Pthoto by etorres69 via Canva
“Mama.”
The tiniest voice, but the biggest moment. My baby just said his first word — and it was me. My heart melted instantly. He said it three different times, so there’s no way I imagined it. My husband and mother-in-law were right there too, witnesses to this milestone. I wanted to scoop him up, hold him forever, and cry from pure happiness.
All those sleepless nights, the endless rocking, the exhaustion — suddenly it felt like it was all coming back to me in that one word. Mama.
It wasn’t always this obvious. I still remember the day he was born. The birth was hard, and when they placed him on me, I felt… nothing. Everyone else was crying — my husband, the midwife — but I was empty, still in pain from complications. Within minutes, I was taken to the theatre. That moment felt so far from the joy I had imagined.
But since then, there’s been no turning back. Day after day, even when I was overwhelmed and bone-tired, I showed up. And now, hearing him call me “Mama,” it feels like the universe gave me a little gift in return.
Next time, I’ll try to capture it on video — though of course, you can’t always have a camera ready for these fleeting memories. Maybe that’s what makes them so precious.
I’d love to hear from you: what was your baby’s first word, and how did it make you feel?
Photo by Alena Ozerova via Canva
