This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

From One Mother to Another-Am I Normal?!?

Motherhood has a way of making you feel not "Normal".

Even if you don’t develop signs of pre or post partum depression, you may still have negative thoughts during pregnancy and after, and this is totally normal.  During my first pregnancy, I remember feeling if I woke up and my belly was gone, it wouldn’t bother me or if someone told me my delivery was a dream, I wouldn’t care.  It was so surreal.  Then with my second, after it was confirmed by my obstetrician, I took at least six pregnancy tests because I didn’t believe it was true.  Well, if you’ve ever felt this way, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!! 

It is normal to not feel an immediate bond with your child.  It is normal when the novelty of having a newborn wears off and you are so sleep deprived that you feel as if you don’t want it anymore.  It is normal to feel neglected or cry because you feel out of control for no reason.   It is normal to not like your kids or not want to play with them because there are a million things to do.  It is normal to get angry and blow up once in a while, because sometimes they deserve it.   It is normal to feel lonely because you have no one to “talk to”.  It is normal to clean your house in piece meal.   It is normal to not have time to take a shower.  It is normal to feel disoriented and forget what you are doing before you even do it.   It is normal to not want to have sex with your husband (even if he doesn’t think so), and it is normal to feel resentment towards him because it seems as if the weight of the world is on you. 

Don’t beat yourself up.  My friend’s mother told me, “You make all your mistakes with your first.” and a father of six said, “You are the best parent with your last”.  Accept it, learn from it and move on.  Nothing can be perfect all the time and it does get easier.  When you get acclimated to having a baby, life will find a “new” NORMAL. 

Find out what's happening in Montclairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In the meantime, help yourself to feel normal again.  Don’t be a martyr.  Ask for assistance.  Whether it’s from your husband, mother, sister, brother or friend - it doesn’t make you incapable; it makes you human.  With my son, I wanted to do it all, thought I could do it all, and therefore did.  I never wanted to leave his side and took him everywhere I went.  I did nothing for myself and became bitter and angry, which caused me and my husband to argue a lot, on top of all the “new parenting” arguments.  Once we had our daughter, I realized I couldn’t do it all and trying wasn’t fair to me, my husband or my children.  I made my husband the enemy because I felt his life hadn’t changed a bit.  So I began asking for help.  I now leave the children at home, if possible, when running errands and put myself first, once in a while (a small while, but it does make a difference).  I still feel as if the scale is tipped a bit (and probably always will), but I know that I can get help when I really need it.

Another way to feel normal is to find someone you can share your feelings with.  Your husband could and should be a sounding board, but he cannot be completely sympathetic because he cannot relate.  If you are a working mom, whether it is part time or full time, talk with women who have children.  If you are a stay at home mom, join a support group, gym, social network or go to dinner with friends.  Get involved and connected with something you enjoy.  I joined a group called “After Baby Comes”, “ABC” for short, when my first was 17 months old.  The original motive was to get my son exposed to playing with other children but the bonus was I met many women, some from my own town, whose children were around the same age as mine.  From there, I learned a lot about myself especially; that I was not alone in the way I was feeling.  It made me feel normal.

Find out what's happening in Montclairwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So don’t sit back and suffer thinking you are wrong or a horrible mother.  Go out.  Reach out.  Only YOU can make a difference.  My friend use to tell me how much better she liked her family after a little “break”.   You’ll be a healthier mother for it and you’d be surprised how many others have similar or the same feelings as you and, they too, are totally NORMAL.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?