Information Overload

I suppose the hardest thing

If you really must know

Wasn’t the pregnancy or birth

But the information overload

The second they arrive

The paperwork begins

Charts, schedules, pamphlets

The birth of the admin

It will come at you in all forms

What you should do

What they need

While you’re still wearing adult nappies

And working out how to feed

Yes there will be noise

To the things you don’t ‘adhere’

You’ll forget you know them best

Instead, you’ll start to compare

You’ll tentatively ask some questions

After night 3 you’ll be in a state

You’ll tell them of that sleepless night

Someone will pipe up, “just you wait”

You’ll be told about the cues

About this that and the other

Nodding while trying to transfer him

from one arm to the other

And while the lights are shining

On the experts and their peers

We begin to dim our own

When we’ve been doing this for years

Books, subscriptions, apps

While they’re there to help

If you search the index

The word ‘Instinct’ was left out

They’ll talk of independence

A grown up word no less

Moulded to fit the narrative

That sleep is the only success

They’ll speak about the regressions

And all their different cries

You’ll google search the lot

Forgetting you have ears and eyes

Maybe now we’re learning

This thing that sets us apart

Is leaning into ourselves

And trusting what’s in our heart

And I know it’s hard

This whole, not knowing

But with each cry,

each gaze,

each day.

You’re growing.

And while there will be suggestions

You’ll get them on the daily

With the best intentions

And you’ll listen to some,

Maybe

But please take a deep breath, Mama.

Because you’ve JUST had a baby.