Yesterday was a rough day in Mama-land, and through my (admittedly irrational) tears, I penned this Facebook post: Afterward, many friends–all of them mothers, old and new–offered advice, love, and support. So far today (it is only 11am, but we’ve been up since 6:30), Lydia has been eating every two hours solid and she just woke from a 45 minute nap: small, but marked improvement on both accounts. The same thing happened when I sought breastfeeding support through an earlier blog post. Immediately following the outreach, Lydia’s latch got just a little bit stronger, she nursed for just a minute or two longer, and we both felt better. This is not a coincidence, and it’s not in my head. When I feel nervous and overwhelmed, Lydia feels it. She becomes more needy and irregular, and I grow more nervous and overwhelmed. But when I ask for support and receive it, I feel held. I feel calmer. I feel loved. And just as before with my negative emotions, Lydia responds to this, and we cycle together towards a happier rhythm. We are the definition of symbiotic. And good days and bad days will happen. We will spiral out and spiral in. I will inevitably end up more sleep-deprived than usual, reading baby blogs and feeling inadequate. But I will also find myself understanding her cues and responding to them in a way that makes me feel joyous and powerful. I never spent much time around babies until I pushed one out. And the feeling of winging it–of learning as I go–with something so amazingly important can be downright scary. So, to all the Mamas out there who have shared your light, what I really want to say is thank you. Lydia and I both love you, and we feel held by your support.