This Mother’s Day there are new mothers everywhere are ready to be celebrated for the first time. New parents share their glowing photos on Instagram and Facebook. Visitors bring gift bags filled with tissue paper wrapped new outfits and baby toys.
The early days of motherhood while a joy and a celebration are more than that. We see you new mom.
The new mother is healing and achy. Her lacy underwear is traded in for mesh panties and a super thick overnight pad. She leaks lochia discharge and her bottom is sore. In the bathroom now sits a caddy of comfort and care. A peri-bottle, more pads, numbing spray, tucks wipes, and Earth Mama Perineal Balm all sit nestled next to the toilet. This is the new mother’s hot new bathroom accessory.
While some energy returns the new mom has a couple main places to be in her home. The couch or the bed. Rest is so important. Next to the new mom sits a boppy pillow, baby blankets, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, and a water bottle.
The new mother’s breasts are full, achy, leaky, and bigger than she has ever seen. Her nipples are tender and they are covered in cream. She wears a soft bra, with pads placed delicately to collect any milk and keep it from soaking her.
Her hair is tossed up loosely into a bun. With some strands falling down and framing her face.
In her arms sits her squishy new baby. She stares in awe of him. He wriggles, he grunts. Every noise is the best sound she has ever heard.
There are hard moments. The newborn withers and screams. The new mom bounces and rocks. Shhhuuuuuusssshhhh. The newborn still is fussy. Everyone is tired. Bounce, rock, shush, repeat. Finally the newborn settles.
The new mom cries. Tears of joy. Tears of frustration. Tears of pain. Tears of accepting a huge life shift. Just tears. They ebb and flow.
Motherhood is a lot to take in. A lot of beauty. A lot of emotions.
New parents in the early days of parenthood experience a lot. While this story shares one version of motherhood please know there are many other stories that exist. Each story of motherhood/parenthood is unique. The commonality is parenthood encompasses so many emotions. Celebrate the wins with the new parent in your life. And reassure them when they are feeling low. Check in on the new mom in your life. Just to see how they truly are.
For Mother’s Day let the new mom just be. Whatever she needs the day to be. Help her heal. Help her be fed. Help her how she needs help.
Happy New Mother’s Day
Authored by: Andrea Stainbrook