The Baby Equation
Life + Baby = ???
Yes, life changes when you have a baby. But this sentence is…an understatement.
As a mother/parent, your whole worldview needs a massive adjustment. The baby becomes a constant. There is nothing you can do without your baby. There is nothing you can do without thinking about your baby. The baby becomes a priority. There is no break. There is no escape. There is no running (unless you run marathons, perhps).
Gulp.
Even simple things like wanting to have a cup of tea become complicated. Is the baby up or sleeping? How long will she be sleeping? When will she be waking? Have you made the cup of tea? Will the baby settle in the play gym for you to make it? Will you be able to drink it? Would you have to drink it while feeding/holding her? Do you want to take that risk? Would you drink it later? Are you able to reheat it? Will it taste as good? Would it be better to just make it later after the baby settles a bit or goes to sleep? But will the baby sleep?
As a stay-at-home mum with no extended family support, there’s no break for me. Everything ‘normal’ has to be adjusted around the baby and her schedule.
Which is totally fine. Totally.
Except for those five minutes everyday when you just want some distance — which few people recognize and acknowledge as being vital to recharge and be a better mom!
Dad helps and everyone says things get better with time. But they forget one thing: the baby doesn’t go anywhere. And just to clarify, I don’t want my baby to go anywhere anyway. I can’t imagine life without Little Lioness.
I only want to be able to, say, have a cup of tea peacefully, without worrying about LL, without thinking about all the things I still have to do or the messy house or the pending washing etc. Or thinking about every decision I have taken or will be taking regarding her.
But I guess I said goodbye to all that the moment I became a mom. Crap.
