40 New-Mom Quotes For Inspiration & Commiseration

I will never forget the feeling of complete joy and extreme fear and anxiety I felt when I brought my son home from the hospital for the first time. I went to the hospital as my old self, and I left as a new person, a “mom” with a brand-new family — how beautiful, and terrifying. Millions of women become mothers each year. And new moms have a lot to say. These new-mom quotes express the emotions and realizations of new motherhood — the highs and the lows as well as the encouragement and laughter we all need during this time of transition.

Funny new-mom quotes

Sometimes you just need a laugh — especially when you haven’t slept in what feels like weeks and you’re still trying to heal and recover from the major trauma to your body called childbirth. Grab your phone and scroll through these funny new-mom quotes while you patiently wait for that first postpartum bowel movement (yes, your bowel movement and the nurses are waiting!) or when you are rocking your baby at 3 a.m. trying to get them to go back to sleep.

• “First of all, you haven't seen your vagina in months, even though it's all her fault you're in this situation. Now that you can finally confirm that she is, in fact, still there, she isn't the gal that you remember, and would rather you back off and give her some space (and an ice diaper) for the time being, thank you very much.” — Olivia Wilde
• “Becoming a mom to me means you have accepted that for 16 years of your life, you will have a sticky purse.” — Nia Vardalos
• “Every day when you're raising kids, you feel like you could cry or crack up and just scream 'This is ridiculous!' because there's so much nonsense, whether it's what they're saying to you or the fact that there's avocado or poop on every surface.” — Kristen Bell
• “Parenting is f*cking hard.” — Adele
• “Having a baby is just living in the constant unexpected, you never know when you're gonna get crapped on or when you're gonna get a big smile or when that smile immediately turns into hysterics.” — Blake Lively
• "You can be a mess and still be a good mom. We are allowed to be both." — Katie Bingham Smith
• "The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable." — Lane Olinghouse

New-mom quotes about life before kids

We all drift back to that time before kids from time to time, and it’s OK to be nostalgic for your former life as just you. But as Julia Roberts said, the tradeoff is totally worth it.

• “I don’t have the luxury of sitting around anymore. I must have had bags of spare time before I had children but I don’t know what I did with it and I didn’t appreciate it. But it’s such a terrific tradeoff.” — Julia Roberts
• "It's such big feelings. When you're pregnant, everything just feels magnified." — Hilary Duff
• “I firmly regret not including K-cups in my baby shower registry. I've spent enough money on coffee to invest in my portfolio or buy a small car.” — Hannah Murphy

Sentimental new-mom quotes

These sentimental new mom quotes quotes will help you remember why you wanted to do this whole mom thing and make you fall in love with your baby a little bit more, even when they won’t let you sleep.

• “Motherhood is the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It’s huge and scary—it’s an act of infinite optimism.” — Gilda Radner
• “Sometimes, when you pick up your child, you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood – finding a piece of yourself separate and apart, that all the same, you could not live without.” — Jodi Picoult
• “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” — Osho
• “Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. Before you were here, I would die for you. This is the miracle of Mother’s love.” — Maureen Hawkins
• “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” — Sophia Loren
• “A miracle is the only way to describe motherhood and giving birth. It’s unbelievable how God has made us women and babies to endure and be able to do so much. A miracle, indeed. Such an incredible blessing.” — Jennie Finch
• “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” — Robert Browning
• “A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years and in your heart till the day you die.” — Mary Mason
• “Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” — Carrie Fisher
• “Now, there will always be somebody that is on my mind for the rest of my life, somebody that I care about more than anything. And that's never going to change.” — Shay Mitchell

New-mom quotes about mother’s guilt

As long as your baby is fed, safe, and loved, you’re doing great. Don’t let others get you down for doing things your own way. What works for one mom may not work for you. These quotes about feeling guilt as a new-mom prove that the feeling is normal, but that there’s a village of people telling you to go easy on yourself.

