What is that when you walk into a room with a newly birthed mother holding her newborn?

Walking into a MamaBake earlier today, there were five such women holding their newborn babies who were from 3 to 8 weeks old.  Hushed voices whispering intimate experiences of the shock of motherhood, how their baby sleeps, how they feed, nodding in agreement and relief as the other woman shares feelings of weariness, wonderment and  discovery of their lives with a newborn baby; their lives changed forever.

I have racked up a few MamaBakin’ hours now over the past couple of years but walking into that house brought back the red rawness of having just given birth; a sore, sleep deprived body and adjusting to filling the mind, heart and soul with the needs of this new little being every minute of every day.

Without sounding too tripped out, it felt sacred being there: the quiet, the whisperings, the empathy, the darkened room where a Mama settled her baby..a far cry from past MamaBake sessions of the sweet, boisterous chaos of toddlers and small kidlets and raucous, familiar, laughing Mamas.

It was humbling and still-ing and made such perfect sense that they should be together sharing; knowing that as women, as mothers, we all go through it, that what they feel is normal; that it is right and good for them to be together if for nothing else but to find those reassuring nods of a shared experience.

Getting together no matter what stage you’re at on the well-trodden, winding path of motherhood makes perfect, common sense,  and I can’t wait for my next MamaBake.

The session

Our brand new MamaBakers were cooking vegetarian, dairy-free (where possible) and said they were being mindful of having bland foods as they are breast feeding.  There were five Mamas today with their first, brand new babies: Justine, Charlie, Renee, Murielle and Sarah.

Here’s what they cooked:

• Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
• Vegetable Minestrone
• Moroccan Couscous Tagine
• Eggplant Parmigiana
• Chickpea Patties.

They felt that, next time, they would probably prepare their meals prior to coming and have a snack theme so that they have something healthy and satisfying ready-to-go in the fridge.  They said they are keen to MamaBake weekly.