Becoming a mom was always something I wanted to be in life. My husband and I always knew we wanted kids, but we just couldn’t pinpoint when. It was August 17th, 2022 when I found out I was pregnant with our daughter. 4 days after I graduated from grad school with a Masters in Forensic Psychology I found out I was pregnant. Thinking back on everything before looking at that positive pregnancy test blows my mind, still. But it doesn’t stop at that moment. It only got better when my best friend told me she was pregnant too.
I look back on those early days of my pregnancy and they were surreal. Keeping the secret of knowing you are growing a tiny human is extremely difficult to do. Holding it together, when all you want to do is throw up or take a nap. But seeing everyone’s surprised face when you finally announced it is priceless.
You can never be 100% prepared for becoming a parent. It does not matter how many books you read, videos you watch, or unsolicited advice you take from others. Becoming a parent for the first time is just down right hard. My husband had the funny idea that when our daughter was born, that she came out holding an instruction manual. If it was that simple, many more people would have kids.
Seeing our daughter for the first time though. That feeling is unmatched. There is nothing on this Earth that compares to seeing that sweet little being for the very first time. I always tell my husband I had the conscious thought that our baby was the first baby I had ever seen fresh out of the womb that was as cute as she was. People can fight me on that, I will take it to my grave. He tells me that’s not accurate, but I beg to differ.
With all of that. Let this be a page that you can come to for solidarity. The sleepless nights and not knowing why your baby has been crying for hours on end can wear a person down. Sometimes, you need people that just get it. I remember when I did not understand why someone wouldn’t just leave their baby with someone for a few hours or even overnight. Because you never truly understand what weighs on a mom’s heart until you, yourself become a mom. Or even a dad.
