As if your body isn’t going through enough, now you’ve got to bite your tongue as well. Why? Because when you first have a baby (and, OK, we admit it, for quite a few weeks/months/years afterwards) you’ll be treated to hearing the same old clichés over and over again from (mostly) well-meaning friends, relatives and total strangers. Here are the big ones –and the truth.
The Cliches You’ll Hear 5000 Times in the First Few Weeks
You’ll be hearing the same old clichés over and over again from friends, relatives and total strangers. Here are the big ones –and the truth.
“It gets easier”
Is it true? Yes! Mostly. There’s nothing like the shellshock of the early days with an alien newborn, but babies do eventually learn the difference between night and day and they won’t always feed what feels like every 12 seconds. That said, there will always be ups and downs – teething, sleep regressions, illness and just annoying rainy days can all make you feel rubbish, but the fun you’ll have and love you’ll feel will take the edge off. So, yes, on a practical level, it DOES get easier. You’re not being tricked.
“You must sleep while the baby sleeps”
Is it true? Well, of course, in theory it’s a genius idea. But when the words come from a relative who is in your house, drinking your coffee and chewing your ear off, all while your baby is dozing away, you’ll feel a bit irked and they won’t quite see the irony. There’s also the fact that sleeping while the baby sleeps is considerably harder if your baby will only sleep on you, which some of them are quite keen on.
“It’s just a phase”
Is it true? Kind of. Your baby will indeed have phases of sleeping badly, sleeping well, being a little angel and being a total plonker, for instance, but while you’re in the thick of them, being told “it’s just a phase” will annoy you. Because it doesn’t make it any less tricky to get through, does it? Especially when said cliché-spouter cannot give you the exact date this so-called phase will end. Remember though guys, it gets easier!
“You’ll never finish a hot drink”
Is it true? Not necessarily. It depends how much you like hot drinks – if you are a total caffeine addict you’ll always prioritise gulping down your beverage of choice before tending to your baby’s nappy. So fear not: a life of grim luke-warm refreshments in mugs that are ringed with stains of the many unfinished drinks before them does not necessarily await. It’s all about your priorities.
“It goes so fast”
Is it true? God yes. At least, eventually. While pregnancy feels like an age, motherhood can race along - to use another cliche, the days are long, but the years are short. And it’s true, especially in the first couple of months, when the minutes between 4 and 6pm (and indeed 4 and 6am) can feel like wading through treacle, but before you know it you’re cuddling a 12 week old, and then a six month old, and then – sob! – an actual adult human leaving home to start a life of their own. Woah, now you’re a grandparent!