@battythings

7 months ago

This was a really good episode. All the hosts gave Symon the space to talk about her trauma, but no one came across as cold or uneducated. Ryan asked questions with intention, and I could tell Daryl was FEELING the gravity of Symon's situation as a parent himself. Meghan seems like she's been intense in her mom guilt, and needed a mommy to talk to... even though she has the best partner ever. I was a parent with a newborn who had to be in intensive care while my partner was stuck in another country. Surgery before she was a year old. First two years were a fever dream of appointments, hospitals, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy etc. So much development happens in the first year, so a newborn obviously has a lot of catching up to do if their first year is almost entirely spent at a hospital. I had 5 appointments in a week and I was trying so hard to keep up and take notes. I remember vividly thinking, "I've seen so many experts, doctors, nurses, therapists... are any of them going to ask how I'm doing? How I'm managing to even get her to all these appointments while I'm in survival mode 24/7?" All the physical therapy is pointless unless I do a few hours a week of exercises with my newborn... that's the same for speech and occupational. Usually, if your child needs one, there's a big chance they might need all three. I was drowning, and I spent so much time at hospital passing parents with children who had medical needs obviously more severe than my daughter's. I was in this constant state of feeling grateful that my daughter was healthy, and guilty because I was witnessing other parents who were probably more overwhelmed than I could ever be. It's why I think it's important to talk about the hardship of taking care of children. No matter what the situation may be. From the 'perfect baby', to the baby who never leaves the hospital... and everything in-between. It's never easy. Every experience is valid and should be shared.

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