Navigating Postpartum Fears and Parenting Triumphs

50 Postpartum Journal Prompts

What were you most afraid of before the birth of your child? Join us as we uncover the raw and honest emotions that often accompany the postpartum period, a time many new parents find unexpectedly challenging. We start by reflecting on the birth experience itself, discussing how unforeseen challenges and lingering anxieties can shape early parenthood. Through thought-provoking prompts, we highlight the importance of acknowledging these fears and the role of gratitude in navigating difficult moments. Plus, we delve into the transformative power of journaling as a tool for processing emotions and fostering self-reflection.

As we move forward from the immediate postpartum phase, we switch gears to contemplate the long-term journey of parenting. We discuss the values and legacy we aspire to leave for our children, touching on kindness, empathy, and resilience. Parenting is an ongoing learning curve, and we emphasize the significance of celebrating small victories and finding joy amidst the chaos. This episode serves as a heartfelt reminder of the shared experience of parenting and the special moments that can emerge even during the most challenging times. Tune in for a meaningful conversation that explores both the trials and triumphs of the postpartum period and beyond.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's like everyone's obsessed with pregnancy and
birth.
Right Nine months of attentionand then bam baby's here and
suddenly it's all about tinysocks and burp cloths.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
And no one really prepares you for what comes
after the baby arrives.
You know like, yeah, physicallythings are different, but the
emotional and relationship stuff, it's huge.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
That's exactly what we're diving into today,
actually.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Right, what we're doing.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
You sent over these.
Well, they're called 50Postpartum Journal Prompts by
Lestallion, so not medicaladvice or anything but more like
conversation starters.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I like that yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
So whether someone's about to become a parent or
they're already supportingsomeone postpartum, or, honestly
, even if they're just curiouslike me, there's some really
interesting insights here aboutthis whole transformation.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think that's what I like about these prompts they
make you, like, really lookinward, and that could be
helpful for anyone, not just,you know, new parents.
It's a lot of adjustment.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
It really is.
It's way more than justbouncing back which, by the way,
I hate that phrase.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Oh, tell me about it.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
But OK.
So the first few prompts areall about the birth itself.
Now we'll get to the biggerpicture, but I think revisiting
the birth experience is a goodplace to start.
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:09):
For sure.
I mean, it kind of sets thestage for everything that
follows, don't you think?

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Absolutely.
And one prompt asks about likewhat was the most unexpected
part of your birth?
Because no matter how preparedyou think you are, something
always throws you a curveball.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh 100%.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
And everyone deals with those curveballs so
differently, right, like somepeople find that unexpected
strength.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
I was just going to say that.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Well, others need more time to process, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's so true, Like that prompt, the one that's like
what surprised you most aboutyour birth.
It's like it reminds us birthrarely goes exactly as planned,
which for anyone involved, notjust the person giving birth.
I think that's huge to justacknowledge.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Totally.
And speaking of acknowledgingthings, there's this other
prompt about reflecting on fearsand anxieties around the birth,
like those pre-baby jitterswhich are totally normal, by the
way, but I feel like we don'ttalk about them enough.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Right, and sometimes just saying those fears out loud
, even if they sound kind ofcrazy, it helps, you know.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, yeah, it's not about getting our day to the
feelings, but more aboutfiguring out where they come
from, because sometimes and I'veseen this a lot those anxieties
, if you don't deal with them,they can pop up after the baby
is born and even affect how youparent.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Like that prompt.
It asks what were you mostafraid of before the birth and
how did those fears or did theynot like show up during the
actual experience?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's just acknowledging that those
feelings are real.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
And for some people.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
They linger even after the baby's here.
There's something so powerfulabout saying them out loud and
then thinking about how you gotthrough it.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, it's like hey, fear, I see you, but also I've
got this tiny human to take careof, so let's do this thing.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Exactly, and you know what I thought was interesting
A lot of these prompts.
They're about gratitude, evenwhen things are hard.
There's one like what are youmost grateful for about your
birth?
Finding even small things toappreciate, I think, during that
time can be huge for mentalwell-being.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Totally.
It's like finding the good evenwhen things are messy can
totally change your perspective.
Just reading that one made methink about how important
gratitude is, and not even justfor postpartum, you know.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Oh, absolutely.
I think we could all use alittle more gratitude,
especially during times whenthings feel uncertain or are
changing a lot.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
For sure.
So we've talked about theactual birth, but that's
obviously just the beginning.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Right, what about this next set of prompts, the
ones about those first few weeksand months of new parenthood?
Anything stand out.
You know, what struck me is wefocus so much on the birth
parent's physical recovery,which of course is important,
but these prompts reallyhighlight how much is going on
emotionally, and in therelationship too.
It's a huge E adjustment.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
So true, it's not just about your body healing,
it's about like who you are, andnow.
Now, as a parent, as a partnertoo yes, exactly there's this
one prompt.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
It asks how has your relationship with your partner
evolved since having the baby?
And I think it's easy to forgetthat this transition it impacts
both partners.
Communication is more importantthan ever.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I was so happy to see that one because, right, it's
not just about the mom, theother partner is adjusting too.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Exactly, and the whole dynamic of the
relationship is shifting.
There's just a lot to figureout, especially those first few
weeks when, let's be honest,sleep is like a distant memory
and hormones are all over theplace.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
And, yeah, the sleep deprivation oof that can make
everything harder Communicating,making decisions, all of it for
both people.
Oh, 100 percent.
Speaking of those sleepdeprived days, I do like how
these prompts they don't shyaway from the hard stuff.
There's one that's like whatare some emotions you felt that
you were not expecting, because,I mean, those first few weeks
especially are intense.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
It's not all you know .
Gurgling and cute baby smells.
It's real raw emotions, thewhole spectrum.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Totally, and that's why I think journaling can be so
helpful, you know, during thattime especially Just having that
space to process it all, eventhe stuff you don't want to
admit out loud.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
It's like you're having a conversation with
yourself, but on paper, so youcan be totally honest about what
you're going through, withoutworrying about saying the right
thing or burdening anyone.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
Oh, I love that, and it doesn't even have to be like
this big formal journaling thing.
Just jotting down a few wordshere and there can help so much
when you feel overwhelmed.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
A hundred percent.
Oh, there's this one prompt inthis section I thought was
really insightful.
Have there been times when youfelt disconnected from your baby
?
I think that happens to a lotof parents, but it feels almost
taboo to talk about.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
Oh for sure, there's this pressure to present this
like perfect picture of bonding,but in reality it's just it's
more complicated than thatExactly, and that prompt.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
It lets you acknowledge that bonding takes
time.
It's not always this immediatething and just being able to say
, hey, I feel unsure or even Idon't feel super connected right
now, without judgment, that'shuge.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
It makes me think of a friend of mine.
She was saying how she didn'thave that like instant,
overwhelming love that everyonetalks about.
For her it was more like takingcare of a tiny stranger at
first, but then, you know, overtime that bond grew and now she
can't imagine life without herson.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
That's such a good example of how these journeys
they're just so personal, youknow, and it's important to give
space for that.
Whatever someone's experiencing, it's valid.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
And it's different for everyone, right?
Like even just thinking aboutself-care during that time.
Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
What works for one person might not work for
another.
That's why I like the one thatsays what brings you joy and
nourishment during this time.
It's about finding what trulyfills you up, even when being a
new parent is so demanding.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Finding those bright spots right, Whether it's a hot
bath, reading for 10 minutes,whatever.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Exactly Making time for those things, no matter how
small.
It's about recharging,remembering what you need.
Self-care is not selfish, it'show you keep going.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
So true.
So we've talked about theemotions, the relationship,
stuff, but then there's alsothis whole like logistical side
of things to figure out.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Oh yeah, it's like they hand you this baby and are
like, ok, go be an expert.
With like zero sleep and awhole lot of uncertainty, having
a good support system duringthat time, it's everything.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
It really is.
There's actually a prompt aboutthat, asking who are you
leaning on for support right nowand how are they helping you?

