And a #parentisborn……

Well, I am 34-and-a-half weeks pregnant, so nearly there! I met somebody the other day who said, “It feels like you have been pregnant forever”. Why yes – yes it has! But I’m not complaining- I LOVE being pregnant and even when I was in hospital with the sickness, I wouldn’t take a day of it away.

The baby is healthy and I am incredibly blessed to be able to have had that. When I was pregnant with Saoirse, I was oblivious to anything that could have gone wrong. I guess I was just so carefree at the time. After we lost our second baby, I was so on edge about everything with Harpers pregnancy and with this one too.

I was literally so happy when WaterWipes got in contact to do a special collaboration because I love the brand and had been well stocked up on them already. I replied immediately, with a big fat YES!! I always strive to work with a brand that I would use in my everyday life.

WaterWipes are made in Ireland with water, specially purified and softened, and a tiny drop of fruit extract. I had no idea! I first came across them when my older sister in Ireland had her baby. She explained that they contain 99.9% water and the best wipes you can use on your baby’s sensitive skin. Because a baby’s skin is much more delicate than our own, I had used cotton wool balls dipped in water when my first baby Saoirse was born and then went onto baby wipes. I wish I would have known about these, they’re suitable from birth, approved by Allergy UK and awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance so you can have peace of mind knowing you’re cleaning your baby with the gentlest elements possible.

They were so lovely to liaise with and we chatted about how we could do something really authentic and engaging. They have a new TV advert out that has just been released which is so moving, beautiful and realistic. Its message is, “When a baby is born, a parent is born”. (You can watch it below) I was bawling when I watched it. I was like “OMG . I AM THAT MOTHER”. I am the mother in the grey top with my hair up in a bun having an argument with her partner because she’s so frustrated, sleep deprived and no matter what she did, her baby wouldn’t stop crying. But I am also that mother on the screen who has those moments with her baby, staring so lovingly into each other’s eyes. And with Daniel, having those moments of laughter, beauty and unity. 

Also, can I just say, when I watched the part where she dives into the sea. Well, that couldn’t have been more fitting to how I felt becoming a parent for the first time. I laugh about it now, but that’s exactly how it felt. STRAIGHT into the deep end!!! And I had to swim! 

When I met with the team, what I loved about them was that they didn’t just have a brilliant product. The whole message they wanted to achieve with their advertising was one of reality, encouragement and support. They could have just put another beautiful video about parenthood out there, but they didn’t. They said,” We know how difficult it can be” and wanted to make a deliberate stand against ‘perfect parenting’. I really respect them for that. 

Below is a letter I wrote for them to Mothers (and Fathers) and I really hope you like it. 

To you, a Mum, 

You may be a few weeks or a few months into this whole new way of life. I remember it SO well. Yes, I am a ball of emotion right now, being 33 weeks pregnant with my third baby and all! But, thinking back to my first year of motherhood always makes my eyes fill up. The vulnerability, the unknown. The innocence and completely winging it all, day by day. What do you do! Am I doing it right? Is she ok? Nothing can prepare you for how tiny and fragile your baby is at first. Their sensitive skin is so soft and pure. Their little gurgles and sounds get your complete undivided attention. It really is another world. Completely magical. It is also such a raw, personal time and you feel like nobody will ever really be able to understand what you are going through because it’s your journey, your body and your baby. 

I’d never even heard of the word oxytocin until I was in the hospital bed and a midwife looked at me and said I was full of it. I was fascinated by what was happening and couldn’t believe the pure magic of the newborn bubble. For me it was bliss. I always think of those moments when you are admiring your baby’s beautiful, delicate skin with its unique softness and distinct ‘baby smell’ or when they look up at you with such unconditional trust and love. 

There’s no way I can talk about my ecstatic highs without telling you about the overwhelming lows of becoming a new parent. 

The thought of having to become a Mum was terrifying. I had this silly stereotype of what “having to be a Mum” was. I was so wrong! I really did think I would have to completely stop being Eimear and that I would never be able to anything I wanted to with my life. I was not a home bird and had been working and travelling all around the world for a few years. 

Motherhood has made me. I know that these are the happiest days of my life and becoming a mother has made me discover who I was all along. My beautiful babies gave me focus and put me on the right road. I felt so lost and easily led and they honestly saved my life. 

I feel like it’s right to sugarcoat being a new Mum because it’s such a precious, magical time and of course they outweigh the hard times. But I also feel like it’s vital to talk about the fact that this feeling doesn’t automatically happen for some women. And that’s ok. Those milestones, for example in the first year, are so huge. I remember the feeling of massive success when I was able to latch both my girls for the first time properly. It was probably one of the toughest things I have ever done. So painful! But then other babies latch so easily, so hopefully that will be the case for the next! It was the same when I decided to drop the daytime feeds and introduced the bottle after 6 months. All these milestones and how you both experience them are so personal.  

I found myself sitting so happily and calmly, staring at my baby as many times as I found myself bouncing up and down bawling my eyes out with my crying baby asking “what’s wrong with my baby?”. Feeling like you’re the only one saying to your partner or your parents “I’m just finding this really, really hard”. But I promise you, you’re not alone. This happens to every new Mum. Some maybe for just a day, some for a few months. But with your deep strength and the power of that pure love for your baby, it passes. 

I have been a Mum for 4 years and I have learned that no matter who you are, where you live, how much money you have, how much support you have around you, whether you’re a single Mum or not, you will experience the deepest love you will ever know, but also the serious struggle motherhood brings with it sometimes too. 

This is your journey, your special journey, and you are doing brilliantly. 

 

I also asked my lovely followers over on IG about what they loved about motherhood. I also asked them about what they found genuinely difficult. I’m sure you have experienced all of these already. I definitely have.

One lovely follower wrote “…those moments when you feel like you are going to lose your mind with exhaustion, you worry in a way you have never worried before and then those eyes look up at you with complete trust and innocence and your heart just bursts with love and pride.” Another wrote about feeling so strongly bonded with her partner but at the same time “feeling so distant”. I know that feeling only too well. I remember sitting at the side of the bed while trying to get Saoirse to latch and asking Daniel for a hug, bawling crying, saying “I miss you so much”. I hadn’t been out of the house for ten days and we had been stuck to each other. But looking back, it was just the adaption process of it all. 

I am really proud to have had the opportunity to work with WaterWipes, especially for this special campaign.

This post was created in partnership with WaterWipes

#parentisborn

@WaterWipes