Things that made me cry in the first six months of motherhood

August 31, 2015

It’s a very hormonal time. From early pregnancy to finding my feet as a new mum, emotions have been somewhat shaky (huge, huge understatement) over the last year or so, as my poor husband will testify. I could probably cry now, if you asked me nicely.

This is not a complete list:

1. Sheer exhaustion.
2. Frustration at not being able to explain myself through sheer exhaustion.
3. The kindness of friends.
4. The kindness of strangers.
5. Failing at breastfeeding.
6. Succeeding at breastfeeding (briefly).
7. The Paul Walker montage at the end of ‘Furious 7’. This was a low point.
8. When a woman in the Healthbay Poly Clinic waiting room told me that my baby was “too small”.
9. The guilt of wanting to go back to work.
10. The reality of going back to work.
11. Work.
12. This song (Daughter, by Loudon Wainwright).
13. Happiness at Phoebe’s christening.
14. The hangover after the christening.
15. Saying goodbye to family at the end of a holiday in the UK.
16. An episode of ‘What Not To Wear’, when a woman who loved wearing turtle-themed clothing had an amazing makeover.
17. Syrian refugees.
18. The injustice of a man who beeped his horn too aggressively at me (when I was in the right).
19. Noel Gallagher on Desert Island Discs.
20. The scales (specifically the numbers on them).
21. The thought of our dog getting old.
22. Losing my wedding ring and subsequent disagreements about it.
23. A waft of stale cigarette ash that reminded me of my grandpa and the fact he’ll never meet my daughter.
24. An oddly emotional moment in yoga. No idea what that was about.
25. Utter joy at Phoebe’s giggle.
26. Sheer exhaustion.

Crying print from Society6, available here.

2 responses to “Things that made me cry in the first six months of motherhood”

1. The MothershipThe biggest regret about my pregnancy - says:

   July 25, 2016 at 1:03 pm

   […] You might also enjoy 26 Things That Made Me Cry In The First Six Months Of Motherhood […]

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2. The MothershipPost-natal depression: speak out, reach out - says:

   November 2, 2016 at 2:43 pm

   […] guess what? To some extent, every mum goes through it. I wept a lot (a lot – read this post on what made me cry in the first few months of motherhood). Crying while breastfeeding, screaming together in the car, from frustration, exhaustion, of […]

   Reply