Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:09     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
My kid is 11 now and the hardest stages for me were the early newborn years because of sleep deprivation and right now, the last year has been rough with hormones, emotions etc, I worry about her so much more now than I did when she was younger.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:06     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Being a mom is way, way harder than I thought it would be. And I found the early years to be the hardest. The sleep deprivation makes everything so much harder. My kid is now 13 and it's gotten so much better. Hang in there OP.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:06     Subject: Re:Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Much more difficult than expected.

And the social-media disaster is not helping. So many kids and adults in our peer group have mental illness, caused or fueled by SM.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:05     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Anonymous wrote:Easier than expected. I feel bad for how many women on internet sites sound completely overwhelmed.


This. From reading online I was sure nursing would be hell and I’d be lucky to give colostrum. Nope- both babies instinctively knew how to latch, my boobs worked, it felt funny but didn’t hurt, and it was so easy I was sure I was doing it wrong at first.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:04     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
No I loved every minute of the baby and toddler stage and now I’m enjoying most of the little kid stuff. Combatting tv, gaming, and iPad use is the toughest as it’s a different world than growing up in 80s and 90s.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:03     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering if other moms feel this way? I love my daughter to death and she was extremely wanted and planned (IVF baby), but I find motherhood more challenging than I ever could have fathomed. I thought I knew what motherhood entailed going into it, but now I feel like I was so naive. The physical and mental demands are relentless. My baby is 9 months old. I still feel like I haven’t 100% adjustment to my new life. Does it get easier?


It gets easier after a year or two and you’ll get good years in ES. It gets harder again with a teen but in different ways.

I’m a single parent and it wasn’t as hard as I thought. I didn’t do great with the sleep deprivation part because I just need my sleep.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 06:02     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Oh yes. Twin infancy and toddlerhood was tough, but now teen years and one kid with mental health struggles is really, really hard. I would do anything for my child but I can’t take their place as they struggle and heal.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 05:59     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Harder, but I ways I didn't think about. Having to cook every day, the loss of autonomy, the stress of raising Black children (all the extra conversations with them and advocacy), adhd, social media, drugs. It's hard work raising good humans.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 05:37     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Easier than expected. I feel bad for how many women on internet sites sound completely overwhelmed.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 05:26     Subject: Re:Is being a mom harder than you thought?
I think it’s generally easier than I expected except for one of my kids. That one was FTT and had a severe eating disorder for more than a decade. Ended up with MH issues and was repeatedly hospitalized as a teen. As a young adult I see no possibility that my kid will be able to live independently. The rest were fine and the challenges all expected.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 04:21     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
The baby years are hard. And I’ll warn you, for me the worst was even later than where you are. With both kids it peaked when they were around 18 months.

It does get better. Mine are now 13 and 11 and turning into lovely people.

Don’t feel like you can’t complain or find things hard just because you dealt with infertility and did ivf. We get to complain about motherhood too! That doesn’t make the baby years any easier!!
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 04:08     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
Physically, it can be difficult from lack of sleep and meeting all of their daily needs. What surprised me the most when I was a new mother, was my physical presence was enough to console a crying child and my ability to make them smile. Priceless.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 03:05     Subject: Re:Is being a mom harder than you thought?
It's easier, but I expected NOTHING positive. I went into motherhood expecting nothing but pure physical, mental, and emotional torture on a nearly relentless 24/7 scale. I actually found it pretty easy in the early days and while not all enjoyable, very straight-forward in terms of meeting needs.
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 01:10     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
No, easier. I think it was a struggle from about 0-3, but once they were toilet trained, could express themselves and we were down to one nap a day, things felt very manageable. But to be fair, I have easy kids, a very involved husband and a nanny. That's basically a winning combination.

If your baby is only 9 months, you may not be getting enough sleep - are you and she sleeping through the night? Is she an easy baby?
Anonymous
Post 11/15/2023 00:59     Subject: Is being a mom harder than you thought?
I’m wondering if other moms feel this way? I love my daughter to death and she was extremely wanted and planned (IVF baby), but I find motherhood more challenging than I ever could have fathomed. I thought I knew what motherhood entailed going into it, but now I feel like I was so naive. The physical and mental demands are relentless. My baby is 9 months old. I still feel like I haven’t 100% adjustment to my new life. Does it get easier?