In what way did having a baby change your life?

My husband and I have only been married for a year and we are expecting our first in about 2 months. We are very close and very much in love, and cannot WAIT to meet our son!



I have heard from friends, family, and strangers that having a child is the most rewarding, life-changing things that could ever happen to you.

I am curious to know from you mommies (and daddies!) how having your first changed your life- not only as a couple, but as a person in general. Are you %26amp; your spouse closer or has it driven you apart? Do you look at life differently now? What has new parenthood taught you? Would you ever go back %26amp; decide NOT to have a baby if you could?



We have no clue what to expect and I%26039;m not sure I am completely prepared for this, but I am excited and can%26039;t wait to be a mommy.In what way did having a baby change your life?
I would have to put it this way – creating a child is something that is pretty much indescribable. People always say “love at first site” isn’t true or doesn’t exist—I’d have to say those people don’t have kids ? I never knew how much I could truly love someone. It’s wonderful – just to see this little person gazing into your eyes %26amp; KNOWING that you %26amp; your husband created this total miracle with your love. It honestly took me a few months to adjust to having a child – but I’d have to say, my world is so much more amazing with her in it. I love my husband %26amp; we have been married for 5 years ((together for 8)) %26amp; I would never take back having our little girl ((she is 2)). She is just incredible. Every little thing she does just amazes me everyday. She teaches me so much about life yet she is only 2. Nothing has changed b/t the hubby %26amp; I only that I love him even more – seeing him be such an awesome dad ? I don’t have enough room or time to describe how my daughter changed my world – you will see b/f long just how remarkable parenthood truly is =)In what way did having a baby change your life?
It reminded me of when I was a small boy.In what way did having a baby change your life?
the time at the hospital will be the best time of your life . i think i drove me and my hubby apart were both always tired we fight over lil things but if we didnt have a baby we prob wouldnt be togeather today your life will change big timeIn what way did having a baby change your life?
my experience. Unless you have a baby sitter, no more going out just you and hubby. ( that%26039;s fine if our baby is quiet , my 22 month old daughter is not good in public) No more movies, no more anything by yourself. That%26039;s the main thing. You and him become second to your child from now on. Everything is second to your child really. I dont wanna comment on how well we get along. Because I dont think that%26039;s from having a baby . (this is my second, his first ) Its just diff in every way.In what way did having a baby change your life?
Lets see....

-No sleep

-A lot of stress...not too good for me and daddy%26039;s relationship. (we fight over the littlest, dumbest things! oh and did I say ALL THE TIME? I know it sounds bad, but we are stronger now because of it.)

-Can%26039;t pick up and just go whenever you feel like it

-When you do go somewhere, you end up packing the baby%26039;s whole room. (while they do nothing but sleep in their car seat)

-You get used to your finger sometimes slipping into poop

----But, every time your little one smiles you know that everything you went through and everything you are going to go through was worth it.



I will tell you that labor is no joke! A lot of people told me, %26quot;Oh you forget about the pain the 1st time you hold your baby%26quot;

Oh no, you don%26039;t forget it, it just makes it worth it.In what way did having a baby change your life?
I%26039;ve done a complete turn around. I used to be all about me, payday came I was going shopping, I was going out all the time, eating what I wanted, smoking, drinking, basically partying my life away (but I was having fun, so whatever).



Now - I haven%26039;t had a drink or a cigarette in almost 18 months. I don%26039;t really spend money on myself, I%26039;m too busy spending that cash on my boy. My life revolves around this precious 5 month old.



And I wouldn%26039;t have it any other way. There%26039;s no way I would ever want to go back to my old life. You just can%26039;t imagine how much your ways of thinking change when you become a parent. And in my case, I believe with all my heart and soul that my son changed my life for the better - I will be a better person because of him. I love him with all my heart!



Good Luck and congrats!In what way did having a baby change your life?
First of all , congrats :) You will love it :)



I am more patient than I have ever been in my life.....I have learned to not sweat the small things.....I have learned that until you have a little one, you will never know the meaning of unconditional love.



At first I really missed the lack of sleep, but looking back I wouldnt change a thing...loved that alone time with my little ones.

