As most of you will now already know, our beautiful little baby boy, Eric, was safely delivered via c-section on 30th July at 2:21PM. And already, he has made our world all the more magical.
So far, I am absolutely loving being a new mum. Motherhood is just so rewarding & I love being able to nurture and take care of this perfect little person that we’ve created. There’s no feeling or experience quite like it.
But whilst I am adoring my life as a new mummy, I can’t deny that the past few weeks and a bit has been incredibly emotional, too. I’ve cried every single day - most of the time it’s just happy tears because I really do feel that Eric has completed us & I’m just completely overwhelmed with love and joy. Other times, it’s because of the pandemic, which is making motherhood a little strange. Nothing could have prepared me for welcoming a child into the world during a global pandemic.
And I mean nothing.
There’s been highs and there’s been lows, and I’m going to share them all with you right here in this blog post. Want to know what the first week of motherhood is really like? Well, you’ve arrived at the perfect place. Just keep on reading.
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| Enjoying a lovely family lunch at Gusto, Alderley Edge |
1. You will cry (a lot)
Seriously - a lot. Well, I have, anyway. And my lovely mummy friends have all shared similar experiences with me when I’ve spoken to them about this, so I think it’s safe to say that a huge chunk of women are subjected to those famous ‘baby blues.’
I’m quite an emotional person anyway - not in the sense that I cry loads, but I do wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m definitely an advocate for embracing our emotions. However, even I didn’t expect to be this teary as a new mum.
Im crying for all sorts of reasons. A lot of the time, it’s just because I feel completely overwhelmed with love and when I look at Eric, I physically can’t believe how lucky we are. Other times, it’s because of the pandemic and the fact that we can’t enjoy this amazing time in our lives in a more normal way. I also cry because I worry our dog, Elvis, will feel pushed out (although he absolutely isn’t - we include him in everything!) The list goes on and on and on.
My advice to other new mums and expectant mums would be to just let it out. If you feel like you need a good cry, have a good cry. You need to get those tears out of your system. They are normal and this overly-emotional phase will pass (so I’m told anyway!)
2. Your house will be messier than usual
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a clean freak. I like our house to be super clean and tidy at all times and when things are out of place, I see to whatever it is immediately. That’s just the way I am.
So, when Marc and I brought Eric home and suddenly there was so much less time to load the washer and vac the carpets, I had a bit of a meltdown.
Like I say, I’m really particular about the way our home looks - I’m incredibly houseproud. But for now, I’ve just had to let it go a bit. I’m learning to accept that there are going to be more things lying around than there was in the past - and equally, I won’t always have the energy to go over everything with a fine toothed comb.
A packet of nappy bags on the living toom floor really isn’t worth my stress, and it shouldn’t be for you, either.
3. You will worry about everything
I’m an anxious person anyway, but now that Eric is here, I am 10 times worse. And the added complication of a global pandemic makes everything so much more intense.
I think I speak for most new mums when I say that all I want is to keep my baby safe, and when you do welcome this new, gorgeous little human into the world, you suddenly become hyper aware and all the dangers that are out there.
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| Our perfect little boy |
4. You won’t sleep much (but you’ll still manage the demands of your baby like a boss)
I honestly don’t think I’ve properly allowed myself to be tired at this point, but when I do actually sit back, I can just feel how heavy my eyes are and I could pretty much just drift off to sleep at any given moment.
When you’re a new mum, you learn to function without sleep almost immediately. At the moment, I’d say Eric wakes every one and a half to two hours, but as soon as he stirs even the tiniest little bit, I’m awake. It’s almost as if you’re sleeping with one eye open at all times. I feel like I’m waiting for him to wake up skier so I can make sure that he’s okay.
5. You’ll put on more washloads than you ever thought humanly possible
I like to keep on top of our washing pile as best I possibly can at all times, so I tend to do a small wash every day rather than 5 big loads at the weekend. I’ve got to say though, nothing could have prepared me for how often I’d be chucking stuff in the washing machine.
Baby grows and baby vests get mucky very quickly and as baby skin is so sensitive, fabric conditioner is a complete no-no (unless you buy special baby-friendly stuff) - so everything has to be washed separately, I can’t mix our clothes with Eric’s.
Washing and hanging out clothes is a boring and tiresome chore, but the one silver lining is that Eric’s tiny little clothes look so cute on the washing line and the maiden!
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| There's nothing quite like a baby cuddle |
6. You will spend hours just wondering how you made something so perfect
Honestly, the number of times I have just lay next to Eric and cried is ridiculous. Not because I’m sad - but because I’m just overwhelmed and overjoyed that we were able to create this perfect little person. It’s a completely indescribable feeling and one that I don’t think anybody ever feels until they become a mum or a dad themselves.
7. You will never drink a hot brew - not even once
I love a good cup of tea or a latte, but at the moment, my favourite hot beverages are being supper at a Luke warm temperature, instead. As soon as I sit down to have a brew, Eric always needs me. Am I bothered? Not one bit. How could I be?
8. You’ll worry you’re not doing a good enough job
Becoming a parent for the first time is so overwhelming - magical, but overwhelming. All of a sudden there’s not much time to do anything else - the cleaning is put on hold, making an effort with your appearance isn’t as easy anymore and ensuring your little one is super healthy and happy takes over every aspect of your being entirely.
When I’m not worrying about the pandemic and just being the best mum I can be, I’m worrying that I’m not doing a good enough job. This is something that almost all new mums experience and feel (so I’m told!) so I don’t freak out too much about it. I’ve just always been one of those people that pressures myself to be the best in every way, and being a great mum is incredibly important to me.
If like me you’re a new mum, I really hope you take some comfort from reading this blog post! You absolutely aren’t alone. Times are hard at the moment but I’ve no doubt that you’re doing the most wonderful job at being a new mummy.
Until next time, lovelies.
Lots of love,
Grace x
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