Trust Yourself

When i gave birth to my first baby, i fell in complete and total love, so gigantic, it felt like my heart would burst. I cried with emotion every time i looked at her sweet peaceful face. The sheer depth of this love was indescribable really, a miracle i couldn’t fathom until i experienced it myself. The world became a different place and no one can tell you what it feels like. But when it happens, you FINALLY get it. You are a member of a new club in a way. Every mom out there is nodding right now - no need to say more.
The camaraderie of other moms going through this same experience is priceless and much needed, yet I, for one, would never ever trade the isolation that being the mother of a newborn incites.
Now granted, there weren’t computers in the early nineties when i had my first precious baby. And for that, i am thankful. If i had a question or concern i either
A) picked up one of my many parenting books.
B) called a friend or my mom. Or...
C) called the doctor.
Sharing every waking second of my baby’s early days, i feel, would have taken tremendous time away from this life-changing experience. I remember feeling almost cocooned, removed from the outside world and thrown into a whole new realm, totally foreign to my being......It felt scary and exciting. Being completely responsible for the care and protection of this small, helpless human being was daunting. I had no idea what i was doing. I didn’t even know how to change a diaper. It was certainly different from changing one on the doll in the Baby 101 class my husband and i enrolled in......the little legs certainly weren’t kicking wildly on the doll!
Was it isolating? Yes to a degree. Did the days sometimes feel long? Of course. But what is wrong with that??
I was forced to learn as i went, make errors and often overprotective decisions that i now laugh at, but in doing so, i gained my own sense of competence and a confidence and trust in myself were evident. I CAN do this! When i emerged (it felt like an emergence ) from this incredible period of time, it felt like a rite of passage. I was now somebody’s mommy, the most important and humbling role i could ever imagine or dream of.
Some feel that they have to “share” every minute detail, from bowel movements to every facet of how their breast feel. Just look at the internet and it is all there and much more. Yet, precious moments are often missed or not fully experienced while this over sharing takes place.
Yes, we live in a time of constant connection, overload in many ways, and the pull of that keyboard is hard to ignore for many.
But that peaceful blissful time with a newborn is a true gift, not to be taken for granted as it passes in the blink of an eye
So just try turning off the electronics.......and fully and completely experience this irreplaceable special time.
Trust me.....it goes by quickly!