My ex husband and I are no longer together...but the kids are not what drove us apart. I am very happy being a single mom and LOVE being with my kids. I would not change one thing in my life.....

Good luck ....enjoy every minute! Get lots of pics :)In what way did having a baby change your life?
Patience. First and foremost. I%26039;m a thousand times more patient than I was before becoming a mother.



I look at my parents differently. Last night our son was walking around the house, he just started walking last month so he%26039;s a little wobbly. He was babbling, making screeching noises, falling on his butt and getting back up, etc. It was hilarious. In his own world. I looked at my partner and said %26quot;just imagine your parents remember when you were just like that%26quot;. We laughed until we cried. You tend to forget you were once a baby, in diapers, needy, and pooping and those people you have spent your whole life trying to be independent from were there caring for you, loving, scared, happy, all the feelings you are now feeling.In what way did having a baby change your life?
Well it does change things so much. I just got married last April and we had a baby in February. And mostly the changes are I am so tired, I am not working and he is so I totally do everything for the baby except on weekend. I take care of the other kids (mine from a previous relationship), and the house. The new baby sleeps in our bed and that of course does not allow for us to have any kind of romantic relationship. And I do not get to leave the house to often. When they are little outings are hard due to feedings and diaper changes being so unpredictable,and if you breast feed they can be an explosive mess. Our relationship has not by no mean suffered from it, we are very much still in love and so in love with our little girl. But your life will be a mad house at first but once you see that first little smile or laugh, it all seem so be so worth it. They are awesome little humans and it amazes you everyday how in love you can be with something no bigger than a loaf of bread that can cause more havic than an atomic bomb in your home. Just sit back and relax and love every minute of them as babys, because they do become teenagers and it is much worse then when you talk about life altering...In what way did having a baby change your life?
I got married June of 2006..and a month and 5 days later..We found out we were expecting our son..We couldn%26039;t have been happier..Our son is our world..He has changed us in more than 1 way...He made our relationship stronger, made us something that we had always wish of being, and thats awsome parents...Parenthood has taught me to never look back and regret..things happen..just take life as you go..and have fun with it and enjoy every minute of it...And on our 9 month anniversary..Our son arrived..that day was the happiest day of our lives..We knew that we would be changed forever..And now our son is almost 13 months old..We are trying for number 2..We can%26039;t wait..We are very excited..In what way did having a baby change your life?
My husband and I were married for 5 years before we decided to have a baby. So you can imagine our surprise when it was no longer about us. I nursed the first 8 months so that meant it was all mommy all the time. We dont get through meals. It takes several hours just to watch a movie. We have just now,my son is 16 months old, gotten to where we can take car rides without him getting fussy. We dont really get %26quot;romantic%26quot; time together much. But honestly ever little detail is so worth it. Those smiles and laughs just tug at me. Playtime with mommy and daddy. I enjoy everything. I do not regret it at all. One day he will be doing things on his own and wont need me and I will miss it. Congratulations and I would HONESTLY enjoy each other now while you still have that time together.In what way did having a baby change your life?
Yeah, at first I went through post partum depression for about 5 or 6 weeks. But when I got over that and my son got older and stopped crying all the time, I fell in love with him like never before. I knew then that I had to change my life so I could always be there for him. I stopped smoking(I had started again two days after I gave birth, even though I hadn%26039;t smoked in nine months) and I started eating healthy. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be blessed with such a beautiful wonderful baby boy. I don%26039;t know how to describe it. The world has proved to me that it can be good, and that I can have good things happen to me. I felt like a whole new person, and my son makes me a wonderful happy person and I look forward to every new day and every new challange and having him has opened my eyes to a bright and wonderful world.

Sounds chessy I know, But%26039;s it%26039;s so true, and I want everyone to know I LOVE MY SON.In what way did having a baby change your life?
It changed our lives in everyway :) Just looking at or even thinking about my daughter instantly puts a smile on my face. She is my everything and I never knew that I could love someone so much - even after she puked, pooped, and peed on me, scratched me, bit me, hit me, screamed in the middle of the night - I still love her unconditionally!



