New Parents Are Sharing Their Expectations Of Having A Baby Versus The Reality, And Nothing Has Ever Been More Relatable
Before I gave birth to my daughter, I had a certain image of what newborn life would look like. But when she finally arrived, I realized the reality was quite different! So I personally got a real kick from this thread when Redditor u/understanding_what asked, "What is something that (before having a baby) you thought you would be able to do once the baby is around that is now totally unrealistic?" Here's what new parents said (and I added a few of my biggest surprises, too).
1."RIP to all the nap workouts I thought I'd get! My son contact napped for eight months, and now we're also in the unpredictable boat where I might have time for a workout and a shower...or he might wake up when I change into a sports bra 🙃."
2."Sleep. I had my first baby four years ago, and right before I gave birth to my second, I got sick. When I recovered, I could not sleep well for a few days before I gave birth. I kept saying to myself I can't wait to give birth so I can finally get some sleep! I forgot that I'd have to pump every three hours and had a newborn to take care of 🤦🏽♀️."
3."I thought I would basically come out of maternity leave as Ina Garten. I'd cook gourmet dinners for my husband and me while our baby peacefully slept in her crib. The joke's on me! Every time I began to prepare to cook a meal, my newborn daughter would wake up for her nightly witching hour, getting ready to cluster feed and hold me hostage to the couch. So we had takeout or delivery...basically every night."
4."Go for cute little stroller walks every day. It’s been too hot, and also she’s been too miserable."
5."Read while she naps. I'm sure I will one day, but I'm way too tired. I usually pass out or lay in this weird, too-tired-to-function-paralysis and end up scrolling on my phone because it takes less effort and concentration."
6."After seeing that newborns sleep 90% of the day, I assumed that they would all sleep in a crib and I would have lots of free time..."
7."Being able to listen to my usual podcasts and music in the car. I told myself that my kids would like what I liked in terms of music. Sure, we could swap from murder podcasts to educational ones, but we'd definitely still listen to podcasts. Two years later, and now my top two artists are Raffi and Super Simple Songs."
8."I thought I could move the bassinet into other rooms, and we'd have the baby just chill while we were cooking/watching TV/etc. LOL."
9."Being able to do literally anything with the baby without Googling it first in detail to see if it’s safe."
10."Enjoy meals. I didn't realize just how often I'd eat while holding him. I have to do this just about every dinner unless I'm also feeding him, in which case I better load the spoon FAST."
11."Continue doing my hair and makeup every day while sitting at my vanity. I'd just put him in his bouncy seat while he naps, and I could spend two hours gluing eyelashes to my face in peace! Bro, I can't even shower anymore, lmao."
12."I thought I could just babywear while I sit at my desk and finish some work. Turns out my baby starts screaming instantly unless I'm outside walking."
13."That I’d be able to work on a side hustle on maternity leave 🙃."
14."Go for long walks and car rides. I thought all babies fell asleep in strollers and car rides, but mine didn't get the memo."
15."Go out for lunch or a nice coffee with the baby when he was one or two months old. I figured they sleep so much; why not? Ohhhhhh, you poor, sweet, ignorant thing."
16."Dress my newborn baby girl in all the adorable outfits I bought before she was born. Newborn baby clothes are so small and cute that it was hard not to overbuy. But let's be real; she wore onesies (and nothing but onesies) for the first two months."
17."Fold laundry. She’s ten months and wants to be very involved in anything laundry-related. 😭 Anything folded does not stay that way for long."
18."Continue traveling. I got back from a week at the beach recently and can confirm traveling with a baby is HARD. We will be waiting until he’s mobile and can actually play and until he is down to one nap before trying that again. I don’t regret it; the family time was really nice. But traveling with a baby is not for the weak."
19."I didn't think I'd need to send my baby to daycare because I work from home. So many people I know also thought this. just assumed kids entertained themselves. How wrong I was!"
20."I thought I'd have lots of downtime to do things like my thank you notes from my baby shower, LOL. I'm still working on those one-handed while bouncing on my yoga ball, trying not to hit his head on my desk…one contact nap at a time."
21."Go to the beach. We tried to take my daughter when she was eight months old. We bought a baby tent and spent 20 minutes slathering sunscreen on every exposed roll. She began screaming the second we got to the beach and did not stop until 20 minutes later when I gave up and took her to sit in the air-conditioned car. And then we went home."
What is an aspect of parenting that turned out to be completely different from what you were expecting? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
