Things No One Warned Me About . . . Being Mommy!

When you become a mother, many people tell you many things. Suddenly, even a person who has had no contact with a newborn baby or even a toddler will give you advice on how to feed the baby, massage the baby and what not. But, in spite of all the advice, all the suggestions, all the feedback, there are still certain things no one tells you. This post is about all those things that no one warned you about . . .

1. Motherhood is all about guesswork. From the day the baby is born, you will be guessing what is the reason behind her crying . . . is she hungry? is she sleepy? is she wet? is she cold? it's like a series of trial & error and it will continue for a long long time.Even when she refuses to eat her food, the guesswork will start. why isn't she eating? is she not hungry? is the food  not to her liking? is she teething and so on and so forth.
2. You will at one point or another will be found intently engrossed in examining your baby's poop to figure out if it's too hard or too soft. 
3. The 'terrible twos' or the time when the little angel transforms into a yelling, screaming tyrant will not start when the baby turns two. one day she will be dancing and waving on her first birthday and the next day she will be rolling on the floor demanding a wine glass. 
4. You may not be the one doing the hitting. As the baby develops her motor skills, she will start using her hands, a lot and on most of the time you will be at the receiving end. there will be times when in a bout of frustration or anger, she might hit you, really hard . . . right across the face. during those times, you will need to remember that you are the adult and refrain from hitting back. if you are lucky, you might stride over this phase with just a few pinches and pokes. But rest assured, she will definitely pull your hair and even try to put her finger in your mouth, your nose and your ears.
5. Once the baby starts eating solids, you will eat her leftovers . . . And I don't mean the food that she hasn't eaten but also the stuff that she has put in her mouth, chewed on a little and is covered in her spit. 
6. When you are a mommy, you will lose your patience many times . . . and after all those times of being impatient, you feel guilty. really, really guilty. 
7. One time or the other you will be uncertain of your abilities as a mother. you will question your parenting technique. you will feel overwhelmed with all the responsibilities. you will think if it was the right time to have a baby. you will miss you life before the baby. you will blame your husband for not spending enough time with and / or taking care of the baby. All or some of these episodes will occur but these occurrences will be few and far between. 
8. Motherhood = 40 percent love + 20 percent adoration + 10 percent fun + 10 percent fear + 10 percent doubts + 5 percent guilt + 5 percent regret.

This list is from the top of my head. I might keep adding on to it. And if you can think of something that no one warned you about, you are welcome to leave it as a comment. Happy reading!