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You are here: Home / Healthy Living / Self Care / Empowering Women / How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered

How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered

June 26, 2018 By Adreanna Green Leave a Comment

Motherhood is both rewarding and challenging. Understanding how motherhood changes you will help you cope with the demands and challenges of motherhood. These relatable experiences of amazing women and a little insight from a scientific standpoint will answer your most commonly asked questions about motherhood!

How Motherhood Changes You? [for the Better]

In this article:

  • How Motherhood Changes You?
  • How Motherhood Changes Friendship?
  • How Motherhood Changes the Brain?
  • How Motherhood Changes Your Body?

How Motherhood Changes You?

How Motherhood Changes You? | How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered
Articles about becoming a new mom weren’t as accessible as they are now, online. During my first pregnancy ten years ago, I had to bury myself in books I bought and borrowed . I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I had little idea just how enormous. Interestingly, motherhood is a lot like learning how to ride a bike. You can study all the theories beforehand but they’d be sidetracked in the application. Eventually, you learn as you go on your journey.

The Emotional Journey

The day you deliver your baby brings about a whole lot of changes, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Having a baby changes everything. Priorities and schedule will be the most obvious. You will learn to value time and money even more. Some changes aren’t visible. You will learn to appreciate life a little bit more. As a mother, you will experience these adjustments which can be tiring, surprising, and at times, funny.

These times, when I go shopping, supposedly to enjoy some me-time, I almost always end up buying nothing for me and everything for my kids. Shower time will become a luxury and our diet a tad bit modified. Mine, like many parents out there, is composed mostly of whatever the kids couldn’t finish. Did you ever find yourself singing a Disney tune over and over too?

Our kids seem to take everything from us, but we don’t mind since we would gladly give up anything for our children. Motherhood is a bend in the road that’s full of surprises. When you know how to find humor in it, everything seems easy-peasy–fun even. Every day becomes an adventure. Whenever I can, I write about how my kid did something amazing. Stories that my husband also looks forward to at the end of the day.

How Motherhood Changes Friendship

How Motherhood Changes Friendship? | How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered
I’m sorry to break it to you, but your time for friends will be a casualty in motherhood. A Friday night out will turn into a once-a-month coordinated meeting. Expect that if your friends don’t come to visit, you will seldom see each other, if at all. You can’t even be expected to sit and give them your full attention if they do visit.

Lucky for you, if you’re still able to maintain a semblance of the company you enjoyed before motherhood. More often than not, something’s always got to give. Your BFFs may find it annoying, but they will eventually understand once they go through the same situation. And if you have great pals, they’ll welcome this change and adjust themselves.

On the Lighter Side of Things

On The Lighter Side of Things | How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered
A scheduled visit from a friend will be something to look forward to. After all,  good company is also rejuvenating. Don’t worry if some of your single friends start drifting away. They’ll be back as soon as you find common grounds again for your friendship which is motherhood.

There is also one thing I would like to share which I am sure many of you can relate to. Talking about motherhood, I found a new best friend in my mother after childbirth. We weren’t so close in my younger days. Now, it’s my mom whom I turn to for just about everything.

You’ll also be looking forward to getting tons of treats for Mother’s Day. Remember all of those Mother’s Day cards you used to make as a kid? Once you become a mom, you’ll be the one on the receiving end!

How Motherhood Changes the Brain

How Motherhood Changes The Brain? | How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered
What drives you to smother your baby with hugs and kisses? And why do we find the smell of babies so sweet and adorable? What is it that helps us tolerate the smell of their poop? Studies express that motherhood is a lot like love at first sight.

Every mother felt this as soon as they saw their babies, which in reality are strangers. Every mother also expressed how the pain of childbirth all vanished at the sight of their baby. The peptide hormone Oxycontin is said to be responsible for this feeling of protectiveness and affection. This is also what helps get us up at night when our baby cries, yet lose no love for them.

