12 hilariously relatable comics about life as a new mom.

Embarrassing stains on your T-shirt, sniffing someone’s bum to check if they have pooped, the first time having sex post-giving birth — as a new mom, your life turns upside-down.

Comic of mother and baby
Photo credit: All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.Some good and not so good moments with babies.


Embarrassing stains on your T-shirt, sniffing someone’s bum to check if they have pooped, the first time having sex post-giving birth — as a new mom, your life turns upside-down.

Illustrator Ingebritt ter Veld and Corinne de Vries, who works for Hippe-Birth Cards, a webshop for birth announcements, had babies shortly after one another.

In the series “#ThingsOnlyMomsKnow” Ingebritt and Corinne depict the reality of motherhood—with all the painful, funny, and loving moments not always talked about.

1. Pee-regnant.

Comic of a pregnant mom needing the toilet
Expectant moms plan for the bathroom.
All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

2. How (not) to sleep.

Pregnant woman sleeping on her stomach
Learning how to go with the flow. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

3. Cry baby.

Comic of parents watching home videos
Moms can be emotional… and dads too. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

4. The new things that scare you…

Comic of a woman on a flying carpet
Falling in love with the necessary conveniences. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

5. …and the new things that give you the creeps.

Comic of man speaking to pregnant woman's belly
People have the ability to make normal situations feel weird. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

6. Being a new mom can get a little … disgusting.

Comic of a woman holding a pregnancy test
The convenience of a pregnancy tests is also peeing on a stick. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

7. And every mom has experienced these postpartum horror stories.

Comic of a woman sneezing and wetting herself
Taking advantage of two bodily functions at one time. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

8. There are many, many memorable firsts.

Comic of a woman holding a pooping baby
Walking into a house with babies… yep. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

9. Getting to know your post-baby body is an adventure.

Comic of two women having tea while one lactates
Have a spare shirt ready to go. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

10. Pumping ain’t for wimps.

Comic of a woman pumping her breasts
Looking behind the magic of a breast pump. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

11. You become very comfortable with spit-up. Very comfortable.

Comic of a baby spitting up on mom
No need to duck. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

12. Your body, mind, and most importantly, heart, will expand in ways you didn’t know possible.

Comic of a woman's changing body
There are going to be changes. All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

This story first appeared on Hippe Birth Cards and is reprinted here with permission.


This article originally appeared eight years ago.

Relationships

US Men’s Soccer players salute unsung mentors who made their World Cup dreams happen in ‘The Assist’

Culture

After surviving a stroke, an Iowa barber offers free blood pressure checks alongside new do’s

Nutrition

A grocery chain in Korea has a genius way of selling bananas that could be a game changer in the U.S.

Nature

Father-daughter detour in Norway led straight to a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age secret