Are we ready to be parents? Are we ready to have our own child? We are so young and not even mature enough… are we ready to have such a big responsibility? What would happen to my career? Will I be able to put as many hours as I am putting at my work? Will we be able to go for vacations? Will I be able to go for happy hours after work? We have not enjoyed our lives yet, should we wait for may be one more year, before we go for it? Will we be able to go to a restaurant every week for a fine dine-in? There are so many questions…. So many “should we”, “would we”, “could I”, and so much. Well, the answer to most of the questions that arise in every first time parents mind would be mostly, no, you would not be able to. Then what? Then why? Why people keep having children? Why, my Facebook wall is filled up with same pictures and same comments … Welcoming our bundle of joy, Congratulations to proud parents, etc. etc. Is the happiness real? Will my life take a u-turn? What does the smirk on the face of “experienced parents” with the comment, “Oh, your life will never remain same” means? Oh God, so many questions? Why, what, where?
Honestly, I kept asking these questions to myself, my husband, my friends, my friends’ friends, my colleagues, and so on. I got countless advises, examples that I don’t even remember. There might be something though that might have prepared me to go for it. And after a standard pregnancy of 9 months, normal scheduled Dr visits, lots of reading parenting books and blogs, finally, it was the day when Ahaan was here. So tiny, so peaceful, so cute… and suddenly, I realized that all those questions were worth nothing. The feeling that this child came from you… was irreplaceable. Suddenly, there was this confidence came up that I am the mom and I know the best for my child. I was holding a precious small body in my arms. How? Who taught me how to carry such a small baby? I don’t know. May be nurse showed me once, or did it come naturally when he was born, Or, maybe he was so smart, that when I am not holding him properly, he would cry to tell me that he is not comfortable, and I have to change something to make him feel more comfortable. Needs a diaper change? Oh, no problem. I was on it as if I was born trained for that. But you know what, there has to be something that would be challenging… otherwise, wouldn’t it be just too simple? For my case, it was feeding, or may be should I say taking the feed. Yes, my son was never really interested in drinking milk. So, I had to try so many different things. Coming from scientific background, I had a set of experiments planned – breast feed with and without music, with and without light, different brand of bottles, different size nipples, different brand of formulas, and many more. So, honestly, I was busy with this new toy in the house, that I didn’t even care of all the questions that I was trying to get answers before planning to plant him in our lives. So, what does it mean? I shouldn’t have thought all those questions? I shouldn’t have asked for all those suggestions? Probably no… because, realistically, life was changed. I was not able to do all the things that I was scared that I will not be able to do. But, did it ever occur, or did I ever think, that if I would have known all these I would have never gone for it? Nope… never. Oh, so does it mean, that now I am in the set of those “experienced” parents that will smirk on those couples who are still thinking about having children or are pregnant, and will say, “Oh, believe me, your life will never remain same”. Yes, I was one of them… a very happy content Mom who posted a picture of myself holding my new baby on Facebook after his birth with the caption “Our bundle of joy is here” :)
