Having a baby is a life-altering experience. No matter how well you plan or prepare, the moment your little one arrives, your universe will shift dramatically. Before baby, you might have been a rational, functioning individual capable of polite conversation. But now? Welcome to a new reality that can feel both exhilarating and overwhelming for the next couple of decades.
As a new parent, you will have countless thoughts running through your mind. Some will be perfectly reasonable, others may border on the absurd, and a few might be best kept to yourself. But rest assured, it’s completely normal to think these things as you navigate parenthood. Here are 21 sentiments that are more than okay to have:
- It’s alright to think your baby isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.
- It’s perfectly fine to view nap time as your personal sanctuary.
- It’s acceptable to believe you need that third glass of wine more than your baby needs 100% alcohol-free breast milk.
- You might find yourself thinking you owe your mother a huge apology for every time you rolled your eyes at her parenting advice.
- It’s okay to believe that when you finally shed those pregnancy pounds, you deserve to don a sash declaring your achievement.
- You might seriously contemplate the merits of formula while standing in the baby aisle with a screaming infant and no bottle.
- You may think that every man should experience simulated labor as a rite of passage.
- It’s reasonable to feel that carrying a watermelon-sized human for months entitles you to complain about your post-baby body—constantly.
- Sometimes, it’s okay to think your baby is just being a little jerk for no reason at all.
- You might acknowledge that you’re subtly instilling your own opinions in your newborn, yet that’s okay because they’ll figure it all out eventually.
- It’s natural to long for the day when your child is older and life feels “normal” again, only to realize this chaotic phase is the new normal.
- You may cringe at how judgmental you were about fussy babies in public before becoming a parent yourself.
- You might catch yourself feeling slightly superior to those effortlessly toned twenty-somethings who haven’t experienced the joys of childbirth yet—yet still resent them.
- It’s alright to think your infant will probably survive a few more hours in that dirty diaper.
- It’s a bit odd to acknowledge how often you’re handling another person’s private parts multiple times a day.
- You might think your friends with kids are doing it all wrong—just keep those thoughts to yourself.
- The strangers who glare at you when your baby’s crying or wearing something mismatched? They’re probably just clueless.
- Sometimes, it’s okay to think your partner is being a bit dense too.
- You might even admit to yourself that perhaps you’re the one who’s miscalculating things, but you’d never dare say it out loud.
- It’s perfectly fine to realize that you seriously underestimated the challenges of parenthood.
- Lastly, it’s normal to fluctuate daily between feeling content with one child or dreaming of having a large family.
The beauty of thoughts is that they are just that—thoughts. Becoming a parent comes with a whirlwind of physical changes, and if you accidentally voice some of these unfiltered thoughts? Just blame it on the hormones! If you find yourself worrying about becoming a heartless person, remember: this is simply your sleep-deprived brain talking.
One day, you’ll reclaim your sense of self—just give it a couple of decades!
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Summary: Becoming a parent brings a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts, many of which can be irrational or judgmental. It’s perfectly normal to have conflicting feelings about your baby, your body, and your life. Embrace these thoughts, knowing that they are part of the journey.