What does it really mean being a mum? What are the things that no one really ever tells you? Thinking back to before I became a mum, I was warned about the sleepless nights and the stinky nappies and about finally putting someone other then me first. But there is LOADS that no one ever told me about, some of it seems stupid but its my life now.
I couldn't have come up with the list of things all on my own so I posted on some of my best mummy pages on facebook (shout out to you girls if you are reading! You are AMAZING!) and here are some of my absolute favs that they came up with;
YOU KNOW YOU ARE A MUM WHEN...
You find yourself hiding in the bathroom eating sweets so you don't have to share...
You hear a cry as soon as your toe dips in the bath...
You're terrified of someone else's baby crying in public because your boobs turn into waterfalls...
You can change a shitty nappy half way through eating your cold lunch without batting an eyelid...
All you wish for is kid-free time but as soon as they are gone you sit staring at pictures of them until they come back...
99.999% of your conversations revolve around poo...
When you say sentences like 'no that's not chocolate it's poo! don't eat it!' on a regular basis...
You look like you've just rolled out of a dustbin but your kids are the best dressed on the block...
It's perfectly acceptable to sniff another humans bum...
You've had sick in your hair for three days straight but there is just no time to wash it...
Baby events are the highlight of your year...
You go to work and pray someone will talk to you about something you actually understand... like why Pepper pig is such a brat and who stole the pie in Noddy...
A 20 minute shower feels like a day at the spa...
You are more interested in whats happening on Pepper pig then eastenders and carry on watching even though the kids went to bed 20 minutes ago...
Mum is both the best and worse word in the world (Why do they never ask dad?!)
Baby wipes clean EVERYTHING, spilt drink? baby wipe. Stain on clothes? baby wipe. Make up (as if) but baby wipes take that off too...
Dry shampoo is the extent of your pampering routine...
You cover the wet bed sheets in a towel and go back to sleep because its the first decent nights sleep you've had in about 200 years (or so it feels)...
And soooo many more. The point to this is, being a mum is selfless, and random and sometimes its horrible to think about, but at the end of every day you realise. They are worth every single second
So add your own in the comments if you can think of any others
YOU KNOW YOU'RE A MUM WHEN?
Why groups on facebook are amazing!
All the way through my pregnancy I was told to make sure I went to as many mother and baby groups as possible when Harry finally got here, only that didn't really work out for me with him being so ill at first and me being so terrified of him ending up back in hospital I found that unless Sam was dragging me out I generally stayed in the house with Harry, where I knew he was safe (although part of that was also my pnd). Being home all the time I found I didn't really have any support. I didn't have friends who had newborns let alone newborns with special needs, so I felt alone. That is until I found mummy groups on facebook. There was a whole world of people out there who were there to calm my fears, who were awake at all hours of the day and who were there if I needed to talk to anyone. Soon I was posting on these groups about things not necessarily baby related as well as anything I needed about Harry. They became my friends in my phone. The people I turned to first. I shared all of Harry's milestones and they gave me the courage to get out and explore with Harry. I soon made very good friends and we met (and still meet) regularly for a coffee and to take the babies (not that they are babies anymore) for trips out.
If it wasn't for facebook mummy groups I wouldn't be the mummy I am today, I wouldn't be confident in my parenting decisions, to be quite honest I would probably still be a huge mess. But because i am a better parent Harry is a happier child. I still worry that I'm not doing it right but i wouldn't be able to parent without the wonderful mummies, that are just a click away. Thank you Facebook!!