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 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?
Articles about becoming a new mom weren’t as accessible as they are now, online. I had to bury myself in books I bought and borrowed ten years ago, during my first pregnancy. 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. 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 and one 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 delightful. Stories which my husband also look forward to at the end of the day.
How Motherhood Changes Friendship?
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 chums, they’ll welcome this change and adjust themselves.
On the lighter side of things
A scheduled visit from a friend will be something to look forward to. After all, a 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. 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 anything.
You’ll also be looking forward to getting tons of greetings for Mother’s Day. All 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 of them.
How Motherhood Changes The Brain?
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 as many times in the night when our baby cries, yet lose no love for them.
Mom Brain
Motherhood 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, this is but the result of 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?
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 about it.
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. In that line, you’ll find yourself visiting the bathroom more often. These are normal, but you have to listen to your body once the discomfort becomes severe.
Breastfeeding
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 an exercise and 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 being a mom changes you!
We’d be delighted to hear your own experiences about how motherhood changes you. Share it in the comments section below!
Up Next: Positive Parenting: What Is It And Why Should You Do It?
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