Be a cheerleader

Last week I had my 6 week postpartum check up.  Once again, the wise, calming words of my midwife did wonders for me.  I was feeling rejuvenated (though still sleep deprived) as I stepped in to the elevator on my way to the parking lot.  Already aboard was a very pregnant woman with her male partner.  She looked tired and wary and was clutching a very large orange receptacle that only the special few would identify as a 24 hour urine collection container.

This could mean only 1 of 2 things:
1. She thought it would be fun to collect her urine for 24 hours.
or
2. She was a few days shy of an induction for preeclampsia.

I wanted to say something to her to make her feel better but wasn't sure how it would be received.  Would she think I was being rude?  Or intrusive?  I wanted to tell her I lived to tell the tale of 2 inductions, that she could and would do it, that it would all be ok.  That 6 weeks from now she'd be just like me, returning from her 6 wk visit, having just asked a midwife in all seriousness if she was doing something wrong to make her new daughter dislike her and cry at her all night long.

I settled on asking her when she was due.  "Soon," she said.  "We're probably getting induced this week or next."

"Oh, good luck," I said.  "And you look really cute pregnant."  A huge smile spread across her face and she thanked me.  We got out of the elevator and went our separate ways: me, hauling the car seat on my way to another breast feeding session.  Her, on her way to becoming more intimate with her urine than she likely ever expected.

I hoped that I made her feel just a little bit better.

I read this article today and it made me think of that moment.  We could all use some cheer leading now and then, right?

http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/tell-a-friend-you-are-a-good-mama/