Intuition

As my three-month maternity leave comes to an end, my husband and I found ourselves reflecting on the whirlwind of these last few months.

There’s no shortage of parenting advice, books, and online resources. But when you’re in the thick of it– sleepless nights, a crying baby, and constantly playing the “why is the baby crying” guessing game–parenting eventually starts to feel… intuitive. (Although, let’s be honest, the sleep deprivation might make you doubt yourself some days).

Here are a few things that surprised along the way:

• Trial by Fire to Trust
  The trial and error helped me to feel more confident about the next thing. Some moments felt like a crash course in parenting, but figuring things out on the fly (often after several YouTube searches!) helped me feel more confident about tackling the next challenge. Over time, I started to trust my instincts more, and that trust made all the difference.
• Recognizing Your Baby’s Cues
  As you spend more time with your baby, you learn baby’s unique signals for food, sleepiness, and discomfort.
• Trusting My Partner’s Instincts
  My husband and I had to depend on our own instincts and trust each other. One night when the baby was crying, he suggested the baby might still be gassy even though he’d already burped after his bottle. Burping him again worked! It wouldn’t have crossed my mind, but his gut feeling got us through those few hours that feel so long.

Motherhood has a way of surprising you in the most unexpected ways. These little reflections remind me how much we’ve learned and grown in such a short time.

P.S.

I’ve developed a newfound respect for waste management workers. They’re up at dawn, diligently doing their jobs while parents like us are pacing the house with a newborn. In a strange way, knowing they were out there made me feel less alone during those quiet, exhausting early hours.