Is my life over? Will I be a good mother? Will my body go back to the way it was before pregnancy? These are some questions women are concerned when they get pregnant. But for me, it was mostly excitement.
When I met my husband Paul Davis, I knew he was the one. He was and still is funny, crazy, talented and easy-going. Our relationship moved quickly. Before you know it, we were having Scarlett – our very first baby. Waiting for her to be born was torture. I kept counting days and felt extremely impatient to meet my child. Finally, the day has arrived that I got to hold my Scarlett. Tears of joy poured out of my eyes. I never felt so happy in my entire existence! I felt in love. The smell of a newborn baby is amazingly sweet. She was exactly like a puppy–a new pet, my new buddy, my one true precious.
Arianne and Scarlett – 10 months old
It’s Better to Start Early than Later
The society we live in at the moment, leads us into having kids later in life. A lot of couples now wait the utmost last-minute before having children. Why have children now, if we can spend our lives partying for another decade? Why settle and have a family, if I can barely take care of myself? Los Angeles is an expensive city to reside in, and so, being responsible for another human being’s life will be without a doubt, costly. Although, waiting to be financially established was the suitable thing to do at the time, my mindset was not in the same boat as other couples. Watching my parents started from scratch into bringing us to private schools, to purchasing a home, and being able to afford college tuition, made me learn that no one will ever be ready financially to have children. I told my husband Paul, “let’s all grow together with our kids.” Children are wonderful addition to your family not a burden on your life.
Another reason it’s better to have kids earlier is because it’s quicker to lose the baby weight in your twenties rather than 30’s or 40’s. As you get older, your Metabolism moves slower. Metabolism is what converts the fuel in the food we eat into the energy needed to power everything we do, from moving to thinking to growing. Moreover, when you get older your muscle mass decreases, which slows down the rate at which you burn calories. For instance, my first baby was born when I was 26 years old. There was not a problem into getting back to pre-pregnancy weight. In a matter of 3 months, I was back to size zero, without going to the gym or changing my diet. But giving birth to my third baby in my early 30’s, gave me an extremely hard time to lose the excess weight. My body never went back to the way it was. Although, I can’t wear my skinny jeans anymore, I learned how to embrace my new body. Preferred looking more “womanly” rather than “model-skinny.”
Your decision to have children, will change your life forever. There will be better times and worst times. You will discover some physical changes, emotional and changes in your mentality. It will be a roller coaster ride starting from the day you bring your baby at home through the day your child goes off to college. Lastly, being a new parent is about learning how to handle each challenge that comes your way with utmost poise, patience, also in the same time cherishing every second of the moment with your fast growing family.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/slow-metabolism/faq-20058480
The City Wife 