I’ll start this by saying that I have the most amazing family there is. Truly I do. My childhood rocked. What I was given, granted, experienced growing up far surpassed others I know, and I can only hope and pray that I can afford my children the same sort of life if not better. Again, if that’s even possible.
I’ll jump in secondly and tell you that my group of friends is better than yours. Ha. Teasing; kinda. So here’s the thing about my friends. I never really had the posse that you see from some people. There’s always a group of five girls who do everything together and could rally the troops for a party in an instant. I’m not that girl. Granted, I could gather a group and we could all have fun, but my circle’s a little different. It’s a mish mosh of badass chicks from all different walks of my life that have made me who I am today, but fortunately for me, also play well together in the sandbox.
So, now that you’ve heard that background, let’s jump into my point. I’ll preface this by saying, some have looked at me in horror when I say this, but I’ll share first and then explain…. Here it goes….
In my opinion, having a baby is similar to a death in the family. Yes, I said it, (insert mouth drop, shock, horror, awe, how could you say that blah blah blah), and here’s why… Not to be all morbid, but it’s the truth. When all of this starts in either scenario, everyone is around. People are there for you: calling, sending gifts, cards, meals, stopping over, letting you rest etc., and then BAM! Everyone goes back to their normal lives once the buzz and novelty wear off. I’m not saying that my family and friends were not there for me. I’m not saying that I am ungrateful for all that they did do for me during the chaotic time of coming home etc. What I am saying is that at the end of the day, there will be that moment when it all stops. I remember one quiet moment about a month in, when I was staring at my sleeping baby and I just cried.. Cried my eyes out. Of course I loved this little scooch more than anything in the whole entire world, but the responsibility was solely mine. My family and friends had to get back to life. My husband had to go back to work. This little beautiful munchkin was all mine to deal with as the world kept turning, yet mine was seemingly standing still.
The point of this whole rant is that at some point, you will feel alone*. On an island and overwhelmed. You’re not the only one Momma. I promise you that, and it’s normal. This little person is yours to continue nurturing, loving and protecting with all its roller coaster of emotions.
*If you feel depressed or as if you want to harm yourself or your baby, speak to your doctor immediately. This is not medical advice or permission for negative, harmful behavior to any person; simply personal opinion with no medical basis or actual fact.