A Bong Girl's Muse

If only a universal manual could prepare women to embark upon the Motherhood journey, I would have been the most grateful. In fact, life could have been easier with a baby and a toddler. This unrealistic manual could have changed how we process our thoughts after becoming a mother. I mean, nine months would have been enough to go through this manual, right? Ok! Enough of me speculating on such a fictitious book that can probably never exist.

After becoming a Mother, I never thought that this journey would be one of the most challenging but blissful experiences of my life to date. So far, it has been two and a half years of my motherhood journey, and it has been a jolly roller coaster. Motherhood cannot be concise into mere words, and it is a whole journey that once we embark upon, we can never stop being one. I am sure enough that it is a blissful experience, but for many women out there, it can pose a lot of challenges, both emotionally and physically. But once you hug and admire that smile on your little one, you will be in complete awe and forget your challenges in a second. The power of love between a Mother and a baby is such that it can move mountains. It is that strong feeling.

In 2020 when I got pregnant, I was over the moon but, at the same time, anxious and curious about how life will accumulate rolling in a foreign land away from our family. They say it takes a village to raise a kid, but in reality, it was just two of us, my husband and me, with the help of our midwife for the first three months. After my son‘s birth on 29th December 2020 at the evening of 8:50 pm, I felt a massive respite that my belly would not feel so heavy anymore (not until I gave birth to another kid). But once the nurses had checked the vital signs of my baby, and handed him in my arms, I couldn’t stop my tears; tears of joy streamed down my cheeks and a feeling that was overwhelming and calm at the same time. At the hospital for the next two days and two nights, my only willpower was to breastfeed my son and get some sleep and also to recover from the childbirth phase. But it was difficult to achieve all at once because I was exhausted, and the only thing I could do was to look after my newborn and go to the toilet. But when I returned home on 1st January with my newborn baby, I felt disconnected, as if I couldn’t feel the excitement. Of course, I was too tired of everything that occurred in the last couple of days and weeks before I became a Mom. But once I started wholly breastfeeding, my connection with my baby grew stronger. My motherly instincts slowly started kicking in, and the bond and sense of belongingness grew deeper. Many women dream of becoming mothers, but almost nobody is ever mentally prepared. I think that’s how nature has primed our Mother’s brain.

During the initial week of the postpartum phase, the hormones in my body created emotional havoc inside me. I might have been going through some mild postpartum depression, but I never went to a professional. With time I tried to heal myself by doing exercise and giving my full attention to taking care of my baby and myself. ( Caution: Postpartum depression is very natural, and if any of your Mothers are going through it, please don‘t hesitate to seek counselling).

My son has opened a door inside me that has not only matured me mentally and emotionally but also brought a new perspective to our lives. We, as parents, are incredibly grateful that our son has been growing happy and well. This Mother‘s Day, I wish not only my Mother but also myself to have done an excellent job. Motherhood is one of the most blissful and challenging journeys, but as they all say, your child’s love and laughter will make it worthwhile.