It's funny what we all do to prepare for baby. I know for me it was tons and tons of googling. I ended up with tons of books and so much advice to sort through. So when we got this sweet submission from Rose Trail Photography, I knew this was a mama after my own heart! Let's meet Meredith.
Hi Meredith. I get you. Let's talk..
I’m someone who is driven by a list. I don’t have to check things off, but I do need to feel like I’ve accomplished something by the end of the day. My definition of accomplishment has 100% changed! Yesterday by the end of the day I had accomplished straightening my hair and making a batch of muffins and I was super proud! This little tiny human (who is so stinking cute) is the biggest time suck. Did I always know that would be the case? Sure! The reality is so very different though. More importantly, I’ve surprised myself with how ok I am with this new definition and with just how much love I feel for my son. It’s not something anyone can ever really explain to you or prepare you for. My biggest accomplishment at the end of the day is making it through another day and being rewarded with a big gummy smile.
What are you doing to recover from delivery/postpartum?
Mentally I’ve spent time adjusting to my “new normal,” practicing self-care while my son is sleeping (hello Netflix!), and trying not to over do it on researching all things about infants. This new phase of my life is a lot of fun, a lot of work, and a little crazy, but I absolutely love being a Mom. On the physical side, I’ve been walking and walking and walking. I had to give my body the time it needed to truly heal and fight my natural instinct to jump right back into HIIT workouts. I’ve made sure not to worry about getting my prexbaby body back instantly. There’s time for that and right now I’m giving my body the time to heal. My walks have turned into you my favorite time of the day since I get to be outside and look down at my smiley little boy in his carrier the whole time.
Any struggles or wins you want to share?
The biggest struggle for me that I didn’t really anticipate was how isolating being a new mama and being on leave from work would be. Did I understand that I would be home with a newborn baby on my own? Of course. Did I understand that that really meant I wouldn’t have many adult conversations during the course of the day, would be constantly in motion meeting the demands of a little one and sometimes not eat lunch until 4 PM? Kind of but not really. I had to work hard to find ways to not feel so isolated. I am more of an extroverted person so interacting with others is really important to me and gives me energy. I made sure to get out of my house whether it was for a walk (where I’d bump into neighbors), a run to target (as soon as I felt comfortable taking my little one out), meeting up with friends as soon as my husband came home and could take over, or talking to my husband about non-baby things when he came home. As I’m preparing to go back to work though, I feel the opposite may be true and that my biggest struggle will be adjusting to not being with my son all the time anymore.
My biggest win so far.... keeping my son safe and happy and keeping my marriage a priority. Having a baby is a big job and a selfless job. Watching him grow and change every week and knowing that I played a role in ensuring he’s in good health, reaching appropriate developmental milestones, and in general is just happy makes my heart so full! With everything going on with having a newborn, it’s easy for that to consume you. My husband and I have made an intentional effort to check in with each other (especially when we are staring to feel out of sync) and spend time as a family, but also as just the two of us. Is it perfect, no, but it works for us and we know that if we don’t have a strong marriage we can’t give our son a strong foundation and at the end of the day we are the foundation of our family- we’re in it together!
Photos: RoseTrail Images
Wake Forest, North Carolina