The first year of parenthood is a total rollercoaster of emotions. From hilarious tear-inducing highs to bang your head against the wall lows, you are guaranteed to experience them all.
But rather than give you a lengthy blow by blow account of every single thing you can expect to go through during your first 12 months of parenthood, I thought I’d go all Buzzfeed on you all and sum it up in GIF form instead.
Enjoy!
A LITTLE WORD OF ADVICE:
Depending on your WiFi / 4G connection, if I were you, I’d give the page a few seconds to load before scrolling. It’ll be worth it, I promise…
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The first year of parenthood…
What you hope the birth will be like…
What the birth is actually like…
Seeing your baby for the very first time
Changing your first nappy
Leaving the hospital and heading home as new parents
Coming to terms with the fact you might never sleep again
Breastfeeding expectations
Breastfeeding reality
Finally getting your baby to sleep after hours of trying
Your first day back at work after paternity leave…
Your baby’s first explosive poo…
Realising it’s time to get your baby into some kind of routine
Hanging out with your new NCT friends
When your baby vomits up its bottle (all over you both) just after you’ve bathed and changed them
Introducing your baby to real food
Giving baby-led weaning a try
Leaving your baby at nursery for the first time
When someone tells you your baby should be crawling by now
Realising your baby has dropped its favourite teddy out of the pram somewhere between the supermarket and home
The first time the baby sleeps through the night
Introducing your baby to ice cream
When the postman rings the doorbell just as you’ve put the baby down for a nap
Going for your first night out without the baby
Thinking your baby’s just said its first word
Experiencing the dreaded eight month sleep regression
Leaving the baby with the grandparents for the night
Planning your baby’s first birthday party
Surviving a whole year without killing each other
So there we have it! I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s list covering all the key moments we all experience during the first year of parenthood. Did you go through all of these experiences too during your first 12 months of parenthood? Have I missed any key milestone moments? Which of the GIFs above resonated most with you? As always, we’d love to hear from you, so please do share your memories and musings with the group in the comments section below!
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