New Mom is an amazing concept!
New parenthood teaches me hundreds of lessons daily. Spending time with this teeny tiny human soul with big eyes is fascinating.
Even though my life is full of sleepless nights and tiresome schedules, parenthood is still amazing.
The steady Mom
I bumped into a grey-haired lady on the street the other day. We were walking along the street for some fresh air. She asked me, “How were things going?” “It feels fine,” I replied. I was fine, but I was sobbing inside because my mom was about to return to Sri Lanka after completing her three-month visit.
I could not explain the real me because my Mom was with me.
Living abroad and raising a child in a new culture is rather challenging. But I have to be steady.
The Nursing Mom
Sitting on the bed, keeping my back straight, pressing my cute little pie to the naked breast I was feeding. It was almost 2 am. I was thinking about thousands of new moms burning the midnight oil to feed their precious. What a natural and lovely process they are leading.
I can remember my first days as a nursing Mom in public. I always wanted extra privacy in public breastfeeding I take a big scarf whenever I go out with my boy. My husband told me, “Do not be over-concerned, darling,” but I always need my scarf in public nursing.
Seeking support Mom
I love to do things independently, but my little boy changed everything. After I came home from the hospital, my husband asked, “What would you like to have for lunch?” I said nothing. I had no idea what I needed. “Anything,” I replied. I was unable to make a decision alone, but I could not figure it out.
I feel exhausted cutting vegetables standing on the kitchen countertop, and I would love to have someone by my side in the kitchen to tell my birth story to someone.
Being along with my boy terrified me. For some reason, I feel super secure when I am with him. I had the same feeling when my mom was with me. I get confident and extra energy when my husband is with me.
Then, I understood that I needed a support system, guidance, practical help, and reassurance.
Mood swinging Mom
Hundreds of moods in one moment. I feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and tired at the same time. I hold my baby in the middle of the night, kiss his forehead, press to my breast, and smile. Smiling at a tiny human soul in the middle of the night! What a feeling. At the same time, I feel tired and pain in my back. But my boy’s smiling face beats it well.
Determined Mom
Before my boy was born, I had a very low level of knowledge of baby basics in feeding and changing diapers. Even though I did babysit for my sister’s little girl whenever I was free, my wiggly newborn made me squirm.
When the time came for my mom to leave us, I repeated to myself every day a Mantra, “You are doing best, and you will be in due course too.” Little by little, I felt confident about baby feeding, bathing, and putting him down for naps.
Over caring Mom
When the time came for my mother to leave, I was determined to handle everything on my own. But to be honest, I still feel anxious about feeding because he tends to sleep without burping and sometimes vomit, which made me lifeless at the beginning. My pediatrician told me that there are such occasions. But I keep him upright after feeding. I would say it is a “moment of top precaution”
We were in the process of tracking the feeding obsessively. Every two hours, strict feeding was my priority. I created the breastfeeding chart that included times of feeding, the frequency of urination, and bowel movements. This was how we did in the hospital; I continued the same for months.
And constant checking to see if the sleeping baby is breathing. I felt exhausted sometimes.
Learning Mom
Googling most of the baby reactions was my top priority. With his growth, I learned many things. The more I learn, the more I realize that parenting is a learning curve. When I was going through new mom stories, I understood that we all can see ourselves in their stories. I was learning and updating.
How about you? How about your roles as a new Mom?
