Emotional Roller Coaster…

“But eventually reality hit me

Mentally, physically, emotionally

And I opened my eyes and realized

That I was being taken for a ride…

I’m on an emotional roller coaster…”

-Vivian Green

After you deliver your precious baby or should I say give birth to your precious baby (because you deliver pizza, not babies), your hormones begin to dance and sing, tremble and shake, they’re hot and cold and pretty much go haywire in a matter of seconds. One minute you’re pregnant, the next minute you’re guiding you’re baby out of your womb and into your arms. It’s all so surreal, your baby is finally here! You’re not sure if you’re excited to see your baby or glad you’re done laboring and pushing. You’re exhausted, but you’re hungry, you’re hot, but you’re cold, you’re in pain, but not really. You’re so confused, you barely know just happened, all you know is your baby is here. Now what? You cry. You just break down and cry and you have no idea why…and that is okay.

As soon as your baby is born, your estrogen and progesterone levels drop instantly. Your emotions pretty much jump on a rollercoaster ride, somewhat like the Cyclone at Coney Island, a rickety ride full of ups and downs. It’s scary, yet exhilarating! But wait! Not only do you get to ride this roller coaster, you get to bring some friends along. Joining you on the ride are estrogen, progesterone, prolactin and oxytocin. WooHoo! What a wild ride! It only makes sense to feel somewhat out of sorts. No worries, darling, you’re totally normal and right on track.

As the days progress, you will have many moments when you look at your baby and realize the true meaning of love, you may feel like your heart has left your body and is now laying in your arms. On the contrary, you may have moments when you feel exhausted and disconnected because your days and nights are now filled with the trials and errors of feeding, be it breast or bottle, and a katrillion diaper changes. Between the feedings and diaper duty, you’re trying to catch some Zzzz’s, so it may feel like you’re spending no real quality time with your baby.

Ohh, but you are, mommy…

With each feeding you snuggle up in a warm, cozy space and gaze into each other’s eyes, you may smile and whisper sweet words or sing a little song. Baby girl or baby boy is listening to your sweet voice, enjoying your warm snuggle and soaking up all your love even if their little eyes are closed. You’re bonding. You’re taking in the sweet smell of your baby and the pleasant view of the most incredible person you have ever met. This helps you reconnect, stabilizes your emotions and keeps that your milk flowing.

Daddy, your roll is sooo important…Teamwork makes the dream work, so…

Daddy this part is for you…the beautiful woman who just gave birth to your darling son or daughter needs your support more than ever. She needs you to be kind and gentle with your words and remind others to do the same. She needs you to take charge, yet follow her lead. I know, I know, it can be a little confusing at times, so here are some tips:

Take the baby for 30 minutes so she can take a shower, do her hair and get dressed. This will help her feel human again…
Make her some breakfast or head to the local deli or diner to pick up something she loves. She may not always remember to take care of her basic needs, so that’s exactly where you can take charge and take care of them for her.
Take over laundry duty. With your new addition there’s a bit more laundry than before, so helping mommy with the laundry will be wonderful.
Diaper duty…Even the poopy ones!
Remind her that she is beautiful, amazing and strong every chance you get.

Trust me these few things will go a long way! If you need a little help making it all happen, I’d be glad to connect you with postpartum doulas in your area.

A postpartum doula provides evidenced based information on things such as infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, mother–baby bonding, infant soothing, and basic newborn care. A postpartum doula is there to help a new family in those first days and weeks after bringing home a new baby.

americanpregnancy.org/planning/post-partum-doula/

Now, back to you, momma…

From one mother to another, I want you to know you are AMAZING! You are everything your baby needs; you are more than enough. You are beautiful and strong. Your baby knows you, loves you and believe it or not, he or she wants nothing more than to be in your arms or against your chest listening to your heartbeat or gazing into your eyes. Enjoy these moments, they will help you feel good and confident. Share this journey with your partner, this makes it all come together and gives you a chance to take some time for you. Together you can ride the waves of the roller coaster, knowing it’s all normal and will be a smooth ride very soon.

If you feel your symptoms are more severe than what is discussed above, please reach out to your doctor or seek advice and local resources from a postpartum doula who can support you on your journey. If you need assistance finding resources in your area, please do not hesitate to email me and I will gladly help… giachristinaharris@gmail.com.