I wrote my first blog about being a new mom while I was lying in bed in labor at the hospital. Thankfully, I had had an epidural by then, so I could communicate with my loving hubby instead of muttering to him amidst the intensely painful contractions I had been experiencing. He had wanted to help the entire time, but for those first six hours pre-epidural my most common response was “Shh!” I couldn’t bear hearing any noise at all and simply had to focus on my breath—giving each breath my all to endure the intense pain that I was experiencing.
I was relieved after getting my epidural that I could speak, cordially even, to my husband. It would be a much better labor experience for him now, and, more importantly, for me.
Along with being able to converse with my husband, after receiving the epidural I also had the wherewithal to write notes on my phone about my experience. I couldn’t believe the birthing class I had taken was so opposed to epidurals, and the best way I could express this frustration at that moment was writing a blog about it. Later on, I considered notifying the birthing class teacher, but I was quite busy with our newborn and I thought she would write off my comment as someone who simply didn’t belong in her style of birthing class.
Thus was born my blog post, “My More Self-Compassionate Definition of Natural Birth.”
I continued to blog about my experiences: returning home from the hospital, learning swaddling, diaper changing, bathing—all the new activities that one does for their tiny, innocent, newly born human. It was daunting for sure! Not to mention waking up every few hours at night to breastfeed my little angel.
Writing about and sharing my experiences made them a bit more tolerable, and helped me adjust to my new reality as a first-time mama.
Minutes turned to hours, weeks turned to months, and before I knew it I had a 6-month old daughter! With my daughter’s greater physical independence and capabilities, as well as her ability to sleep longer stretches through the night, came more time and energy for me to continue to blog about raising my baby daughter.
Then, just about a month ago, I realized I had written enough to be able to form a book. And so I compiled and edited my blogs into an ebook, that I am excited to share with you today. It is my hope that just as people found my blogs about first-time motherhood to be helpful and validating, so too they will find my book to be a source of strength and encouragement during the exhausting, yet magical, period that is the first year of motherhood.
I hope you enjoy my ebook, She Pooped, I’m Pooped: Motherhood Year One. Link here.
Mindful Nuggets 