The Iron Mom Marathon
by Lou Bendrick |
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Not even a Navy SEAL could be prepared for such protracted REM-free sleep.
When I became a mother for the first time, in understood why nature started my menses when I was a teenager.
Although I probably would have been incapable of grasping the magnitude of being a mom, at least I would have
been physically up to the challenge. Today, at 34, I am a first time mother and undoubtedly more emotionally and financially
prepared to be a parent. Physically, however, is another story.
Because I was in decent shape before I had a baby, I thought I would be ready for the back-to-back marathons of pregnancy and caring
for an infant. But pregnancy was harder than I expected (8 months of nausea), and so was delivery (a hard-fought labor that ended in a C-section).
At that point, I thought I was invincible to pain. Then I experienced nipple soreness. What was I nursing - a baby crocodile?!
When that finally subsided, my baby started teething and I was drafted into the major leagues of sleep deprivation. Remember that old adage about how your over-active
pregnant bladder will ready you for the sleepless nights of motherhood? Sorry, but not even a Navy SEAL could be prepared for such protracted bouts of REM-free sleep.
What motherhood equates to is the Iron Man marathon, what I call the Iron Mom. but as with most physical challenges, there is a reward.
I have earned my muscled arms without having set foot in a health club, thanks to those round-the-clock baby squats, curls and dips - not to mention the dirty diaper dead lifts. A half-eaten bagel never
tasted so delicious, and the sleep I do get is deep and luxurious, sweetened by the breath of my child at my breast. Getting up at 3 am is tough, but when my
kid is laughing despite the hour, I can't help but laugh, too. I might get less sleep these days, but I laugh more than ever.
When my daughter turned 8 months old, she learned to clap, a thrilling new skill that is not just reserved for patty-cake. She shrieks
with glee and claps at the break of day. The mere sight of the dog is cause for a hearty round of applause. She rewards my fumbling efforts during those middle-of-the-night diaper changes with wriggling, clapping,
cooing joy. She is utterly amazed with life itself and, consequently, so am I.
What matters most is the strengthening of that muscle beating deep in my chest. My heart is so much bigger now because of a fierce,
tender and profoundly beautiful new love. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
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