This Is (Fresh) Postpartum

Aching, holding, tending, (re)learning.⁠
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In soft clothes, patting, thinking, worrying, enjoying.⁠
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Numb from the pain and exhilarated from the hormones.⁠
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In a hospital bed, wondering if our belly will ever recover from the incision. ⁠
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Needing help to pee, stand, walk, order food. ⁠
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Wondering why they make the clear bassinets so high and difficult to reach for people who just had a c-section and can't use their core muscle to lift or put down their babies.⁠
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Wondering why hospitals don't allow bedsharing.⁠
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Wondering why we have to follow policies but not our instincts. Wondering when our instincts will kick in.⁠
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Wondering if the tears are from exhaustion, hormones, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, isolation, overstimulation, or just the need to poop.⁠
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Wondering…⁠
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The words are mine and the general feelings might not be shared by the person in the image, who is a very dear friend of mine. I still wanted to make that distinction, although I’m sure she did wonder A LOT. ⁠