My Biggest Fears About Motherhood (and Why I Didn’t Need To Worry)

We’ve already established that I was a grumpy pregnant person. To get through pregnancy and all the freaky symptoms no one warned you about is hard enough. Adding on the anxiety of the unknown makes it even harder. How will I handle sleep deprivation? (Not well). What kind of mother will I be? (Sort of a softie). What will happen to my alone time? (It disappears…for a while, but not forever).  Here are the things I wish I could go back and tell my pregnant self not to fret about so much.

How will I know how to take care of a baby?

I hadn’t helped take care of a baby since I was 9 and my brother was born. So I worried about the basics: how to feed him, bathe him, what to do when he cried, etc. I took all the baby care classes and read baby books obsessively to try to academically prepare. Then the reality check hit: when he was born, he showed me that books couldn’t prepare me for everything. It was so simple in the end: it was my purpose in life to care for him and we figured it out.

Will I be a good mom?

I knew I wanted to be a good mom, and I had a wonderful mom to follow as an example. But I’m a little very emotional, and I didn’t know how I would be with my own kids. Would I be too lenient and they’d walk all over me? Would I be too strict and they’d rebel? Well, I’m only 9 years into it (OMG half way until my son is 18!), but I can say this: you’ll learn and grow every day. Your kids will love you, even if you have a snippy day. And the best part is, on days when I feel like I’ve absolutely blown it, tomorrow is a brand new start.

What if my kids get hurt/sick?

I think I’ve spent more time worrying about the kids getting sick or hurt than when they actually are. Worrying about kid safety can be a good thing-it keeps them safer. What you don’t need to worry about is what you’ll do when it happens. Instinct takes over and you just move – you make decisions in the moment, and you get them through it. And when they get to the other side, you’ll feel relieved and gratified that you were able to help them.

What are your fears about motherhood?

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