You've reached 12 weeks and we’ve made it through the 4th trimester!
Someone recently asked me how I’m doing and my response was “I’m finally feeling more human”. It really is the craziest, most overwhelming, exhausting, amazing three months.
The first 6 weeks are a total blur.
Sleep deprived, hormonal, two caesarean scar infections, feeling like a milk machine constantly on demand, leaky boobs, regularly covered in sick and drool, hot flashes and night sweats and of course, looking your absolute best with bags under your eyes, ‘mum bun’, no make up, pjs and granny pants!
The anxiety around a newborn is draining. Constantly worrying there’s something wrong and googling the many different symptoms they have.
The mum guilt makes an appearance every day as you try to balance your time between your baby and your older child.
You quickly get used to the change of routine. Breakfast? What is that? ‘Lunch’ becomes a mid afternoon snack and a 9pm tea is not uncommon.
Some days it feels like you’re a completely different person and you don’t recognise yourself in the mirror.
And oh my god, the ‘baby brain’ hits crisis point. Your husband asks if we’re now keeping cereal in the fridge. You turn up at the doctors for your appointment…a week early. Strangers knock on your car window whilst you’re at a junction, to let you know that your child’s water bottle is on the roof (the one you were meant to leave with her at nursery) and you threaten to send back your new coffee machine as it’s only producing brown water instead of lovely frothy coffee…for your husband to point out that it might work better if you were to put coffee pods in first.
But the first smile, the way they grip your finger and stare at you as if you’re the most amazing thing they have ever seen and the love between your two children make this crazy ride so worth it.
Motherhood is the hardest but best thing I have ever done and I wouldn’t change a thing.
