Article August 25, 1997 ISSUE

Fearless mothering

Margaret Welch Dendler

When our first child was born, she was happy, healthy, and exactly what every parent wishes for—and yet I was gripped with fear that she would be taken from me at any moment. It wasn't simply parental concern, but rather an irrational fear.

Fear crept in in little ways that I just accepted as being a part of motherhood. At first, I wanted to sleep by her crib so that caring for her in the night was easier. In the end, I realized that I was terrified that something might happen in the night and I would not be there to help. I was also plagued by nightmares.

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