Hi, to whoever is listening out there. Yeah, so it’s the 17th of March. And yeah, it’s a few days after Mother’s Day, my first Mother’s Day. Can’t believe I’ve had that. It’s pretty surreal to know that I am a mother and it’s truly a blessing to be a mum and just everything that comes with it. It’s been such a great journey so far. So, yeah, I felt like I wanted to share some reflections on some things I have experienced being a mother for a few months now. So, yeah, my daughter is just so strong and gorgeous. She brings so much light to my day, my husband’s day to everyone that she’s around and it’s so incredible to just watch her grow, like to develop. And do people really look at how incredible it is to see a child, like a baby develop every day and there’s something new that always happens and she, you know, finds a new way to do something. She learns how to do something that she didn’t know how to do before. It’s just, it’s incredible to watch and um, gosh, that’s better than watching TV 100%. But yeah, she’s a blessing. So I just felt like reflecting on some things that I’ve learned being a mum and one of them has been to not compare yourself and allow people to plant seeds of doubt when you have this incredible instinct, this God-given instinct as a mother to do what’s right for your child and also through the help and counsel of God’s word to understand how to train up a child.

Um, you know, actually how to do it. So when speaking to people in this time that I’ve experienced so far as a mother, I’ve definitely felt as though people have really tried to plant those seeds of doubt and tried to stop me from doing things like breastfeeding. Um, trying to I guess, encourage me to maybe dress my daughter a certain way, to feed her, like there’s this sort of urgency that people have to make a baby so independent so quickly, and I feel like no one really understands how important it is to build the connection as well with your child, the through bonding, through letting them be on you, through letting them enjoy that experience with you. Um, you know, through breast feeding, if that’s something that you’re doing. It’s an ability that God has given women and, you know, there are many women out there who do get the opportunity to do that and I know that not everyone does. So when you do have that opportunity and you’re using it and not just that, you’re enjoying it., you see the joy in it, it just feels a bit sad to have people then pour in these seeds of doubt to discourage you from doing those very things and to not enjoy the every days that you get with your baby.

For instance, what is the, what is the, um, what word am I looking for? Like, What’s the hurry? Like, why does it seem to be that people have such a selfish need, a selfish desire where they feel like a baby also is weighing you down so much that there’s this emphasis to focus on your old life and getting that old life back and with that telling her mums that, oh, but if you breastfeed, you’re not going to be able to do this and that. So basically stop, don’t do it. It doesn’t make sense to me because why would I have a baby to go back to the way I used to be? I’ve moved forward because I have a child as well. So having a child is a, is a direction that I, you know, I’m taking that God’s given me the opportunity to take and so I’m moving forward. I’m not moving backwards. I don’t understand why things need to look like how they used to. But there seems to be such an emphasis on self and it just makes me so confused and I just want to encourage all the mama’s out there who are just doing what you’re doing, like just being a mum and just enjoying it, the ones who are, you know, enjoying it, you love being a mum and you, you take it with serious responsibility. You want to steward this role that God’s given you so beautifully and you’re trying to train up your child, whether a boy or a girl in the way that they should go.

I’m proud of you. I just want to put that out there. Because I know how it feels to not feel like you’re getting that pat on the back and sometimes we need to hear that, you know what? You’re doing a great job and it’s amazing to see you enjoy doing what you’re doing. So I hope that encourages you, but it’s just a reflection that I wanted to share because what can happen when those seeds of doubt get planted is comparison and that’s start to creep in and that’s when I feel like you lose, you really lose, and this is speaking from someone who, before I had my child, was constantly comparing myself, who lost a lot of confidence and I just feel like my baby girl has given me a different type of confidence now, like next level confidence where I want her to understand that God has a plan for her, just like he has a plan for me, has a plan for all of us. So, lean into that.

Don’t let people try and put you on a different path and just lean into what you’re supposed to be doing and be around people who appreciate that, who respect it, and who are going to love you for it as well, and who encourage you, don’t discourage you, really, really important but yeah, mama’s, keep serving, keep loving, and growing.

Happy Mother’s Day.