Macca came to see us to check me over for the last time and discharge me from her care and to cast an expert eye over our precious boy and we got some funny pictures of our little gremlin (no, those aren’t really his ears!)
We have been so incredibly blessed in our midwife. Macca has become a part of the family and we will miss her weekly visits. We have locked the main entrance gate because of some strange trespassing incidents and also to contain the spread of giant parramatta grass which is a horrible noxious weed, so I told her to park her little car at the side gate and hoot and I would drive through the river and retrieve her. I was off on the ridge taking down the wedding flags at the neighbour’s request and must have just missed her. When I drove through the gate her little sewing machine on wheels was parked there, but no Macca. Got to the house and there she was, having waded through the river with her big bag of books and medical frip frappery. I swear if we had been in flood when I went into labour she would have gladly swung across the river tarzan style on the flying fox – she takes everything in her stride! She is the ultimate Miss No Drama, which is perfect for me! But now she isn’t coming every week, will I still clean the house??
And who will I talk to about the very real challenges of Motherhood?
I can now see that I was in shock for the first few weeks. I had no idea birth would hurt so much, that the after-effects were so long lasting and uncomfortable and that breastfeeding would hurt as much as it did. Good thing Mothers never share this information or the human race would soon dwindle into extinction! Everyone told me to treasure every moment because babies grow and change so fast but you are so busy coping that you don’t. It all passes in a blur. I look at the photos now and can’t believe or remember that he was ever like that – where did he go? So soon? I only had a baby for a brief nanosecond and then he grew up!
Everyone said the first six weeks would be the hardest and certainly things are a bit easier now. I think postnatal depression is a reality for most Mothers in some way, shape or form, and I am so lucky that I can hand Benjamin to Ged and got to my sacred space, the shed, for a good howl and that I can talk to both Ged and Macca about how I feel. It’s a huge change, being a Mummy, being needed all the time, not having any space or time, and not even having a body to call your own. Benjamin loves his boobies, Ged looks on jealously and I have to remind them both that actually they are MINE, not theirs!
Being able to walk properly is a huge bonus too! (oh my LORD!)
