In life, if someone was screaming at at you, shouting, whining, hitting. If there was constant noise that was stressing your body. If you needed space but there wasn’t any...your body and your mind would tell you to walk away. You’d leave. You’d go, you’d breathe. You’d walk, talk, calm, ground, focus, refuel, recover. It’s an inbuilt, self-protective drive.

’m working on forgiveness, I’m working on myself, I’m trying to locate her, high up on a shelf.

THEY SAID, you're helping him too much, you'll regret that,  they said. They denied us of our rods, and filled our hearts with dread.

If you ever see a mum, pacing with a pram nearby, with her head bowed down, can't quite look you in the eye…

We hang onto the looseness, cry over the leakage and break ourselves over what we ‘should be’.
But they know of no comparison, only the you of yesterday and the you of today.

"Time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life" - Anon.

The only second you are to me is my second language, the one I had to learn because you were so different to my first.

I know you think I never see

All those little things you do

And I know how you hate poetry

But this one's just for you.

By Karen McMillian @mother_truths

Please, please, PLEASE - I will do anything if you just LET ME SLEEP! I’m at my wits end and would do almost anything for a few hours in a row. 

The congratulatory messages flood in, “You must be overwhelmed with happiness”, “enjoy every minute”.

It’s not their fault, I’ve said it too, it’s what we say to new Mothers isn’t it? “Mama, wipe away those tears”

Look at what I have! I don’t deserve to feel sad, let’s throw that emotion in the corner, with the postpartum underwear.

Nothing to see here. “Mama, wipe away those tears”

Today I'm tired, you have been on me since 5am and it doesn't seem like you will be moving anytime soon. So instead of getting angry or upset I just sat here thinking how special this actually is...

If only you could see yourself through my eyes, I think you’d be rather surprised.
I see beauty and bravery and so much glow. 

By Lou Marx

I get it, I get all of it.
The screams, the tears, the tantrums.
Your bottom lip drops and your eyes brim with emotions.
Sometimes you even turn away from me.
That one rips my heart in two.

There’s more than one way to raise a baby and we’re all doing the best we can.
If you do it with love, then well done you x

By Jess Urlichs.

There will come a time where all of this is a distant memory. But in the beginning...There will be waves, joy, despair, Anxiety.

I wonder what would happen, If I just let things be, allow things to happen, more naturally. Not coerce, or force, but wait. Patiently.

You don’t have a long way to go till your back to normal.

THIS is normal.

We’re so busy making memories that you’ll have to excuse the dust. If you come for a visit, averting your eyes is a must.

You needed me in your core and my core was already being divided. It was harder than I ever imagined.

The year of not leaving your side

For more than an hour

And feeling revived

From a two minute shower

He won’t ever know the feeling of your tiny body wriggling inside his belly reminding him of your increasing presence, but he eagerly placed his giant hands on Mummy’s stomach in an attempt to connect with you.

It's ok to not love the scars that gave you your daughter. It's ok to not feel grateful for them in spite of the women who pray for them.It's ok to look in the mirror and not recognize this body and wonder if these negative thoughts you'll overcome.

One day I will look you in the eye and tell you the honest truth.

I'll let you in on a little secret.

Want to know?

Imagine how we’d feel if we mothered the child in each of us the same way we do our kids.
Or in contrast, imagine if we treated our kids the way we sometimes treat ourselves.

By our talented contributing writer Lou Marx.

You were more a nervous twitch, that never went away, a tugging in my heart that I wanted to ignore, because I wasn't 'motherly'. I didn't start to long for you until it became clear I might not ever meet you.

I didn't love being pregnant but I loved knowing we shared the same body as you grew for 40 weeks, your heart right next to mine. I didn't love my leaking, swollen, stretched, slow, heavy and sore postpartum body. But I loved knowing it had carried you here safely, earth-side.

Dear Mama,

I don’t remember if our house was big or small or if we rented or owned.

I don’t remember if you had a fancy car, or if we had to take the bus.

By Jess Urlichs.

It’s hard to sometimes not feel resentful that he gets to switch off from the craziness round here and pursue his career, or that he can eat his lunch in peace without being watched, whinged at, grabbed at or having to share it (if I eat at all).

I wanted to conceive quickly & easily.
It took 2 years, surgery & many failed pregnancy tests.
I wanted a fit active, pregnancy.
I could barely walk, gained nearly 30kgs.