I had three kids in three years.
Yes, you read that correctly.
There is a reason the experts recommend spacing your babies out. These experts say you should wait 18 months between the birth of one child and getting pregnant again. Of course the experts are talking about preterm labor prevention but I think it would prevent mental health problems as well!
I was overwhelmed and the time is a bit of a fog looking back now, but I remember a few things that helped that I thought I would pass on to you.
- I made it a point to join a Mom group and connect with other Moms.
- I let people help me. I had people dropping off groceries and meals. I even had someone come over and hold my baby and play with the toddlers while I showered and napped.
- Go to the grocery store by yourself. Yes, you could take a kid or all of them but try it by yourself. It is actually really fun.
- Take care of yourself: have healthy snacks on hand, get some exercise or just go outside. Also showers are amazing!
- Give yourself grace. There were many days that we never got out of our pajamas, watched too much TV, and ate goldfish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guess what? My kids don’t remember this now and they turned out okay! At least I think they did.
If there was a “Most Selfless Person on Earth” Award, guess who would get it?
Moms, that’s who.
Yours truly,
Stork Mama
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