Sensitivity in Motherhood

Ever notice the many Facebook posts of women being pregnant or parents, family and friends fawning over the birth of their child and think, “What a beautiful thing!”

People spend countless hours broadcasting and sharing pictures of their baby’s first step or their child’s first day at Kindergarten or even their child’s first pee wee league game. While these pictures and posts can be very endearing, it is disheartening for those parents who may have lost a child to SUIDs or unable to carry/bear a child on their own. Some have spent thousands of dollars on pregnancy and the health of their children and yes, for some there is success, but what about those who fail?

CDC reported approximately 3,500 sleep-related deaths among US babies each year and this is just for SUIDs.

This number does not include the fail pregnancies of mothers who are not able to carry their baby/babies to full term nor does it include how many of those SUIDs are of mothers who had had failed pregnancies before.

Then, there are woman who are struggling with unwanted pregnancies or women who may have been raped and become pregnant and find difficulty with deciding if abortion is an option for them. Consider the woman who have had children and for one reason or another became pregnant and is not enthused about this current pregnancy and have to live with child-rearing or starting over in raising a child. Many of these mothers and possible fathers suffer with depression relating to pregnancy or complications of pregnancy.

There have been so many women in my circle who have had complications during their pregnancy, depression during pregnancy, postpartum depression, failed IVF treatment, miscarriages, abortions, child loss and being barren. So, before posting all the glorious and wonderful things your child have done, consider your audience. Consider your wording to your post. Be attentive to what you say to others because you may not know their stories. You may not know their trials. While these very people can be extremely supportive of your motherhood, be mindful of the pain they may experience. A little empathy goes a long way.