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Survey Reveals Things that New Moms Miss the Most

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Jul 17, 2013 05:43 PM EDT

A new survey reveals some of the things new mothers miss most about their old lives.

The poll revealed that new moms miss being able to stay in bed the most, followed by uninterrupted nights in with their boyfriend or husband.

The survey found that being able to be spontaneous and change plans at the last minute came third, and having a uninterrupted conversation with a friend and being able to eat out with no stress came in fourth and fifth.

The other most missed parts of the old life was being able to have late nights out with partners and friends.

 Romantic vacations and shopping trips with friends were also among the things new moms missed the most as they evolve into their new roles.

The latest findings showed that more than two thirds of mothers were not prepared for how stressful it would be to have a new baby, and 41 percent described the first six weeks after giving birth as "a whirling" while another 47 percent said they were "happy but utterly exhausted".

Only 15 percent of respondents said they felt in control and organized during those first few weeks of motherhood.

The average respondents said that it took them at least 10 and a half weeks to settle in their new role as a mom, and a fourth of respondents said the most useful thing a friend or a relative did for them in the weeks after giving birth was offering to take care of their baby so they could have some time to themselves.

The survey found that 15 percent of new mothers appreciated their partner offering to cook a meal for the family and 14 percent appreciated their partner offering to clean the house so that they had time to focus on their baby during the first weeks of motherhood.

"In the first few weeks after having your baby, you are mostly occupied with nothing else but your new born," said Kirstie Allsopp, ambassador for P&G's Everyday Effect campaign, who commissioned the survey, according to Daily Mail. "But as you settle into a routine, it's easy to find yourself looking back to your life "pre-baby" and thinking about the things that have changed."

"One of the biggest differences is the amount of sleep you get and the results seem to back this up with just being able to lie in bed for as long as you like the thing new moms miss the most," Allsopp said.

"It's the little things which can often make the biggest difference, so someone offering to look after your baby for an hour or two so you can just doze in bed for a while is invaluable for many new mums," she added.

Top 10 Things New Moms Miss Most About Their Old Lives

1.     Lying in bed if you are tired

2.     Uninterrupted nights in with partner

3.     Opportunity to change ideas and plans at the last minute

4.     Conversation with a friend without an interruption

5.     Eating out

6.     Night out with partner

7.     Going to the cinema

8.     Late nights with friends

9.     Romantic escapes

10. Shopping with friends

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