The Baby Pause ‘Those Early Days’

Motherhood in lockdown 

Let’s face it, there’s A LOT going on in the world at the moment. I don’t have to list the endless subject matters that are fueling the chatter in our minds on a daily basis but throw the introduction of motherhood into that mix then that becomes a shed load of feelings to contend with!

For any new mothers out there and any mothers full stop, the emotional roller coaster that comes with being a mother can often leave you wiped out. I’m a mother to a 22-month old little girl called Fíadh and anticipating the arrival of number two in February (we don’t know what we are having, so it goes by the name of number two for now) so I often get to the end of the day really needing a little moment of pause to myself.

Those Early Days

Thinking back to the early days of settling into my new role with Fíadh, I remember being overwhelmed with so many different feelings… firstly love with a capital L.

It swallows you whole, seeping into every pore, combined with a vulnerability that leaves you feeling anxious, almost insignificant somehow even though you’ve just performed the most miraculous task of your life! Ironic. That little voice in your head always willing to pipe up and give you a daily dose of self-doubt and gentle reminder to not mess things up. All of this pressure put on yourself, by yourself and even sometimes random strangers, without really knowing where to ‘put’ any of these feelings. I’ve not even mentioned the physical recovery, sleep deprivation, mountain of washing and endless calls to milking. Quite a bit to juggle!

If I was to get through this, I knew I needed to flip perspective on its head, let go of the way things used to be, surrender to my new role and actually embrace my new pace of life as well as the chaos. Suddenly the long nights became easier, the mundane or stressful a bit more fun and I could actually be in these moments, taking the time to pause and see the gift that was in front me. To do this, however, I had to take some action, take control of the things I could and change my thinking.

My Comfort Blankets
With lockdown two here, everyone is being forced, in a way, to pause…with or without babies. Keeping with the theme of flipping perspective, we could see it as a time to recharge. That shift from Autumn to Winter could become warm & cosy, instead of dark and dreary.

So here are a few tidbits that might help us along the way and provide that comfort blanket when we need it most;

– Make a simple plan for your day – One task is plenty and try not to stress if that doesn’t go your way, tomorrow is another day!

-Take breaks in nature. Embrace the changing of the seasons – wrap yourself and your little one in your favourite cosy clothes and blankets.

-Connect with family, friends, other Mom’s & Dads over zoom, facetime, WhatsApp…we’re in this together.

-Make time for sleep or rest when you can.

-Listen to some of your favourite tunes, dance around with your babe or around your babe and sing loudly.

-Get some energy boosting tasks in like playing chase with your toddler, hide and seek or maybe try out an online mum and baby yoga session in your local studio if your little one isn’t on the move.

-Take a break from the news

-Think of one thing that you’re grateful for every day. Write on a piece of paper or simply say it to yourself. It will make you feel better.

We did lockdown before, we can do it again. As for the early days of motherhood, whilst sometimes the days will drag on and the sleepless nights feel like they will never end these moments won’t last forever, none of this lasts forever. Don’t be afraid to take up space in this new world of motherhood, be proud of what you have already achieved and remind yourself daily that you are a hero!

A Little Mantra for Mamas

 “Everything is within your power and your power is within you” Janice Trachtman