My lack of maternal instinct is a worry
JOGGER ‘DEVASTATED’ TO FIND HUGE ‘MOUNTAIN’ OF WASTE DUMPED ON PATH
QI’ve just had my first baby and while I love her, I don’t feel like I’ve got any maternal instinct at all. Is maternal instinct something that develops, or is this likely to be the way I’ll always feel?
AParenting influencer Hollie de Cruz, a hypnobirthing coach and author of Motherhood Your Way, says: “Because of the way family life is commercialised, we can subconsciously develop very set – and often warped – ideas of what being maternal looks like.
“These pictures we create in our minds can be very different to the reality that unfolds when we become parents, and this can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt and overwhelm – all of which distract us
from the subtle bonds and connections that are happening within and between us and our new baby.
“Instinct and maternal wisdom lies deep within us all, but it doesn’t necessarily surface overnight. We’ve been conditioned to follow the crowd, chart every milestone, and compare ourselves with our peers, and none of those things are particularly complimentary to nurturing or strengthening our own internal GPS.
“When we can learn to turn down the noise of societal opinions and pressures, and experiment with doing things our own way, we can focus our attention inwards and use that energy to be led by our baby, and trust in what they are asking from us.
“And it’s the same with love.
“We all feel, show and share love in ways that are as unique and wonderful as we are, and there are no hard and fast rules as to what this should look like between you and your baby.
“Your love doesn’t have to be loud or bright to burn deeply, so give yourself a bit more credit for creating and nurturing this sacred relationship in your own gentle ways.
“You are enough and you are always doing better than you think you are.”
Motherhood Your Way: How to worry less and enjoy more in your baby’s first year by Hollie de Cruz is published by Vermilion, priced £12.99. Available now.
AN investigation has been launched after a huge pile of rubbish was dumped on a public footpath in Salford.
The ‘mountain’ of rubbish was found by a local resident who was stopped in his tracks while on a run.
Matt Hunter’s exercise had to be cut short when he found the shocking amount of waste strewn across the footpath which is found behind the Cobden Recycling Centre in Pendleton.
The 31-year-old says he was ‘devastated’ to find the mess and took to social media to warn people about the rubbish in the area.
Salford City Council say they are investigating the fly-tipping and will be searching CCTV to find any evidence of who the culprit is.
“I was on a run when I was stopped by this mountain of waste,” said Matt.
“You can see from the video it’s blocking the path entirely, it’s devastating to see that some people can just leave that on your doorstep and walk away.
“It’s a lot of general waste, there’s an ironing board among lots of building work stuff, and just general trash unfortunately.”
From Irlam o’ th’ Height, Matt is a member of the Salford Litter Heroes.
The group is made up of committed volunteers who undertake frequent litter picks in the city, going out in all weather conditions to look after the environment, protect wildlife and make Salford a better place for everyone.
Last week the group won the Best environmental improvement award at the Spirit of Salford Community Awards. “We just want to live somewhere clean, sometimes I’m out as early as 10.30am to clean the area I live in.” Matt said. “The mess on the footpath is too much for us to clean but I’ve alerted the environment agency and local council. “The message we want to get across is for people to take their rubbish home, it’s not too much to ask.”
A Salford City Council spokesperson said: “Council officers are now investigating fly-tipping dumped at land off Cobden Street. We will check who owns the land and search CCTV to see if there is any evidence as to who has dumped it so we can take enforcement action.”
It’s devastating to see that some people can just leave that on your doorstep and walk away
Matt Hunter