I’m so lucky to have so many great blogger/mother pals! This afternoon I have the awesome Jill of Terra Savvy here to share some of her thoughts about motherhood.
What surprised you about motherhood?
I didn’t expect my life to be flipped upside down on its head. No one ever tells you the real deal before you have your first baby. Only the sweetness and excitement that comes with being a new parent was shared, along with well wishes and name inquiries. Too bad no one warned me how brutally tired I would be and all the crying I might encounter. And for a stay at home mom, the possible isolation I could experience from the shock of suddenly being alone without my work place comrades to fill the background with chatter and advice.
I swore one day I would write a tell all book spilling every detail to expectant women so they could find themselves more prepared through the tough times. How much better to know up front than being blindsided, standing in the middle of the room saying, “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?” Many of my friends have uttered those exact words, including me.
What is one of your favorite memories about your mother?
Finding herself as a single mom with three little ones under six, she didn’t have a lot of extra time to spend playing. But when she did, my favorite times with her, and I think hers too, were spent coloring or drawing. She would show me how to take my time and use a light hand to create a more even coverage and how to highlight here and there. Time seemed to slow down when we were coloring and I felt like I had her all to myself. Some of the best memories with her are those times I was snuggled into her lap creating art.
What is one of your favorite things about being a mother?
Without hesitation I have to say breastfeeding all three of my children, each for almost a year and a half. I knew I always wanted to nurse my babies, but was surprised at how difficult it may be for me and how passionate I was about doing it.
At 38 weeks I had to have an emergency c-section with Jake, my first child and he was sent into the NICU minutes after his birth. Being unable to see him for the first few days of his life created a huge gap in our bonding and along with my hormones, it threw me into the start of a two year deep post partum depression. It also, along with several other reasons, made my recovery very painful, slow and my ability to breastfeed frustrating to the point of tears.
After arriving back home in Brooklyn, my mother came to my rescue and stayed with us for about a week. She very patiently and with all her wonderful knowledge of being a mother of five, showed Jake and me how to breastfeed. I still don’t think I can thank her enough for that gift.
*****
Jill is the mother of three lovelies, Cole, Claire, and Jake. She is also an excellent writer and photographer. Here is one of my very favorite posts from Terra Savvy.