Motherhood is a great teacher. You get to learn new things from it. What you gain from being a mother is different from those things you discovered during pregnancy. Here are some of my takeaways.

1. There is this place called the baby world. In this place, baby, mom, and dad are the only human beings alive. And baby is the center of it all.

Conversations in the baby world go like this:

What did you eat? You are breastfeeding; is it really ok for baby?

What did you buy? Will it fit her?

Should we buy baby something?

Is baby ok? Is she sleeping?

What’s wrong with baby? She is so fussy.

If you hate washing the dishes or doing the laundry, then you will probably like this baby world. Because these chores will be the least on the priority list. You can even skip them and delegate them to the husband if baby demands it all from you.

Despite the chaotic and seemingly tiring nature of this baby world, it is a happy place. It is full of giggle and sweet smiles, hugs, tenderness and love. It makes you feel loved, satisfied and fulfilled as a person.

2. A baby is a time bomb. Yes, not an alarm but a time bomb. It feels like you are always running out of time. And if you do run out of it, you won’t only receive a time’s up sign but an explosion. A flare up, an eruption, a surge, an outburst of cries.

A baby will teach you how to take a shower in under 2 min or eat within 5 min. You will even be taught how to pee (and even poop!) with the bathroom door kept opened. All because you have to make sure that nothing is triggering the bomb. Otherwise, you have to learn how to command that constipation to leave your body. This is especially true for those without a househelp like us.

Good thing with this setup is that you become an expert, a master of time. You now move quicker than before. And that’s a wonderful skill.

3. Patience is indeed a virtue. The ability to wait for something without getting upset or angry is surely an important quality in a person. Patience will not only help you go through a storm but also through the sleeping process of a baby and more.

We do hope that all babies can sleep peacefully by themselves. But no, that’s not the case. Patience should be your bestfriend when she goes wild because she wants to sleep. Or when you just put her down, you start savoring your food, and yes, she is awake again.

If you think you are patient as a person, motherhood will make you rethink if it is really true.

4. It is alright to have a messy house once in a while. During the first few months, you might not be able to do the cleaning routine you were used to. And it is totally ok.

Baby needs a mom who will take care of her. She can’t help herself yet. Time will come that she will be on her own, and you can do all the cleaning you want.

5. Motherhood is not easy, but it is such a fulfilling duty. It is really tiring. Nevertheless, the joy that comes with it is incomparable. The sweet smiles, the giggles, they are enough to fill your hearts.

No matter how challenging motherhood is, you will not exchange it for anything else. It gives a feeling that cannot be described. It makes you whole.