Anxieties of a New Mother

Filed in archive All About Babies , Information about , Parenting on March 3, 2010

© Jon Ovington

A friend of mine just gave birth and I'll be visiting her in a couple of days. There's nothing like news of a new baby's arrival to bring back memories to that time I also just gave birth.

I remember how anxious I was as a new mother, fidgeting and worrying when I'm with them, and ears tuned in to the baby monitors when I'm not. I worried about every single thing- were they wearing appropriate clothing, were they getting enough milk, were they achieving their milestones according to schedule, and a gazillion other thoughts. I never made a decision without consulting countless websites, or making an opinion poll from friends and relatives. I researched extensively on the type of shoes that were appropriate for toddlers (chose Pediped and ShooShoos), read studies on the pros and cons of immunizations (decided to get the 6-in-1 jab plus some), considered giving my toddler Pediasure when she went on a "hunger strike" for a week (the nasty tooth, and the hunger strike, broke before I could make a decision), and worried about countless other toddler issues.

In retrospect, the well-being of my children would probably have been the same even if I didn't do any of the above. I most probably could have saved myself the anxiety.

But then, is it really possible for a mother, a new one at that, to be anxiety free? Hah!