Baby’s First Year: Awesome? Or Horrible?

True to form, the ladies over at Blunt Moms aren't romanticizing baby's first year. They're sharing the good & the bad about your first year with a new little one.

The best … or worst… part is that they're totally right.

Best

The first time your baby looks right at you and really knows it’s you. It’s an amazing feeling, and in that moment, it hits home that this child is yours and you are his in a way that nothing can compare. Please note that you may get confused at first, thinking your baby is in fact looking right at you, only to find that he is gazing adoringly at the decorative throw pillow just over your shoulder. You’ll feel the difference when it’s the real deal, and it’s awesome. In the grand scheme of things, that throw pillow has nothing on you.

Worst

The anxiety that comes with worrying about keeping your baby healthy and safe. For that first month, you pretty much want to hold a mirror under your baby’s nose to make sure he’s breathing, 24/7. I myself was obsessed with my son’s airways and making sure they were free and clear at all times. This is not particularly practical, and makes it hard to accomplish other important tasks, like feeding your baby. Worry and new parenting go hand in hand, and sometimes its best to just accept that you’re going to be a hypochondriacal lunatic for a few months.

There's something magical and terrifying in that first look. It's the first time you feel like a real mom. Your heart melts and you know that chubby little infant totally owns you.

Then the anxiety sets in and you start to panic because it's for real and you are the mom charged with keeping this tiny fragile human alive. That can be pretty scary, even without all the new mommy hormones.

Best

New parent camaraderie. Making friends with other new parents and being able to commiserate with them is priceless. Even if you already have amazing friends, you’re going to want to add to your stockpile some parents with babies who were born within 2 months of your baby. Otherwise you won’t be able to discuss the stumbling blocks of your child’s particular developmental stage. You also won’t be able to do head to head comparisons, and you’ll definitely want to in order to determine if your baby is superior to all the other loser babies. (Note: If your baby seems to be falling behind, just adjust his birth date so that he is “back on track”).

Worst

Discussion Boards. It turns out that moms whose parenting philosophies differ from one another can be downright vicious, especially on hot-button topics like working vs. staying home, breast vs. bottle, and “crying it out.” Stay clear of these conversations unless you enjoy a good old fashioned blood bath. The baby forums read like “Lord of the Flies” only with fewer tender parts. I’ve noticed that this phenomenon seems to be primarily on the internet, whereas in real life I haven’t found moms to be so aggressive. Unless they’re trying to beat you to a parking space at Target, in which case all bets are off.

Becoming a new mom makes you an instant member in an amazing club filled with women who are working hard every day to be the best mothers that they possibly can be. These women are in the same place as you, or they've been there and are sporting the t-shirt.

The problem is that many of them are just like those catty superficial girls from high school. You know the ones. They're just waiting to pick apart all your parenting decisions and make you feel like crap.Welcome to the mommy wars my friend.

Best

As a new mom, you can wear whatever you want. WHATEVER you want. Vomit stained maternity pants? Of course. A shapeless mumu? No problem whatsoever. Sweatpants from 1987? Hell yes. Nobody will judge you. Ok people will probably judge you, but nobody will judge you OUT LOUD, and isn’t that the only time it really counts?

Worst

You won’t have the energy to pull together an attractive outfit, even on those rare occasions when you really want to dress up. As the months go by, this can start to affect your ability to recognize yourself as a reasonably attractive individual. And if you weren’t even attractive to start with, then man does this hurt! This can be especially tough if you’re breastfeeding and need to be wearing something that is both trendy and also allows you to pull out your boobs at a moment’s notice.

Finding fashionable clothes you can breastfeed in is even more difficult than finding fashionable clothes when you're pregnant.

I'll never forget the sinking feeling I got standing in front of my closet on Sunday morning and realizing that I couldn't wear any of the dresses I already owned because I would have to get completely naked if my son got hungry at church. Why isn't it easier to find clothes you can nurse in and look nice at the same time?

The good news is that your husband won't notice and if he does, he'll keep his mouth shut.

What was your favorite part of the first year with baby? I'm a big fan of all the snuggles and wanting to be held.

What was the worst part for you? For me, it was losing all that sleep while my husband was working third shift and I was still working 40 hour weeks with an infant who breastfed all night. Ugh!

Tell your story in the comments, then check out all the best and worst things about baby's first year over at Blunt Moms.