10 things I have learned since becoming a first time mum

10 things I have learned since becoming a first time mum [Last Updated – October 2022]

While I was pregnant with Little bear I was constantly looking on google for people’s stories on becoming parents.

How did they cope? What did they go through? What things did they learn?

And even after reading loads of them (and I do mean loads, probably around 50-60 stories) I still wasn’t prepared for what was to come.

There is definitely a huge difference in reading about what people go through to what you, yourself, actually experience.

Today I am here with 10 things I have learnt since becoming a first time mum.

Now that my little one is over a year old (17 months now), I have decided to write about what I have learnt in these last 17 months since becoming a first time mum and hopefully someone can read this and take something away from it like I did with so many others.

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Here are 10 things I’ve learned since becoming a first time mum!

1) You will gag at the smell of their poop

This one is a tough one for me because I always said I would never get sick at the smell/sight of his poop.

Oh how wrong was I!

Most of the time the smell would hit me like a brick wall and I would feel the need to run straight for the toilet.

But, that’s not possible because you have to change their nappies! Which only makes the smell and sick feeling worse.

This isn’t one I particularly like admitting to, but it’s one of the worst lessons I have had to learn.

Now however, I can change his nappy in less than a minute without even noticing the smell.

I guess your nose just gets used to it after a while, although when he has the runs I still definitely feel sick at the smell of it.

2) You will be hit with every one of their toys

I always used to think I would have such a perfect little baby, a child who wouldn’t hit, throw, bite etc.

But what I didn’t know when I thought this was that all children go through phases of it (so I’m told but my health visitor). But that was not something I was prepared for in the slightest.

I have been smacked in the face with a brush, shoe, wet wipe, his socks, toy cars and even my own phone.

The list is endless of things I have been hit with.

Thankfully this phase has passed now and my son is exploring everything around him, so he has far too much curiosity going on in his brain that he doesn’t bother with hitting out.

It took me a while to adjust to the hitting but don’t worry, it should pass.

3) He will play with his little man any chance he can!

I was not in any way shape or form expecting this to happen.

Changing his nappy, he grabs it, Getting a bath, he grabs it, Getting his clothes changed, HE GRABS IT.

Any chance he gets, he grabs it and does not let go!

I feel like I need something to pry his hand away. Don’t get me wrong it’s a natural part of him growing but I was very shocked when he first did it. I think I gasped a little.

3) You will be peed on

I thought I had a lucky escape with this one.

Little bear had peed on my gran, his dad, his grandad and even some of my friends but never me.

I guess I got a bit cocky at this, always saying “he’s never peed on me, I’m lucky”. Then when he hit 10 months old, BOOM!

He peed all over me and to add insult to injury, he was in a fit of laughter.

I guess I wasn’t so lucky after all.

But apparently being peed on is a lucky thing in some cultures, I sure hope that’s true!

4) You will become a climbing frame

Ever since little bear started to move on his own and crawl, I have officially became his own personal climbing frame.

He climbs up my legs, over my back, on my tummy, over my face and much more!

I didn’t realise that being a climbing frame came with the title of “mother, but now I know that the title of mother covers absolutely everything you can think of.

5) The pets will get no peace

And I really mean it when I say they get no peace.

Little bear loves our animals, he is very very fond of them and I love seeing them interact. But, sometimes he can get a bit too excited and wants to be with them constantly and play.

He just loves them so much and wants to be with them and play, but they don’t really do that.

Little bear is great with them and so loving which is a huge positive, but I think the pets want to move house sometimes to get a bit of peace.

6) They would rather play with a box than their toys

Every time Little bear gets new toys, the first thing he goes for is the box!

Without a doubt I know he will be going for the box no matter what I buy.

At Christmas he spent most of the day climbing in and out of boxes, playing with them and ripping them apart.

He hardly touched his toys.

Maybe I could just buy him a load of boxes next time Christmas comes around.

7) You will become brain dead with the children’s programs

This isn’t even a joke.

We have Cbeebies on from 6 in the morning till 7 at night, watching every program twice!

All the music, dancing, acting and the talking makes me feel like my brain is getting turned to mush every day.

At first it was fun to dance around and do all the songs but when you do it day in and day out from 6am to 7pm it gets a bit tiring.

But I guess as long as LB loves it, I need to *love* it as well.

8) Having a shower for more than 5 minutes is a luxury

I’m not really sure what else I can say on this matter because It’s pretty plain.

It is definitely a luxury to get a shower for more than 5 minutes without being disturbed by a little person every two seconds.

It’s a quick in and out, trying to make sure you definitely got everywhere cleaned.

9) A free night means an early night

Whenever Little bear goes to his dads or my gran has him, I can’t help but use my free time to get to bed early!

It’s that feeling of being able to get more than 4/5 hours a night that makes me feel like I’m spoiled.

I really do think that using my free time for sleep is productive, isn’t it?

10) You will miss them whenever you are without them

I didn’t realise how much I was going to miss my little bear when I wasn’t with him until I went out for the first time on my own when he was around 2 months old.

All I did was think about how he was, what he was doing and if he missed me!

I would like to say it gets easier as they get older, but I would be lying to myself.

I still miss him just as much, if not more than the first time I left him with my gran.

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