Speaker 2 (07:15):
I was going to say that one.
It just highlights how crucialthat support is and it
acknowledges that it can comefrom so many places, right?
Your partner, family, friends,maybe a postpartum doula, a
therapist, even.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
It's about knowing who those key people are, the
ones who can help practically,emotionally, and then actually
letting them help.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Because even those little things, like someone
bringing you a meal or justlistening without judgment,
those things are huge whenyou're feeling overwhelmed.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
It really does take a village right, Even if your
village is mostly online thesedays.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Right.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
It really does.
It makes you realize you shouldbe building that village, like
even before the baby comes, youknow.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
Absolutely.
And it goes back to thatself-care thing we were talking
about Asking for help.
I mean, that IS self-care,admitting you don't have to do
it all yourself.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
It takes a village right, and not just to like
raise the kid, but to supportthe parents who are doing the
raising.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Exactly, and like we keep saying, postpartum it's a
huge time of change.
Being kind to yourself, givingyourself grace, that's more
important than ever.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
Oh for sure, especially with social media and
everything, it's so easy tocompare yourself to these like
perfect parent portrayals.
But these next prompts we'regoing to get into, they're all
about looking inward, personalgrowth, what you want for the
future, that kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
And that's what's so cool about them.
Yeah, there are challenges, butthere's also this huge
opportunity for you to grow.
You know, this experience canreally change you.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
It's true, there's one here.
I wrote it down because itreally stuck with me.
What are you most proud ofyourself for during this
postpartum journey?
Honestly, I don't think we askourselves that enough,
especially new parents.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
We should celebrate those wins more, even the little
ones, because let's be real,some days just getting out the
door with a newborn, that's avictory.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
Right Like I went to the grocery store, talked to
another human and remembereddiapers.
I am amazing.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
Exactly.
And those little things add up,they make you more resilient,
they remind you that you canhandle whatever comes next.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Which, speaking of these last few prompts, they're
really interesting.
It's like okay, you've gonethrough that initial crazy
newborn stage, so now what?
What does the future look likefor you, for your kid?

Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, you're shifting your perspective, moving from
those intense first few weeks tothinking more long-term.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
Totally.
This one really got me.
What legacy do you hope toleave for your child?
I know deep question whenyou're sleep deprived and
covered in spit up, but it'simportant.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
It really is.
It makes you think about yourvalues, what you believe in and
what you want to pass on to yourkids.
What kind of people do you wantthem to be?
What kind of world do you wantthem to live in?

Speaker 1 (09:50):
Wow, that's a good way to put it.
It's like we're not justresponsible for raising kids,
but for helping to create thefuture we want for all of us,
you know.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Exactly, and we can't control everything our kids
will face, but we can try togive them the tools to deal with
it Kindness, empathy, knowinghow to bounce back from setbacks
and that starts with us showingthem how to do that.

Speaker 1 (10:12):
That's so true.
It's a constant learning curvebeing a parent, for everyone
involved.
Sure Well, we've reached theend of our deep dive and I have
to say these postpartum journalprompts they really gave me a
lot to think about.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
Me too.
It's a reminder that, eventhough it's tough this
postpartum period, it's also areally special time, full of
potential.
You know, embrace the messyparts celebrate the little wins.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Find the joy where you can,even when things are chaotic,
and remember you're not alone inthis whole parenting thing.
It's a wild ride.
So to everyone listening, wehope this gave you some things
to think about, no matter whereyou are on.