Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.
Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.
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2 June 1, 2008 - 12:29pm | akvalleygirl74
I understand your reservations...
about not wanting to leave the little ones. I didn't leave our oldest child for more than 24 hours until she was 3, and then only for a 4 day trip (which felt like 4 weeks!).
Then the twins were born 6 years later and I b/f them as well. The work involved with them was almost overwhelming at times, and my dh was/is an extremely involved parent so he felt it just as much as I did. He KNEW I wouldn't go along with a trip away from them but for my birthday he surprised me with already-purchased tickets on a cruise for that following spring. This is shameful to admit, but he was less-than-impressed at my reaction when I opened up the reservations. lol The twins were 2 when we left, but had JUST turned 2 and still felt very much like my "babies". Ds was still nursing daily (although just for comfort and it took more time to unfasten than it did for him to nurse it was so short), but dd had weaned herself at 18 months old.
I'm a SAHM and couldn't fathom leaving someone else to take care of them. Yes, it was my own mom, but could she handle it? Big sis was a huge help, but could they do it? Like "I" do it?? I was scared to pieces.
Dh knew we needed this trip for our marriage, to have time where we were focused soley on the two of us. It was impossible to finish a thought, let alone a sentence, in our house at the time. We were having to struggle to be husband and wife and not mommy and daddy only.
I went, and promised him I would only communicate by email once a day. It took SO much discipline, but I forced myself to not cry because ruining our trip would be terribly unfair to my dh and to our marriage. If this would have been a business trip or a trip where I was the only one going, I'd have said no way. lol My situation is different though, because I knew the twins had each other and wouldn't be missing a companion they play with daily.
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