Meghan

Nurturing. Growing. Happy.

2 months postpartum 

What was the hardest thing you endured during pregnancy or delivery?

With this being my second pregnancy, I thought it would be a breeze since my son was so easy. That was far from the truth! Right from the start I had lots of nausea and indigestion. The fatigue was a whole new level, granted I was also chasing my 2 year old around. I battled many illnesses throughout the pregnancy including Covid. I spent a good 9 days constantly worrying about my baby and whether or not having Covid would affect her negatively, monitoring kicks and movement obsessively. A month after having Covid I came down with the flu and noticed very little movement from baby. Fortunately, an ultrasound showed everything was okay and she was developing normally. I cried happy tears leaving that appointment.

What do you wish you knew before delivery but didn't?

I wish I knew how quickly things were going to progress this time around. Not long after receiving my epidural the nurse positioned me on my side using a peanut ball to move things along. While laying on my side, the epidural no longer worked and I felt it all! But, with labor then progressing so fast I was able to manage and H was here an hour later. I could’ve done without the epidural altogether and skipped the stress of getting it put in.

What was something that gave you confidence or hope during the hard times?

Having a support system was huge! My wonderful husband, family, friends and co-workers all played a part in getting me through. From my husband taking on more responsibility with my son to colleagues hugging me when I cried at work- it all meant the world and helped me make it to delivery day! 

What is a new strength (other than just moms being super human) that you found in yourself since becoming a mom?

Since becoming a mom I have learned how to function on little to no sleep and to be able to give all of myself to two incredible little humans. I’ve learned to love my new body as it’s changed with each of them. It gave me these beautiful children and I’m proud of that.

How are you?

I would say I am “good.” It truly depends on each day but I feel happy to have such a beautiful little family. Some days are difficult and challenging but with support from my husband and family I have been able to cope with the “hard” days. Getting back to gym and finding some “me” time has really helped me feel more like myself again.

How are you now compared to 1 week postpartum?

At one week postpartum I was really struggling emotionally. I cried often, sometimes not knowing why. The exhaustion and learning how to mother two children at the same time was an adjustment. My son’s reaction to bringing our baby girl home wasn’t what I expected- he was extremely jealous and became more interested in my husband than me. This made me sad, but I knew it would get better over time. At about one month postpartum things improved and he took more of an interest in his little sister. That made me happier emotionally too. Today, we have fallen into being a united family of four and it feels great. By no means have we perfected everything, but my husband and I make a solid team and parenting together has been wonderful.