26/02/2026
When Casey was around four weeks old I remember asking a newly acquainted mum friend, 'Does this get any easier?'
It makes me laugh now that I had deemed her an expert because she had a few weeks up on us.
She thoughtfully paused for a moment and said: 'It doesn't get easier, just different'.
Oof how she was right. All those leaps and wonder weeks that bled into each other. Punctuated only by teething and illness.
But then somehow it did start to get easier in small incremental ways that you don't really notice at the time.
Suddenly you're not carrying muslin cloths everywhere because he’s stopped bringing up milk. Suddenly he’s stopped dribbling and the bibs get packed away.
Suddenly you've no use for teething granules. Suddenly your back stops aching so much.
Suddenly he will play independently for 10 minutes here and there, 20 minutes even. Suddenly he drops all naps and the day no longer revolves around nap battles and timing everything to a tee.
Suddenly the gro-egg seems redundant. Suddenly your big jam-packed baby bag consists of just a sippy cup of water and a banana.
Suddenly, and crucially, sleep is no longer a stranger.
Simultaneous gains and losses.
Babyhood. It felt impossible until suddenly, it didn't anymore. It lasted an eternity, yet no time at all. I soaked it up and wished it away. I’m glad it’s over but miss it beyond belief. It was so hard. But never better. Ever.
Art:
https://www.instagram.com/cherith_art?igsh=ZXdqMGcxOW02amR2
Words: Mother Truths
Taken from: 'Lessons: Reflections on Early Motherhood'
Available to buy worldwide: http://linktr.ee/mother_truths
