Tales from the Early Days: June 23, 2018
If you’ve been following me, you probably know my struggles with Lucy’s crying. Poor thing has bad stomach issues and reflux, which can often have her in inconsolable tears, and it’s been breaking my heart when I can’t get her to calm. I think that a lot of the anxiety on my part comes from the fact that I had a couple bad experiences being out while she wailed. I don’t think I’m being too sensitive, as literally NOTHING that people said during my pregnancy/motherhood up until this point really bothered me. But a couple times in the past weeks, people have heard Lucy and said things like: “uh oh, that’s not a happy baby!”, “better get that baby home!”, “oh no, what’s wrong with her?”. NOTHING IS F’N WRONG! SHE IS A GASSY, NEW LITTLE HUMAN AND SOMETIMES SHE CRIES. Sometimes she cries because she’s pooped or hungry and she’s just letting me know. Sometimes she cries even though she is fed, dry, healthy, and loved, just has a lot of gas! Sometimes she cries because she’s tired, and the reason I’m out walking is because I’m trying desperately to get her to sleep! As a new mother, these comments have inspired a lot of guilt, shame, and embarrassment in me, which I’m totally not proud of. But as each day goes by, I get a little more comfortable with her crying in public. So if you’re behind me in line, or passing me on the street, please just accept it like I am slowly being able to do. Newborns cry, and though I’m doing my best to keep her cooing and gurgling happily, that’s not in the cards 100% of the time. Hell, that’s not in the cards for 70% of the time! But my baby is well loved & cared for, and I’m finally able to smile and laugh my way through these times when there’s just nothing else I can do. So when you see a mum with a crying kid: offer her a smile, a nod, a wave... anything to help her learn that she can smile through it.