Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. This will be my first Mother’s Day as a mom of three kids. This will be my first Mother’s Day with the least amount of braincells I’ve ever had. Ha!
As an ode to Motherhood, I decided to poll my fellow mamas in the trenches. I wanted to hear what they thought was the one thing you wish someone would’ve told them about pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood?
The answers I received back are amazing, and pretty insightful. The moms that shared their answers with me were raw and real, and some were hilarious, too!
In honor of Mother’s Day, I present to you some of my favorite responses. I hope you have a beautiful and very happy Mother’s Day, friends.
What’s the one thing you wish someone would’ve told you about pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood?
Being responsible for raising children to be contributing members of society is WAY harder than anyone ever let’s on. – Erika K.
How terrible and judgmental other moms are! I can handle everything else and I’m learning as I go but that was one thing I don’t think I could’ve ever been prepared for. – Christina K.
How labor intensive it was. I expected exhaustion from lack of sleep, but no one warned me about how physical it was. – Erika V.
How hard this really is. – Barbara T.
That pregnancy and childbirth are the easiest part of being a mom. That terrible “three’s” are worse than two’s. That 13yr olds are more like the 15yr olds of the ‘90’s. That older kids and teens are WAY more expensive than babies in diapers, drinking formula and at daycare combined. – Jen H.
The impact that it would have on my marriage, which ended after having kids. Would I do it all over again to have my kids? Oh yes. But if your marriage isn’t strong before kids, it’s not going to magically change after kids. That was a hard life lesson for me. But I’m so thankful that I have my kids! – Katherine G.
How easy it is to lose yourself because your children become your entire life. – Lisa L.
The guilt that one can feel. Mommy guilt is real. – Michelle D.
Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and amazing things that can happen to you as long as you’re not puking for 6 months!! – Heather M.
Motherhood is the scariest hood to enter. When you become a mother, the fear of anything happening to your little person is heart wrenching.. plus, no matter how much we try to show them the best things in life.. they are their own person and will choose their way eventually. I mean, it’s all scary lol – Ana S.
Everyone has heard about nausea/morning sickness. NO ONE told me about the constipation! Damn near died on the toilet one night. – Niki T.
It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s okay to cry. Life is going to get hard, but it’s fling to be worth it each and every day. – Kayla T.
How something so beautiful is disgusting at times! – Katie L.
That you will probably break all of the “hard and fast” rules you set while pregnant. “I’ll never cosleep”. First time you realize that your baby sleeps 4 hours straight in bed with you, done. “I refuse to give my baby a pacifier”. Wait until they’re screaming bloody murder in the car seat on an hour long drive and you’ll be popping that paci in like a cork. Basically, your rules go out the window as soon as your baby has any discomfort that you can solve by breaking those rules and saving yourself some misery. Oh, while breastfeeding is natural, it will likely not come naturally to either of you right away. But it really does get easier. – Dorci N.
I wish I knew that all pregnancies, Labors, and babies are different!! My son and my daughter are so different and their pregnancy and labor was extremely different as well! – Jackie D.
After a vaginal birth (not sure about c sections) they will push on your belly and it will be worse than labor and delivery all over again. I almost hit my nurse it hurt so bad. And I had a natural birth/ no pain meds whatsoever. Hands down worse part of all of it. – Danielle E.
How you would never poop normal again. – Jessie D.
Trust yourself above all else. Trust your body to do what it’s meant to. Trust your instincts to know what your baby needs rather than listening to the “advice” of family and friends. – Angela B.
To shave my arms before going to the hospital. That IV tape is no joke. – Julia M.
Breastfeeding is hard as hell for quite a few weeks. – Katie B.
Toddlers are humbling. – Amber S.
That no matter how much experience you have with other children…. having your own is a whole new ballfield. – Amanda S.
I mean I already know this but babies don’t sleep or magically follow schedules. Don’t fight it, accept it & enlist help from others
– Camille M.
Not to eat for two because breastfeeding /pumping doesn’t always magically help you lose the weight. – Kristen F.
You shed your hair around 4m PP! No one told me that! – Logan F.
That a fussy baby isn’t necessarily the result of bad parenting – some babies are just more difficult than others. – Amy H.
Lip/Tongue Ties are common and once revised by laser is a total game changer whether the baby is breastfed or bottle fed. – Samantha A.
That postpartum is MESSY! And you’ll be in a diaper with ice for a couple weeks and that’s totally okay. Also it’s totally normal to not have an overwhelming feeling of love for your baby when you’re born. I felt so bad because everyone talks about it and I thought I was a bad mom because I didn’t. But it did come. And I love her so much I can hardly stand it! – Amanda M.
Recovery….the squirt bottle…the mesh panties…vaginal tears…not being able to walk….no one ever mentioned this to me lol – Sanchia W.
1. Your hair will fall out for months.
2. No matter how much you think you can, you should never attempt to hold your pee in the few weeks following childbirth. You will pee yourself in the pediatricians office.
3. You could shake uncontrollably during labor. I was told it was adrenaline, but I legit thought something was wrong and I was dying. – Tara D.
I never realized how much I would cry post partum lol
It’s so wet afterwards lol the blood, milk, tears, and night sweats! No one warned me it would feel like menopause for a month! – Kaitlin B.
Your vagina will be just fine. It’s specifically designed to pass a baby through. They get swollen, but they recover beautifully. Your butt hole, on the other hand, will never be the same. Butt hole = wrecked forever. – Alexis J.
This mom gig is HARD at times! But the best thing ever – Ashley L.