by Ashley Peake

Created on: February 08, 2011

Getting Back to You: Finding Yourself Among All The Diapers, Feedings, and Pacifiers.

         As new mother’s we face many challenges. Should we go back to work or stay home with our babies? Are we bad mothers for not breastfeeding for an entire year? Finding a trustworthy and affordable daycare requires the skill of a deep-sea treasure hunter. Keeping up with the ever changing opinions of experts about everything from co-sleeping to which pacifier is the best. We agonize over every sniffle and odd looking rash and whether or not to call the pediatrician for a temperature of 99.1. The stress can be crushing but somehow we push on because of the tremendous love we feel for this miracle we created. The things we used to enjoy doing in our spare time is now pushed to a dusty corner of our mind as every minute of our day is consumed by this tiny being.

            As the new mom high begins to wear off the lack of sleep begins to take its toll. We crave a moment of peace where no one is depending on us. Our love for our infants does not fade but we find ourselves wondering what happened to us. Some of us miss going out to fancy dinners or loud clubs and dancing until dawn. For others it may be wistfully looking at the latest bestseller knowing we will probably never have the time to read it. This is when we look in the mirror and wonder what happened, who are we? Our lives have changed so quickly and we long for the days when all that mattered was our happiness. Of course, we feel guilty for thinking this way but it is only natural.  One thing us new moms will never be lacking is guilt. We are masters of feeling guilty and it erodes our confidence in ourselves.

            Finding out who you are now that you have a child can be daunting. You miss some things from your life before but love your new life as a mother also.  Finding time to do the activities you used to enjoy is not easy now. We struggle to take care of our infants and give them our absolute best. Somehow, we must also manage our households, bills, and relationships. Our relationship with our husbands seems to be the first to suffer major damage. After giving birth our bodies naturally go into mommy mode and sex is the furthest thing from our minds. Our husbands, no matter how understanding may add to our frustrations by taking the lack of

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