sleep in her room. Every night one of the boys comes in to say goodnight. He gives me a kiss and says, ‘Squeeze’ and then tells me to sleep well and blows kisses as he leaves.
2. The other boy has started drawing a lot at preschool and he is prolific. He produces an awful lot of material! But he has improved so much in the past few weeks and he loves telling us about his drawings. Recent work has included his friend, his friend’s sister and their mummy on skateboards holding hands. The imagination and care that he puts into his work makes me so proud.
3. And the baby. I didn’t know a baby could ever be this happy all the time. When I collect her from nursery she crawls to me with excitement, and then when I pick her up she squeezes my cheeks and pushes her forehead against mine. She is just so genuinely pleased to see me all the time. And watching her with her brothers and seeing their love for each other is enough to make me burst.

I will be honest with you: I am very tired. I have had some degree of illness since the beginning of August. I still can’t leave the baby in the evening because no one else has ever put her to bed, so I don’t know if I’m ever going to manage an adult social life again. But I am also incredibly happy because every day they do something that makes my heart fill up so much that my chest hurts. On the toughest days, look for those little moments and hold on to them.

I'll never forget holding DD1 for the first time, I'd had a horrific labour but this rush of love hits you like a ton of bricks, you look into your baby's eyes and there is this "I know you". It's a feeling like nothing else in the world.

It's hard being a Mum at times but it's also the best thing in the world. I'm prouder of being a Mum than anything else I've ever done.

I didn't mind the sleepless nights. Sitting on the sofa snuggling your baby, watching the sun come up and listening to birdsong, feeling like you're the only two in the world...it's pretty magical