Pregnancy changes things, that part is obvious. And parenthood changes things even more. You read all the books, articles and magazines about it and you feel prepared. You feel like you have all the answers, you got this.

Just like everything in life though, you don’t know until you know. Here are ten things that change when you have kids. Maybe you know them and maybe you don’t.

PERSPECTIVE

Your perspective on the world shifts when you bring a life into it. Things you thought were important become not so much. Things you thought you wanted, needed and worked for seem frivolous. Hell, work becomes something that stands in the way of staying with your baby all the time.

The worry that comes with a child will come and it will never leave. You may look at the world and be afraid. I challenge you to look at the world and the see the beauty though. Starting with that little baby. They are amazing and these are amazing times. Think of all the wonderful things your little creation may do. Cherish every moment. See the positive in every situation with them.

BODY

Ok, ok. I know this one is obvious. But it is the biggest physical change and it can’t be left out. You stretch and grow, you grow ANOTHER HUMAN! Gaahhh that is amazing but also you get acne, big boobs and everything else gets all loose and jiggly. There are parts that just will never go back to the way they were. And they shouldn’t, you just made the biggest miracle come true. Be proud and amazed. Be thankful. And workout if you want to make everything a little more firm and not jiggly.

HOME

Obviously you knew that you would end up with a child’s room in your home. You knew they would now have some things. BUT did you ever think about the fact that your house would never be clean again? Well maybe it could be here and there but basically only for 2 minutes because you made little tornados that blow through destroying everything in their path without so much as a care. I was unprepared.

Also the amount of real estate that baby stuff takes up is insane! Even if I get that back it will just be taken up by kid stuff and then teenager stuff, surely. So know the home will never be clean with kids at home. Don’t wish it away though. I dread the day that my house is always clean. Ok I sort of can’t wait too. It is a delicate balance, ok?

SEX LIFE

Assuming this one is also pretty obvious. Things change when you have a baby’s needs to make sure are met. And you are exhausted. And if one more person makes a demand of my body I may scream. I had no idea that there would be a good chunk of time where I had no desire to even think about it. No interest? That is a whole post in itself!

When the idea came around again and I was interested again, I didn’t realize that it may be better than it was before. Having a baby made me feel like I had done it all and knocked it out of the park, in a good way. Why should I worry about how my body looks or worry about the what ifs. My husband had been with me through it all and saw everything. That has to tell me that he can handle the changes of having a baby. And if we are in the moment I am speaking about, that means they don’t matter to him either. It was a great comfort to figure out.

Things change, yes. Most often you think it will be negative. But you could also be pleasantly surprised! You could feel more womanly and goddess like than ever. You could feel more in touch with your partner than you did before. I say, let’s shoot for the positive!

MONEY

Most people will say how expensive kids are and they will say that it gets more expensive each one you have. I will not debate that fact. I do want to point out this for my parents who do have more than one. I say this, if you have one adding another really doesn’t change it much. Daycare increases. That is the most noticeable. It is amazing how quickly you adjust. You may not even know what you are missing if you arent keeping a close eye. We have 5 and daycare has been the biggest expense. But I don’t feel as though our lifestyle has changed much either. We purchased a more expensive house while we have had babies as well as a vehicle. Overall do we have more debt, yes, but consumer debt has stayed about the same. This is a reason for many to not have more. I think you should do what is right for you but don’t base it on money. What you get from children (even in the crazy, pull out your hair, cry in the bathroom times) is beyond priceless.

What changes surprised you?