That Mommy Feeling — Talia, She Wrote

I happened to me the other day. I didn't believe it would... or maybe I just wasn't sure that it would... but oh boy did it happen to me.My labor was... not traumatic but challenging. I've felt like "I could do that better" and thought about our next child and my next pregnancy with an eye towards "it will be better." But it was all very theoretical. I'm not pregnant (parents, you hear that? I'm not pregnant!) but we've talked about another child and I've thought about how the situation will play out. And by situation I mean labor and recovery...So what happened to turn theory into reality? I got to hold a three week old baby on Friday. We brought our friends dinner for Shabbat and while my cruising, pull up on anything in sight, nearly 20 pound 11 month old almost toddler attempted to destroy their very not baby proofed home, I snuggled a tiny 8 pound baby girl who slept and snuggled me the entire time. And I talked to her mom about her labor. It wasn't that bad. It hurt and was long but it wasn't that bad...And it happened.Boom.My ovaries exploded into my brain and an actual, real conversation about number two began when we got into the car.My labor was hard. We had nearly every complication (it seemed) in the book. We had a lot of medical interventions and looking back, while they all seemed like the best decision possible then... I would change some of my choices given the opportunity to make them again. Not only that but I know what to expect now. Having given birth once, it's no longer a complete surprise as to how it works and what it feels like (well, I say that now... don't hold me to that...), and so I think that will help with some of the anticipation and maybe help with my patience.So the memory of the pain has truly melted away a short 11 months after having my little man and I would totally do it again. Isn't that the joke? If we didn't forget the pain we would never end up having more than one child?And can we just talk about how my kid is going to be one very shortly?! I'm not sure if I am ready for that... but that's for another post.Tell me, did it happen for you? Did you forget the pain of labor? Or did you remember and anticipate the pain for you next labor?