Having a newborn baby will bring out many different emotions, and it’s okay to feel all of them. If you are currently feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and tired — if you are feeling anything but happy — it’s normal and it’s okay.
The arrival of a new baby is definitely a cause for celebration. The news will be met with much excitement, well wishes, parties, and lots of gifts! But the truth is that taking care of a newborn baby demands so much of you that it’s impossible to feel positive and delighted all the time.
What you, as a new mom, need to know, though, is that there is nothing wrong with feeling unhappy sometimes. Embracing the newborn stage is a huge challenge, and there are ways to overcome it, but one thing is for sure: there will be ugly moments. And you need to acknowledge these moments as part of your journey.
Because motherhood is both happy and sad.
When you become a mother, a big part of your life will change. You will experience a lot of things that never happened to you before. You will be creating a lifetime’s worth of memories — but memories are not all happy. The negative experiences are valid, too, and these are often the same experiences that teach.
Getting frustrated over your newborn’s incessant crying does not make you a bad mom.
Being tired of not having enough sleep every night does not make you a bad mom.
Longing for the days when your child is finally old enough to look after themselves does not make you a bad mom, and so does missing the days when you didn’t have a child yet.
It’s your role to meet the needs of your baby, and as long as you are fulfilling this responsibility, then you are a good mom! Remember that you are human, and your human reaction to these new experiences does not make you a bad person.
You don’t need to feel ashamed if you simply cannot bring yourself to cherish every moment with your newborn baby.
Because motherhood is a struggle.
There will be good days and bad days, and you are only going to have a harder time if you refuse to accept this truth.
There will be days when you cannot imagine life without your baby. They brought a whole new different meaning to your life, and you’re finally living with a reason! Then there will be days when you miss not having to take care of anyone other than yourself.
There will be days when you can spend hours just gazing at your little one, thinking in disbelief how someone like you can create something so beautiful. Then there will be days when you are certain your baby does not love you. It’s like they crying for no apparent reason other than to test your patience!
There will be days when everything goes smoothly. You are a super-mom! Then there will be days when you second-guess yourself. Because it feels like you are not doing enough, or anything that you do is not good enough.
And, new mama, that’s okay.
Because both the good and the bad days are special.
Don’t get us wrong. Motherhood is great. Parenting is awesome. And having a baby is possibly one of the most wonderful things that can happen to you.
But right now, if all you can think of is the sleepless nights, missed meals, and the tears of frustration, it’s okay. Because they are part of what makes motherhood special.