At Home Birth

Finding Time to Work with your Newborn as a Writer

/ N.Pearson / 3 Comments

Finding time to yourself with a newborn can be challenging, let alone to write.

As a mom that writes, I have to be very cautious about where my time is going. The days flew by in a blur, and I found myself trying to catch up on last week’s tasks that were catch-ups from the week before. As a new mom finding time to maintain a pre-pregnancy way of living is impossible but creating a work-flow schedule isn’t! It might be helpful to take a step back and evaluate how you are taking the time to execute your plans.

Here are a few tips I found helpful to get back on track after falling behind in my work studies, especially my writing tasks!

Don’t overload yourself. The minute you put too much on your plate, you will find yourself back where you started. With businesses in need of workers, if you decide to go back to work, consider part-time as a new mother and maintain your focus on a single line of work instead of keeping the side gigs you picked up during pregnancy. If you have multiple projects at home, focus on finishing one task.

Wake up early. Laying in bed awake since 7 am with the baby is not the same as getting up and ready. An early start will get your body in motion to excel in your tasks. Making your bed will motivate you to be productive instead of laying back down on the sheets.

Baby’s first nap is an excellent time to write. This nap may only be twenty minutes, but this is the time the writing mom has to jibe. It can be hard to find the motivation once the baby wakes up and later throughout the day. It is also a good time for a friend or neighbor to sit with the baby so your work can be finished.

Now- in my case- the rest of the day flies by, and I’m holding the baby. I can place the baby on the floor for tummy time, and someone will come by and comment on how cute the baby is, pick him up, and pass him to me a minute later. At this point in the day, it is a constant flow of baby and me, even if I try to put him down.

When the baby is feeding, I will find the time to read. Reading helps stimulate the brain after hours of baby playtime. It’s calming and relaxing.

The next chance I will get to set a productivity time is at 6 pm when I go to work. Working for 5-8 hours will give you enough time to sleep and also allow you to spend precious moments with your baby during the day. Working at night can also complement your partner’s schedule if they work during the day. Going to work helps keep a feeling of self and individuality apart from the baby.

Now to keep up with a schedule and do not give up! The schedule might be challenging, and there will be times when you want to not show up, but surrounding yourself with an encouraging team to make sure that you have your eyes on the goal will help you when times get tough.

Write down your goals and watch them be crossed off by following these simple steps.

2 Months Postpartum

/ N.Pearson / Leave a comment

I struggle as a full-time breastfeeder. I half formula feed (organic) and half breastfeed. I could cry about this, but I try not to. Every mom has a different story, and the best thing I can do for myself is not compare myself to other mothers. I try to do the best I can do.

My baby sleeps in the bed between us. We hold each other tight every night. When placed in the crib, he will wake up and cry till I clean him and bring him back into our bed. His little body cups my chest, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. When he falls asleep before me in the rocker, I have my husband put him in the bassinet, and it takes every ounce of my control not to bring him into the bed with me. Learning separation and independence is a two-way street. 

I can’t seem to find the motivation to leave the house, and my workouts have dwindled to a couple of hours a week in my home. On my IG is beautiful California mamas that have boomeranged back into shape after birth. I know I want to do more, but I feel so tired, unlike the rushes of energy I got throughout my pregnancy. I am a couch potato. 

My postpartum may not be drastic, but some things are different, and it’s taking me a while to adjust. Every moment with the baby is precious, as well as every moment without him. As soon as I put the baby down, I run to the bathroom, grab a cup of tea or get a little bit of laundry folding in. I don’t have a lot of time to sit around and mope.

I need to do more, seems to be the driving narrative in my mind, but there isn’t much to do now. I couldn’t imagine being away from my child for an 8-hour work shift. I don’t know how we’d survive. I need his coos and his touch as much as he needs my breast. I’m left to work odd jobs and particular hours.

My postpartum journey has just begun, but I gladly accept the negatives and the positives as I float through it. I find myself without direction or lacking motivation. These obstacles don’t stop me from balancing being the best mom possible while supporting my family and caring for my oldest. 

I stay sane by utilizing my support team and taking time for myself. I have an old classmate I zoom with weekly, and even though I miss many appointments, we always share our goals and encourage each other throughout the week to achieve them. Family has come to visit and each grandmother has had the magical touch of calming baby down and rocking him to sleep. On a normal day when the baby’s sleeping, I do an hour workout, and I either pause the video or my walk to cater to the baby’s cries. I write down in a notebook ideas, unique designs, or thoughts. I execute art projects, career goals, and personal projects with my family, using the different skills of my husband and daughter to overcome any challenges. 

When the baby wakes, I first try to breastfeed him. I will put on a television show but end up just staring intensely into his eyes. I set up breastfeeding stations with either books, television, drawing tools, and water bottles around the house. I get so thirsty when I breastfeed. 

We work on elimination communication together, and so far, we have been able to catch a handful of pees and a poop. I like that I respond when he makes potty faces instead of letting him “go” in his diaper. It’s a long path, but I’m glad we have begun responding to his potty faces by putting him on a top hat toilet and making the cue sounds. 

At the end of the day, it’s little achievements. I have found myself slowing down incredibly after my pregnancy routine. I can see where this could lead to depression- thoughts that I’m not enough, contributing enough, showing up enough for friends and family. Still, it’s not like that at all.

I look forward to “practicing” traveling further and doing more things with the baby, but for now, the comforts of my own home are about as far as I have taken it.