Hi, I’m Hannah.

Last June,I had my first baby, a girl named Eleanor.

I cannot believe she is almost a year old.

Woman and baby sitting on a blanket outdoors surrounded by floating soap bubbles

One thing I can say for certain is that labor and postpartum come withmany surprises.

1.That my body still wouldn’t really feel like mine for months.

4.That my boobs would change…a lot.

Mother sitting on a park bench, feeding an infant covered with a blanket, next to a stroller with a small dog inside

5.That the night sweats would last months.

6.That my hair would change drastically.

7.That I’d feel stronger postpartum than I ever did before.

Woman in a striped top using a breast pump and holding a wine glass

8.That I would bleed a lot in the first weeks postpartum.

9.That sex would hurt…for a while.

10.That having a baby would challenge my relationship with my husband.

Person in hospital bed with IV, holding something in mouth

11.That parenthood would come with lots of anxiety and constant worrying.

12.That after-birth contractions are a thing.

13.That it would be really difficult to get minor, everyday tasks done for a while.

Woman smiling at camera holding a sleeping baby in a onesie, with "Jessica" necklace, indoors by a window

14.That my hormones would go pretty wild when I stopped breastfeeding.

16.That it would be the most fun I’ve ever had.

Person in bed with a pillow over their head, wearing a sleeveless top, lying on a rumpled bedsheet

Person combing hair with a brush, seated at a desk, facing away from the camera

Woman holding a sleeping baby in a carrier, with an ice cream cone in her hand

Hands holding an adult incontinence underwear against a blue background

Scene from a film with a man and woman lying in bed, expressions suggest an awkward situation

Family portrait with two adults, a baby, and a dog, lounging together and smiling

Woman holds baby, both facing the sea. She's in a sleeveless dress; the baby in a onesie. They stand on a sandy beach

Newborn baby with hospital ID band holding an adult's finger, wrapped in a striped blanket

Open washing machine with a mix of laundry items inside

Woman with a tearful expression, close-up selfie, wearing a necklace and polka dot top

Child in a hooded polka-dot top sits on an adult's shoulders, both looking away contemplatively

Woman holding a child, both looking at a rainbow over a beach landscape