My sister took this picture when MJ was 1 week old.
Which means I'd been a new mom for one week!
My expression sums up how overwhelmed I was after 1 week, haha!
I was so ready to become a mom. I read every blog and book out there! I thought I was so prepared for what would happen before, during and after the delivery of my son. However, I will admit I skimmed over the after part.
I took advice from mothers close to me who said:
- take everything from the hospital: disposable underwear, extra large pads (and I mean EXXTRA large), baby brushes, etc.
- You won't sleep at the hospital or when you get home so get ready
- You won't want to look, touch or even think about what happened down there - just mentally avoid that area all together.
- require anyone who holds your baby to wash their hands first
However there are a few things I didn't expect to happen. Let me share:
- You will lose your butt! It was so firm and tight and now it's flabby and loose. I was wondering why Tracy Anderson was so focused on the glut exercises during my pregnancy workouts... now I understand and it's depressing!
- Your baby will not be a newborn for long! We're already out of newborn diapers (thankfully we flew through three boxes of newborn diapers in perfect timing). He outgrew newborn clothes by week 3.
- Your boobs will be HUGE for a few days after delivery and then deflate. Womp womp (Don't buy new bras for this new "huge" stage, it only lasts a couple of days)
- You will need night vision. You'll be nursing and changing diapers in the dark. Unless you want to turn on the light and confuse your newborn into thinking it's daytime. Therefore causing him to stay awake all night and sleep all day. Trust me - keep the lights off!
- Breast milk will get EVERYWHERE. In some cases that's ok. They say breast milk can soothe baby acne or mucus in the eye - even diaper rash! But it will also be on on every shirt and pair of yoga pants you own. (Because you will only be wearing yoga pants in public now) I say "in public" because you may walk around the house naked. Or maybe in just a pair of boxers and a nursing bra. Seriously- no shame anymore you just squeezed a baby out of you know where! Your body is AWESOME.
- Baby spit up will be everywhere too! Think you have enough burp cloths? Think again! Did you buy those onesies with clever sayings on them? Well that will be covered up by a bib until your baby out grows that onesie. Think not? well if your child isn't wearing a bib you'll be changing onesies non-stop because they are spitting up every 5 minutes! Oh, and you probably don't have enough bibs either.
- And finally, if you think you are a good person because you went to the baby shower, bought a gift and said "congratulations" the day your friend's baby was born; you're right you are a good person. But after you have a baby you realize a FREAKIN AMAZING person comes over, cleans the house of the new mommy, gives her time to nap and doesn't touch her baby's face and spread germs just in time to leave her with a sick baby.
Of course you'll never truly understand ANY of this until you have a baby of your own. I just had a baby and I still can't believe half of it!
Grits,