• “I have, like, the craziest guilt. I don’t know why that was my mom card dealt to me, but I feel like I can never give my kids enough of me.” — Hilary Duff
• “Parenting is really hard because we haven’t been sold a realistic version of what it really is. Things are always harder when your expectations are off.” — Dr. Becky Kennedy
• "The more people you have around your children who are safe and loving and caring, the better. So yeah, it was a real weight off my shoulders that it's not totally my responsibility to do everything. Because we all have good days and bad days and if you can dilute that with others who aren't on that day particularly struggling, I think it makes such a difference for your child." — Kate Middleton

Encouraging new-mom quotes

You got this, Mama. The newborn phase is incredibly hard and scary, but it’s also a time that you’ll look back on fondly (because you definitely gloss over the bad stuff in your memories). We’ve all been there, and you’re not alone. These encouraging new mom quotes can help you get over any hump.

• “Hey, mama. I see you stressed out, tired, touched out, stretched thin, irritable, snappy, imperfect, short-tempered, grumpy, crying, it’s okay. Everybody has been there; it sucks, but you are good. You are a good mom, say it, believe it.” — Unknown
• “You’re always going to wonder if you’re doing things wrong, but that’s what it means to be a mom, to care so much about someone else that you just want to be as perfect as possible.” – Naya Rivera
• “The choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is.” – Oprah
• “The best way I can describe [motherhood] is the most madly in love you have ever been mixed with the most painful heartbreak of all time.” — Gwyneth Paltrow
• “When you have kids everything has to be somewhat organized because otherwise it's just pure chaos.” — Danielle Fishel

New-mom quotes about feeding

Bottle-fed, breastfed, however your baby is fed, it’s perfect for you and your family. Whether you’re looking for encouragement about breastfeeding, because it is way harder than it looks, or you’re trying to block out the mom-shamers and guilty feelings about formula feeding, these new-mom quotes about feeding have got you covered.

• “My attitude is, if someone sees a little somethin’ somethin’, don’t look if you don’t like it.” — Kourtney Kardashian
• “Dear formula-feeding mama, I want you to know that it’s okay. That you’re making a good decision and your baby is going to be just fine. You’re providing them with life, food, and love, and that’s something that flows from a mother’s heart, not just a mother’s breast. You’re doing beautifully, mama. Pick up the bottle, set down your fears, and enjoy this wild ride of uncertainty that is motherhood.” — Unknown
• “Breastfeeding reminds us of the universal truth of abundance; the more we give out, the more we are filled up, and that divine nourishment — the source from which we all draw — is, like a mother’s breast, forever full and eternally flowing.” — Sarah Buckley
• “The natural power of breastfeeding is one of the greatest miracles of the world. It is about real love, caring for and celebrating the wondrous joy of nurturing a new life, it is about enjoying being a woman.” — Anwar Fazal
• “Breastfeeding is an unsentimental metaphor for how love works, in a way. You don’t decide how much to love. You simply respond to the beloved, and give with joy exactly as much as they want.” — Marni Jackson
• “I bottle fed, I breast fed, and before I knew it, they were all eating stale french fries off the floor of the minivan, and I was like, whatever, thanks for cleaning.” — Joslyn Gray
• “There is a part of me that obviously loves this moment, but … I can't stress about it. I'm just going to have to go with it. And when I run out of milk, then I run out of milk, and I'm already kind of weaning her on formula. It is what it is.” — Shay Mitchell

New-mom quotes about sleep — or lack of it

Whenever anyone anywhere mentions a newborn, the subject immediately turns to sleep. “Sleep when the baby sleeps!” is always thrown around. These quotes about the lack of sleep as a new parent are totally relatable.

• “It’s the best acting of my life right here, the well-rested woman. It’s my finest role.” — Kerry Washington
• “I'm a walking zombie and I think I'm going to be like that for a while.” — Tiffani Thiessen
• “Yes, my kids come first, but as a parent I need to come to them with a fresh mind. I can't be too exhausted or too tired. And I am a better parent [when] I have more energy.” — Molly Ringwald
• “Without enough sleep, we all become tall 2-year olds.” — JoJo Jensen
• “Sleep is like the unicorn — it is rumored to exist, but I doubt I will see any.” — Dr. Seuss

Whether you’re needing a good laugh, longing for a feeling of camaraderie, or just need some encouragement, these quotes will hopefully provide a bit of levity, hope, and inspiration for all of you new moms. You’ve got this.