I keep having these weird dreams, dreams that take me places I’ve never been to. I was swimming in a deep, blue ocean, submerging once in awhile to see fish swim around me underwater and I particularly remember thinking, “Thank God this is a dream for, in real life, cowardly me would not swim deeper than what my legs could reach.” I was thankful I was alone in that ocean… until a saw a baby swim right past me.
Yes, that was not a typo. I saw a baby – a freaking infant of about eight months old – swiftly swim right past me towards shore. What is this, lamaze?! In that dream, I actually almost drowned in shock at the sight but, thankfully, I was able to wake up. So weird to die in a nightmare of seeing an eight month old baby singlehandedly swim in a deep blue ocean… and him/her not even bothering to help drowning adult moi. I have no idea where that baby came from… hopefully not from me!
Now, one would say that was probably my biological clock tapping me on the shoulder but I sincerely believe there is not yet that burning desire at the pit of my stomach to bear a child and hold him/her in my hands at this age. In fact, both the miracle but indignity of childbirth (and breastfeeding!) is scary. I was telling my mother the other week I was going to be a surgeon and she went, “You’ll be too old to marry and bear children when you’re done,” to which I said I’d adopt on my own and she quipped, “You’re never sure if their genetics have looneys in the family,” or something to that effect. Very supportive, my mother.
Got me thinking though, that maybe, babies who were born spontaneously from vaginas and breastfed probably have an advantage over those who were not. I mean, my granddad was your regular tough man from the block in his heyday with all the vices the world could provide at his hands. He used to smoke like a chimney and could finish two cases of beer in one sitting. He was born to a poor family of eight kids in the 1920’s, delivered vaginally with no complications and breastfed because there was no money for formula milk. He’s now 89 years old and, ignore the catheter dangling from his leg, he’s still spry. He has the most unbelievable immune system… although I’m not saying you should leave your kid/s with their vices, gosh no. Your brand of parenthood is uniquely your own.
Moral of the story? Embrace the natural course of motherhood. Vaginally deliver your baby and breastfeed. It’s good for him/her and for you. Although… I honestly wish I could practice what I preach when it’s my turn, insert dreading-it icon here.
Oras at Medisina 