Will I Be A Good Mother?
Demystifying The Maternal Instinct
Maternal instinct is the innate trait of wanting to protect and nurture a newborn, which is common to both humans and animals. The question of being a good mother is often the first fear that comes to mind when a woman learn that she is pregnant. There are times that a woman would feel that she will not make a good mother to her child, especially when before conceiving she is not particularly fond of babies.
The attitude that you have over someone else’s baby is not an indicator of how good of a mother you will be when you have your own child. Motherhood does not require that you use to coo over someone else’s baby. The bond that is shared by a mother and her newborn child is completely different. You may be surprised that you have the maternal instinct all along. There are those who taught that having a baby is complete no-no for them, yet after giving birth, they feel comfortable in their new role as a mother.
Some women feel that they won’t be good mothers and start to worry if they have the maternal instinct. What they fail to see is that, worrying about the welfare of the unborn child is a sign that has the protective instinct of a mother. Experts have said that this in a way is a good start, although worrying too much about being a good parent will most likely not help when the baby arrives.
The best way to fight off the nerves is by knowing your baby. Parenthood is not just all about the “warm feelings” that you get once you know that you are pregnant or even when the child is born. These feelings are a combination of many factors including love and the time that you take to get to know your baby. The confidence in being a parent comes from experience and the knowledge that you gain as your baby grows. Motherhood is not all about instinct, it is also about the skills and the confidence that you develop as time passes and the bond between a mother and child grows.
Don’t be scared if you are feeling a little sad about having a newborn baby, sometimes the bond between you and your child just needs to grow. However, if you feel intense anger, resentment or if you feel that you have a tendency to hurt your newborn child; do not be ashamed to seek help or talk to your doctor about it immediately. There are many ways by which your medical professionals can help you overcome these feelings towards the child. Counseling is also a good way to help new mothers grow into their roles. Your doctor, the baby’s pediatrician and other medical professionals can help point you to counselors who are trained in helping new mothers.
