Reassurances & Affirmations – LIVE POST

How to utilize this post: the BOLD parts are the gist of the paragraph. If you need something to repeat to yourself or are on the brink of a meltdown, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT! If you’re looking to be talked down from heightened emotions, whatever they may be, read the whole section. Come back to this as you need, start in different spots, read as much or as little as you need to ease the stress, and get back to being a kickass mama!! Show up for yourself and be the best you can be for your family – you’ve got this! Even if you needed a small break to realign.

I’ll be coming back and adding to this as I think of things (since most of these are mantras I have had at one point or another for myself!) so make sure you do too. We’re on this journey together!

*Please note that despite this site being all about the UNaesthetic things in life, the pictures in this post are staged and meant to be calming (literally the opposite). Sometimes we need the appearance of calm even if everything is bat-shit crazy. Also note, these are definitely not personal photos from my own life…*

PLEASE REMEMBER, ALL THESE COME FROM A PLACE OF LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING. WHILE I KNOW I CAN’T POSSIBLY RELATE DIRECTLY TO EVERY EXPERIENCE, WHAT I CAN RELATE TO IS THAT BEING A PARENT IS HARD!! WHATEVER DECISIONS YOU MAKE, MAKE THEM OUT OF LOVE FOR YOUR KIDDOS AND YOU CAN’T GO WRONG!

In the same vein as the above disclaimer: Good parents don’t TRY to do wrong by their kids. If you did the best you could in that moment with the information you had, that’s just it – the best you could do!

You NEED to eat more. It sucks especially for those of you who are like me and have negative associations with food and body image. Just remember that the MOST important thing right now is providing for your baby!

GOING WITH THAT…if it is doing you more harm than good to breastfeed and force yourself to consume more calories and the mental struggle outweighs the desire, there is no shame in supplementing with bottles or using formula completely. A resentful mother is worse than using formula! A mom who is so tired from the mental drain of eating (for whatever reason) that she can’t be present in any other way is not worth it!

Wanting to go back to work is NOT a bad thing. NOT wanting to back to work is NOT a bad thing. While I have my own beliefs on family structure, I am not naive to the fact that family needs and how they are met look different! It is not wrong to want time to move at your own pace without the responsibility of someone else. It is not wrong to want an adult conversation that is about professional things instead of your kids’ bowel movements. Simultaneously, it is not wrong to want to quit your job and stay home suddenly either. Priorities will look different!

You LITERALLY grew another person and are their entire world, they don’t care about your stretch marks or tummy pouch. All they care about is that you love them and care for them. It is SUCH A LIE that society feeds us to get back to “normal” and continue with life as normal before. Life is not the same as before AND THAT’S A GOOD THING!!! Needs are going to look different in every family for every child. Just take it day by day and deal with things as they come. Some days you may feel like hitting the gym and doing something to get back to feeling like you. Some days you are just trying to keep your cool despite every nap being trash. It truly is a balance!