My third and last baby boy, Danny, started school last week. While I was going through the usual emotional rollercoaster most mothers go through before their little ones embark on this new journey, I posted an old photo on social media of a very pregnant me with an itty bitty James next to me, tiptoeing to reach and pat my belly. And then I remembered how I hid that pregnancy for as long as I could, and my heart broke.
10 years ago I became a mother. My body, mind and soul completely transformed. 10 years ago I was reborn. Today, on this special day I wanted to write a letter to that young woman who sat in a hospital bed rocking her baby and singing Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds through tears and sobs, to the scared mamma who had no idea if she could carry the responsibilities and services she had witnessed others doing so well.
I’ve written about receiving gifts upon the arrival of a new family member. And how many people get it wrong, wasting money and annoying us. You voiced your opinions too, which I turned into a blog post. One thing we all agreed on was that balloons and flowers were out and food, self-care and baby products were in. Those were the things I appreciated after having all three of my babies. The needs are the same as they are more or less throughout the early years of parenting. That’s why it’s so amazing that Mommy Box has launched. A gift and subscription box service for pregnancy and post-partum is now available in Cyprus.
I’ve had two babies. I’m expecting my third any day now. During those first days and weeks, I received a number of gifts from friends and family. And I have truly appreciated every single person who visited and every single gift that was brought. But after all these years, and many conversations with new and veteran mothers, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is something very wrong about this ‘tradition’.
Once a month I visit an alternative therapist. He hooks me up with the vitamins and supplements my body needs and gives me tons of tips and advice on diet issues. As expected, we’ve now switched up my regular routine adding prenatal vitamins and making changes to my diet ensuring both me and baby are getting all the nutrients we need. Do you know what these are? After three pregnancies I’m still learning.