Lessons I’ve learned throughout my pregnancies.
Pregnancy is both extremely hard and extremely lovely, all at the same time. I am honored to be given the chance to do this, again.
No pregnancy is ever going to be the exact same as the other(s). Your body isn't going to be the same. Your lived experiences are no longer the same. I'm in such a different place now than I was 4 years ago when I was pregnant the first time.
Pregnancy, birth and postpartum will teach you that you’re no longer fully in control. This can be difficult to accept. Prepare as best as you can and then let your expectations be flexible.
Nesting and creating a beautiful space for baby are important, yes, but even more so are grieving your old life, preparing for the next chapter, and creating support networks around you so that you have somewhere to lean when hormones, sleep deprivation and change all culminate in a fierce cocktail of culture shock.
The baby blues feel similar to homesickness… as in you’re homesick for your old life. It does pass. And if doesn’t, that means something else is going on and it’s time to check in with your trusted healthcare team.
Your body might not ever look like it did before you had a baby, and that’s totally fine, healthy and normal. Some people will return to their pre-baby body, but most of us do not. We're forever changed, in so many ways, so how do we expect our physical body not to shift with this cosmic transformation?
Giving birth was the most empowering moment of my life thus far. I can’t wait to see how this birth unravels, as they all teach us something and show us the strength we didn’t realize was always there.
