Louise Cooney has shared a great list of things she has learned in her first year of motherhood

Louise gave birth to Jude on November 7th 2023 and listed all of the tough but wonderful things she has learned in her time as a new mum.

She started off by writing: “Motherhood has changed everything for me. From my priorities to how I spend each hour of the say. All of that time that was once mine is now precious and shared.”

Louise then shared her experience with birth, reflecting on the fact that despite how difficult and intense the process was, she didn’t need to be as nervous for it during her pregnancy.

“Birth and the post-partum period was raw and intense but mostly a beautiful positive experience for me. I didn’t need to be as scared/ nervous as I was while pregnant. The mix of pure joy and overwhelming love with exhaustion was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

Life as a new mum is undoubtedly one of the biggest transitions and Louise says in hindsight: “It’s ok to step away from the busy-ness of life, especially in those first few months. Days spent on the couch with a little bit of baby sick on my shoulder were the norm, I struggled sometimes with feeling like I was ‘doing nothing’ however with a baby comes an endless to do list and those quiet days allowed me to truly savour and enjoy the moment. I cherish those memories now.”

Always remember: “You need to plan more than ever before, but things will usually not go according to plan.”

Speaking about the personal changes in like, she wrote: “You may not always feel like your old self. Motherhood shifts your identity and what’s important to you. You’re growing, stretching, and adapting to become a new version of you.”

Everyone talks about the supposed ‘make-or-break’ moments of becoming parents and continuing to build your relationship, and Louise said: “Your relationship undoubtedly changes. You navigate new challenges, share sleepless nights, and adjust to life as 3. It takes more planning and effort but it brings a new kind of closeness and even more love.”

She then wrote: “The menal load is a real thing. All those details running quietly in the background. IYKYK.

“The pride and joy with each milestone is amazing, there’s more than I could keep track of or capture in photos/ videos. The first laugh, crawl, the first time he held his own bottle, put his dummy back in, stood unassisted, clapped, leant in for a kiss… too many name. I wish I could slow down, pause and relive all of these moments again.”

Finally, the mum-of-one said: “It really does fly by… all of the amazing, sometimes hard, life changing moments quickly become a blur. You blink and there’s an almost one year old calling your name and waving “wa wa” (goodbye).”

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