Taking Baby Steps with My Baby

A love story with a twist

Left: The author with her 6-month-old baby. Right: The author with her 3-year-old son.

Non-Medium members can read the story here.

I thought my brand-new, shiny, perfect baby was ruining my life. But you know what? Almost every new mom goes through this emotion, whether she admits it or not, even to herself. And that’s what makes the story so extraordinary. That’s what makes the story worth telling again and again.

March, 2022

My baby turns six months old today. Love of my life and the light in my eyes — reads the typical caption on Instagram posts from moms celebrating her child’s half birthday.

But this is not that kind of a story.

“How’s motherhood treating you?” is the most frequently asked question ever since I gave birth. I usually get off with platitudes like “Oh, it’s great. I can’t believe I’m a mom now” or “It’s the best feeling ever.” These usually feel like the right responses. And then they leave me alone.

If you want the truth though — I’m just trying to keep a tiny human alive without losing my mind and make it to the next day. This sums up my experience of motherhood.

I had a traumatic birth experience. While the details are for another time, let’s say the day my son was born was definitely not the best day of my life. I was a wreck…