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Through Her Native Eyes

Perspectives from a reconnecting Lakȟóta wíŋyaŋ

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Me: please nap for one full hour so I can get some stuff done ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Also me: please wake up, you’ve been napping for an hour and I miss you and need to hold you now

Someone else asked me if my identity as a Mom came naturally as soon as Raya was born. The answer is no... it’s been gradual and it’s continually evolving. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But I heard something recently that changed something in me. We’ve had a little difficulty getting Raya to take a bottle from others, and someone mentioned that it may help to have others hold a recently worn shirt of mine while feeding her so my scent is near. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Smell is one of the first senses to develop in the womb. Around weeks 6-7 to be exact. When a baby is born, they can quickly differentiate between the smell of their mother vs others and show preference to their mothers’ breastmilk over others. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After hearing this, I realized ... I’m her mom. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Of course I knew that I am her mother, but hearing how my existence and presence brings her comfort really made it real. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We’re navigating this fourth trimester together, and something about being needed made me need her more 💛

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