I remember that hot humid day in June, when I brought my baby home. There was a belief that you shouldn't always hold your baby because you don't want to spoil them. The baby would get use to "hands" and "spoiled" and you won't be able to have a life. I was encouraged to let him "cry" his lungs out. Crying his lungs out would make him stronger and easier to watch whenever I was away. If I did not do these things, no one would want to watch him or keep him whenever I had some where else to go.

This is my personal feelings on it. You only have a limited amount of time with your infant. This new human being that is in this scary bright world, needs the closeness to their mom. I wish that I had not listen to that advise. This is a time of bonding for mom and baby. I wish that I had taken our bonding time as something more "intimate" and belonging to "us" and not as raising a child according to the older women in my family. While I know they meant well. This was my journey, not theirs. It was my baby not theirs. Bonding is very important for mother and child in the early stages. I never had any more children, but I often look back and wished that I had cherished and bonded with my newborn more. I did bond with him but I wish I had done more. The time goes so fast and before you know it, they are off to college and making a life of their own. All you have is memories. Take the time to bond with your child, hold them, let them know that you are there.

I wish I could have seen my son as "my infant" and not the baby I brought home that I have to do what my mom did with me, in order to be a successful mom and not try to somehow feed into being "obedient" to what the women before me did.

Remember that this is your journey, your story, your child.