Those first few weeks of motherhood.

It is a whirlwind.

You are sore in places you never knew you could be.

You have been entrusted with a tiny creature that cries without warning.

Who sent this child home with me?  I’m not capable.

You are expected to “fix” your crying baby.

Your girls are sore beyond sore and said crying baby wants them.

You are bleeding and with every release of milk, you cramp and contract again and again.

Your floppy belly no longer feels pretty or sexy.

Your emotions have been taken on a roller coaster ride.

You don’t trust yourself alone with your emotions, and especially not alone with your helpless baby.

So you hide your scared thoughts and pretend that you are that brave mama you have seen all your other mommy friends be.

But the secret is, we were all that scared new mom that didn’t know what in the world we were doing.

You are not alone and you WILL make it!  There is no perfect mom.  Over time, we learn and grow and awkwardly morph into something that resembles the image we’ve imagined we’d become as M-O-M.  But oh how lost we were!

Stumbling through dark rooms looking for diapers, and pacifiers, and fresh clothes to replace poop-stained onesies.  Fumbling our way through the early months of learning about this crying, beautiful, and extremely needy baby.

So new Mama…  listen up close.  You are doing a great job!  That little, helpless baby has a beautiful mommy that’s so very strong (even though you feel totally weak, and incapable).

So . . .

Stop comparing yourself to your mom, or sister, or amazingly “perfect” mom friend.

Stop pretending everything is okay, when you might need to reach out to a doctor about your postpartum emotions.

Stop feeling bad about crying all the time yourself.  You’ve just done one of the most amazing things ever – birthed a child!

Stop wondering if you are doing everything the right way.  Just love that baby and do your very best.

Things will get better.  You won’t feel as scared.  You won’t feel as lost.  You will have “your life” and freedom back again…

It will just be a new, beautiful kind of normal.  You’ve been forever changed for the better!

Embracing the imperfect in motherhood is when you’ll truly become FREE.