Catharsis (Anna)

Emma and I spent last night at the hospital bunked down in Caroline's hospital room, so we were both pretty exhausted when we got home. After four days of absolutely angelic behaviour in very difficult cirumstances, Emma's response to being back at home? Complete meltdown - the end-of-the-world-is-nigh kind where NOTHING worked. Two hours of high-pitched screaming had us both in tears, while my beautiful daughter stared at me reproachfully for suddenly transforming into a rotten mother who didn't have a clue what she needed (my well-used toolkit of tactics and options apparently being completely misguided). So I cuddled her and told her I had no idea what was wrong but that I was there and would keep cuddling here while I tried to figure it out and repeated to myself that even, or especially, young babies need to break down after stressful events and she was really just doing what I felt like doing (but couldn't, ironically, since I had a baby to look after).

Then, without me doing anything differerent than what I had already tried over and over again, she suddenly turned off the waterworks, curled up in my arms, pulled my finger into her mouth for a good suck and gave me an heart-melting "I-love-you-Mumma" smile before going to sleep.