Ok, gut-check ladies. Have you had a situation lately where that strong and feisty mom gut has told you something wasn’t right? Anyone raising their hand? Well call it what you will, gut check, mother’s intuition or sixth sense, that feeling inside of us rarely leads a mother in the wrong direction. Mother’s intuition must be one of those things we earn when the care of children is entrusted to us. I suppose it goes hand in hand with mom brain, although I could do without the latter. In fact, one study published in the medical journal, PLOS One1 concludes, “because women carry the DNA of their children inside their own bodies, specifically the brain, this could explain a mother’s intuition.” It took me a couple of months to understand that feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I soon learned to trust my new skill as a mom.
Whether it’s diagnosis of a sick child, a dangerous situation or something you just don’t feel right about, if it has to do with your kids, mom’s can sniff it out pretty quickly. My husband laughs when I chalk something up to my intuition, but he is starting to understand my newfound mom superpower.
I wasn’t quite ready to trust myself the first time I had to call on that motherly intuition. We enrolled my son in daycare. As a first time mom, I didn’t take this decision lightly, but I didn’t want to be labeled a “hoverer” or “dramatic.” My husband and I thought this was the perfect place for our son and were ready for the educational opportunities that would follow. I knew Andrew would have problems with a new place, new faces and a new schedule, but I figured giving it time would be best. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. For two months, every single time I dropped him off and picked him up, there were tears. And every single time I saw him that way, my mother’s intuition kicked in. Something’s not right here, I thought.
However, I continually second guessed myself. I didn’t want to be “the rookie mom.” I would tell myself, “Surely, it isn’t that bad. He is a toddler; he doesn’t know right from left. So I continued to ignore it. It wasn’t until I mentioned his tears to my friend that she said, “Listen, something isn’t right. Trust your mom gut and pull him out of there.” Long story short, we did get him out and guess what? I was right. My son is now attending a new daycare and loves his time there. Tears are now a thing of the past and we love the smiles we get at pickup and drop off.
I remember an episode on Grey’s Anatomy (yes I still watch!) where a mother of a sick child brings her son into the ER. The doctors keep dismissing the little boy’s illness as something minor. However, the mom knows better. In the episode, we witness this mother fight for her son because she knows something more serious is going on. With the help of Dr. Google, she presses the doctors to keep searching and in the end, saves her son’s life. Don’t get me wrong, real life doesn’t always play out in the same way it does on TV. Most of my favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy included, portray dramatic affects sprinkled in for the small screen. But there are some situations where you can say, “A mother’s intuition saved the day again.” And nothing is more real than that!
Like a trusty steed, moms have a sixth sense and its something that bonds all of us to each other. We just want what is best for our kiddos and will stop at nothing to make sure they are okay. Finding the right daycare for my son was a process. But my gut was right and it won’t be the last time that happens. My point is, whether it’s a daycare, an illness, or a situation that makes you nervous, we mom’s have a special power locked down in the depths of our stomach that makes us superheroes 24/7.
As parents, we are our children’s biggest advocates. If they can’t fight for themselves, we must speak up and do it for them. So don’t shy away from the opportunity to speak on behalf of your little ones, you never know when your gut might save the day.
