I would like to preface this first post with a disclaimer - I am in no way a gifted writer so I want to apologise in advance for any grammatical errors or basically anything just un-readable, you’ll also find that I love a hyphen- don’t know why - it just always feels right to use one of - these little buddies - - -.
‘Why don’t you just leave the writing to the professionals?’ I hear you ask - well, yeah, I probably should, but I do feel like I have things worth saying and until I’m not so camera shy I’ll stick to writing them down.
So, it’s 2024 and life has just felt like its been going at 100mph since, well, since as long as I can remember really.
As with every new year, I experience the age old cliche of ‘new year, new me’, however by the time February rolls around I’ve abandoned whatever fad I seemed to be convinced I’d see through. So this year I thought I would give myself a little grace, having had a baby in September and just take the year step by step and focus on soaking up my little girl and try and be more present. So far, so good - although I do find myself itching with ideas for Birth Be and what my working life will look like.
I went back to nannying last week and I am lucky enough to be able to take baby girl with me - it was hectic but felt good to be back; I’m a creature of habit and routine you see. What I found from going back to work with a three month old is that no matter how much I prepared myself, nothing really prepared me for the amount of time it takes to do anything and the amount of stuff you need (you’d think after 7 years of being a Nanny, I’d know) it was a part I really underestimated, but I’m sure we’ll get into the swing of things.
Another take from this past year and becoming a mum is the new found appreciation I have for my body and what its capable of. It’s safe to say I have never been the fittest person going, or the kindest to my body from what I say to myself to the not so occasional chocolate binge, even having tried pretty much every single sport, class or piece of gym equipment - I have always been very good at finding a reason to give up. Now having seen first hand what my body can do I don’t really have an excuse to give up on anything else, yet in the next breath I want to express how important REST is after giving birth. I was very fortunate that I felt (felt being the word) pretty much back to normal, carrying heavy things when my partner wasn’t around, stretching and bending in ways which my body wouldn’t allow me to when I was pregnant, which all lead to horrendous stomach pain just before Christmas. So a trip to the doctor and it was pretty evident to him that I had pulled my stomach muscles from doing too much too quickly, rest assured that the viral video on a ‘better way to hold a car seat’ does not work, they’re still bloody heavy no matter which way you hold them!
As I write this I realise there is no key theme or structure, its basically just the ramblings of a woman trying to start something she promised herself she would. So welcome, welcome to my brain and to Birth Be - a place I hope resonates with you as a mum, a 21st century woman or man or just as someone trying to figure it all out! I want you to feel welcome, as I build this little venture of mine, I really hope it can be a place of reality within the internet but not the scary reality, I hope its the silly reality that highlights the funny, the uplifting, and the ordinary little things of life.
And to all parents or parents to be out there - keep your eyes peeled in the coming year for what’s coming - from post-natal doula support to antenatal/birthing guidance courses. There’s lots of ideas in the pipeline!
So with that, as I watch my little girl wake up from her 20 minute nap ahhhh (yes were fully in sleep the regression stage) (although pretty impressed that I managed to whack the second half of this post out in 20 minutes!) I’ll sign off now! Lots of love!
Elsa x
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