Mums, Embrace Your Inner Super Hero!

Ladies, have you ever thought about how super amazing your body is? Seriously, women have the unique privilege and ability to actually nourish another human life into existence and then produce a food for that new human from your own bodies that not only provides nourishment, but also practically serves as the immune system for that new human after birth!! That is pretty awe-inspiring. But sometimes it is hard to feel really super as a mum. Next time you are feeling down on yourself, try to remember these points.

Perhaps you are finding your super powers a bit unbecoming. Being one of these super mums myself, I understand that harnessing this super power is not always glamorous. Having this power can mean morning sickness, constipation, sleepless nights, fatigue, and more. But all the super heroes from the comic books faced some unglamorous moments in using their powers too. Many heroes faced ridicule, misunderstanding, and isolation because of their powers. Then there is the nasty business of bang-ups associated with fighting bad guys. I doubt Superman feels glamorous when battling against kryptonite packing villains. And I doubt most of them sleep very well at night, especially when so much crime takes place in the dark of night and then they have to go to work the next day as though nothing happened so that no one recognizes their disguise. Yes, all super powers come with a price.

Perhaps, you don’t feel like a super hero because you didn’t exactly plan to harness this special ability you were born with due to the genetic factor of having two x chromosomes; there is an X-Men reference here if you missed it ;-). But not all the comic book heroes planned to be superheros either. Some, like Superman, just know that it is their purpose on Earth to harness this ability. Some, like Batman, desperately want to have super powers and utilize science and technology to achieve their goals. Some, like Spider Man, Jessica Jones, or Captain Marvel, find that they have accidentally acquired their abilities and perhaps after a struggle to come to terms with it, embrace their powers and chose to use them for the greater good. It doesn’t matter how you came about these powers, you are super and that is all there is to it.

Maybe you feel alone in your powers and isolated like so many of the comic book heroes we read about and watch. This is a real struggle for many people and heroes alike for various reasons. Super heroes have a valuable lesson to teach us here; a lesson many of them learned the hard way. We all need help and support from trusted sources. Superman had Lois Lane and both of his parents; Batman had his butler Pennyworth; Iron Man has Pepper Potts. All the super heroes learn at one time or another that they can benefit from help from other super heroes or regular people every now and again too. As a mum you will also benefit from support. Sometimes that support won’t come from our families, much like the experiences of many of the X-Men, but we can band together with other super mums. Unfortunately, as the super heroes find out as well, some other super mums won’t always be the best source of support and can turn into your enemy. I wish we could all realise how super we are and not fight with each other, but it happens. So don’t get too discouraged if you find other super mums unsupportive of you, just look for the super mums that will support you to team up with (though don’t team up on any other super mums, just team up for support). If you are struggling to find a like-minded super team to join, then ask me, your care provider, local childbirth educator, or even another support group leader for some ideas to try.

Always remember, having super powers is a mighty responsibility and challenge, but it is a mighty reward as well!! So embrace your super mum identity. Put on your cape like Superman, dress up in your Spidey suit like Peter Parker, or hop into your Bat-mobile and accept the great task that is set before you. Sure, you will make some mistakes; but as long as you listen to your team and don’t give up, you will also change the world, one human being at a time!!

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