I think my husband and I are closer but in a different way. Now instead of romantic things, it%26039;s more about enjoying the time with each other and our daughter. We could spend hours just talking, playing with her, taking her for a walk, taking her to the park, just really really simple things. It%26039;s so awesome.



I think I do look at life differently. Now instead of just observing the news, I think %26039;oh my gosh, what if that happened to MY daughter/family/etc.%26039; I totally think of things in %26039;mommy mode.%26039; Like %26039;wow, I hope my daughter doesn%26039;t have the same kind of friends I did growing up and get into the same type of trouble!%26039; I%26039;ll have to make all new friends so that they cannot tell my daughter about all the bad things I did!! :)



Parenthood has taught me many things, but the biggest thing is patience! I have to accept that I won%26039;t get to sleep as much as I would like, I may never get all of my house chores done or anything else for that matter, babies cry and sometimes you just have to spend hours trying to figure out will fix the problem even if that means pacing the hallways of your home with a baby cradled against your chest.



I wouldn%26039;t change any part of it for the world! You will see, it will be hard at first, but it is so worth it in every way! Good luck %26amp; congrats! :)In what way did having a baby change your life?
I grew up very quickly. I wouldn%26039;t change a thing. It made us closer as a couple. My life changed forever the moment I had my first and now after having my fourth I%26039;m still a giddy mom. It taught me that the world is more than about you and fun.



Bradley%26039;s Mom: You made me cry (in a good way) I hope my angry teenage son sees things like you do, someday.In what way did having a baby change your life?
My son made life more real.. i realized how important my existence was in this thing called life. My husband and I hav been dating since high school. We always talked about getting married and raising a family. We just had our first child 6months ago. Our lives hav come full circle. Being a parent has taught me how to be giving and patient. When we look at our son, he is the true meaning of our love for one another. You cant even imagine how your life will change. My husband enjoys being a dad. He just cried in pure joy when we found out that our first born was a boy. (its a man thing). So my son is a Jr.



I just look at him sometimes and cry because i cant believe he%26039;s actually here. My love for him is endless. Everyday i fall in love all over again. I anticipate his morning wakeup,Just so i can see him smile at me before going to work. He makes the stress of the world seem so small. I would never want to go back to my life before he existed.



My husband and i went through and are still dealing with the demands of a new baby. But at the end of the day we realize its all in a days work and if we want to be great parents we cant let it over rule our happiness. We appreciate each others existence much more. We cant wait to start on baby 2,3 and maybe 4 =).



Good luck on your new baby!!! Your life will never be the same (and i mean that in a good way)In what way did having a baby change your life?
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Having a baby the best thing in the world. My husband and I are married a little over 2 yrs and we have a 7 month old boy. A lot of things change. You%26039;ll lose sleep and a little bit of freedom. But you%26039;ll gain so much more. Looking at the beautiful angel will bring tears to your eyes. After we came from the hospital I couldn%26039;t stop looking, touching, hugging our son. As he gets older he%26039;ll be more interesting. Again Congrats and enjoy.In what way did having a baby change your life?
I am not a patient person AT ALL. But with my son, I only have patience. I can%26039;t believe how much I love this little fella. I can%26039;t imagine ever %26quot;losing%26quot; it with him. Nothing he does bothers me in the slightest. The other day, he got bananas all over the kitchen floor, himself, and anything else around and I just looked him as though he was just the cutest and happily cleaned up.



I do look at the world differently in that I notice babies of all ages all the time. I am sure they were around before my baby but I never noticed. LOL. I also have noticed all the bad things happening regarding children on tv. %26lt;sigh%26gt; I also worry a lot more about the future, my health, etc.



As far as hubby goes, I don%26039;t know that it has brought us any closer. That is just honesty. I get irritated at him more easily I think. His faults seem to be magnified. I think it is because I depend on him now. Before a baby, I never really %26quot;depended%26quot; on him for anything, ya know?In what way did having a baby change your life?
Be prepared for a lot of dissagreements. Especially if both of you still have your parents. You will feel very frustrated with deciding whats best for baby and keeping the house clean, waking up in the middle of the night, who%26039;s calling in to work to stay home with baby when sick, stuff like that. I believe after two boys it is about 60/40 good/tough to having a baby. All the bonding and happy times will rule over all the above and in a way distance you from your husband but at the same time bring you closer. As a person it has made me more mature, responsible, patient and very proud!



