Hey there.
I'm Katie, a 31yr old mum-to-be...again. Growing up I was an only child. I always wanted to have a big family, or at least two children, so that they'ld never be lonely and always have someone to play with.
When I was 18 I had my first child, a daughter, who is now just turned 13. My world felt like it had been turned upside down. I mean, there wasn't the support for young mums that there is now. So when ,at 2am, she wouldn't stop screaming for hours on end I thought it was because I was doing something wrong...but it lasted for over 4 months. You could set your watch by her, 5pm till 9.30pm followed by a sleep, 2am till 5am followed by a 10 minute nap, 5.30am till 7am.
Being a first time mum is daunting enough without feeling that you're useless as well! After months of waiting,the doctor finally suggested that she might have colic. There was just one problem...nobody took the time to explain what evening colic was.
One lunchtime, when Danielle was around 11 months old, a lady from my local church called in for a cuppa and we got talking. We discussed everything, from how I was finding motherhood, local playgroups/childminders, memories of her children as babies and so much more. I desperately wanted to ask her about colic, but I didn't want to seem stupid because I didn't know.
Eventually, I plucked up the courage to ask her. To my surprise, she didn't laugh. She gently took my hand and I began to feel my eyes prick with tears. As she told me so many things just seemed to click, the forceful crying, pulling her knees up, fighting and screaming as she tried to get her wind up. The lady took me to the chemist and showed me all the different products that were on sale.
At around 7pm that evening, I bathed her, gave her some medicine, she had a feed and within an hour she was sound asleep and didn't wake up till 6am.
Four years later, I had my son, Declan...but that will save for another time.
Love and best wishes,
Katie x