I’m feeling extra sappy today as today is Oriana’s first birthday (already)! I was supposed to write a different post today, but I couldn’t help but share some of my thoughts of what this last year as taught me about motherhood and life. They are random, so hang tight!
For those of us that are new to us in the last year--Oriana was born really early, and we spent a solid amount of time in the NICU. We are super lucky that she is doing fantastic in all aspects, and keeps us all on our toes.
-Making and raising babies is no joke. Each one of them is here to teach us something new. If you are of the spiritual sort- there is no greater teacher than being a parent. Enjoy every minute of the ride. My new motto (which I am not good at) is “rolling with the chaos.”
-Find your people—-A solid community is not a luxury, it is for you sanity. It is such a joy to get to help you all take care of your families, but I wholeheartedly consider you our people too. You take care of us more than you know. Our family would not be ok if we didn’t have help. We had Dr. Zoe taking great care of you guys at the clinic, and lots of help at the nicu and at home to make it all happen as smooth as it could.
-The way you choose to bring babies into the world--when, where, how, etc.--has to be 100 percent in alignment with what your gut tells you. Not your snarky relatives comments, not what you think you should do--but what your gut is telling you. I was given the choice to be induced with Oriana or to have a c-section and in my gut I knew that c-section was best for us. .
-Sometimes fertility and birth makes no sense. I have a new appreciation for things not going quite as planned. I have had the honor of being there for so many of you through infertility, losses, tough decisions, and happiness. Our hurdles have helped me understand the depth of uncertainty, anxiety, grief that moms (and families) can be asked to go through, and I am so thankful that so many of you feel comfortable in allowing us to be apart of your journey and support.
It’s all not perfect for anyone. If you are struggling to process any of your own story--please know that I have a tiny bit of visibility into a lot of peoples' stories, and it is not perfect for anyone. Know you're not alone. If you feel like you are, please reach out, and I can connect you with someone who is going through something similar.
-Breastfeeding is beautiful, and hard, and sometimes a shit show. That is all. :) Between my two kids, we’ve covered a lot of nursing obstacles--including nursing a preemie. If you are silently struggling, please reach out to a friend, or us. Personally, I’ve both done extended breastfeeding, and also used formula and donor milk. There is no judgment here--but also will help you fight for how it best works for family.
So in short--I’m right there with you--reach out if you need help--thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the support, and cheering for our family this last year.