I love my boys and my wife, and i%26039;m very thankful for them regardless of all the hair I lost for stressing over their well being.



Oh, and as far as trying to keep your parents and in-laws happy, don%26039;t. Do whatever makes you and your husband happy. You will start your own traditions and do whatever is best for you three.In what way did having a baby change your life?
Well, my husband and I did a bit of partying before I got pregnant---so that was a big change for us!

Money is a big thing too, even after going shopping while pregnant to buy diapers, wipes, and other necessities which lasted forever. Be sure to do this, especially if finances can be a problem now! Buy as many wipes as you can possibly buy, you will need them for just about anything!

Another thing that changed is work, before my boy was born, I was able to work as much as possible. Once he was born, he had pneumonia, got a cold about 3 times, and colic. It became more difficult to leave him with others because he was constantly crying.

Sleep is another issue, for the first couple of months you are not going to sleep. Let your husband know now that you will need some time to catch up every now and then.

As far as personal changes, I have always been one to do things on my own, very independent. I am still in the process of learning to accept help and my boy is 5 months old.

Despite everything mentioned my life is completely different but in a good way. I have never been in love with 2 people so much in all of my life. Everything that I do revolves around my little family because they are everything to me. I would not change a thing, not even the sleepless nights and days, the money, the work, nothing if it were to take time away from the people that I love the most.

My husband and I have grown apart in many ways but have been closer than ever in many other ways, it is all about finding a balance that works for you both and of course your little boy.

You are going to love being a Mommy, it is so wonderful of an experience that there is no way to describe it!

Congrats and good luck with everything!

Angel is right about the in-laws and parents, this is your family, work everything out between the two of you and be sure that he is on the same page. As family is a big help, they can also be a big pain! If you create that bond between the two of you and know what needs to be done, than all will end up just fine!In what way did having a baby change your life?
each experience is different.. my husband and i wanted kids so much that when the time came.. it changed our lives for the better... the best thing i can tell you is be patient and if you%26039;re going to be home with the baby.. try doing most of the baby duties.. that way when ever you feel tired or over-whelmed, there should be no reason why your husband has a fit.. and always talk things out.. that helpsIn what way did having a baby change your life?
To be honest, i wouldn%26039;t change a thing. my husband and i aren%26039;t as close as we were however its just because all of our extra time and attention is focused on my son. which is fine also. i%26039;ve also gained a new respect/love for my husband seeing him as a father. having a child is very rewarding and its someone who has to love you no matter what lol. jk.

however you know that you really do get to spend the rest of your life, loving, caring and helping this new little child grow. even better is when they start to talk and can tell you i love you mommy and your the best. i look at life in a whole new way. i look at everything from his views and life is so much more worth living with him in my life!!!!In what way did having a baby change your life?
People may give me cr@p for this but...when my boyfriend %26amp; I got pregnant with our daughter we were JUST FRIENDS. It was an...oopsie. BUT! It was the BEST BEST BEST oopsie of BOTH our lives! Not only did it bring us a LOT closer as friends, but it brought us to become the most in love couple that we are now :) %26amp; we are also expecting our second child together...a son, who was VERY MUCH PLANNED :) Our daughter is the most precious beautiful gift we could have EVER asked for. she%26039;s gorgeous, smart, sweet, caring, loving %26amp; just absolutely PERFECT :) It is the greatest feeling to wake up to her giving us each a kiss goodmorning while we sleep. It is amazing to tuck her in at night, read her a story %26amp; have her say %26quot;goodnight mommy %26amp; daddy. i love you, sweetdreams%26quot; it brings tears to my eyes every night. It is such a huge blessing having kids. At the time, the last thing we were expecting was having a child. somebody who depends on us for every little thing, 24/7. No breaks. A never ending responsiblity. But we couldn%26039;t wait to do it all over again :) Having a child is the GREATEST GREATEST gift in the world, hands down. :) Congrats to you %26amp; your husband! I wish you guys all the happiness in the world!!!