The 4th Trimester ( Even Happy Babies Cry)

After talking to friends, reading books, and taking classes, I thought I was ready for the 4th trimester. But the one thing that no one told me to except was that even happy babies cry. I knew crying was how my baby would communicate with me, but I thought it meant that there was something to be fixed, like a wet diaper. It turns out; babies are a lot like us. Sometimes they just have to cry it out.

I had a hard time with the 4th trimester, and as sweet as the cuddles were, it was not my favorite stage. For the first four weeks, I didn't follow a schedule. I fed on demand, followed sleepy cues, exposed Wyatt to light in the day, made the house dark at night, and slept when he slept. Around three weeks, Wyatt started to cry every morning around 9 AM, and in the evening around 8 PM for no reason. It wasn't categorized as colic because it wasn't always consistent from day-to-day, and it usually didn't last more than an hour. I tried the 5 S's; swaddle, side, shush, swing, suck, but nothing helped. I thought it was something I was missing or I was doing wrong, and then I would start crying too. During those times, Grant would help as much as he could, and my MIL and SIL would come over when they could and help. I would go and lay down but would still hear the crying even when it had stopped.

I finally had an aha moment when I was reading other mom's stories in the Wonder Weaks app. I was not alone, I was doing the best I could for my baby, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Looking back, I wish that I would have talked to my friends and sought comfort through them. But, I got so wrapped up in my little world and was trying so hard to be happy all the time like I thought all new moms should be.

I don't need to hear this, but I wish someone would have told me this. Mama, you don't have to like every phase, each phase will have its hardships, but it will also have the moments you want to relive over and over again. So learn from the hard times and soak in those great moments and know that you are never alone.