Here’s some advice on adjusting to parenthood from the book “How to Survive Your Baby’s First Year” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $12.95), straight from people who’ve done it.
“I had thought a lot about being pregnant and enjoyed all the attention during the pregnancy. But as soon as the baby was born, life changed completely. No one gave me any attention anymore; everyone focused on the baby. And my husband and I were not as flexible anymore.”
— Paget Perrault, Melbourne, Australia; parent of a 35-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter
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“The hardest part of pregnancy for me was when it was over. I couldn’t stand looking pregnant after the fact. I handled this by working out regularly, eating right, but also enjoying the baby and not being too hard on myself. I quickly realized that you can’t get back your body in a couple months, like some magazines would have you believe.”
— Vanessa Wilkinson, Colora, Md.; mother of a 3-year-old son and a 5-month-old son
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“My husband is a great dad and picks up a lot of the slack, but it’s still hard. I think he wants to live in a sitcom from the ’50s where after a long day he comes home to a perfect house with a perfect wife and perfect kids. That’s never going to happen, but hopefully when I get more used to having both kids all the time he can at least come home to a house that’s not a complete disaster, a wife that’s not pulling her hair out, and two children that are wonderful, even though they’re not perfect.”
— Sarah Sisson Christensen, San Diego; mother of a 2-year-old son and 2-month-old daughter
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“My college roommates and I created a Mommy Group over the Internet. Between all of us, we’ve got nearly a dozen kids ranging from babies to teens. So no matter what question you have, somebody has some relevant experience they can share with you. Plus, it keeps us all in touch.”
— K.B., San Francisco; mother of three sons: 6, 3, and 3 months old
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“Don’t judge your husband too harshly.”
— Anonymous, Liverpool, N.Y.; parent of a 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son
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© 2007, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.