Mom Brain

#Repost @milkymamallc thank you for the kind words she’s truly a great mother best momma you can ask for ❤️ @aaristy_ love you bunny 🐰 #momlife #mombrain

A post shared by Alan Rodriguez (@floridavisual) on Apr 15, 2018 at 10:05am PDT


Being a mother can also affect the brain in a not-so-good way. I’m sure you’ve heard about “mom brain” which is the tendencies of moms to forget. Essentially, becoming a mother for the first time can lead to exhaustion and sleep-deprivation. Research reveals cases of postpartum depressions are the results of stress, anxiety, and brain activity. The activity in our brains responsible for deep affection in childbirth seems to be inactive in parents with postpartum depression. Learn to identify symptoms in yourself and other mothers. Seek help and provide help early on if you observe these signs.

How Motherhood Changes Your Body?

These two make me want to be the best I can. This month while many prepare for the holidays, we are prepping for something bigger. I am so lucky to share my birth month with my baby girl. On December 31st many will say goodbye to this year and hello to the next. We are saying goodbye to the first year of little Rogue’s life. We will celebrate her with a milk and cookies countdown and hopefully a nap or two. I hope she learns many valuable lessons, I hope she learns to ignite change in those around her and uses her birthday as not just another date for personal resolution, but to put out into the world what she gives with her heart and soul. In this final chapter of her first year, ANY session booked for 2018, we will donate 10% to My Sisters Place. Send me a message or email me today to book your 2018 sessions and help donate to our beautiful community and empower women and girls. • • • • • #laceandlavender #laceandlavenderphotography #ldnont #shoplocal #shop519 #519shoplocal #Canon #CanonCanada #photog #photography #lifestylephotog #naturallight #smilesforever #memories #momphotog #iPhone #empower #motherhood #decemberbaby

A post shared by Lace&Lavender Photography (@lacenlavenderphotography) on Dec 1, 2017 at 1:05pm PST


Hollywood and popular media always seem to portray mothers unrealistically. Thanks to social media, women are now braver and more open about these unwelcome physical changes and are even finding humor in them.

Some of the most noticeable physical alterations in women who went through childbirth are swollen breast, enlarged nipples, darker armpits, weight gain, and stretch marks. There will be uncomfortable changes about your vagina too. You’ll notice soreness, dryness, and itchiness. Along that line, you’ll find yourself visiting the bathroom more often. These are normal changes, but you have to listen to your body if the discomfort becomes severe.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding | How Motherhood Changes You And Other Questions, Answered
Does breastfeeding help you lose weight? Scientific studies suggest it does. That is just one perk of breastfeeding besides its sustainable and wholesome aspect. With my kids all grown up, however, my tummy just went and bulged–the dreaded muffin top struck me. It became a motivation for me to get in an exercise routine and a stay on top of a healthy diet.

Never work yourself up seeing women who look exactly like they were before and after childbirth. All women go through the same process but may differ in degree. While we cannot revive the physical changes associated with birth, we can strive to achieve a healthy body.

 

Watch amazing moms talk about “How motherhood changes you” in this video from Momversation:

Are these the same observations you had about how motherhood changes you? I’m pretty confident, we all can relate to this. These ideas and experiences are probably applicable to help cope with the demands of being a parent. Celebrate your motherhood and share the beautiful experiences of how becoming a mom changes you!

We’d be delighted to hear your own experiences about how motherhood changes your life. Share them in the comments section below!

Up Next: Positive Parenting: What Is It And Why Should You Do It?

Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on December 11, 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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Filed Under: Empowering Women, Parental Development, Parenting

Adreanna Green

About Adreanna Green

I'm a working mother and wife who strives to give the very best to my family. I like to spend quality time at the dinner table with my family without cell phones or gadgets but I admit I love referring to social media for new ideas and connect with friends. I believe in supporting small businesses, but am also aware of the fast-paced society we live in. My parenting goal is to teach my children to see the grace in their everyday lives while respecting cultural goodness outside of their backyard. I worry about the planet and all the chemicals in our food and I wish everyone was a little kinder. All in all, I'm a modern mother that whole-heartedly believes in slowing down to enjoy the journey, but also keeping up with the technologically-savvy world around us. I hope you join my family and me in our journey towards a more peaceful, sustainable every day.

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