From the moment a positive pregnancy test appears, parenthood can be an exciting but also a mind-boggling time – and it’s completely normal that it is filled with both highs and lows. Many mums-to-be find their heads full of questions and concerns: Is my baby moving enough or too much? Should I have eaten that? What’s the safest car seat/pushchair, etc. Is it normal to feel…?
And what’s more, these feelings only intensify when your little one is born! We can find ourselves worrying about all aspects of their lives – and the reason for this is that we care so much and want our decisions to be successful and beneficial.
However, most of us find these concerns are overpowered by the start of this magical journey. It can begin with the daydreams of who the baby will look like and delighting in feeling those tiny wriggles and kicks, then expanding into a world of new beginnings, milestones and discoveries; you and your baby learning together. We marvel about the softness of their skin, immerse ourselves in their scent and can lose hours cuddling their warm tiny bodies.
What’s interesting is that each child has their own identity and so no two pregnancies or first few weeks are the same. And of course our own bodies need time to recover from the birth process, baby’s constant demands to be fed, and the inevitable sleepless nights. Many new parents that I meet say that the pride and love overwhelms the difficult times – we continue to unconditionally love and invest until we are rewarded at last with one of the most longed for sights, that precious first smile.
