Mothers intuition - Mouths of Mums

They call it “mother’s intuition” – that sense inside of a woman that there is something more than the eye can see.

It is awakened in any woman with children in her care and once it is there it is there for life.

So why do we have this so called “sixth sense”? I believe it is our gift that comes with motherhood. But do we all have this instinct and what can we do about it?

Do we ignore that feeling deep down telling us that our child “just isn’t themselves” or do we risk being called a fussy parent?

Many mothers report times when their mother’s instinct kicked in and they were able to save their child from harm.

Many mums also tell of times when they knew something was wrong with their unborn baby, even when doctor’s reports said otherwise.

I felt my own mothering instinct kick in when I was 37 weeks pregnant. I felt worried about my baby all day although I wasn’t sure why. After speaking with my mum I decided to go to the hospital and get checked out. My baby hadn’t moved much that day.

Even after having a CTG to check my baby’s heartbeat didn’t ease the feeling that something was wrong. A doctor soon confirmed that my baby was in distress. An emergency caesarean soon showed us why – the placenta had died. The doctor told me that if we had been even 10 minutes later getting the baby out, she would have died.

Some people don’t believe in “mother’s instinct”, others don’t really give it much thought.

Recently there was the sad account of a young boy in Western Sydney who was taken repeatedly to the doctor by his mother. The doctor kept telling her that her son was fine against her insistence that he wasn’t his usual self and appeared to be in pain. Tragically the boy was soon diagnosed with appendicitis but they were unable to operate in time and he died.

I know as mothers (and fathers) we can often overreact when it comes to our children. I know that we were created with an amazing ability to protect and care for our young. And I know that I would rather be branded a “fussy” mother by getting my child checked over a few too many times than risk the chance that there is really something wrong.

After all, these little gifts are the most precious we will ever be given… shouldn’t we take that extra care?

Has your ‘mother’s instinct’ ever kicked in? Please share in the comments below.

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37 Comments

- - ChiWren said
  - 27 Apr 2024
    9:01 pm
So happy this author trusted that intuition! Great outcome.

- - mom101628 said
  - 03 Jul 2017
    10:38 pm
Sure has – my child was crying fitfully and the doctor kept telling me it was normal. I said this child just doesn’t cry, there is something wrong. I’m going to get another opinion. He said OK I’ll check him over and the instant he looked into his mouth at the back of his throat he found the tell tale spots of measles – my little boy had his measles rash inside his body -nothing showed on the outside. And he was only 2 months old well before he could have been vaccinated.

- - ella12 said
  - 05 Apr 2017
    2:35 pm
A great quality to have, cheers.

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 25 Oct 2015
    11:29 am
Mother’s instinct is usually spot on.

- - myst_angel335 said
  - 24 Oct 2015
    9:08 pm
Not everything is set as the text books say – Midwifes & Nurses would do well to remember this, as my experience in 2 of my labors have shown for them not to call the Drs when everything isn’t going as the “Book”.

- - mom94125 said
  - 17 Oct 2015
    3:22 pm
you would kind of want to overreact vs the unknown

- - 4littlemunchkins said
  - 12 Oct 2015
    10:02 pm
We should always trust that mothers instinct, no matter how many times “experts” might disagree. It’s very powerful.

- - mom152736 said
  - 07 Oct 2015
    3:00 pm
yep… always… i have posted a few incidents as well…. its God’s gift to us mothers

- - Melanie said
  - 06 Oct 2015
    9:54 pm
We should all trust our gut feeling more often. Mother’s instinct is so important and not to be dismissed.

- - welshmummy said
  - 05 Oct 2015
    7:00 pm
This article is so true. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed or worried about these feelings. As you have said Mother’s Intuition can save lives. I would rather be a pain and make sure my child is safe and well than not act upon my feelings and instincts.

- - mom113055 said
  - 02 Oct 2015
    9:07 pm
sweet sweet looking

- - mom113055 said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    7:34 pm
being a mother

- - mom66977 said
  - 28 Sep 2015
    10:22 pm
mummas always right x

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 20 Sep 2015
    11:08 am
I absolutely, totally and entirely believe in mothers intuition…. my son and I are so in tune with each other – I can sing a song in my head, and my son can sing it out loud
- SmallStepsMum replied
  
  22 Sep 2015 , 1:18 pm
  Love that!
- - dbhall82 said
  - 19 Sep 2015
    1:06 pm
I definitely believe in mothers instinct. I luckily haven’t had anything serious happen to my children but when I was a child myself my mum knew something was wrong and took me repeatedly to the doctors and they kept saying that I just had gastro, my mum never gave up and ended up taking me to the hospital where even the ed staff wanted to send me home but mum refused until a paediatrician saw me, it turns out I had a “leaking appendix” and that it had moved behind my ovaries (hence hard to pick up on) but if my mum had taken me home the poisons would have ended up killing me..trust your mums gut instinct!!

- - dannsbuild said
  - 08 Sep 2015
    10:32 pm
I agree I believe it is a natural thing for sure!

- - linaianna said
  - 05 Sep 2015
    7:38 pm
Great read thanks for sharing

- - mom152736 said
  - 04 Sep 2015
    6:37 pm
i have mine !! all the time….

- - mom150983 said
  - 04 Sep 2015
    2:24 pm
Wow how incredible is that story about Instinct at 37 weeks
- SmallStepsMum replied
  
  07 Sep 2015 , 1:27 pm
  Thank you, I thought it was a pretty amazing story…. and I have a beautiful live child to remind me of it.
- - mom81879 said
  - 04 Sep 2015
    8:42 am
Can’t fault mothers intuition, much needed when you have children