By Doula Jen

Hello all,

Merry, happy, jolly whatever occasion you might celebrate in December.  By now Hanukkah, Christmas, and Solstice have passed.  Kwanzaa begins today.  And so, we face another year.  And life slowly finds its way back to “normal.”

Reminds me a little of postpartum life.  Think about it.

Weeks of preparation and anticipation leading up to one exciting event that leaves you with a whole lot of new and a fair amount of mess where there was once perfect stacks of sweet things tied up in bows.  Add to that a little extra weight, a squishy belly, some sleep deprivation, a fight or two with your mother…

It is not uncommon to feel a little bit blue after the holidays.  Festivity and fanfare give way to the reality of winter.

Same is true for the period following baby’s birth.  Of course you love your baby, but more often than not, reality is not quite as rosy as the gorgeous baby shower spread, the sunny daydreams, the visions of sugarplums…

In all transitions, be it couple to family, one child to two, Christmas morning to the daily grind, or 2012 to 2013…take it slow.  Breathe.  Cry if you need to.  Find beauty in the messy reality.  Find laughter.  Talk.  Write.  Meditate.  Move on.  Embrace.

Happy transitioning and Happy New Year!

With love from your doula,

Jen