If I could jump into some sort of back-to-the-future time machine contraption and visit my pre-birth self, here’s what I would tell her:
- Don’t have so much anxiety over the unflattering parts of your current situation. You’re going to pee yourself more times then you’d like to admit. The sleep-deprived version of you will most likely say strange things at awkward times. Leaking is no joke- so when you have to change your shirt 5 times in the course of an hour, just own it and move on. And if a little piece of that post partum belly accidentally comes untucked from all the mechanisms you used to try to keep it in…and just so happens to fall out from underneath your shirt in front of a stranger…just laugh it off.
- Contrary to how you feel, there really is light at the end of the sleepless tunnel. So bunker down, endure like a soldier, and don’t feel so guilty about watching TV. Netflix and leggings are your friends. And right now the shower is your distant friend. But don’t worry, you will reunite soon and it will be glorious.
- Stay connected to your people. Cabin fever will ensue, and time with other adults may be limited. But you can stay fed, you can stay full, you don’t have to run on empty entirely.
The phrase, “hindsight is 20/20” isn’t famous for nothing. So I’ll keep these nuggets tucked away for next time. And hopefully then I can sail these rocky seas with a little more finesse.
Yours truly,
Stork Mama
