I had so many plans and ways i was gonna raise my daughter. I wanted to be the best mother ever. I wanted to be eco-friendly; completely natural birth, not use disposable diapers, breastfeed for as long as possible, co-sleep, etc. I thought I could do it; however, one false labor and the stress of a failing relationship (that was failing before it even started to be honest) I was induced, cloth diapers are expensive to start off, and breastfeeding- inverted nipples, no latching, and lactose intolerance. After how my labor actually went (not that it was bad, but my back still gives me issues because of the pitocin), I will stick to my guns for my next baby and wait for natural labor to set in and do as much as I can at home. I'll be honest, when I realized breastfeeding was off the table, I cried. I wanted that bonding time, I wanted to be able to have something that was just mine, that no one else could do for my child. I felt like a failure, but I realize it was never my fault. I tried and that's more than some mothers can say. I would stay up hours pumping to get enough to give my daughter her morning meal (that would end up all over me). I wasn't able to but I didn't fail at feeding Miss Bug. I can honestly say I did co-sleep. On and off when she was a newborn and I loved every second of it.
I feel like one thing I did the best was Skin to Skin contact. She use to cry so much that really the only thing that calmed her down we laying on my bare chest and listening to my heartbeat. Memaw told me that one time when she was over there Miss Bug was not listening to Memaw about not standing in a chair. Memaw would sit her down and tell her that she couldn't stand in it because she might fall. Well, my child pushes her limits, but when 2 year old doesn't. She stood up and fell off the chair. Memaw told her that if she fell there would be no crying because she had been warned. Well, she didn't cry, but she did want to snuggle. She laid her head on Memaw's chest, sat up, Memaw moved her glasses, laid down, sat up, grabbed Memaw's collar, laid down again, sat up, pulled more on Memaw's shirt, and continued trying to get that skin to skin contact she wanted. If that doesn't mean something to a Momma then I don't know what will.
I may not have been able to do everything I wanted, but I'm still a fantastic mother and hopefully my next baby will be just like their big sister.
~*~Me~*~
