Celebrating her first Mother’s Day is very happy mom Bernadine Harris

POLOKWANE – “Being a mother is the greatest joy of my life, but at the same time it is a very overwhelming and scary feeling to know that this precious and vulnerable little person depends on me to protect, love and care for her,” first time mother, Bernadine Harris, said.

She said her one-month-old daughter, Xhaidene, was the greatest achievement of her life.

“There are no words to describe how much I love my little girl. Just to hold her in my arms and to look at her completes me. I have waited 29 years for her and now that she is here, I cannot picture my life without her,” Bernadine said.

She added that a baby was very demanding and therefore it was important for a woman to be mentally ready, to survive physically.

According to Bernadine it was also very important to have a good support system, family and friends.

“There is no such thing as a bad mother. You learn as your baby grows older. It is okay if you don’t have the answers or do not know what to do when your baby cries.

“It can get very overwhelming, I find myself sometimes crying with Xhaidene, when I am not sure what is wrong. I remember on April 10, she had winds and I didn’t know what to do. I had different medication, but wasn’t sure which ones to use.

“In the end my boyfriend’s grandmother helped me with the best remedy. That is why a support system is so important, to help you when you don’t know and to help you grow and learn as a first-time mother,” Bernadine explained.

Xhaidene was born at 01:00 on April 2, a day after her father’s birthday and she weighed 4,26kg.

“I had a good pregnancy. I had no heartburn, no cravings; the only thing I can complain about is that I gained a lot of weight.

“While I was pregnant, Xhaidene, never kicked during the day, but at night she was a very busy bee. Now it is the same with her sleeping pattern.

“She is a dream during the day, but at night she doesn’t sleep. But the older she becomes, the sweeter she gets. She sleeps longer and doesn’t wake up that much at night as before,” Bernadine said.

Mother’s Day has a new meaning to Bernadine: “I didn’t really celebrate Mother’s Day, it was just another ordinary day to me but now that I have my little princess I have more appreciation for the day and a better understanding about what it means to be a mother. I would like to wish all the mothers a happy Mother’s Day.”