I have a special place in my heart for moms. There are so many reasons for this. But chief among them is that I am a mom myself and I get what a hard job it is. We spend approximately 40 weeks (some more, some less) bonding with a tiny human as we nurture and grow literally together. We put our entire self into that process, then we give birth. But it definitely does not end there. Not on any level. Pregnancy comes with a myriad of emotions, hormones, and new experiences…no matter how many times you’ve done it. I’ll be the first to say, that being pregnant with my second baby was a different (even though you know SOME of what to expect the second time around) experience than with my first. Just like each person is different, I feel so is each pregnancy.
So you give birth. Now what, right? Those hormones and emotions don’t magically disappear. Sometimes, they amplify. Sometimes, they manifest into anxiety, fear, and feeling overwhelmed. But not only that, you are now responsible for a tiny, helpless human who looks to you for his or her every need…and there are many. Sleep is like a unicorn. Showering is that mythical activity you think you used to do, but can’t remember. You start to question sanity and sometimes no matter how much support or how many loving, supportive people you surround yourself with, let’s bottom line it….YOU ARE OVERWHELMED. People ask you why? I feel like you don’t have to answer that question. Sometimes you don’t know. Sometimes you just can’t. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been there, who hasn’t lived it, who just can’t understand even if you attempt to try to explain.
I love the amazing, supportive, rockstar dads of the world. I live with one. But, that dad thing is such a different experience. It comes with emotions. It comes with some lack of sleep. But no one can explain, really explain, being pregnant, going through labor, giving birth, hormonal build up, hormonal downfall, emotional upheaval, or mom guilt.
In saying all this, I hope to send out some love and encouragement to the moms of the world, especially those with infants, toddlers, and young children. I hope to send some “it’s okay to be a hot mess” vibes to the moms struggling with postpartum STUFF (you know what I mean) and those baby blues that come with all your baby bliss. YOU are NOT alone. And if you need someone to talk to, I’d love to listen.