Hard Truths in My First 6 Months as a Mother

Those seemingly eternal minutes after giving birth when I wasn’t sure if my daughter would cry. Holding her for the first time and watching her eyes flicker from my shoulder to my face as if deciding: This is home. This is mom. Becoming a mother this past March gave me access to a whole new range of emotions I didn’t even know existed.

Motherhood came with its fair share of lessons, too. Here are the three that have impacted me most so far:

1. I Don’t Know Anything.

Like, not a single thing. I had zero experience with babies before becoming a mother, but even if I had, I’m not sure it would have helped. Every baby is different. Mine happens to be highly sensitive to change and requires a full song-and-dance just to go down for a 30-minute nap. And just when I think I’ve figured her out, she keeps on growing, and her needs grow with her.

Parenting books can offer guidance, but they can’t save you. Your baby will be one of a kind, and probably perfect, and there’s nothing you can do about it. 

2. Things I Used to Think Mattered Really Don’t.

For starters: myself. My life used to revolve around my own needs, but now hers take priority (and I’m not mad about it).

Appearance? Doesn’t matter. My baby doesn’t care how I look; she cares that I look and sound and act like the safest person in her world. Our happiest moments often occur before I’ve even gotten ready for the day. 

And work? Once my primary source of meaning, now it’s just one part of life. Raising a tiny human to be her best self has turned out to be more personally fulfilling to me than any job title.

3. Taking Care of Myself Is Not Optional.

I used to run on caffeine and skip meals without trying. Now, I still run on caffeine, but I make sure I’m properly nourishing myself, too. Rest, nutrition, and mental health are no longer luxuries –– they’re part of the job. Taking care of myself is how I take care of her.

Motherhood has been the hardest, most clarifying experience of my life. It stripped away my illusions, rewired my priorities, and forced me to grow in ways I needed but didn’t expect. Six months in, I know I’ve barely scratched the surface — but I look forward to a lifetime of being humbled and awed by the sheer fact of my daughter’s existence.