Woman’s brutally honest post about realities of childbirth and motherhood

Life


Woman’s brutally honest post about realities of childbirth and motherhood

By Anya Meyerowitz

Updated 6 years ago

So, you’ve given birth but what next? What about the things your baby books didn’t tell you?

Well, one new mother has taken matters into her own hands and written a Facebook post listing the “20 things to know when you’ve just pushed out a baby”.

Known as ‘Mummy Mumbles’ online, Becki Pope, decided to share everything she has learnt since giving birth – from how to cope with your first post-birth ‘wee’ to feeling like your baby hates you.

And the  online community of mums is clearly grateful. Just 24 hours after Becki first published the comical list on the 24th of August, it had been shared over 55,000 times and the figure has now reached over 78,000. 

The post manages to inject some humour into what is, at times, quite a terrifying insight into the daily life of a new parent.

Beginning with hospital life, the mother-of-one talks about the pain, the problems with going to the toilet and how your first shower will “be like a scene from Carrie.”

She also warns of the notorious hospital photographer: “There are people who can smell your vulnerability. They will take photos of your baby looking cute and then try and charge you a million pounds for it.”


Read: “Why do we insist of judging women’s motherhood choices?”


The realities of a post-pregnancy body are also eloquently explained: “Your tummy is now resembling a balloon that’s slowly deflating and feeling very sorry for itself.”

Her post ends with a reassuring piece of advice for anyone struggling with the initial stages of motherhood: “Stop worrying. You’re not superwoman. There is no such thing as normal… or perfect. You are your baby’s normal. You are your baby’s perfect.”

The mummy blogger still vehemently believes that childbirth won’t hold you back “there is nothing you can’t do” she tells those reading, “except sleep. You can’t do that anymore.”

But perhaps best of all, Becki debunks the myth that you are obligated to believe that your baby is the most beautiful infant of all time: “Your baby looks weird. Like... Really weird. 'Oh how cute/such a beautiful baby' etc. will be said at you and you'll accept other people's opinions, but to you it looks like a hairless slightly purple old granddad with dried blood and skin stuck to its wrinkly face.”

Feature image credit: Becki Pope, Facebook

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