Becoming a mum for the first time is a dramatic change in any woman's life. Despite all of the advice that is passed down from mothers around you, you still aren't quiet prepared for the changes that occur when you have your own little human. This rings so true for my journey into motherhood.
I come from a relatively big family which consists of a number of strong willed and independent women. When announcing my pregnancy to family members, I expected the advice and tricks of the trade to come flooding in. I bought every book, read every blog and watched every episode of One Born Every Minute. However, when Darcie arrived into our world, I still couldn't help to feel completely overwhelmed and unprepared. After all, this tiny human was my responsibility! She relied on me to look after her and guide her in this crazily big world. How was I meant to cope?
I remember leaving the hospital and thinking to myself 'Why are you letting me leave? I am not ready! I can't do this without you midwives' - Little did I realise that actually most mums feel like this and that there is no right or textbook way to parent. You learn on the job.
Darcie is now 6 months old and I can say that I love being her mummy - I think back on my life before Dot and it seems so lackluster. I love watching her learn and respond to the world around her. Even at 2am when all she wants is a cuddle and all I want is sleep, I often find myself staring into her little face and thinking how I wouldn't change my life for the world. She amazes me daily and I laugh at how much personality she has already. I know we have a strong willed girl on our hands for sure. She is going to put the world to rights and I cannot wait to witness her tackle the big world around her. Not too soon though, I love her being small far too much at the moment! Haha!
I have learnt so much about myself since becoming a mum. I have learnt to go with my decisions; there are so many ways to parent and other parents will share what worked for them. However that might not work for you, so go with what works best for you and YOUR baby, I have learnt to sympathize with that parent in the supermarket whose child is having a melt down - stay strong! You are doing your best! Finally, I have learnt to take time to take in the important moments. 6 months have gone in a blink of an eye; with every first moment, I know that at some point there will be a last and so I try to appreciate both the little and the big things in life.
I am enjoying being a mum. I am enjoying motherhood. It has been hard at times but it has completely been worth it because having Darcie has created a whole new dimension and meaning to our little family. My heart is full of love (cringe i know) and I cannot wait to continue on my adventure through motherhood.
Thanks for reading my first blog post.
G x