What helps

Following my really honest post a couple of days ago about my baby blues, I received a few messages here and there from people telling me how that post really resonated with them and how much they can really relate to it.

 

I first wrote it mainly as an outlet for myself. Writing about it somehow made me feel better. Instead of bottling it up, it was good to be able to empty it all out so it doesn't seem so bad after all.

 

However, I was also worried that my post might be a little depressing, discouraging or scary for potential new mums out there. Yes, post-partum recovery and looking after a new baby is hard. But that's only one side of the story.

 

So here are a few things I found to be helpful during this time...

Learning to breastfeed lying down - it's apparently a learned skill, but a good one to have. Then you can nurse lying down in bed at night or if can't sit up long due to your stitches.

 

Babywearing - sometimes babies just need to be held, so wear them close and free up your hands to do other stuff.

 

Watching reruns of my favourite series - I put them on my tablet and phone so I can watch them on the go during a marathon feeding session.

 

Accepting help - This is hard to do, but necessary. Sometimes I just need to take off my superwoman costume and remind myself that I'm just a regular mortal like everyone else. 

 

Reaching out - talking about it, sharing what I'm going through, essentially just putting out there so I can discover that "I am not alone in this"

 

Breathing in that soft soft, velvety baby smell - it's like a sniffing drug that can sometimes help me keep going.

 

Telling myself that "This too shall pass" - the difficult times and even the happy ones... all will inevitably come to an end. So hang on through the bad times and savour the good ones.

 

Remembering that "The days (and nights) are long, but the years are short" - with a new baby, the day seems to drag by, nap-by-nap and feed-by-feed, but before you know it, the baby years would have flown by. So don't blink, even for a second.