It’s partially out of necessity, yes, but there’s that (all-too-short, I discovered) stage of parenting where you can bring your baby with you wherever you go. Before too long they'll start attempting to squirm and move and walk and talk, and outings will become nothing short of taxing. In the beginning, however, they’re essentially an extension of you. That's the best.

On the flip side of bringing your baby everywhere, is also the excuse to stay in with your baby, which I was slightly more inclined to do. Yes, it’s nice to be able to strap your baby to you and go for a walk or hit a coffee shop, but it’s also nice to lay your baby on a blanket and hang out with them in the comfort of your own home.

It’s not that I didn’t want to see people, it’s that I didn’t want to exert the effort it took to get myself together, and get the baby ready for a planned outing. Random sporadic outings? Yes, sign me up. However, having to get to a certain place at a certain time with the newborn in tow? Yeah, sorry. That’s not realistic for me.

Confession: I did this. I was planning to go visit some work colleagues and my newborn son was totally snoozing on my chest. This wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence, and while chances were good that he probably would have stayed asleep even if we’d moved him to his carrier, I just didn't want to risk it. New moms have permission to do that.

Technically I suppose this is possible at other points in your life, but still; those times are rare. Since we’re on the subject, however, if any of my local friends read this and want to start sharing dinners with me and my family on a regular basis, I won't object.

Babies spit up, they drool, and their diapers leak. It’s simply inevitable. The only other time I can think of any exceptions to this rule is if you’re some sort of medical professional who swooped in and saved some lives during a horrific emergency. In that case, I think it would also be OK to have bodily fluids on your clothes, since you’re a hero and all.

I mean, television shows try to convince me some women talk about this stuff all the time, but my friends and I typically don’t. Unless, of course, one of us just had a baby, in which case there’s very little that’s off limits.

I vividly remember one of the first times I successfully completed a load of laundry while I was home alone with my son. I felt like I could conquer the world. I’d blame it on the fact that, up until that moment, I’d totally ignored everything else I normally did in order to make my house and my life function.

Cooking? Dishes? More laundry? Why are these things so impossible when a tiny person is next to you? I don’t know, but maybe science can look into it.

I was warned that bringing home a new baby can be emotional. I thought I was prepared. Spoiler alert: there was nothing I could do to fight it. I think I broke down in every room of our house at some point, over seemingly minor things (like bottles and diapers and my baby's perfect face). It’s just reality. Perhaps it’s so the baby understands that they’re not the only ones who can cry? Just a guess.

Unless, of course, you and your partner have an open relationship. But if you don’t, and if you’ve opted to remain monogamous, adding a new person to your family and spreading the love is a new, and dare I say, fantastic experience.