Breastfeeding Experience
February 2, 2016Relief & Time to really enjoy my baby
March 24, 2016
Elizabeth has gone, I'm all by myself and it seemed like his colic kicked in when she left me. The next 2-3 months were probably the hardest period I've ever had to deal with in my life. The lack of sleep was so tough. I wanted to train Charles to sleep through the night, so I had a feeding and sleeping schedule which I worked hard to keep to. However, I put too much pressure on myself to keep to the schedule, I thought I would fail in my mission if he didn't stick to it and it made me feel even more stressed. It was hard to keep to the schedule because I struggled to settle Charles after a feed. I assumed it was colic preventing him from settling because he would cry with pain after a feed, especially as it took me a very long time to bring up his wind. I didn't know how to burp my baby, I read numerous articles on techniques and tried everything, but I still struggled. I was not Elizabeth. It got so tough that I thought ‘right, I'm just going to buy everything that has the word colic relief on it’. I bought a swinging chair thinking it would help Charles sleep, I bought music, night lights, colic medicine. I tried everything, no expense spared, to try to stop him crying and to help him sleep.
This period only lasted 2-3 months and then it was over, things started to fall into place, I became more skillful in the art of bringing up a baby and Charles became a more settled baby.
If I can give any advice to a new mother, it is that most babies go through a difficult period in the first few months of their lives, it doesn't last long and when it’s over it seems like it didn't even last that long. I think the mother is learning new skills in bringing up a baby and the baby is becoming more confident in their surroundings and used to being in the outside world. Their bodies also develop.
At this point I have to thank my mother who would come and give me some space and take over looking after Charles whilst I rested. I was and am very lucky to have her, she has been my rock and she has and continues to help me with Charles.