Dear Postpartum Mama
Dear Postpartum Mama,
You are so fiercely capable. And your body will heal. In time.
This is not a race.
Your body is powerful beyond measure. Trust that it knows what you need. There is no need to push + grind to get there.
You have time.
Your body is magnificently unique. Comparing your journey to another will only leave you feeling depleted.
You are worthy, without conditions.
You are enough.
This picture came up on my FB memories today ~ and it made me think of you, and the messy + beautiful journey we're on.
The picture on the left is 4.5 years old. That's the day my twins were born - my breech baby girls delivered via c-section.
I was SO ready to meet them - my emotions were on overdrive, and my heartburn was fierce. I was scared. Nervous. Excited. Ready. And still in a bit of shock that there were two babies in there.
Four months later, I was finally cleared to exercise. I didn't recognize my own body and hated the way my clothes fit - or didn't. I wondered if I would ever feel strong again. And, I was grateful for my beautiful girls. It was such a strong mix of emotions swirling around inside of me. Coexisting.
In between those pictures, I was readmitted to the hospital because of a postpartum hemorrhage. I came close to needing a transfusion because I was trying to push through it - ignoring my body's signals that something wasn't right. It was scary, and was a strong reminder to tune in. It took weeks to recover from the massive loss of blood - and on top of it all, I could barely stand up. A year of inactivity made my core and pelvic floor so weak; I could barely lift the girls out of their crib.
Slowly, I chipped away. One step at a time.
I started a workout program. And pelvic floor physical therapy.
One small step at a time I poured into me so I could pour into them.
A lot of life happened before that picture on the right. 19 MONTHS of life as a family of 5. That's a year and a half of life. M's open-heart surgery and post-op complications. My leap into the world of coaching. Adjusting to life with PTSD.
There is so much noise around us - screaming at us - wanting us to believe that this postpartum journey is a race to get our bodies back.
There is no going back. Only forward.
You just grew a tiny human. Or two.
There is a powerful force inside of you - that you've just tapped into.
You are stronger now than you've ever been.
Trust in YOU.
Slowly, I added in exercise. Modified at first.
Slowly increasing my weights.
Nourishing + nurturing my body along the way.
Never going for perfect - just a little better each day.
Learning to meet myself with compassion.
And stepping back to see the big picture.
The lbs + inches were a consequence of my commitment to choose me.
I became a ME-Time Warrior because choosing self-love allowed me to show up more patient + present + with more compassion.
It takes time.
It took me 19 months to regain strength in my core and pelvic floor. To see the muscles in my body again. And, I'm so proud of that journey.
Today, I'm 12 months out from baby #4. And again, it's one step at a time.
You'll get there, mama. You will.
This is not a race. There's nothing to win.
This is YOUR journey.
Enjoy those baby snuggles + TRUST in you.
You just grew a tiny human. Or two.
Believe that you are capable.
Because, you really are.
xo