3 Surprising Facts About Being a New Mom

Most seasoned and veteran moms will tell you that the one time in your life you should expect to receive the most advice (solicited and unsolicited) is when you’re pregnant. Everyone wants to offer suggestions, tips to make things more comfortable, and best practices. But no amount of motherhood story sharing can prepare you for everything you’re about to experience. There will still be quite a few new-mom surprises in store for you. Here are three surprising facts about being a new mom to look forward to in the coming months.

You’ll Shed Your Shyness

Things that used to matter to you will likely not seem as important once you become a mom. The introduction of a tiny person in your world will change more than just your sleeping habits. You’ll surprisingly find that some of your inhibitions, reservations, and overall shyness about certain situations will be out the window. You may find yourself discussing personal details or diaper consistencies when the old you would have been mortified at such conversations.

Nothing Will Embarrass You (No Really)
Before motherhood, there may be a few things that would cause your cheeks to blush a little. You have manners. You take and post only the selfies that highlight your best features. And when you see other parents with crying or vomiting babies, you are almost embarrassed for them. Well, throw caution to the wind because when it’s your turn for motherhood, your perspective will change. Things that used to embarrass you won’t. And you won’t give a hoot about what the world thinks of you like you once did.

You’ll Be Surprisingly Comfortable with Diapers
Diapers are gross. It doesn’t matter if you’re using washable diapers or disposable varieties. What your new baby delivers to you in them is not for the faint of heart. But you’ll be surprised at just how comfortable you become with them. Your gross meter will reset, and your efficiency with changing diapers will be unbelievable. Before you know it, you’ll be folding laundry with one hand and changing a diaper with the other.

How You Look to Strangers Doesn’t Matter
Stains on your shirt and mismatched socks will sometimes be your wardrobe for the day. And it’s ok. Not only will you love the stretch-waisted leggings and messy bun loungewear look. But you’ll also be comfortable running errands in it. What strangers think about how you look becomes far less important to most new moms. Besides, that new-mom glow outshines any fashion-backward ensemble you come up with anyway.

New Mom Surprises at Home

You might have notes in the margins and bookmarks in your favorite baby books. Your new baby app probably keeps your feeding schedule organized. And you know all too well about sleeping when the baby sleeps. But there are still a few surprises you can expect at home.

The Homebody Life Isn’t So Bad
With a new baby, you’ll find yourself spending more and more time at home. New moms have been especially careful to stay socially distanced over the last year. But in reality, much of your life is spent at home with a new little one anyway. With eating and sleeping schedules every few hours, you won’t have time to do much of anything else. And the surprising part is that you more than likely won’t mind being a homebody. Sure, there may be times you’ll miss social outings with friends or weekend trips to the lake. But spending time caring for your tiny person will be far more rewarding.

The Amount of Time You Spend ‘Washing’ All the Things
You will be really surprised at just how much of your time is spent washing things. Newborn onesies and bath towels always need to be washed, but so do spit-up blankets, cloth diapers, bottles, and accessories. You’ll feel the need to continuously wash your hands and anything baby touches. And then you’ll be bathing baby, too.

The First Month Is the Hardest
Out of all the advice you get from friends and family, there is one nugget of truth that might surprise you. The first month as a new mom really will be the hardest. You’ll be physically changing and recovering as you learn to cope with the new lifestyle demands of motherhood. You’ll be short on sleep, making those new-mom feelings more amplified. Give yourself a chance to adjust and know that during the first month, you’re doing everything for the first time. By the second and third months, you’ll start to find your groove and manage your life as a new mom.

New Baby Surprises No One Could Prepare You For

People will warn you about messy diapers and colic. They’ll tell you how quickly the first few months go by and insist that you relish every moment. And those pieces of advice are good. But you’re still in for a few more surprises when baby gets home.

How Much Time You Spend Staring
You’ll find yourself staring at your precious newborn more and more every day. You’ll experience feelings of joy and inspiration. The tiny nose and wiggly fingers will leave you in awe. And that starstruck love you have doesn’t fade. Many new moms often say they can’t stop staring, and you shouldn’t be surprised when you can’t either.

How Protective You Feel
That motherly instinct will kick in without you realizing it. You’ll be super cautious about bathwater temperatures and diaper rashes. You’ll insist on hand mitts, so your baby’s newborn fingernails don’t scratch her delicate cheeks. You’ll likely be a hoverer when others want to hold her. And you’ll insist on proper swaddling and car seat installation. None of these sentiments existed before, and you may just be surprised how naturally being a protective mother comes to you.

Nothing Beats Baby Snuggles
The quiet nap time moments after a feeding or early morning rocking will present you with the best time for baby snuggles. And when you hear people talk about snuggling moments now, you won’t really appreciate it yet. But when those moments do happen, you’ll soon recognize just how precious they are.

There are lots of changes ahead and take all the advice you can get from those who have done the motherhood thing before. But don’t assume you won’t have your own new-mom adventures with plenty of surprises. You’ll be surprised just how wonderful being a new mom really is.

And when you’re ready to sit down to take care of the official new baby business, it’s also surprisingly easy to add your new baby to your Marketplace health insurance. Just hop online with W3LL. A few short questions and you can compare new plans to include your bundle of joy.