Anxieties and pressures have hit me all at once
Raising a human being is hard work but it’s the greatest privilege of my life. She’s not even eight months old yet and already she’s by far my best accomplishment in life, but my goodness, it really does take it out of you. You know how they talk about the ‘seven-year itch’ when you’re with someone?
Apparently the tale goes that around the seven-year mark at least one person in a relationship gets an itch in their relationship – be it tired of the same person or interested in others.
Well, I feel like I’ve had a bit of a sevenyear itch in motherhood, not for any of the reasons I’ve listed above but because I think all the tiredness, exhaustion and emotions of the last eight months have all hit me at once.
For the last month or so, (from around seven months) it’s all caught up with me in one swift swoop and the last few weeks I’ve felt absolutely exhausted.
I remember being pregnant and everyone taking the mickey out of how I’d cope with the tiredness of being a parent.
Matt and I were always renowned for loving our sleep, often lying in till mid-morning on the weekends.
But I surprised everyone (including myself) when I dealt with the rough nights and two-hourly wake-up feeds really well.
I think the combination of all of this – dealing with our new way of life and current Covid-19 situation – the weight of parenthood with its constant worries and stresses over whether you’re doing it well has all hit me.
I have honestly felt like I could sleep for a week, which of course you can’t do with a baby.
Life can be hard, motherhood can be hard – as can fatherhood, or being a career go-getter or a stay at home housewife or house husband.
All our situations have their ups and downs and pair that with the constant anxieties around the world we now live in. It’s important every now and then to just take a moment and breathe.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes for a second and just breathe.
It will all be okay in the end.
What choice do we have?