As you may have seen, a few short weeks ago I brought my baby home from the hospital. It was a smooth birth and after one night in hospital we were allowed to head home as a family. My husband came and picked the two of us up and once we had all of our belongings together, we headed out of the hospital and to the car.
But it wasn’t until I was sat in the back of the car next to our baby that it dawned on me that literally anybody can have a baby, take it home and then be responsible for another life.
It quite literally blew my mind. Being in the hospital was one thing. For the most part, the baby and I were on our own. I felt ok with my baby, and I was grateful to have an amazing husband around me and fantastic parents to support us. Beyond that, I had confidence that if I needed anything there were trained medical professionals in the hospital to swoop in and help. However, just one short day later, before I even knew how to properly wind my baby, it was time to kick us out into the big wide world.
I did feel okay about heading home. For the most part anyway. There was natural panic because I wanted to do everything right for my baby. The good thing is that I am from an enormous family and babies have always been around me. Plus, whenever there was a baby around me, I would always want to babysit and have cuddles. I feel like I wasn’t thrust into motherhood completely blind. But what about those people that are? Those people who didn’t grow up with siblings or babies around them. More than anything, I was panicking about the babies that went home to parents who were clueless about what happens next.
There was a certain part of me that felt completely unqualified to take home my baby. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to care for my baby. There is a level of instinct that clicks in, and you gain the skills that you need. However, I did more learning to pass my theory test than I did to become a mother.
I don’t know why I felt like I needed to share this. Since coming home with our baby, it is something that has blown my mind every single day. How can anybody get pregnant, deliver their baby and then be thrown into the world? It confuses me and scares the hell out of me. I know that my husband and I are going to give our baby a wonderful life, but I also know that not every child is born into such privilege.
I think we should develop a course that new parents have to enrol in. Something that teaches the basics. Winding, changing, swaddling, bathing and so much more. Mix that with emergency care and CPR. I think around 20 hours throughout the pregnancy with written and practical tests. If parents don’t pass or commit to the course, they will be closely monitored. Just anything to ensure that the amazing little babies that are going home are going to be well cared for, to the best of the parents’ abilities. More than anything, there is just a part of me that worries about all of the babies out there that aren’t going to loving homes that are prepared for and excited for their babies.
It is simply madness that a few appointments here and there and I am just thrown into motherhood without so much of a second glance!
