That too shall pass

On the verge of newborn #2 I reassured by one thought: That too shall pass.

Some of us had less then ideal deliveries. It took us weeks postpartum to not be in pain and even longer to feel good. Some of us had problems nursing, withholding tears while adjusting nipple shields and watching that little month suckling on plastic instead of skin. Some of us had a hard time reconciling with all that love and exhaustion. All of us, on some level, felt overwhelmed by all that it was suddenly demanded of us.

I also hear many happy stories, like Nicole who I was cautious about going to visit after baby because I remember how I didn't wanted to see or entertain anyone for weeks and instead she visits me when on a walk in the park 5 days postpartum. (I could barely walk to the bathroom by then) Or Rebecca who threw a Baby BBQ with her daughter only 2 weeks old and had people partying at her house till waaaay past bedtime. 

I cheer those women on, with a pinch of envy nonetheless, but I know that that was not me and that is not a lot of other new moms who struggle daily to find the resources within to be the mother they thought they were going to be.

The number one hardest thing about being a new mom, to me, was this overwhelming sense of foreverness. Will I EVER sleep a full night again? Will I ever brush my teeth in the morning again? Will my body EVER stop hurting? Will this child EVER connect with me and I with him? Will I EVER have sex like I did before something went literally through me? Will I ever care about what I am wearing again? Will I ever stop resenting men for not having a uterus? I mean,... yea... all those thoughts and then some..

And what does every experienced mom, pediatrician, lactation consultant and midwives tell you? "This too shall pass".

So this time, while I know full well that it's not going to be easy, that labor and delivery can go in unexpected ways, that my loosing sleeps mean loosing sense, etc. I also know that THAT too DOES pass. And as I sit here blogging while my almost 2 year old guy is taking a 3 1/2 hr long nap I am painfully aware of how I will not have this luxury when baby bean comes but I will one day say "that too did pass".