If you’re considering a home birth, or just curious about what it may look like, chances are you have some questions. In this last section of our home birth series, we’ll cover the most commonly asked questions and help dispel any myths.
As a new parent, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by emotions, responsibilities, and expectations. We’ve all been there—the moment when you realize that you are drowning, and the only thing you want to do is eat a bunch of ice cream, collapse into bed, and not be needed for the next eight hours. While rest is always a good idea and a priority for a new parent (or even an experienced one!), we tend to push away something that we all actually, truly need: friends.
The night was just cool enough to pinken my cheeks as I journeyed down my quiet suburban street back toward home. The sight of a very vocal pregnant woman, waddling with the aid of two people, may have caused concern for several neighbors who witnessed it, but it didn’t matter – I was doing the work. During a particularly intense contraction, I threw my head up to the sky. There were the same stars and moon from earlier. There returned the same gratitude, strength, and solidarity with everyone else doing the work of birth.
Morning sun danced on my bedroom wall, peeking through curtains swaying gently with the fall breeze from the open window. My eyes slowly opened as my hands, out of habit, moved toward my belly to greet my baby. As if in response, I felt my first, ever so gentle, contraction. A smile took over my face. It was happening.
It’s no surprise that being romantic with your partner can be a bit more challenging after the arrival of a newborn. Finding time is hard, you’re exhausted to the point of choosing sleep over pretty much anything else, and you may not be quite ready to leave the wee one with a sitter while you head out for a date night. But wait! Don’t give up on romancing your significant other during this sleep-deprived time! It’s important to stay connected as a couple after baby comes. Here are five ways to romance each other a bit, with or without baby present.
