And so, despite their advice and best intentions, they are not here for you like I am. Like I will be.
So I had to make my own way with you, and I suppose I broke some of their rules along the way.
I came to each call, cry and ‘protest’.
I comforted and nurtured you at every moment, from day through to night and all that was in between.
I learnt to sing, rock and lull you and I grew stronger so I could hold you steady to do so.
I picked you up and cuddled you and sometimes, more often than I admit, we snuggled up together in the big bed.
I encouraged you to fall asleep with me, on me, beside me, knowing it was natural and that you felt safe and secure.
I relished the feeling of your tiny body drifting off in my arms, feeling the weight of you shift as you succumbed to sleep with my comforts.
I held you tight for naps and, after they were done, I admired the indents left on my arms from your contact.
And I promise you I will continue to do these things for you from birth and beyond.
They tried to warn me about you.
I could not listen.
Keren resides in Melbourne with her partner, Jason, and is a first-time mother to their son, Charlie. In the haze of the newborn stage she embraced attachment parenting and has followed Charlie’s lead ever since. Keren advocates for biologically normal infant sleep and enjoys researching epigenetics. Her journey into motherhood is guided by science, neurology, psychology and instinct. You can follow her through Instagram.
