In a culture that highly values productivity, busyness and results, it’s really hard for many of us to scale back and let it go some days. I absolutely love to feel productive and, in general, I enjoy life more when I’m active and creative. But I also think that many of us forget about the importance and restorative quality of just being.
You’re awake in the middle of the night with your baby for the third time. As you’re feeding her, and scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, what are you thinking when you see that picture of your friend’s baby sleeping peacefully in his crib? Or that video of your other friend’s 10 month old baby walking already?
The other day, your dad and I were reflecting on how much our life has changed since you were born six-and-a-half years ago. And the change feels bigger than the typical, “you have a baby and everything is different” type of change. You see, you were born with a beautifully strong personality and, from day one, you communicated very clearly with us about what was OK with you and what wasn’t going to work. We tried not to listen at first, because we figured we knew best, and because we were led astray by cultural messages imploring us not to listen to you or to our instincts about what you needed.
So your baby is here. She is healthy and you’re healthy and you’ve been discharged from the hospital. If you’re like me, you’re super excited to get back to the comfort of your home. However, pretty quickly after you return home, you realize this isn’t all it’s cracked up to b
Sometimes I scroll through online forums where moms chat and ask questions. I’m curious about people’s birth, baby, and postpartum questions. It really helps me get an idea of what people need support with and gives me ideas for what to share here on New Mama Project. Something I see many new moms asking questions about is physical recovery, both immediate healing as well as long term postpartum body changes and adjustment.