I see you.
Rushing around trying to stay on top of everything...medical appointments, bills, cooking, cleaning, playdates.
You're doing it all and you're doing it with so much grace and courage.
I see you.
Holding back tears as you add one more specialist to your village of doctors who help make your baby who s/he is today.
Thinking about what you did that could have prevented this...or at least made it easier on you and your child.
I see you.
Carrying the weight on your shoulders. Putting on a brave face with a smile that could fool almost anyone that everything is A-OK.
I see you.
I see how tired you are. How exhausting each and every day is. The fight continues.
It looks different than before.
But you're still fighting. Still hoping. Still praying. Still asking the Universe/God/Life why this has to be so hard for so long.
When can I get a breather?
I see you feeling guilty for wanting that breather too. Because I know if you could, you would take on your little miracle's troubles in a heartbeat just so he could be happier...so she could be healthier.
I see you.
And I have three words for you.
You are enough.
Despite the mountains of unfolded laundry that you scoot move from corner to corner telling yourself that you'll get to them tomorrow.
Despite the burnt dinners (or the dinners you completely forgot to make because you were so busy).
Despite the unwashed shirt you threw on for the third day in a row, hoping no one would notice or the shower you put off because you were too exhausted to stand for one more second.
Despite the arguments with your partner that have nothing to do with each of you and everything to do with how much pressure you're both under.
Despite the moments when the shopping lists go unchecked, the phone calls go unanswered because you need a morning to just cry it all out.
I see you.
And you are enough.
I promise.
Who do you see in the mirror?
Seeing yourself as enough is so much easier said than done...I know it first hand.
You may still wake up every morning and look at yourself in the mirror, the scars on your body and your heart reminding you of how broken you are.
Or maybe you don't look in the mirror at all because you can't stand to look yourself in the eye after everything you've been through.
The reel in your head may be on an endless loop, constantly reinforcing how broken you feel.
You may look at your baby (who may be a grown child now) and your eyes fill up with tears because you just want to scoop him/her up and apologize. "I'm so sorry for what my body put you through."
If this sounds anything at all like what you're going through, check out this postpartum course that's designed to crush that guilt and help you find peace, relief and joy that you so deserve. Head over to parijatdeshpande.com/postpartum to learn more.
You do deserve all good things in life, no matter what you have been through. You deserve it. Now let's get you to believe it.
You can do this.