by S. Bates

Created on: June 02, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

You have just experienced the most awesome nine months of your life. Some of the time was spent wondering when you would start gaining weight, when the morning sickness would stop, what was that little flutter low in your stomach, and a hundred new feelings. And that little bundle the nurse just brought in was the cause of this life-changing experience.

The first time you experience that real maternal feeling there may be thoughts running through your head that you haven't taken the time to think through. You feel a little confused about what to do next. As you gaze at that little baby you now wonder if you are ready to be a mother. Have you made all the necessary arrangements and plans so when you do get home there won't be any surprises? I'm sure you have taken care of everything you can think of and listened to all the suggestions from friends, loved ones, and strangers. It is hard taking it all in and then sorting out what you, personally, feel is the way you think you should be the most loving parent possible. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of trial and error, to finally fit into that comfortable feeling of parenthood.

You and the baby finally get home, you need rest, and you have your husband, or at least someone to help for the first couple days. If you don't, you really need someone to visit and check on you both every day for a while. The first two to three weeks will be filled with wonder, questions, and anxiety. Just the fact that you now have a living, breathing, healthy child to take care of is enough for anyone to be a little nervous over. Especially if this is your first child, it is all the more important to have someone around. The difference of just having another adult to talk to makes a world of difference.

Keep in mind that your hormones are struggling to get back to normal. In some people this only takes a few short days, others may take a few weeks. I was one of those that took about three weeks to level out. And believe me; those hormones can do funny things with your mind. Some days will go smoothly with all things going just like you had imagined. Then all of a sudden, just like a wave of electrically charged air, it flows through you and there is nothing you can do about it. The most simple, and I do mean simple, thing can become a full blown incident causing many, many tears. And frustration seems to filter in, as you really don't know why you are shedding buckets of water.

I remember about a week after my son was born I had a good

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