Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Madelaine's Story...

Being a mother is one of the hardest jobs on earth, but it is certainly the most rewarding.

I was 35 years old when I had my first daughter. For me that was the perfect age as I felt I had studied, worked, travelled.

Pregnancy was a truly exquisite, miraculous and beautiful experience both times (yes with the normal ups and
downs that come with being pregnant – good and bad days). Being aware and feeling the growing embryo
within me highlighted the miracle of creation. Our God is an awesome God. Jeremiah 1vs5 “I knew you before I formed you (in your mother's womb). Before you were born I set you apart....”

During my first pregnancy my baby was very content and calm during the day, come evening the baby would start to move frantically making me aware of its presence as I tried to rest or sleep after a long day. For me that meant my baby was telling me I am still here mummy. From that point I knew when this child was born it would be a child that loved being in the company of others, a true socialite, friendly to all that looked her way. 3 years on, she is exactly like that!

I was fortunate enough to have had almost 12 months maternity leave, this enabled me to completely switch
off from work and immerse myself fully into motherhood. I was there for most of their “firsts” all very captivating and special moments. Any parent who experiences a first will cherish that memory forever. My
favourite first include:
1st smile (about 3-4 weeks old), 1st unaided sit with no cushions followed by the forward flop, hand clapping was always a major achievement for both mum and baby, 1st laugh (about 3months old) 1st crawl, 1st steps unaided – when I saw her let go of coffee table in my mother’s house and took about 4 steps (hands up in the air! Priceless) . Oh and those first words are always fun but I will always remember the 1 st sentence.

Since becoming a mum and watching my gems develop, I now have a desire to pass on my knowledge and
experience with other mums. Sharing with new mums fills me with happiness as I see a bond between mother
and baby being nurtured. I strongly believe in having lots of physical contact with your baby. The techniques I have used and still continue are very simple touching and gentle stroking, lots of kisses and cuddles, talking in parentese, massage of their little limbs and singing. All of these are part of our day to day routine.

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