Today, I want to talk about how to really listen to yourself even when you’re faced with a lot of outside opinion and advice.
Over the last month, I’ve really had to ground myself into listening to what is right for me, and my family, specifically Sohum (my 5-month-old son).
About 3 weeks after his birth, Sohum started spitting up. It was hard to watch.
So, I asked the pediatrician how we could minimize the spit up. They (I saw several) said things like, this is common, it will go away in time, just sit him upright after eating for 30 minutes, and make sure you burp him, that various organs (that I forgot the name of) are still underdeveloped and getting stronger.
The tactics they suggested didn’t really help.
It wasn’t the pediatricians’ fault; they only spent 15 minutes max with Sohum and were just following protocol.
So I leaned on it being normal. I told myself, it will go away in time as a temporary answer.
I would even say to my family, “Well he’s spitting up a lot, but that’s normal, and the doctor said it would go away with time.” Then my Mom and Dad would validate that and say, “Yes, it’s normal. It will go away.”
All of these voices were in my head.
BUT something didn’t sit well with me.
It didn’t make sense to me.
I really felt like the spit up was telling me something.
That it was a sign I should be listening to.
I kept asking myself…
Why would a baby spitting up multiple times after nursing be okay?
He’s not crying much at all, but he doesn’t look that happy, why?
I can’t seem to figure this out, but I can feel something’s wrong.
After weeks of trying different healing modalities, like energy work, along with changing my diet, I reached out to a Mom group that I’m in and said, “I feel like a bad Mom because Sohum doesn’t seem the happiest.” I was looking to get some guidance, because I wasn’t satisfied with the answers I was getting.
That’s when one of my closest friends wrote back saying, “Check out this chiropractic doctor see if he can help.”
I looked him up right away.
Something from the website resonated with me.
I called the doctor and asked all the questions I needed to ask. I told him Sohum’s symptoms, and he was the first one to say, “The spit up is a sign. Sure, it might go away in a couple of months, but it could then turn into digestive issues later in his life.”
This hit me in my heart.
This was the first doctor/specialist that said something that really felt right.
So I followed the impulse.
Hemal, Sohum, and I flew out to Kansas to get treatment. It wasn’t invasive; it was literally putting pressure on a point on his side. He’s the only one in the world that does this work.
It was intense, because Sohum had a lot of belly pain. Something I could feel, but didn’t know.
Going was SO WORTH IT.
Now, Sohum is such a happy baby. Don’t get me wrong he has his moments (he’s a human), but I can just feel the difference. You can see it in his face.
What I want you to take from me revealing this story, is that it’s so so easy to dismiss things. It almost feels easier to do that.
To dismiss our feelings.
To dismiss our knowing.
To dismiss when something feels wrong.
To dismiss how something feels good.
To think others know more than you.
Of course, some have information that’s important because they have the depth of experience in that field, and we have to then match it up with what resonates with us.
You may even get advice from others saying, it’s no big deal what you’re going through or thinking. They may say, don’t worry or even get over it.
BUT if you can’t get over it or you’re living with a nagging feeling from within… follow it.
Keep following it.
Until you find the answers that ring true for you. That deeply resonate.
There are so many possibilities and options in the world. Remind yourself of that.
There is no one way to do anything.
So, keep seeking support and information AND ask yourself, does this resonate with me? Is this path meant for me?
Reply in the comments below and tell me, how did reading this hit your heart? Anything come up?
In Love,