Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Being a new mom comes with a whole mess of emotions and feelings. There's the most obvious: Joy. The most talked about: Exhaustion. And the not so talked about one: Fear. Fear that we're not doing a good job as parents. Fear that our baby isn't getting enough to eat. Fear about our partner's paternity leave ending.
If you think maternity leave is a joke in this country, I'd like you to feast your eyes on paternity leave, ladies and gents. Most men, including my husband, don't get longer than two weeks off of work to spend at home with their new baby. And if it's your first child and you don't have a lot of experience with babies (hi), having your husband go back and leave you all alone is kinda, sorta terrifying.
Here are the 8 stages new moms go through when their husbands go back to work.
At first, you're like: "No, it's cool. You can go. I got this."
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
But then the day before he goes back, and your baby won't stop crying, you're like: "Wait a minute ..."
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, the night before, when he's making his lunch and getting his clothes ready, you're like: "Dear god, please don't leave me."
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, when the baby wakes up that night, you're like: "I should definitely get up alone since he has work, but my god, this is so lonely!"
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, the next day, when your husband's at work, and things are going well, you're like: "I'm super mom!"
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, when it's 4:00 and you know you have a few more hours left, you think about your husband at work and are like:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, when he pulls in the driveway, you're like:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Then, as the days go by, and you and baby get the hang of things, you're like:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
What was it like when your partner went back to work after paternity leave?
Image via Narith5/Flickr
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
