The Realizations Of A New Mommy

The baby has arrived, and Draalette is a GIRL! She’s the biggest joy of our lives 🙂 She was born on May 10 – and here are a few realizations I’ve had in the last several days of being a first-time Mommy.

—Your bellybutton will feel huge… quite different from the tiny slit it’s been for the past few months.

—It’s okay to fall asleep on the examination table while waiting for the midwife during your post-baby follow-up visit.

—Speaking of falling asleep; you will be amazed at exactly how little sleep you find you actually need in order to function.

—During those sleepless nights of a screaming newborn (who has turned into a nocturnal owl), keep from getting frustrated by remembering how it would feel to not be able to hold your child while he/she is crying… 4 unexpected days in NICU has taught me this, and I’ve vowed to enjoy every single second of  holding my child… screaming or not.

—Yes, babies pee & poop that much. You’ll need to pack more diapers in your diaper bag than that.

—There’s nothing sweeter than having a baby fall asleep in your arms or on your chest… unless you get out of the shower to find out Daddy and baby have fallen asleep together with baby on Daddy’s chest 🙂

—Yes, your bowel system will work again. Take it slow, and… no, your uterus won’t fall out while you’re on the toilet, even though it feels like it.

—Breastfeeding is… such an adventure. One word: LANOLIN. Buy stock in it.

—Taking that first shower after delivering makes you feel like a whole new woman. And, yes, go ahead and take a long one. You deserve it 🙂

—It’s okay to think during labor that you never want another child… the second you hear that baby’s cry and see that precious little face, you forget everything you thought previously.

—Your urinary tract will work again too… for me, it was the nurses threatening to use a magic word called “catheter” that made mine remember how to work REALLY quickly. They weren’t putting anything inside me.

—Don’t weigh yourself right away… just enjoy your flatter stomach 🙂

—There is something incredibly special about seeing your child’s heart rate increase on the heart monitors while only you or your husband are speaking. Yes, they know who we are.

—It’s okay to cry at anything & everything.

—It’s okay to take a picture of your baby’s first dirty diaper… and then cry afterwards, as you realize your baby is growing up already.

—Remember what your Grandma said about how you’ll want to stay up during the night simply to watch your baby sleep? It’s true.

—It’s okay to call your Mom at 1AM in the morning with breastfeeding questions.

—Yes, your husband deserves a huge kiss for driving a screaming newborn around town at 4AM to help it get sleepy. 

—The nurses really are trying to make sure our babies are healthy… even though it breaks your heart to hear your baby cry while getting blood drawn, and you want to kill the nurse responsible.

—It will take you 20 minutes longer than what you think to get out of the house now… go ahead and plan on it.

—It’s okay to be overwhelmed by the new kind of love you’re experiencing… There is nothing like loving your child. Treasure every second.

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