*Note: I drafted this post about a month ago and just never hit ‘publish’ on it. Since I wrote it all out, some things have changed, some things have gotten better, and some things have stayed the same.
You ladies have said several times that you wanted to see more real-life so today I wanted to just share the not so pretty look behind the camera. Recently it just felt like everything was falling apart.
The baby’s not sleeping.
I’m not sleeping
I’m not producing enough breast milk.
The house is a wreck.
And I just can’t get out of this fog in my head.
I’m pretty sure that this all just comes with new motherhood, sleep deprivation, and postpartum but I really didn’t know just how it would affect me. Early on, I thought I had managed to be one of the lucky ones that escaped without having too many mental health issues post-baby. However, it looks like they are just creeping up on me rather than being a sudden swift change.
Lately, it has been a struggle just to get through basic daily household tasks. Laundry piles up, my to-do list only grows, and even though I have help and am at home daily, nothing seems to get done except for the bare necessities.
Creatively I’ve been struggling to come up with any content ideas let alone create/shoot/produce it. I’ve never had a hard time being creative or executing a plan of attack for a to-do list. It used to be easy. This change is a weird feeling and I don’t like it.
But to keep this from being a total pity-party, I thought I’d share the two things that have been the most helpful during this time.
The first is exercise. Exercise improves my mood and this has always been the case for me. When I’m consistent with a routine of going to the gym and on runs, I find that some of that brain fog goes away. It’s been harder to re-establish a workout routine with a baby but we are getting there.
The second thing that has helped is listening to motivational and self-help books and podcasts. Some people find these things totally cheesy (my husband is one of those people) but I’ve found that just hearing positive affirmations is helpful. I really liked the book You Are a Badass and the Brendon Burchard podcast just to name a couple.
That’s a quick glimpse behind the curtain. If any of you can relate, please let me know in the comments. I’ve read that this is a fairly common issue with new moms but I’d love to hear about your experience
Until next time,
Ana Luiza
Everything you’re experiencing is completely normal and it will pass. I remember when I was a young mother with a toddler and newborn I felt just like you and another more experienced mom said to me “It will get better.” Hang in there!
I was going to write the exact same thing as Amy wrote.
It is all normal. It will all pass. ❤️