From the first time you lay eyes on your baby, a bond forms like you have never felt before.
An intense drive pushes you to do whatever possible to provide for your new little one.
It’s hard to imagine that life could be tougher with a sweet little soul blessing your household, but thanks to the intricacies of societal influence- it is.
Alice Taylor found this out quickly. Writing for Scary Mommy she shares how easy things were for her in the beginning as a mother:
“Being a mother has come easily to me. A few hours after my daughter was born, something switched inside of me and somehow I knew what to do. I spent most of my pregnancy not feeling maternal, panicking that I would not know how to take care of my daughter and thinking that I would fail from day one as a mother. Thankfully, this was not the case.”
Science even backs this up.
“A mother’s impulse to love and protect her child appears to be hard-wired into her brain, a new imaging study shows,” reports The New York Times.
For many mothers, tuning into the needs of a newborn is instinctual. It usually doesn’t take long for a mom to be able to distinguish a dirty diaper cry from a hunger wail.
Especially in the beginning it is easy to get into what I call the “baby bubble.”
This is where you are so wrapped up with getting a sleep and feeding system down that you neglect the rest of the world around you- almost forgetting that it exists.
And we can’t fail to mention those captivating cuddles where you don’t care to move for hours.
One of the first obstacles Alice faced with a new daughter was not how to properly care for her, but how to be considerate of all the other well-meaning people who wanted to be a part of her life.
In order to adjust to the schedule and desires of others who wanted to come into the baby bubble, Alice had to push her own “peace and happiness to one side.”
The next confrontation in motherhood was one every parent faces throughout child rearing, and that is the judgement of everyone else on how you should be raising your own child.
A healthy mother automatically wants to keep their children clothed, fed, and cared for.
But that is not enough for modern life.
People on the bus, in your family, and in social media want to tell you that your daughter doesn’t have enough layers on, they need to be in a Montessori play group, or you need to feed your baby only one way.
It can be exhausting keeping up with the expectations of others – so don’t.
Social media has been a major force for a parenting shift that is extremely worrisome.
In an effort to make the perfect Instagram picture or a Facebook worthy afternoon, parents shape their days after what would look best, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.
Then every other parent tries to keep up with the Joneses.
While meeting the needs of your child may be the most rewarding and natural thing you have ever done, the perceived responsibilities of the modern mother can be challenging ad unnatural.
Try to focus on doing your best to raise a responsible, caring, and extremely loved individual, and only entertain tasks that benefit you and your growing family.