This is a guest post from Jenn at Rebel Chick. Jenn is a 30’s something wife and mom who blogs at Therebelchick.com about her crazy life.
I was at the ripe old age of 19 when I had my daughter, so I was pretty naive. I was a single mom-to-be and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought I’d pop out the baby, dress her up in adorable pink seersucker dresses, stick ribbons in her hair and we’d all live happily ever after.
Yeah, that didn’t happen.
What did happen was an emergency c-section, a dose of Percocet so strong that I was barely able to stay conscious, and such horrible pains in my stomach that I was barely able to get up and down, let alone take care of my daughter properly. Within 3 days of coming home from the hospital, I had moved back into my parent’s house because I was unable to take care of myself and my newborn on my own.
Thank god for mothers – my mom helped me every step of the way – and she continues to help me, 14 years later!
When thinking back on those early days, I think that there were quite a few things that people should have told me – things that would have made my daughter’s infancy a lot easier on both of us!
- Sometimes babies cry for no reason at all. I remember times that my daughter would be fed, in a clean diaper and had no illnesses, but she’d cry and cry and cry to be held. I was a nervous wreck, thinking she was dying…nope, she just wanted to be held!
- Keep your mouth closed when you’re changing your baby’s diaper. ALWAYS. I’m not even going to tell you what ended up in my mouth.
- Breastfeeding is no walk in the park. Yeah…it hurts in the beginning. Bleeding, scabbing nipples. Load up on Udder Creme. Until my nipples healed from the scabs, breastfeeding was the most painful thing I’ve ever been through.
- When your daughter’s hair falls out at 3 months old, it does not mean that she’s going to be bald for the rest of her life. It grows back. Don’t cry!
- Just because you’re a single mom doesn’t mean no one will want to date you. I had more guys hit on me – with my baby on my hip – than I ever did when she wasn’t around!
- Make sure the door is UNLOCKED when you take the trash out while your 6 month old is in her swing in the living room. It’s not fun to be locked out of the house and watch your baby cry through the window.
