First days of motherhood

I am happy about being a mother. I waited long enough for it, I prayed, I fasted, I had people praying with me and fasting for me even when I was too weary to do so myself. And when it finally happened, I had to literally pinch myself and I wondered if I would wake up from this wonderful dream. Of course it was no dream and I am grateful for it.

Yet all my waiting, prayers, tears and preparations did not prepare me for this wonderful journey. Right from the first minute it was exciting yet challenging. TJ (my baby) was so impatient during meal times and during the first few trials at breastfeeding, he screamed if the breast did not get into his mouth on time. He would then continue screaming for a few minutes while I struggled with trying to properly position the breast. This frustrated me a great deal, but because I was still in a daze about having a baby in the first place, I did not dwell too much on it. I just told myself to focus and try again. Of course a day or two later it was smooth sailing. Thank God and thank bio-oil and happy events, I did not get sore nipples so breast feeding became an instant pleasure!

This was however just the beginning of my lifelong commitment, I say lifelong because I believe that even when he’s eighty, my baby will still be just that- a baby! So yes, this was just the beginning. The week at the hospital was the easiest, in spite of all the pain from the C-section,with nurses popping in and out to make sure all was well, bringing in a regular cup of tea to keep the milk flowing, it seemed like I could do this thing. Then I went home and realized I was supposed to bathe the baby myself! No ways, my mother had to do it. I was not going to risk dropping the poor fragile baby in the bath. Then the baby cried at night and I didn’t hear him, my sister had to wake me up, and on some days my mother had to do it. Needless to say my mother ended up staying for an extended period, just to make sure that I got with the program, she was not going to abandon her grandchild to me!

Imagine me bathing this tiny person - no ways!

I look back and wonder how I would have managed without my mum and sister during those first days especially the first 2 weeks at home when I was tired, and still in pain after the C-section. My appetite was low and any skipped meal would have meant less milk, so they went to pains to make sure I at least had something I enjoyed to eat. Not to mention that my husband was thousands of kilometers away and I missed him terribly and without my mum and sister I would have been alone. I will never look at them the same and I gained a new found appreciation for them. I don’t remember when I started bathing the baby because when my mum went back to her home, my sister immediately took over. When the baby cried, they quickly picked him and tried to calm him down. I still believe that without them those first days, I would have broken down.

I'm always curious to know how all the other first time, or even not first time mothers cope during the first few weeks. Who knows, your advice might help me with my next one!