The Less Than Perfect Part of New Parenthood That No One Preps You For

So much has changed in the last seven years.

I used to work a lot. In fact, seven years ago, I was working three jobs that were all part-time, but the hours equaled to having two full-time jobs. I was eagerly awaiting the arrival for maternity leave to start because I couldn’t wait to take a break!

Did you hear that? Yeah, I thought being on maternity leave meant I would be on an extended vacation. The sad thing is I know I’m not alone in that. 

Anyway, I had planned to have a week off before my son’s due date and people were telling me that he was probably going to be late. I heard everything from, “Because it’s your first baby," “he’s a boy," and “because you’re carrying him so high." But deep down, I knew he’d be early. I only hoped he’d wait until Wednesday, so I could have time to finally write the thank you notes I needed to finish from my baby shower.  

But my little guy had other ideas and arrived in the early morning hours the Monday before.

After he arrived, I had the adrenaline pumping through me (even though I had been up for 24 hours) and I just couldn’t sleep. This beautiful baby was finally here. He was mine. I was excited.  

Life was perfect!  Until suddenly it wasn’t.  

The early months were nothing short of exhausting and I was repeatedly finding myself frustrated, angry, and at odds with my husband.

This was a new feeling and it left me uneasy. I shared some of these trying times on my blog and was surprised by how many people reached out telling me they could relate.

Recently, I was featured as a guest on the Couple’s Expert Podcast talking about this very thing. The best part is my husband actually joined me, so you get to hear his side of how things went down.

In the podcast, we talk about:  

• The conflicting emotions that surround new parenthood and how it’s totally normal to feel those things.

• The 3 Key Points every expecting mom needs to have in her postpartum plan.

• How dads make a difference in this phase in life.

• Dad was your partner first--and your relationship with each other still matters.

Click here to listen to the podcast now. 

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