You know how when you were little and you really wanted those Wonder Woman wrist cuffs but would have settled for those magical Jem – truly outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous earrings?
Me too.
We were dying for super powers because inside we felt bigger and bolder than our little bodies allowed us to be.
Time marched on and our desire for super powers waned once we discovered boys and Dr. Pepper flavored lip gloss.
A little more time passed and we became mothers. Mommy Friends, it was then that we finally earned our super powers.
Yep, I’m talking about mother’s instinct. That thing we fought and feared in our own mothers because it was freaky, intangible and always so dead on. If you’ve ever been punished for a crime you totally committed (and that your mom had no proof of whatsoever), you know exactly what I’m talking about. Her intuition knew, it always knew.
When Boy Wonder was about a week old he began projectile vomiting. This wasn’t just big, ugly vomiting either, this was like, “Oh my God, his head is about to start spinning around” vomiting. It was the single scariest thing anyone in my family had ever (ever, ever, ever) seen. The doctors told me it happens (blah, blah, blah), they chalked it up to new mom worries (blah, blah, blah). But I knew this demon/alien vomiting thing was more than that; something was seriously wrong.
And it was.
Boy Wonder had a cyst on his bowel that had to be removed stat. At 11 days old he underwent a big important surgery by some famous internist whose name I can’t seem to remember right now…Dr. Applesomething. The doctor told me the cyst would have likely developed into cancer within his lifetime, whoa. I don’t know if that’s true but thankfully I’ll never have to know. The weirdest part was that the surgery didn’t stop the projectile vomiting – the cyst was an incidental finding. Mommy Friends, I don’t believe in coincidences, that cyst was meant to be found.
Every one of us is a warrior mother, a superheroine with powers far greater than any force that could ever come against us.
You know that tickle in your brain, the nagging feeling that goes far beyond basic worrying? That thing that tells you, “Hey Lady, pay attention to this.”, yeah that – that thing knows way more than we want to believe sometimes. Trust it, your mother’s intuition is a gift and maybe even a life saver.
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That had to have been so scary for you when Boy Wonder was just 11 days old! I agree – we have these irreplaceable gut instincts. Thank goodness!
It was really scary as a first time mom. I thank God every day for my maternal instincts.
Good for you trusting your feelings. That was a major catch there lady! Well done. I was that way with ear infections, I could just tell.
My mom was the exact same way, she always knew with the ear infections!
Oh my gosh Lori – thank heavens they found it! Not on the same scale, but my daughter had been running a high fever for about 6 days and I took her in on a couple of occasions because she was so lethargic. They kept telling me it was a “virus” but I knew something was wrong. I pushed and pushed and finally they did a chest xray to see she had pneumonia! So thankful that superpower kept me on it!
Oh my gosh Paula, I had the same experience with Pneumonia and I was soooooo mad at the doctor! Good for you for pushing it. We know our kids and we know in our gut when something is really, really wrong.
I am a HUGE believer in trusting your mommy instincts! I think too often {especially if we are first time moms} we are brushed aside and told we are just being ‘first time moms’. My mom knew something wasnt ‘right’ with my older brother when he was born.3 doctors told her she was being a nervous mom. the 4th doctor listened and he was diagnosed with congenital heart defect (2 of them) and was rushed into surgery right away — and lived because of that. My mom is DEFINITELY a superhero mom & it is because of her that i always listen to my instinct as a parent.
Devan, wow. You’ve got one amazing mama there, brava!
WOW!! Good for you for following your instinct! I truly believe that nobody, not even doctors should try and silence a mother’s intuition.
When my second son Sweet Pea was just a week old, I knew something was going on. He was crying way to much, screaming when I would lay him down, and dry heaving in his sleep. I went to the doctor three times in one week because I didn’t believe that he was just “this way”. The pediatrician finally said “you’ve been here three times this week, something inside you is telling you that something is wrong, I’m not going to mess with that…let’s try this.” So my Sweet Pea went on acid reflux meds and do you know what? He was a completely different baby!
More recently, I was outside playing with all three of my boys. I went over to push Buggy in the swing and without even turning around I called out to my 8 year old Big T. I asked him what he was planning on doing behind the bushes. He stuttered and stammered and said he was just going back there to get a ball. I immediately said to him “you are not going back there to pee behind the bushes, go inside and use the bathroom.” His jaw dropped and he said “MOM!!! How did you know?” Okay, I have to say…even that one freaked me out a bit!
I’m telling you, we just KNOW! Isn’t it amazing?! Peeing behind the bushes, ha!
It’s funny because my post today is about NOT being a superhero, but I do believe there are moments where mom’s intuition can be compared to super powers.
Evonne, I hear what you’re saying. Mother’s intuition is indeed freaky powerful!