The Baby had been crying inconsolably for the past one hour. All efforts to calm her down had been in vain. I looked at the clock. It was 2.30am. 20 days post-delivery, this dragon had struck me. I was already weak and these nights of terror were the least I wanted. Finally, I reached for the bottle of ColicAid and gave her the prescribed 4 drops. It worked like elixir and she drifted off to sleep. This had been happening for the past week. As much as I tried to avoid medication, I had to end it up with it. All tricks of asafoetida paste around the naval, ample burping, tummy time had been tried and faced failure. Wait! Except for one.
My mom had said something more. I had said that I will not give her that as I was apprehensive since doctors did not approve of it. I looked at the innocent face lying beside me. Made up my mind. Next morning I gave her the concoction of carom seeds twice. Voila!!! She did not cry at night. I continued for a week and her colic disappeared like magic. My Mom was right.
At around 3 months of age, my little one suddenly turned averse to breastfeeding. She would feed at times but refuse most of the times. I was freaking out trying to make her drink. She would cry out of hunger but would not latch. I was on the verge of starting formula (though I had vowed in my pregnancy days that no matter what I would exclusively breastfeed for 1 year. Yes! You read it right not 6 months but one year. I had not known then it was easier said than done). But my mom was firm. She said it’s just a phase and will soon pass off. She would stand beside me with all the rattles and sing while I tried to feed. This helped in distracting the baby and after 22 days exact, everything returned to normal. Had it not been for her, I would have given up long before. My mom was right again, it was just a phase.
Fast forward to a week to 5 months. My mom said the baby looks weak and that we should start early weaning. I looked at her flabbergasted. My reaction was how she could even think of it. Yes, Baby S looked weak due to her refusing milk for almost a month and yes, she did not gain as much weight as we would have liked her too; but that certainly did not mean that we should introduce solids early. I had read everywhere – each blog, each article, each opinion, that solids should be introduced post 6 months only. I refused to accept it. She did not insist on more. Unfortunately, Baby S caught a cold and we had to visit the doctor. After examining her, the doctor suggested starting early weaning. I was dumbfounded. Just a week back I had argued with all the data and statistics available with me against weaning and now doctor itself had advised what my mom (who is no doctor) had suggested some 10 days back. My mother just looked at me and smile. This time I was really ashamed. My mother was right again.
At times, we tend to not trust the age-old wisdom and their experience of so many years. We feel that since they are not educated as much as us and not exposed to technology as much as us, they harbour the conservative and superstitious approach to everything. But the point that we miss out is they are moms too. In fact, they are double mommies. Moms to us and now grandmoms to our children. And a mother’s instinct can never be wrong whether she be highly qualified or not, a techno-geek or not. And she probably loves your kid more than you do.
It is not only that she has been right only for my kid but it has been the same for me and my siblings throughout. When I choose science over commerce, despite her suggestion of choosing commerce, I did not get the desired success. I had to switch to commerce 2 years later and I secured All India Rank 13. I have innumerable such examples.
So, guys, One thing that I have learned over my 30 years of existence on this lovely planet is ‘Stay Calm and Trust Your Mom’ because ‘Mothers are always Right’.
