Mother's Intuition

Mother's intuition is a funny thing. When you're expecting your first child you worry you won't have it. Then said child arrives and after you get through the haze of the first few days (ahem, weeks) you seamlessly become the protective intuitive guardian you always hoped you'd be.

Then they get a little bit older and you're tested... Often, if your child is anything like mine.

Madelyn brings a joy to my life that I literally never thought possible. It's true when people say you'll never ever understand how much you can truly love something until you have a child. But as sweet as she is, my little nugget has the immune system of a ladybug. She gets everything. She had two bouts with pneumonia, RSV, and roughly four ear infections in her first 18 months of life. In this regard she's truly her mother's daughter. But what has completely blown me away is my ability to just know when something is wrong in a way that no one else can sense, not even her father.

For example, when she had RSV (a serious respiratory virus that makes it difficult to breathe) she wasn't exhibiting any symptoms whatsoever. Literally, none. Matt thought I had fallen off the crazy train when at 7:30 at night I wanted to drive her down to the urgent care, but I knew something wasn't right. And it wasn't.

I was tested again this past Friday night when she developed a cough unlike any of the other coughs I've ever heard. I know the asthma cough, the pneumonia cough, the "I just have a little post nasal drip" cough, but something about this cough sent a red flag up my spine. Now picture me on the phone with the on-call pulmonologist at 10:30 at night who quickly confirmed she had croup, yet another serious virus that attacks the throat making it difficult to breathe. Croup also gives you no warning before your child can lapse into respiratory distress, so you literally have to watch them vigilantly all night long. Obviously not something you want to ignore.

This intuition has one of the biggest surprises of motherhood. And even more surprising, I've never been wrong when it comes to her. Matt is truly an incredible father, but he will never understand when I base a diagnosis 100% on a gut feeling because he doesn't have it. It's a God-given gift to mothers--as long as we listen to it.