you guys know i love reading about other people’s experiences that are similar to life experiences i have, which is why i shared weekly #bumpdates and the fourth trimester series with you guys. while out of that “fourth trimester,” i still wanted to give an (almost) four month postpartum update, because i think that it’s SO easy to forget that moms need to keep track of their self-care, even once you start feeling “normal” again. fyi, i left as i typed “normal,” because nothing is ever the same after you add a new human to your family. ever.
mental/emotional
as i shared in my fourth trimester series, the hormones are real. they are also so, so sneaky. you don’t realize that you’re riding the highs and lows of your hormones until you’re out of it and can really recognize what was going on. i feel like now i’m finally starting to lift out of that. my maternity leave was a great experience, and MUCH better this time around, but i still had the highs and lows (in weeks 6-10 especially) that come with giving birth and sustaining a new life.
while i’m not getting significantly more sleep, i’m trying to prioritize resting more because i find i’m much more apt to feel burnt out. when i’m better rested, i’m less likely to snap at my loved ones or feel dejected or listless. that’s where i can see it manifest itself the most — i am just either SO tired, or i can’t get excited about things that would normally make me feel really fulfilled. luckily the balance of being at work during the day and with my family in the morning/night has helped to keep me focusing on things that bring me joy and circumvent some of those hormonal dips when they happen.
hormones are just weird, you guys. it’s crazy how these things we can’t see can affect our lives so profoundly. i have the utmost respect for those dealing with depression, anxiety, or any other mental issues of ANY capacity, because there’s nothing scarier than your own body turning on you.
ok, all that to say, it’s getting better. and i don’t think i was ever in a bad place to begin with, but i have noticed a definite leveling off of my highs and lows, which is great.
physically
i’m finally, FINALLY beginning to feel stronger. my workouts seem to be more effective, which i’m sure has something to do with me trying to clean up what i’m eating even more. more of my clothes are beginning to fit again, which is AWESOME because i’m hitting the point where i started gaining weight with this pregnancy last year and couldn’t fit into all of my favorite winter items. i’m also noticing that my hair is starting to fall out more, so i’m hoping i don’t have considerable hair loss, because i didn’t have it too bad with logan. it might just be falling out because my children are pulling it out, but i’ve had to work on our new vacuum’s roller multiple times now, and it’s all my long, blonde hair. really, with how much i’ve cleaned out of there, it’s a wonder i’m not bald.
weight-wise, i’m still +/9 pounds from where i started. again, my clothes fit better, which makes me hope i’m gaining some muscle, so i’m happy with that for now. if my body is doing like it did the first time around while nursing logan, i hang on to a few pounds until i’m done nursing. i will say that incorporating more #fab4smoothies into my life has helped me feel better digestively and overall, so i’m going to keep doing that. plus, it seems like there are others out there who like sharing recipes, so keep sending them my way!
it’s so crazy to think that i’m only four months in to being a mom of two. that’s not very long! and then some days, it feels like cole has been here forever. however long, i am infinitely grateful to be mom to these two adorable, full of personality, heart-filling humans.