by Fiona Griffin | Mar 22, 2016 | Motherhood Reflections, Postpartum Challenges, Uncategorized
I can’t go back in time, so I’ll never know if things would have been better if I knew then what I know now. I am hopeful that my awareness going into my second postpartum period will help ease that transition just a bit. It’s like the difference between starting my very first job and my tenth job. I know it will still be challenging, but I also know that it will get easier. I’ve also learned a few more strategies to cope with the ups and downs of the postpartum period.
Here are10 things I wish I knew before having my first baby.
by Fiona Griffin | Mar 8, 2016 | Postpartum Challenges, Sleep
A couple weeks ago I read a blog post titled something like “What Science Tells us About Newborn Sleep,” and it made me totally question my decisions to co-sleep with my first and soon to be second baby. And not in a good way. I’m not linking to the article because a) I tried to erase it from my memory, and b) it ended up being yet another source telling me I should have pushed my baby to sleep on her own.
by Fiona Griffin | Feb 23, 2016 | Postpartum Challenges, Postpartum Depression, Self-Care, Social Support
Today I want to talk about why it’s so challenging to leave the house, why it’s still important to get help now, and how you can get postpartum help, even without leaving the house. I know that you will leave the house again, and that things may be hard right now.
by Fiona Griffin | Feb 8, 2016 | Motherhood Reflections, Postpartum Challenges
When I was parenting a newborn baby I really struggled to accept her dependence on me. I entered parenthood with the idea that I would be loving and nurturing, but I would also encourage independence. When it came to newborn care, this meant I wouldn’t hold my baby 24-7, I wouldn’t be overly responsive to her grunts and squeaks in the middle of the night, and I would let her know that it was ok to be in this world on her own. Two years later, it now sounds so unrealistic and harsh to have approached parenting this way, but I think this parenting approach is more common than it’s counterpart – attachment parenting.
by Fiona Griffin | Jan 26, 2016 | Family Dynamics, Postpartum Challenges, Social Support
A theme that is central to becoming a parent is how to negotiate your relationship with your own parents. Especially in the early weeks after a baby is born it is often the grandparents who are providing the most support to the new parents. New parents need this support. It is so challenging to care for a newborn, recover from birth, and adjust to life as a parent. Grandparents can ease the transition immensely.
