Being a new mum is tough. You've got to deal with sleepless nights and pain as your body tries to return to normal while you care for a whole new person.
HOWEVER... newborn babies, well what can we say? They are simply the cutest, cuddliest and most precious things this world has to offer.
The way they grip your baby finger with their sweet little hands, the way they smell and the way they snuggle into you - they are just wonderful. And being a new mum means you get to enjoy these sweet little things all to yourself.
But they're not the only amazing things about being a new mum. Oh no. Here are six other things that will make you incredibly broody.
1. You don't have to put them down if you don't want
You'll be inundated with advice about how long you should hold your little one for, when you should put them down etc. etc. but the only person you need to listen to is yourself (oh, and maybe your GP/ midwife). But being a new mum means you can hold that sweet baby all day long if you like. Seriously, trust us when we say you'll never want to put your little one down. Not only are they small and cuddly, but with their groggy little eyes and sweet little yawns, you'll struggle to not want to squish and kiss their tiny faces all day long.
2. You get to see the world through this little person's eyes for the first time
When you reach a certain age, it's easy to let the world go by without so much as a proper glance. You can even become blind to your surroundings on your route to work - same old, same old. However, this is your baby's first time seeing anything - birds, trees, family, friends, food, water - and you'll start to look at the world you live in with different eyes. New, fresh eyes.
3. The cuddles. The sweet, wonderful cuddles.
Seriously, they might be small but these teeny, tiny little babas can give one hella cuddle. The way they cling to your body, grip your finger - there are not many other things in this world that can make you feel so happy.
4. There are so many firsts and it's an incredibly exciting time
You're both now trying to find your way in the world: you in your new role as mama and your baby as they take in the world around them - and it's such a wonderful time. Even everyday things become momentous occasions: popping to the shops becomes the first time baby leaves the house, going to swim classes becomes the first time you meet like-minded mums. The first time baby sees a dog; the first time you put a nappy on; the first time baby sees Granny; the first time you make a bottle or breastfeed - everything is a first and it's incredibly exciting. Yes, not everything is all rainbows and sunshine - the first time you have to leave your baby (even if it is only for an hour or two) for instance, but the good times will always outweigh the exhausting times.
5. The little gummy smile
It may be a milk smile, but when your baba looks at you with wide open eyes and a wonderful gummy smile, it's the best feeling in the world. They have full trust in you, their mama.
6. Knowing just how important you are to family and friends
When baby arrives, that's when you really find out who your friends are. The people who drop in lasagne dishes or offer to do your laundry - they're the people that matter, and trust us when we say, you'll know just how much you are loved as soon as your baba arrives.
