19 Comments
Jan 31Liked by Caroline Chambers

I have a 7mo and I am CACKLING at the truth in this episode and sending to my husband (and my friends who can relate) right now so he knows I’m not the only crazy PP mom out there 🤣🤣🤣

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I mean we legit go crazy we have to be handled like crazy people

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Jan 31Liked by Caroline Chambers

Fine.... I heard you in the micromanaging biz.... I even annoy myself

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Sometimes I'll catch myself doing it and literally slap my hand over my mouth 😂😂

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Oh man - I am a year postpartum and was not expecting to have any kind of emotional reaction to this, but fully cried listening to your description of birth and those first few weeks! I had a really rough labor and did not have an easy time when we got home from the hospital, but felt like such a failure and was so hard on myself for not being “okay” sooner, because i had no idea what to expect. This was so validating and such a good reminder of the insane things your body (and brain!) go through to birth a child. Feeling so lucky to have a hilarious one year old now, but man, labor and those first few weeks can be HARD. Sending this episode to every expecting couple I know!

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mom of 4 here...its 7 years since my last birth and I still felt this episode hardcore. I completely resonate with not being okay, being way hard on myself because of it, and not knowing how anyone could help me since I felt like a failure. keep taking care of yourself and i am just glad for your honesty here! i get it.

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This is amazing!! What a gift you've given new parents...not just new dads. Even as a new mom, we often don't know what kind of help to ask for and this will be an incredible resource to help set both partners' expectations ahead of time. My husband was also a godsend during this process and I'll be forever thankful for the way he showed up for me (and baby) during those first few weeks.

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Also I am one of the crazies who definitely wanted to know if I pooped during labor LOL

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Me too but it took me months to ask lol

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It’s a crazy time for sure! I just had some hormonal mood swings last week when my baby started weaning and it brought me back like whoa. Legit brain misfiring going on, give yourself some grace mamas!

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This is amazing and a great conversation starter for me and my husband and we prepare for the arrival of our second baby (i.e. what ways I could be better supported and how it could go differently). Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It really validated my crazy emotional states the first time around.

On a related note, I'm also trying to stock my freezer with postpartum meals and also figure out what to bring to a friend who just had a baby. Do you have any suggestions of great freezer-friendly/easy to heat up, postpartum nourishing meals (that are not just pasta!)?? Thanks so much for sharing!

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And another thing my wife had me do with our first kiddo was to ask visitors to leave once I could tell she needed some rest or alone time.

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I'm so glad it was helpful to even a veteran dad! And YES omg, being the visitor bouncer is suc an important job.

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Ooh I’m going to call myself the “visitor bouncer” this time. Makes me feel important and intimidating haha

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As a dad expecting our 2nd kiddo this summer, this was a good reminder to touch base with my wife about what went good and bad last time and make a birthing plan for the next kid. Thank you!

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Hey Caroline! This is so fantastic! I am out of my baby birthing phase, but would love to share this with a close gf whose partner (also a woman) is TTC right now. Any chance you might make a version of this that just says "partner" and takes out the word "dad" altogether? I'm always loathe to make my friend feel like she's lumped in with dads (who can be fantastic! no shade!) because her relationship dynamic is less typical than the average.

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this is great feedback! i went ahead and updated it. the PDF already said "newborn partner/dad" so i just changed the title here and it will update across the apps shortly. the thumbnail still says dad and i can't change that... but hopefully she'll understand!! xoxoxo

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You da best! Thank you! <3

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You are doing the lords work with this episode! The realness! Thank you! Also for putting words to the hunger/thirst rage, there's so much validation to this, feeling like oh it wasn't just me haha. Shared this with every expecting person I know.

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