“I’ve been stuck in my house for 4 days with a sick baby. I finally snuck in a shower and I’m hoping to venture out tomorrow to put on a bra and workout. Not much has been accomplished since my 18-month-old has been crying non-stop, even when held. Basically, I’ve been trying to remain nurturing while not losing my mind. I’m sleep-deprived, bored, and hungry. Did I mention I’m trying a 30-day weight loss challenge this month? So yeah- I’m cranky.
The past 4 days have reminded me that ‘motherhood isn’t pretty.’ Back in the day, before I had even met my husband, 4 of us who grew up together used to take a girl’s weekend every summer. As you can imagine, that every summer is now like every few and usually a lunch not a weekend, but I digress. Anyway, Laura was the first to get married and the first to have a baby. We were sitting in our hotel room as she pumped her milk and the other 3 of us, not yet moms, were mesmerized. At what the human body could do, at that crazy machine (which we decided was singing ‘a little bit more, a little bit more,’ if you pumped, you know what I’m talking about), and that she was actually going through all of this while on VACATION. Her quote as we stared at her baffled was, ‘hey – motherhood isn’t pretty ladies.’ I’ve come back to that quote often during my 9 years of motherhood and this week has been one of those times.
No one tells you that you WILL pump, feed, or somehow have to give up all bashfulness in the name of motherhood. So many people see your body parts in all their (not) glory from the beginning because ‘motherhood isn’t pretty.’ You will scoop poop out of toilets, accidentally eat boogers (it’s amazing how often that happens), try to catch puke mid-air (why do we do this), and deal with a number of other bodily function mishaps. By the way, if you aren’t a parent, poop will become the center of your universe. How often, how much, what color, what consistency, you get the idea. My oldest is almost 9 and I’m still getting this info, whether I ask or not! Why? Because motherhood isn’t pretty.
When you are in the trenches, and it sometimes feels like you aren’t getting out, you’ll look in your car’s visor mirror to see if you have something in your teeth and find that your eyebrows haven’t been waxed or plucked in weeks. You probably will also realize you forgot to brush said teeth. Or maybe, you’re at work in a sundress, actually thinking you’re cute one day, and suddenly realize you totally got distracted in the shower and only shaved one leg. As mom’s know, we don’t always get to come first, and those rare moments in the bathroom getting clean and ready are ALWAYS interrupted. Motherhood isn’t pretty.
All those years ago, my friend Laura could not have begun to prepare me for what was to come with motherhood and that pumping over girls’ weekend is only the beginning of the daily sacrifices that need to be made. She definitely couldn’t prepare me for the stories of grossness that would come or how at the end of the day…and sometimes it’s a realllly long day… how grateful I would be to hold this title, despite the challenges.
So to all of you moms, I pray that you all have at least one day soon where your eyebrows are waxed, your legs are ALL shaved, you aren’t being milked like a cow and everyone in your house is healthy. Until that day, remember, motherhood isn’t pretty, but it’s pretty darn beautiful.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Stephanie K. in Maryland. It originally appeared on her blog. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
Read more powerful stories from this mama here:
‘You left your husband with ALL of the kids?!’
Provide strength and encouragement for other parents. SHARE this story on Facebook with your friends and family.