[Note: This is an updated version of my blog post that was originally published on Devotional Diva before I had my son in May 2015.
I was recently telling a friend about this post. I was having major brain fog and was like, “Oh man, what was it called? Becoming a mom is completely…? Anxiety…?” It made me want to look back at the post and I decided to update it a little.]
Becoming a mom is completely terrifying.
Almost every night for the past few weeks, I’ve started falling asleep…and then I realize, I’M GOING TO BE A MOM.
I go into a panic, thinking about how hard it will be to take care of my new baby and trying to think of all the things I still need to do. I try to rationalize my knowledge of infant care and how I can get everything done.
In my mind, if I can make sense of something and have a reasonable plan, I start to feel better.
I’m excited for my little boy to arrive, really, I am. I want to be a mom, but at the same time, it’s just so scary.
There is no way one can really prepare themselves for becoming a parent, right? I am reading all the books on having a newborn, I’m planning on taking some classes, and I already have a lot of experience with babies. But I imagine you don’t know what you’re really in for until you’re there.
I hate that! I feel so much better when I’m prepared for things.
And it’s not just that I will have this little being completely relying on me in about two months. I still feel like I have so much that I want/need to accomplish before he gets here. Because, obviously, things we be different once he arrives!
So I want to try to get a lot of stuff out of the way, like home organization. I know that my son will not need our pantry to be reorganized when he comes home from the hospital. (Well, hopefully he is not a demanding little neat freak right out of the womb!) If it’s not reorganized by the time he gets here, oh well, I just will have to wait until things settle down and I have more time to do it. But I have still set that goal and feel I need to complete it.
The pregnancy books say that anxiety is normal, but I kind of feel bad about it. I guess I just didn’t think I would feel this way right now. It’s not like I thought I would be so ill during my pregnancy, either. Sometimes I have such silly expectations for myself.
It’s always amazing to me how, at stressful times, God will show me He’s got my back. A couple weeks ago fellow Christian blogger Kelly Crawford reached out to me to send me her eBook on motherhood entitled (get this): When Motherhood Feels Too Hard.
I think I laughed out loud when I read the email. There was no way Kelly knew I was just starting to struggle with motherhood. She only knew I was going to become a mom. Oh, but God knew, alright! God is so good.
It’s things like a devotional targeted just to what I need, that feeling of God’s love, and knowledge that He totally knows what’s going on with me that encourages me to carry on. To put down the baby care book at 1 AM and try to get some sleep; To stop looking at Pinterest to figure out how I’m going to reorganize my entire house.
And to just trust that, really, truly, everything is gonna be okay!
I got such nice comments on that post, too:
The truth is, now that I have a toddler, being a mom can be pretty terrifying too!
Some days are hard! Motherhood is hard! We all need a little encouragement sometimes.
Re-reading this post and those few comments was a great reminder to me to rely on Jesus and remember that things will be okay.
P.S. Little O did come out as a neat freak! He LOVES cleaning!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on being a mom 🙂 I think you’re going to do just fine! 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Maggie, I love this! I know you’re going to be a great mom!
Thanks Renee 🙂
Maggie, everything will be okay. And when it’s not, it will be soon enough. Blessings.
Thank you, Sarah!
Having a child is beautiful but can be stressful. However things always work out especially when your secret weapon is the love of Jesus Christ. He will never let you down. When I had my daughter, that is when I really understood the love of God and his sacrifice and I know your baby is going to do the same for you.