Go With The Flow: Orli’s Story

In our series, “Mom’s Story,” members of our community share snapshots of their real, personal journeys through motherhood. Every story is different. We ask all members to be respectful in their comments on these posts. Offensive or disparaging remarks will not be tolerated.

At 10 weeks, Jonathan still mainly eats and sleeps. However, he is increasingly more awake and alert which is great fun and that’s when we get to know him better! I go with his flow and let him guide me. He loves “talking” (cooing) and he began smiling at us. It’s been extremely rewarding thus far.

For me, coming home with Jonathan was all very natural and I was confident in my ability to be a good mom. This is not to say I didn’t face challenges along the way. After having a perfect pregnancy, I had an emergency C-section and suffered from a rare illness: postpartum pre-eclampsia (pre-eclampsia during pregnancy is more common). I had to be readmitted to the hospital and underwent harsh treatments. When I was admitted, there were long periods of separation from my baby and that was tough.

The early stages of motherhood are very challenging, both physically and emotionally. Our extended family and our parents
live far away. Luckily, my cousin and her husband stayed with us for a few days when we came back from the hospital. When I was readmitted to the hospital, their presence was beyond helpful with coping in this stressful time. My illness was one of the more difficult times in my life on top of having to supplement breast milk with formula and pump which is a very demanding commitment.

Of course, all moms face the lack of sleep. I also found a loss of freedom in some ways. Especially since baby is not yet fully vaccinated, we prefer to keep him at home. This has limited my time out of the house. But it’s all worth it because it’s so easy loving him.

Another challenge I had been warned about by several mothers was the struggle to breastfeed. I knew I wanted to breastfeed for the benefits it provides to baby. Professional support provided me with helpful information and better understanding of the way breastfeeding works. I learned it doesn’t have to be difficult or painful. And I got hands on tips on the physical aspects, like positioning, general baby feeding behaviors and nutrition for better lactation.

The best advice I was given was to systematize things so taking care of baby is more efficient. And sleep when baby is sleeping! Ignore the urge to clean and organize. You deserve shut-eye too. If I give one piece of advice to pregnant and new moms, I would say stand for what’s important to you in taking care of your baby. Be open to recommendations and suggestions, but at the same time take actions that are aligned with what’s important to you. Insist on addressing any questions you might have. At times it might be overwhelming but you can do this!

Did your own challenging delivery make new motherhood more difficult? Talk to one of the healthcare professionals on our team for more personalized support for you and your baby.