Hobomomma Theresa

In the beginning, this is about as much as you 

get out of a newborn and it can me a bit, um,

mind numbing, to say the least.  Those days 

are really, REALLY hard and seem to drag

out 'til eternity. Ugh, I remember them well...

But time passes and not only do you get 

better at taking photos, you start getting a

'lil something in return for your efforts. The

days start to move by quickly and you begin

to take baby steps back toward your old self.

Then one day you wake up to this and 

suddenly, life feels good again and in fact,

maybe even a little better than it used to feel.

Your energy has returned and even though 

your figure is still reluctant to come back, 

you're able to embrace each day with a smile.

But in those early days, it's impossible to see

through the milky haze of exhaustion. It's 

tough to logically rationalize your depression.

And you miss your old life, desperately and

feel as though perhaps you've made a big mistake.

That's why it's so important to connect with 

other women sharing your experience and 

perhaps more importantly, someone who has

just moved out of the stage you're currently in.

Someone for whom the experience is still raw

and fresh yet for whom it's finally in the past.  

I was really fortunate that I was able to turn

to my best friend from high school who gave

birth to her 4th the August before I gave 

birth to my 1st (and only). And that 

I was able to share my pregnancy

with another BFF who gave birth in October.

Luckily, when I blogged my feelings, many 

of you reached out to me with your experiences and 

support. Girls I haven't seen since high school, ones 

I became friends with through Matty, and even my 

bloggy friends shared their stories, sent gifts, and 

checked in on me regularly to remind me that

I (and what I was feeling) was absolutely normal.

And that made ALL of the difference.

I wouldn't have made it through those early days 

as well as I did without your support but many

new moms do not have the same network. A lot

of new moms feel isolated and crazed and,

well, that's just unacceptable and needs to change.

Hoboken is unique in that it's a walkable 

community brimming with new moms and

there are a multitude of ways to connect,

from the support group at the hospital to

baby yoga/music classes to restaurant

deals for new moms, etc. Unfortunately,

it's the exception whereas it should be the rule.

I feel so strongly about the necessity of 

bringing new moms together with one another

 (and with more seasoned moms whose babies 

have moved into the next stages) that I need to 

figure out a way to do just that nationwide.

Just call me the new moms Hobomomma Theresa!