One of the most annoying things that happen after you get married is when all of your family and friends, and even people who you do not know directly ask that when are you giving them the ‘good news’. It for sure happened to me, though I am sure it is a situation everyone faces. If your answer to this question is that “We don’t think we are ready for a baby yet”, the answer you sure are to get is that you are never ready. They think the baby will come and you will be ready overnight. Like really?
After being a mother for a year, I can say, motherhood is the hardest but the greatest thing. But you will only enjoy it when you are ready for it. Do not decide if you are ready by taking one of those quizzes you find on various websites, you have to be mentally ready. Sometimes, you are readier than you feel you and there is no checklist you can follow. In my case the time I took to conceive definitely made me ready as I was yearning for my little bundle of joy. Looking back, I can tell you some signs which made me feel I was ready for my angel to arrive.
Solid Relationship
There are no doubts about the fact that from the moment you conceive your relationship with your partner will change. It is a lot of balancing which will need to be done and thus, before you start the conversation about having a baby, you must be very sure you are happy together. You must be able to communicate to your partner without any hesitation or reservations. If you feel you both cannot resolve any issue, this will just become a more serious problem after the baby. Being happy will only ensure that you give a happy home to your baby.
You Have to Be Ready
When I say ready there are three ways in which you need to be ready: emotionally, physically and financially. Do not take the decision to have a baby if you have pressure from family or friends or if you feel it is getting late. You should discuss with your partner and you both need to be on the same page about parenting and welcoming parenthood. Physically your body will undergo various changes and sometimes, accepting these can be hard. If you feel you can enjoy this new phase, you are ready. If you feel you can manage the added expenses easily without being stressed and can save enough to provide a secured future for your baby, you can start planning.
You Want to Have a Baby
Having a baby is the way to making the biggest change in your life you ever made or will ever make. This phase of life is unpredictable and uncertain. Most of the women though take the decision due to one of the many pressures, but I feel you must just ask yourself if you want to be a mother and not if you are ready for being one. The day your answer is yes, you know you ready.
You Love Yourself and Take Care
If you want to be a good mother to your baby, you must learn to love yourself and take good care of yourself. If we will look after ourselves, we will be able to do it for someone else and also nurture the same qualities in them. You need to be stable and clear minded to be a good parent to your child.
Ready to Sacrifice
You need to be willing to make sacrifices if you want to have a baby. You will need to sacrifice several things for the benefit of the baby. If you can do this, without cribbing you will be a great mother. Sometimes you will need to step out of your comfort zone to make your baby feel comfortable and if you do this out of love and not a compulsion you are good to go.
Be Responsible
With a baby comes a huge responsibility. Your life, your attitude, your words and the decisions you take will affect the baby too. The baby will learn from you and what you do will have an effect on his growing up. Thus, you need to be responsible and know how to take your decisions and stick to them.
You Can Love
You will bring a life into this world who will see the world through your eyes. You need to love this little one unconditionally. The baby is not there to fill some wounds or a vacuum in your life. You have to love him and do a lot which you might not even think of doing for someone.
You will never know you ready unless you go through it. But if you feel you are capable of loving someone and be ready to accept the changes motherhood will come with, you will be a great mother. Motherhood is all about moments. Some will be frustrating and hard but most of them will leave you happy and satisfied.
