The Murkiness of the Early Days

On the murkiness of the early days. I don't know if all new mothers experience something like this, while their lives are adjusting to the new course, but in the first few weeks after Andromeda's birth where like emerging from a fog. Perhaps it stems from lack of sleep, but I think it's more than that.

The first few weeks are what is traditionally called the "lying in" period. At first, a mother lies in bed to recover from birth. In our culture it is more admirable to jump right out of bed and try to go back to work, but I think mothers need this time, especially if they're breastfeeding. A mother must focus on feeding to regulate her supply and be successful at breastfeeding, and this can mean not getting up from bed/chair even if she feels like it because baby feeds almost constantly.

Then, a mother stays at home for a while, figuring out how to deal with baby along with the rest of her family, whether it is just her and baby, baby daddy, husband, older children, other housemates. Nothing will be the same ever again; it can't, there is a new person where no one existed before. This takes adjustment on everybody's part. The mother must figure out how to go to the bathroom, shower, eat, while taking care of baby. How does baby fit into everyone in the household's schedule?

For me, it was a time of frustration, lack of sleep, learning to breastfeed, getting used to everything. It was awesome, truly awesome. Ollin had to take Simone to school in the morning, and only I could feed Andromeda, so I did what I could to protect his sleep. Even so, our schedules took a beating. I'm proud that Simone didn't suffer; she was to school and home and to bed and up on time.

After the first few weeks, Andromeda began to sleep longer and more regularly, I learned how to breastfeed her well, and we got back into some of our old habits. Things did go back to normal; plus one.