Four Fears a Mom to Be May Have: And Why that is Perfectly Normal

Becoming a mom is an exciting time. You think of names, shop for little outfits, and think about what the baby will look like. But for many expected moms fear is part of the equation. We know expected moms worry about the health of the baby and how labor will go, but they may have other fears as well. Fears they don't talk about because they think it makes them sound selfish. Lets take a look at some common ones.

You will never sleep again. I heard sleep deprivation is a torture technique. Going without sleep can make you cranky, paranoid, weepy and more. When you have a child especially a young one, sleep as you once knew it is over. You can become so focused on sleep its all you think about. You will lose sleep as a new mom. However you will survive. Also how much sleep you lose depends on many factors. Not every new mom has severe sleep deprivation. One thing I think works well is having a spouse take alternative nights. One parent or whoever is helping you out is on duty all night. The next day that person is wiped out, but it allows each partner to get a full night sleep every other night. Also keep in mind it does get better as they get older, so hang in there.

You will have no freedom. This was probably my biggest fear. Yet with a son who is only three years old I have manages to continue to workout, work part-time, take a girls trip every year and have Saturday date nights with my husband. It's true you won't have the freedom you once did. You cannot do exactly what you want at the moment you want to. But you are becoming a parent not giving up your entire life. It is possible to still make time for what you love. What worked for me was to sit down ahead of time with my husband and decide what was very important to us, and what we each wanted to continue to do. We came up with a plan that was reasonable to allow us time together and time apart to do our own thing. One suggestion I have that worked well for us, is consider giving each other a day off once or twice a month. We each have a Sunday free from all childcare duties. It is a break we both look forward to.