Skip to main content

To all the mothers, I am sorry

This year has really been a whirlwind.

I welcomed my first child into the world on 20 March.

To say that it's been a huge change is an understatement. But I have an apology to make. That apology is to all the mothers out there who I did not understand...at least before I had my daughter.

I'm sorry that I failed to understand why you could not be on time. I used to think that it was as simple as shoving your child into the carseat and starting the ignition. I mean what is so hard about that? You just grab the kid and go right?....

I did not understand that infants need to be fed on demand. That they can have a poo explosion at any time. A crying fit for no reason. All these things can contribute to punctuality. Not to mention the sheer amount of things you need to pack for simple outings that may last an hour or two. Have I got the formula? the bibs? the bottles? the plastic bags to put dirty nappies? the spare change of clothes (or two)? the change mat? not to mention my own belongings. I am exhausted before I am even out the door sometimes..and it's not just from the lack of sleep. It's from how much more complicated my life just got.

I am sorry to the mothers who I judged for having a crying baby on airplanes. I wouldn't dare have the courage to try that one anytime soon.

I am sorry for the looks I gave you when your pram nearly took me out. Prams are big and awkward. They are hard to manoeuvre and I myself have nearly taken people out in lifts with my pram. (Sorry to the nice understanding lady in the lift yesterday). I am not aware of how big this pram is and am getting used to it myself.

Then theres the judgment I gave while you breast fed. I thought that mothers could just pull out the 'modesty bib/blanket' and get on with it. Why did I need to see the nipples? I now get it. Getting a baby to latch on is hard enough without fussing over whether anyone is watching. If you think that mothers should express milk before going out in public.. expect them to be another 90 minutes late. Expressing milk from a pump takes time. It's also super draining.

The point is that your baby needs to be fed. Have you tried reasoning with a hungry newborn? Yes... good luck. Also once that latch is in place.. you're stuck there for the next 40 minutes. Breast feeding sure isn't as easy as it looks.

I'm sorry.

I am sorry for the ignorance I had when it came to hospital visitations. While I didn't visit my friends in the hospital, I didn't think visiting was a crime. That is.. until I had my own child.

Have you ever tried to recover from major abdominal surgery, had your breasts leaking everywhere, blood pouring out of you, been sleep deprived, trying to work out your newborn and then having to deal with visitors on top of that?

I was not aware of this little thing called 'Baby Blues' which emerges around day three after childbirth. It happens and it is very real.Your body is a mess. Your emotions are a mess. Having a child is over whelming. Some women may be fine with visitations.  I wasn't one of them but up until having a child. I wasn't aware.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry to the working mothers who I secretly envied for having jobs where they could have a day or two off a week to look after their kids. I envisioned it like a holiday. Wow.

After spending 24/7 with my newborn for a week. I want to run back to work. Or talk to any adult. The postman? The midwife? I need adult company. I'll chat to anyone over the age of 18.

Having a child is a full time job. Except it's not 9 to 5.

It's  a 24/7 job with no payment. Yet, for every smile my newborn gives me. I wouldn't have it any other way.

When mothers tell you that nothing prepares you for childbirth they are right.

So on behalf of  the young-ignorant-childfree me. I am sorry to all the mothers out there.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

We won't achieve Gender Equality until Ardern's situation is viewed as normal.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discovered she was pregnant only six days away from being announced as Prime Minister on 19 October 2017. At first she and partner Clarke Gayford chose to keep it quiet but since announcing her pregnancy the 37 year old has received a mixed response with some feeling 'betrayed' by the announcement, accusing her of being 'selfish' for putting her needs before her country and that she chose to have her baby at the wrong time and should have 'waited' until she wasn't prime minister. Others have suggested that due to the pregnancy she will not be 'fit for purpose' and cannot possibly handle being prime minister as well as being pregnant. Mainly because you know....'baby brain?' There has also been concern around the amount of time she will take for maternity leave. Ardern has stated that she is going to take six weeks off and that her partner Gayford will look after the baby. Ardern's situat...

It's not accurate to say that someone 'lost' their battle with cancer

Whenever I see a well known person or celebrity who died of cancer the common text surrounding the death will usually include sentences such as ‘they lost their battle with cancer.’ I’ve had family members pass away from this disease but I know that I am not alone. Around 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. My issue with the phrase is that cancer is not a battle one can control. By categorising a cancer death with ‘losing the battle’ implies that there is an element of control by the person suffering from the disease. The success rate will depend on the stage of cancer, how far it has spread and how aggressive the cancer is. Even after a cancer battle is ‘won’ (meaning remission) it is still an on going burden. Cancer treatment today involves chemotherapy but the important thing to remember is that chemotherapy is not a cure. It is a treatment. That individual will still need to monitor their cancer for years to come. ...

Freedom of Speech is Un-Australian...literally

The NSW Government passed a bill which seeks to enable 'safe access zones' for women visiting abortion clinics. The bill will mean that pro life protesters cannot harass women entering these clinics (at least within a 150m radius). This is a small victory for women who choose to access these services. What is surprising about the bill being passed was the lack of support from the NSW Minister for Women - Tanya Davies. Davies cited her reason behind the her decision was to give  protesters the opportunity to 'give information' to these women. That reasoning is unsatisfactory, for instance, if Davies is concerned about the 'information' that women need to have regarding abortions then she is misinformed about the actual procedure of abortion in NSW. The current procedure for women who choose to abort consists of counselling prior to making that final decision. At that counselling session they would be adequately informed of all their options. Therefore the ...