@inspirationalmama87: Cheek support, sideways feeding only, and propped up on a pillow. Oh, and usually followed by vomiting because Hazel had severe reflux. 🤦‍♀️ This was the ONLY way we could ever get Hazel to take a bottle. Feeding Hazel when she was small was no small task and one that kept us from receiving help. No one could feed her except her NICU nurses, myself, and Dad, making it nearly impossible to leave. My first night away from Hazel wasn’t until she was a year old, and even after that, I don’t think Aaron and I left her without one of us there until she was closer to 3. 🤯 I share this for several reasons, one because it's our story, two because I want you to know you're not alone if this is your life, and three because this was a massive factor in my depression and anxiety journey. I did everything for Hazel because I NEEDED TO BE IN CONTROL! I was unwilling to let others fail. Therefore, I was left alone, filled with depression and as anxious as they came, but I had literally no idea I was or what I was doing. Mama, trust me! You need help. Special needs or not, you need MORE help. The only way to get it is to let go. To give up complete control over every waking moment and let others fail. That's how they learn. I'm a better mom now because I leave the house twice a week to tutor other people's children. I'm a better mom now because I go on trips around the world with my side hustle team; these have literally become the built-in breaks I never knew I needed. And I'm a better mom because I know if my child cries for someone else, they are ok. It's good for them, and it's good for me. Trust me; your child wants YOU! Not YOU burnt out and exhausted. Spend the $20 and give yourself just one hour a week if that's all you can do. God designed us to be in a community together. Children were not built to be raised alone but rather by a village. Who is in your village? Do you need to build one up? Maybe that's where you're at; I was too. Trust me; this is the best time to start building your village, one person at a time. #buildyourvillage #childrenraisedright #supportnetworkformoms #specialneedsmoms #refluxbaby #tubfedbaby #tubbies.

Julia Erman

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Region: US

Thursday 17 November 2022 10:23:54 GMT