12 Comments

I could have written this ♥️ I struggled so much the week before my bleed with our son when he was a toddler and I had zero capacity, energy or patience. Then I was pregnant and since then I’ve had a newborn or a baby so no bleed for 16 months now. I keep wondering how I’ll cope when She returns bc right now there are days (like yesterday) I’m so maxed with the two of them all I can do is cry and try to communicate what’s going on for me and cry some more until my partner arrives home to support me. I try to go easy on myself knowing we’re in a big time of transition, I won’t always be this tired, most days my son (hopefully) feels seen, loved, held and supported but we still have a day week out of the 4 it’s just the three of us where it all feels like a struggle and a mess. Practicing being kind and gentle with myself during these times is still so hard but I’ll keep leaning into that as much as I can. You’re doing incredible, your son is so loved. Seeing you in all of this Mama, with love xx

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Thank you, thank you for sharing your experience. I am curious to hear more when your bleed returns, I am so hesitant to have another because I am worried I will not be able to handle the overstimulation and chaos. All we can do in those hard moments is try to invite more gentleness and kindness in.

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Ps the line about the sun behind the cloud got me 🥺⛅️

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Oh Emma, I’m a week post bleed and everything you wrote as an expression of who you didn’t want to be expressed the version of the Mother I was just over a week ago. It’s so hard when under resourced and pre menstrual… sending you hugs and love because you are amazing in all inner seasons. Xxx

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Tearing up because you said I am amazing in all seasons...it is so hard when we are under resourced and feeling all of the emotions and frustrations in us.

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I think we all feel as if we are failing as a mother sometimes. As women we are so hard on ourselves. I try to be as compassionate and loving to myself as possible during these times and remind myself that I am human. Sometimes affirmations help me a lot. I like reading this book to myself sometimes. https://books.google.com/books/about/Who_I_Am.html?id=zymtEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&ovdme=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

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Yes, we are human and I think it is such an important thing to remember. This books looks so sweet!

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Much love Emma

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Thank you ❤️

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Thank you so much for writing this piece. It spoke straight to my experience post ovulation. That low lying irritability which makes me question my role and goodness as mother, wife, caregiver. Because that care feels misdirected, that care is not being directed where my body requires it - to me. Feelings that are hard to sit with, but you have articulated them beautifully. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

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You are so welcome. Yes, in that phase of my cycle, I need and want all of my attention and it is impossible to achieve with children, so this tension rises up.

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Definitely. It is a tension. Essential to invite gentleness and kindness in, as you say, but just feels impossibly hard sometimes to do so. Read your piece again this morning and grateful to have it reflect on during this phase 🙏🏻

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