Pregnancy/Delivery Recovery

[susiej]

I'll just repeat what everyone else said:

CONGRATULATIONS!

Give exercising a try but listen to your body.

Make time for yourself and don't feel guilty about it. Think of it as special bonding time for other people with the baby.

Make time to get out of the house, with or without the baby -- I hate shopping, too many people, but the weekly shopping was a blessing the weeks I was at home with my son. He enjoyed it, I felt like I had a life.

Do what works for you. Co-sleeping? I thought that was completely weird. Guess what worked? Breastfeeding? Ew! Guess what (finally) worked? Returning to work? Leaving the baby with STRANGERS? For me, it was a relief, I felt like my old self. Different things work for different women, and you don't always have all the options you want. I second-guess my decisions and worry about milestones, and it's easy for me to become defensive and argue that what we are doing is right for everyone, not just us.

My you have a birth experience with few complications! May the baby sleep through the night early on and be blessed with a sunny disposition!

--SJ

[singletrackmind]

Well said, Susiej.

Robyn, what susiej said. We are all in our own ways working towards the most important goal of well cared for and much loved children. I wouldn't take one minute of "sacrifice" back from my son, I'm sure the same goes for you and each mother here. I am proud to be a stick-around mom (we're not at home, we're on a bike) and forever grateful to my husband to understand my need to do this though it means we can't afford lots of new junk. My sister is a working mother with a very well-adjusted little girl who couldn't imagine being in my shoes. She did not breast-feed and Taylor spends a lot of time in aftercare. She is a wonderful and healthy kid and my sis is just as good a mom as I am (not to say I'm the bees knees, by far), just with a different style that's worked very well for her.