But seriously, I was feeing like an expert this weekend when I attended out Mother of Twins Club new member brunch. I was invited to attend as a "veteran" member (I joined a little over a year ago, while I was preggers) and welcome in the newbie twin moms. Some were pregnant with their twins and many had their twins within the past year.
The women at my table all had babies under 7 months old so I felt like I had a lot to offer in terms of infant-twin-rearing wisdom. One mom especially was in the weeds. Her girls are 5 weeks old. The last of her "help" (her parents, in this case) had just left. And she is breastfeeding. To be honest, she was doing a great job! BFing twins is no easy task. So, we all reassured her that she was doing AWESOME. But, like any new mom, she wanted some guidance on how to do things better and maybe get a glimpse at the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Even though I didn't nurse my kids, I still felt I was able to give her a lot of good advice on the other aspects of parenting infants. Like sleep issues. Always a big one with new moms. Sleep for their little ones translates to sleep for them so its critical that moms get their babies to snooze. At the end of the brunch, I think she felt better, like at least she walked away with some ideas on how to make things run smoother at home. Hopefully they work out for her and soon enough, these early weeks will be distant memory for her.
For me, it was great to be on the other side of things. Finally, I'm the one with knowledge about babies and I can help out other moms who don't know what they are doing. I was there some months ago and it sucks. I mean, being a mom is great - I really love it. But no one likes feeling as if they have no control, like they are just keeping their head above water because they have no idea what they are doing. So, in that sense, being a new parent kinda sucks. Lots of doubt, lots of questions, lots of frustration. I asked other moms, especially other twin moms, for SO MUCH advice in those early months and it was invaluable. Now that I have learned a thing or two about this mom gig, I can pay it forward.
Isn't it funny when new moms come to you for advice? When that happens to me I want to say "but I'm still trying to figure this all out!!!" Still, it's fun to share the things I've learned along the way.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun to suddenly find yourself on the other side? :-)
ReplyDeleteEveryone at your table looked like they were having so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed being on this side of things as well...it's so great to pay it forward :)