There aren’t many secrets these days.
If you want to learn about Motherhood, it’s only one Google search away.
But just because information is easily accessible, doesn’t mean people always tell the complete truth.
And when it comes to being a new mom, there’s plenty of things nobody tells you about becoming a Mom.
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4 Secrets of Motherhood
From the second that you learn you’re pregnant, your life is forever changed.
Most of the change is good, but some is admittedly challenging or frustrating.
How you handle these challenges will significantly influence who you are and who your children become.
In full transparency, here are some things that nobody tells you about becoming a mom:
You’ll Have Unforeseen Parenting Disagreements With Your Spouse
You might think you already know everything about your spouse, but parenthood will force you to have some frank conversations.
And in many cases, you’ll find the two of you disagree on some pretty basic things, such as:
- The proper parenting style (overbearing versus relaxed)
- How, when, and what to feed the kids
- How to split up chores and responsibilities around the house
- Who gets to sleep and when
- What the child should wear
- What values are most important
These might be small issues, but they compound. And if you don’t deal with them early on, they can balloon into much bigger issues down the road.
Other Parents Will Give You Unsolicited Advice
Whether you’re talking on the phone with your mother-in-law, sitting on a bench at a playground while your kids play, or texting with a group of friends, other parents will give you unsolicited advice all of the time.
This can be frustrating and exhausting. Most of the time they mean well, but sometimes you just have to block out the noise and do your own thing.
Remember that every set of parents has a different situation with circumstances that are unique to them.
Take everything you hear with a big grain of salt.
Postpartum Hair Loss is Real
Here’s one that continues to fly under the radar, yet is a very real issue.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, as many as 40 to 50 percent of all women suffer postpartum hair loss after delivering a child.
Postpartum hair loss is caused by significant changes in hormones.
During pregnancy, estrogen is produced at highly concentrated levels – much higher than the typical rate when you’re without child.
During pregnancy, this estrogen actually reduces the amount of hair you shed.
But soon after delivery, hormone levels drop back down to normal levels and the hair on your scalp resumes its normal shedding process.
Only this time, the shedding is accelerated in an effort to make up for lost time.
This hair loss is basically a large scale recalibrate.
Your scalp is regulating itself in an attempt to return to a state of normalcy.
However, in some instances, the results can lead to significant hair thinning.
You can fight back by eating healthy, taking vitamin supplements, taking care of your hair, and using postpartum hair loss shampoo.
Low level laser therapy, or LLLT, is another good option.
It uses FDA-cleared medical lasers to increase circulation and reenergize dormant follicles.
“You can complete the treatment in the comfort of your own home, without having to carve out time in your busy day to visit a clinic,” explains Kiierr, one of the leading manufacturers of laser hair caps. “The hands-free design and built in self-timer allows you to be doing other activities at the same time you are undergoing your treatment. For a busy new mom, this is an ideal hair growth method to help you combat your postpartum hair loss.”
Alone Time Becomes a Luxury
When you’re young and without kids, you can carve out as much alone time as you want.
Yes, you still have work and a social life, but getting three or four hours of alone time per day is a real possibility.
And when you need a few minutes to yourself, you can retreat to your bedroom, go on a walk, or even take a bath in peace.
When you become a mom, alone time disappears overnight.
If you want some, you’ll have to plan ahead and carve it out.
Alone time no longer happens by accident.
And if you aren’t prepared for this, it can hit you pretty hard.
Embracing Motherhood
Motherhood is hard, messy, stressful, and full of sacrifices.
But at the end of the day, it’s also highly rewarding.
There’s nothing in the world that’s more important than providing children with a warm, safe, and stable family so they can grow up to be the best possible versions of themselves.
And while you can never fully prepare for being a mom, understanding these “secrets” will help you embrace the opportunity with open arms.
