Before having kids

 Before having kids you see other moms talking about how they didn’t feel like themself after giving birth but until you’re there for yourself it’s hard to truly understand how long it actually takes to feel like yourself again after having a baby.

They’ll warn you about the sleepless nights. The diaper changes. The cluster feeding. But nothing can prepare you for the way your sense of self disappears.

You become a body that gives and gives. A body that’s not just yours anymore. Especially if you’re breastfeeding.

You miss yourself. The old version of you. The one who could shower without rushing. The one who felt confident in her skin. The one who didn’t have to plan her day around feeding schedules.

They say it gets better. And it does. But no one says it might take years. No one tells you that healing isn’t just physical.

If you’re in that space right now, I want you to know you’re not alone. You’re not failing because you don’t feel “back to normal.”

You’re rebuilding. Slowly. Quietly. And beautifully.

Piece by piece, she’s still in there. You’re not lost. You’re evolving.