Postpartum Story 2: Anxiety, Self Love, and Giving Yourself Grace

Did you know that more babies are born in August than any other month of the year? It's true! Pairing the sunny month of August with World Breastfeeding Week, we thought this was a great time to highlight some amazing moms from our community who humbly opened up to share their journey to motherhood as well as the complicated experiences associated with the postpartum phase. We hope that you enjoy and laugh, cry, and experience all the emotions with each mama we highlight this month. Don't forget to keep scrolling and enter to win our postpartum giveaway below!

Postpartum Story 2: Anxiety, Self Love, and Giving Yourself Grace

 

I feel like “postpartum” can be a tricky word. While it can last up to 6 months, according to the Journal of Prenatal Medicine, as a mom of two, I beg to differ that most women have a much longer postpartum period of time. 

Then, of course, there is the “fun” plot twist where your postpartum experience can drastically change after each child you have. These are the things that no one tells you in the OBGYN’s office that should actually be handed to you in a pamphlet early on. 

For me, a woman who has struggled with anxiety her whole life, I was concerned about having my first child almost 14 years ago, and then my second 6 years ago. Things surprisingly went smoothly with my first child, a boy. I was at my happiest and for the first time in my life felt consumed by confidence in motherhood - confidence being something I have struggled to achieve my entire life. 

I was confident in the decisions I was making for my children and my family. 

I was confident in working from home and being the “coordinator of chaos” to get everything accomplished each day.

However, I lacked confidence when it came to myself. 

After having my daughter, a lot changed for me. My body changed in ways that I never thought it was able to and though I’ve struggled with weight management my whole life, things got even more challenging after her arrival. My anxieties shifted to how I felt about my body. 

Her early years of life were great, I was able to find a good balance between loving myself, working on myself, and being a body positive role model for her. I woke up each day with such conviction that she needed to see me eating to be healthy and working out to be strong. What she doesn't see (though I’m sure there are cracks in my plans) is her mom still trying to navigate body issues that started in childhood and exacerbated after having kids.

I’ve spent so much time thinking, “why can’t I just love myself the way I want my daughter to love herself?”

I’ve learned that it’s easier said than done. 

As moms we are so strong, we’re freaking warriors after all, but we don’t always feel strong. After having babies, we are flooded with so many incredible emotions that can go from high to low in an instant and it can take a long time to feel “normal” or “like our old selves” and with so many ebbs and flows in life, it may never happen. And in many cases that’s a good thing because we evolve to be the person we were meant to be through motherhood, we just aren’t always able to see it with those rose-colored glasses. 

If you take anything away from my story, know that you aren’t alone. It’s okay to be a work in progress. It’s okay to be a different person after having kids. Perfection doesn't exist and being a mom truly is the toughest job in the world. Give yourself grace, mama - you deserve it.

Allison Cooper is an Ohio mama of two, an Army wife, a blogger, and Digital Marketing Manager for Dr. Noze Best. In her free time she enjoys traveling, a great glass of wine, working out, and buying designer shoes. 

Postpartum Giveaway!!

We have partnered with the mom-founded, daughter-run brand, Motherlove, which supports moms from bump to birth, breastfeeding, and baby. Motherlove uses the power of plants and herbs to create a more supported journey for expecting and new moms. Founded by an herbalist mother over three decades ago, our products have always been rooted in connecting motherhood to the wisdom and time-trusted herbs of Mother Earth.

Our giveaway will run through the entire month of August, and 2 winners will be chosen at random on August 31st to win a NozeBot and a Motherlove Bump to Baby Box (picture above!)

Enter below to win!

Postpartum Giveaway

 

Loved hearing this postpartum story? Read Andrea's story of infertility and motherhood here.