Learning

It's been quite an eye opener these last few months being first pregnant and now a new mom. I learned pregnancy isn't always as beautiful and glamorous as we are lead to believe. Some of us just don't take to the experience no matter how much we want to.

I learned that getting an epidural and pitocin do not always slow down your labor and ruin your delivery. In fact, for me, the epidural allowed me to enjoy the birth of Miss C instead of focusing on the hellish pain that was the 8 hours of labor up to the epidural.

I learned that breastfeeding is one hell of a painful experience both physically to your breast and emotionally. For some reason so much pressure is put on us to breastfeed...either self imposed or externally imposed or both. It can break a persons spirit to put so much of their value and self worth into something that doesn't always work out.

I learned that opinions are like assholes and everyone has one about just about everything. People are more inclined to give you their opinion whether you want it or not, especially when you are a) pregnant or b) a new mom. Even those people who don't have kids of their own like to weigh in on things. I am sure not everyone is malicious in their intent but damn, my baby is two weeks old and not sleeping so I am not sleeping...be a little sensitive to that, eh?

I learned that I MUST take time for myself. Like today when I bundled up a screaming baby and took a drive to a local bagel shop for lunch. She eventually stopped crying and I ate a bagel and read a book that has nothing to do with babies or breastfeeding or the like.

I learned that there is nothing sweeter than kissing the soles of Miss C's soft feet and feel her toes curl around my lips. Even screaming she is the most precious thing around and I am learning new things about her (and me) daily.