Being a Mum the best, scariest and most exciting thing that have ever happened to me. However, what I didn’t expect was to feel so vulnerable, emotional and doubt my own judgement and ability so much. Has she slept enough? Have I cuddled her enough? All of these questions go around and around my head every day. Whether we breastfeed, bottle feed, tube feed or anything else, as a Mum I was surprised by the sense of ownership I had over my babas nutritional status. We are always worried and concerned about what our little one eats, how they eat and how best to support them to have a positive and healthy relationship with food and diet. Despite almost 10 years of working as a Dietitian and 8 years in Paediatrics, I realised that confidence and knowledge professionally does not over-ride continued fear about ‘getting it wrong’ when it comes to being a Mum. We’ve taken our daughter on a wonderful journey exploring and trying new food, textures and tastes. Despite my experience, I have felt the weight of every family members views, every health visitor check and every passing glance. Although in reality, there has probably been no judgement passed or no remarks made! From a clinical perspective, I realise now that new parents are like new employees: Enthusiastic, keen to please, poorly paid and terrified of being told we are doing it wrong!
All in all, it’s been a wonderful but eye-opening journey, giving me an entirely different perspective on childhood nutrition. Stay Agile