The newborn days are grueling — there’s no denying that. Every mom who has experienced it can quickly recall the many challenges they faced during the so-called fourth trimester. While it’s a time filled with wonder and joy, it’s also a time of both emotional and physical ups and downs. The craziest part is that for many, many years the status quo was to keep quiet and endure it, so for generations, most women had no idea what to expect and entered into motherhood not knowing what they were about to face.
While you can never fully know what those first few months with a new baby are really like until you’ve experienced it yourself, there’s a lot of value in the more open, honest way that we approach motherhood in the 21st century. From books and blogs to YouTube and social media, lots of moms share their fourth trimester experiences quite candidly these days, and we are totally here for it. If you want an idea of what to expect — from the pretty and precious to the down and dirty — check out these tweets about the fourth trimester, straight from real moms.
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Expectations vs. reality
It’s so hard to come to terms with what you thought your maternity leave would be like, compared to what it’s actually like. In those first few months after baby is born, the nights are short, the days are long, there’s so much learning to do, and you constantly feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions.
Normal things feel hard
It’s a total shock to realize that after your body has spent nine months doing so much, it struggles to do even the most basic things. Physical recovery takes months and months for most postpartum moms, and even walking down the street or up the stairs can feel strenuous in the beginning.
Everybody has an opinion
Yes, sometimes as new moms we need advice. Most of the time though, unsolicited opinions are just overwhelming and confusing. Trying not to be rude when everyone wants to weigh in on how you parent your new baby is definitely a major challenge.
All you can do is cope
Truly… between the lack of sleep that’s so ubiquitous amongst new parents, all the laundry, constantly being peed and pooped on and all the other things that come along with a newborn, a lot of the time, all we can hope for is to “cope” reasonably well from day to day.
Naps are a science
Yes, yes, yes. Trying to figure out life around a newborn baby’s much-needed naps is basically a full-time job. Much to the surprise of many moms, not every newborn sleeps all the time, and they often sleep at the least convenient times.
Tiptoe, tiptoe
With your first baby, you’ll feel the need to be super quiet every single time they doze off. Sleep is so precious, you just will — even if you try not to. Every sound is amplified and you’re constantly walking on tiptoes.
