Q is for Motherhood Quickies

Got You! I know what you are thinking about. But I am so not talking about those quickies. Even those are far and few between in the first year of motherhood.

Nope, I am talking about the quickies a mother has to go through in the first year of motherhood, be it eating, cleaning, cooking, etc. She has to do everything quickly because of the little baby in the home who needs his Mommy all the time.

These days, where most of the people live in a nuclear family, mommies are always-on clock. I call it the baby clock, which is very unreliable and unpredictable. And it always ruins your plan to do something at your pace.

Here are a few Quickies Moms have to go through in the first year of motherhood:

Quick Naps

Truth to be told, the nap is the hypothetical part, really, because Mommies don’t nap. You think your baby is finally asleep as you have been trying to make them sleep for so long, he won’t wake for at least half an hour.

So you decide to take a nap of 10-20 minutes, But 5 minutes after that, when you are in the state of half-sleep, and about to go into the deep relaxed sleep. Your baby wakes up. And you get up to soothe him with a coming headache because of the interruption in your sleep.

And the 5 minutes you got to sleep? That is NOT an actual nap. And that brilliant idea of a quick nap turns out to be a very bad one.

  Quick Meals

I have always have been a slow eater. Then my baby was born, and now I could win a competition in fast eating because, in the first year of motherhood, most of your meals are quick.

The moment you sit to eat, either your baby will pee, poop, need a feeding (even when you fed him a few minutes ago), or will just be fussy. As if the babies know Mommy has sat down to eat, let’s cry!

 Quick Shower/Bath

As Murphy’s Law would have it, when you are in the shower, your baby will definitely cry. So you learn to shower in less than 5 minutes, and sometimes even 2 minutes. Still most of the time, your baby will choose those few minutes to cry. And you would just quickly finish and come out, and later find shampoo in your hair or soap residue on your body.

 Quick Cup of Coffee

“Either you drink it quickly or you drink it cold”. That’s a Mommy fact. In most cases, you start to drink your coffee/tea and then get busy with some baby thing or a chore. By the time you remember about it, it’s cold. So drink it fast, and if you get your tongue burnt, too bad! Your baby doesn’t know or care.

Quick Photo

You see your baby doing a cute face or gesture, and you run to get a quick photo of that. But by the time you click the photo, your baby has changed hid happy and cute gesture to the angry, crying one.

Or when you want a quick photo of you and your baby together, because you are dressed up, which happens very less in the first year, he won’t cooperate at all. And when Daddy wants a photo, he will be all smiles. Why baby why?

Quick Diaper Change

It is a battle on its own because your baby turns into an octopus when you try to change his diaper. His arms and legs move in a speed you never knew your baby was capable of. And when you want to do it quickly, it’s doubly hard. You will put the diaper with the backside on the front, or you will not put a dry sheet in a hurry, and he will definitely pee. And that quick change will turn into a disaster.

 Quick Calls 

Who has the time for long chats, especially in the first few months? When you are sleep deprived and exhausted beyond reason. You are with your baby all the time. Either you whisper when you talk on calls, because what if your baby wakes up by your voice? Or you are doing some chore before your baby wakes.

Your Mom is your first Google when it comes to baby queries. I remember calling my mother to ask something so many times, and quickly hanging up. It’s hilarious sometimes.

So these were few quickies mothers go through in the first year of motherhood (I am sure there are more, but I could remember these right now.)

How to Survive these Quickies

The best you can do is ride out the phase. Because caring for a little baby comes with these kinds of things. With time as your baby becomes older, he doesn’t need you every moment and as much, till then just ride the wave.

But you can do some of these things to make it easier:

• If you need a long shower, or you really need to wash your hair. When you shower, keep the door open a little, as much as that your baby can see you. You can put the baby in a portable swing and park it in front of the door. So when you shower you can see your baby and vice versa. I have done it many times. Of course, it only works till your baby hasn’t learned to crawl or walk.

• Eat while your baby is in a good mood. I know, it’s easier said than done. But it does help. If your baby is fed, unless he wets his nappy. Sitting near him and engaging him in between while eating lets you take your time with your meal. It all depends on your baby.

• Try to do a diaper change in relax mode, if you hurry, and it reflects on your movements like manipulating baby’s legs and body, babies get irritated sometimes. Always engage your baby while doing it; it will help you do it faster. Short of some emergency or apocalypse, please do it slowly. It will be better for your sanity!

So that’s all about motherhood quickies, Mommies. Do tell me about your quickie moments or if you can add another quickie to this list in the comments section.

Note: This post is written as part of the #BlogchatterA2Z Challenge for the letter Q.