mewsmuse, my daughter estranged herself from me for 7 years, and it was terrible. I didn't understand why she'd felt as she did, but apparently, in her eyes I'd been a useless mother and hadn't done anything right. I did everything I could to get back into her life, all to no avail. She allowed the children to come to see me, thankfully, and if this hadn't been the case, I don't know how on earth I'd have coped. Gradually, it just came about that I was able to help when she and my grown-up granddaughters moved to a new house. Then when she became a grandmother herself, it all fell into place better. I was able to visit the baby and things softened. I'm very, very careful not to bring up anything about the 'lost' years, and I try not to ask anything that would make her think I was prying. The situation is sometimes quite fragile, but I've got her back. Enjoy having your daughter again, mewsmuse, and don't think about dark times. They're past and done with. And there's a new life coming! Good luck! 