10 Brutally Honest Answers to 'What Advice Would You Give Your Pre-Mommy Self?'

For many of us, motherhood is the fulfillment of a dream. Our aspirations as wide-eyed teenagers may have included any/all of the following: a good job, a successful career, a life partner who shares our vision, and then a home and a family of our own. And children! Then what a happy human being we will be.

But let's be real. It's not easy being a mother. Heck, it's not easy being an adult! So just for fun, we asked those who've actually given birth and breastfed and went running on coffee and adrenaline for months caring for newborns what they would tell their younger, idealistic selves about motherhood, assuming it was possible. Warning: this is real as real can be:

Faye, a college professor, says, "Akala mo lang masaya. [Pero] Kaya mo yan." She also says prayers helped a lot in raising her daughter, who will soon graduate from college.  

Maan is mom to two daughters aged 20 and 13, and a tween son. She gave birth a year ago to her fourth child. She would tell her younger self: "Listen to your parents' advice. They are always right!"

Mom to a 7-week-old baby, Irish says, "Never take sleep for granted," because when you become a mom, you’ll be so desperate for sleep.

Weng, who has tried all kinds of stretch marks creams (from the affordable to the expensive), would like to warn her pre-mommy self: "Don't splurge on those belly creams. Wag ka maniwala, magkaka-stretch marks ka pa din." 

 

Diane, mom to a one-year-old baby, says that no matter how you prepare for motherhood, "Things won't always go as planned, so have A LOT of patience."

 

"Be forgiving of yourself. Motherhood is not about perfection," says Aimeh, who has a 4-month-old baby. She says that a child does not need a perfect mom, rather one who embraces with an open heart.

Audrey, a happily single mom to a teenage boy, says the best decision she made was to not get married. So her advice is, "Stay single; you'll live happily even after." 

 

For Miles, self-care is as important as caring for your loved ones when you're a mom. She would tell her younger self: "You cannot pour from an empty cup. It's okay to splurge on yourself." 

Alia, who just gave birth to her third child, will tell her younger self, "Show off that flat puson and tight butt in a swimsuit while you have it. Kahit hindi summer!" because when you become a mom, they will all bulge in the wrong places. 

Vanessa, a mom of three, would advice her younger self to "Never forget to take care of yourself. Easier said than done, but it's essential to your well-being."

Your turn — what would YOU tell your younger self? Leave a comment below!