You're all used to my wildly long Instagram captions by now, so I thought I'd rehash some of my old blog posts and bring them over here. Hopefully you'll relate or at least have a laugh at them.
So let's go.
I'm sure we've all seen these posts - the TRUTH about pregnancy, the TRUTH about labour, the TRUTH about your post partum body. I was bombarded with these articles whilst I was pregnant, as well as other people's labour horror stories which didn't exactly fill me with joy for the impending birth of my child.
So when I seen a post on Instagram asking mums to give advice that they wish they had received when they were pregnant I jumped on it to give some good vibes! As I scrolled down the comments I was shocked at the amount of negative ones I was seeing. I was just thinking about how daunting this must be for anyone pregnant when I came across Charlotte's comment below:
This made me feel terrible, having a baby is such a madness it's hard to put into words! Even if you were the least anxious person ever, the responsibility of cooking and growing a baby in your belly is overwhelming at times and I could only imagine how this poor woman was feeling. I clicked off my Instagram app but kept thinking about Charlotte's post. I decided to reach out with the following...
I didn't get in touch with Charlotte to get a response but just to let her know there was someone who's had a good experience out there, there are so so many people who have a wonderful birth story but unfortunately these aren't as well circulated! I was so happy she had seen my comment and that it had brought her some reassurance!
Motherhood makes me feel amazing and powerful, I am my daughter's superwoman! I made a human! I've realised ultimately what and who is important in my life, this can be a shock but I feel that becoming a mother brings a calmness within you that you might not have realised before. In some instances my hairdressers and online pals have been more supportive than some friends and family, but rather than be angry - I've appreciated every ounce of support received! I've got so much strength from Cora it's amazing.
So next time you're speaking to a new mum or discussing your pregnancy story with someone expecting, let them know they're doing well! Tell them about the way you felt when your baby looks up at you when you're feeding them (by bottle or boob!) and how exciting it is to put them in the clothes you bought when they were only kicks in your belly!
Good vibes please :)