Motherhood 10 years ago

What to Expect in Months 1-5

Happy Monday everyone! I’m bringing you yet another installment of Motherhood Monday. Thank you for all your positive comments and responses to my first post ! Don’t forget that every other Monday I will continue to bring you updates on the good, the bad, and most of all, the real scoop on motherhood!

Chloe is officially in her 5th month, it’s crazy how time passes! Remember her 100th day? Well anyway, a lot has changed in the course of 5 months from when we first brought her home. Allen and I are constantly learning and adjusting to be the best parents we can be and watching how Chloe changes physically and mentally has been super rewarding. But to be honest the first few months were probably the hardest  time of my life.

Even though everyone says that it’s hard .. I didn’t really expect it to be as hard as it was. Allen and I were dealing with the gruesome hours and contrary to Instagram, we didn’t just seamlessly merge into parenthood. There were times when I would just cry because I felt helpless in my new role as a mother and I was just purely and entirely exhausted. But to all the new and soon to be mothers, let me reassure you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Everyone’s case is different, but for me I saw the light at around the end of the 3rd month. My hormones were finally starting to balance out, I finally lost most of the weight I gained during pregnancy, but most importantly I was sleeping again (5 hours straight!) , which was crucial in returning my life to some sense of normalcy. And of course, now that she’s 5 months I’m having the time of my life with my little bread roll! But here is the scoop of what really happened in months 1-5 & what to expect ..

( Please keep in mind that these are just my experiences, & that every woman is different! )

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Month 1

It may have been due to the “Instagram culture” or my own denial, but I was completely confused after bringing Chloe home. I knew I was supposed to love her, but I was so exhausted and in so much pain in the first month that they were disconnected with my emotions. From trying to figure out breastfeeding (which was SUPER painful), to getting to understand her routine, and being scared when I didn’t know why she was crying, it was really hard for me to bond with her. On top of that Chloe lost some weight during her 1st month, and I thought I was doing something wrong, but I found out that it is extremely normal for babies to lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the beginning. I wasn’t getting any sleep and on top of being hormonal, I honestly felt like a bad parent. In the 1st month babies aren’t fully capable of sensations and motor skills. In fact, they aren’t even aware of themselves. That made it very hard to interact with Chloe. Luckily, I had my mom help me during the first two months. Without her, I don’t think I have gone through it..

Month 2

Every month gets better, but to be honest there’s not a huge difference in months 1-2, but maybe it was because my body was still out of whack.  But looking back, I can tell you guys that it takes time for you to get used to your baby and for you to start feeling like normal again. I promise you… there is a light at the end of the tunnel! During Chloe’s 2nd month, she showed more signs of awareness.. especially toward me! She was actually able to look at me, and slightly react to my voice.  I started showing her toys and books with bright colors and singing to her (badly I might add). I think the biggest difference is that Chloe was sleeping majority of the day. She would sporadically sleep 15-17 hours/ day, but definitely not sleeping thru the night yet. I was still waking up every 3 hours to nurse her, which was entirely exhausting. As for me, I was starting to shed some of my weight (about 10 lbs) of what I had gained (still 30lbs over.) Thats when I started to take outfit photos, and semi work again but frankly I was very self conscious.

Month 3

The 3rd month is when it got better for me. Chloe became a lot more reactive and started touching a lot more things. I left her soft toys and rattles for her to play with whenever I put her in her crib. She would even smile at us from time to time, which was possibly one of the most rewarding things. We finally settled on a sleep, play, and eat schedule, which was a huge milestone for us because that meant we finally gained our sleep back! Well not entirely, but 5 hours was way better than the 2-3 hour shifts. We felt some sort of normalcy to return to our lives. Chloe was also drinking a lot more milk and that meant the developing of her “bread rolls” as I like to call them on my snapchat! We’d go to the doctors and she’d always be off the charts with her height and weight. That was really encouraging whenever because it gave me reassurance that I was doing something right. We also held her 100th day birthday, which was a great opportunity to introduce Chloe to the rest of my family and friends. I also found a daytime nanny, better known as my aunt, so I could go back to work part time, but I still found myself working from home majority of the time.

Month 4

As month 4 rolled around, Allen and I started to really enjoy her together. Whenever we’d make a funny face she’d laugh out loud and give us the prettiest grin! I swear, she looks like Allen whenever she smiles! She’s gained all of her senses so we were able to start playing with toys even more so than before. And as much as we try to keep her from watching TV, her eyes would be glued to the TV because of the colors and movement. She also discovered how to use her hands, which meant she would grab on to everything in site- her toys, my necklace, my hair, etc. Pretty much anything she could grab would end up in her mouth. Another milestone? She was able to hold up her head on her own during tummy time! By month 4 we were able to  predict how she’d react and her behavior at certain hours.  Allen and I were a lot more comfortable taking her out in public with us, and we even traveled with her to New York!

Month 5

Now that Chloe is in her 5th month I know exactly what makes her smile and laugh. Before it was hit or miss but now whenever I act goofy and smother her with kisses she laughs so much! & honestly that’s the most rewarding thing ever! But the thing about her understanding more and more is that she is starting to recognize people and her surroundings. I cant really leave her in her crib or bassinet anymore, and whenever she’s awake I cant walk away to get work done. I constantly have to have her wrapped or put her in her jumper so she can see me. She also started teething so we’ve been having fun finding cute teething toys for her to use. Chloe can actually prop herself up to sit now and support her own head and neck. It also seems as if she will be crawling any minute now! We also started her on some solid food, and she loves it! We have introduced to her baby oatmeal (mixed with milk), smushed bananas, and grinded up apples. And the biggest milestone?? Sleeping thru the night! On a good night she can sleep for 9-10 hours straight!! Bottom line .. things are SO much better now and I’m exciting for when she develops even more !

& there you have it, my experience so far with months 1-5! It’s been such a crazy journey from the moment we brought her home, but seeing her smile makes it all worth it. Motherhood has been the hardest thing that I’ve done so far, but it’s also the most amazing, wonderful, and incredible experience. & I expect more happy and fun times with her in the months to come as she grows even older! Chloe is turning 6 months in a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s been a whirlwind of an experience and I can’t wait till she starts talking, she’s been mumbling a lot these day!

Please let me know what you new mommies have to to say & your experiences in the comments below!

 

Credits:

Photography by Karen Rosalie