This Too Shall Pass – an honest animation for new, struggling mums
Kristen Palana sent me this video the other day. She created it in 2012 in a postnatal funk and I have to say… it took me back, especially to the months after my first baby. For me that was the most difficult time for many reasons.
I was as prepared as I possibly could be but I could never have anticipated all the things that happened. Now I could go into detail on what they all were but I think that’s not really the point. Many of us have them in different ways and for different reasons. The point is we have them and they are normal and are part and parcel of that intense early mothering period.
Kristen has captured the essence of it all so well… those really intense highs and then those times when you think you’re going mad because you’re so sleep deprived.
It’s important to also know when to get help and what feels right for you. We aren’t living in a tribe where “many hands make light work”. It’s often mum only from daylight till dusk and beyond and that can take its toll.
It can be so hard to fill your own cup up in those early days, months and years but from my own experience, it’s ultimately the only way to survive. Simple things like having an undisturbed bubble bath by candlelight can be complete heaven – even going to the loo by yourself is pretty damn amazing.
So if you watch this and it strikes a chord, just ask yourself what you need right now. Do you need someone to talk to? Are you eating well or could you be doing better? Are you doing anything for you on some kind of regular basis? And if you feel like you need something more, then consider things like acupuncture, a daily dose of herbal medicine, a massage, counselling.
And if it feels like you need a little more than that then don’t hesitate to visit your GP to discuss where you’re at with it all.