Rocking Chair Reflections
The last time I wrote to you it was the end of summer, I was eight months pregnant and in a season of great anticipation.
Now, it’s the end of January, I have a four month old sleeping on my chest, and I find myself oscillating between feeling like I’m finding my footing and moments of full body overwhelm. I’m in the thick season of transition.
And while it feels like that August version of myself is in the past, I like to think I’m still carrying her inside somewhere.
That’s my New Year perspective for 2026.
While I have visions for what this year might hold for my practices, my family, my work and my life, the thought that feels most present is: what am I carrying with me into this new season, chapter, year?
To be clear, this list is not an advice column, and it certainly exposes many of the privileges* that are my reality. Thank you for allowing my rocking chair reflection moments to be a personal time capsule in your inbox.
Here are 10 early postpartum reflections I hope to carry with me:
Rest comes first. The first month post birth I was horizontal as much as possible. Finding the balance between enough rest and starting to move again is certainly a dance, but I knew I would appreciate four weeks of diligent rest, and I attribute much of my postpartum healing to the rest that came first.
Say yes to help. I feel tremendously lucky that we’ve had so much support surrounding us in the early months. My motto this time around was to simply say “Yes, thank you!” anytime someone offered to bring a meal, drop off groceries, or help in any way. (Thanks Mom and Dad for the endless help with dishes, dog walks, and laundry pickup!)
Chili and cornbread are one of life’s greatest pleasures. And prepping freezer meals before having a baby is one of the best gifts I’ve ever given myself.
Hug your people (or snuggle your pets) as often as possible. A tight squeeze from my newly six year old is my daily dose of free “happy chemicals.” Wish I could bottle it up!
Get dressed, make the bed, get outside. Admittedly I’m writing this in sweatpants, but I’m treating the little things as the big things and wouldn’t you know, it actually does feel big to take care every day.
Clean one thing. When bottles cover the counter, laundry piles up, and dishes are never ending, I curb the overwhelm by tackling one thing. It usually gives me enough dopamine to move forward.
Take nothing personally. Sleep deprivation, more time together in close quarters, new school year, holidays, a screaming baby… the list of excuses were long. We’re finding our way back to greater capacity, but it’s probably a good idea to still keep this one with me :)
Voice note a friend. Where you need two hands to respond to a text, you need one finger momentarily to start recording a voice note. This was my saving grace for staying connected during the weeks I was almost always home and almost never on top of notifications (or anything).
Just add water. We had a brutal stretch of witching hour every evening that lasted for months. Early on I discovered that baby girl would quiet down momentarily between 5-10pm if and only if she was taking a bath. Those 30 minutes of sanity gave all of us the boost we needed to make it to bedtime.
Living room dance parties never fail. Whether you’re 4 months, 6 years, or 36, in our home, a few minutes of dancing instantly shifts the mood.
While the early postpartum period is intense, it’s also very much a catalyst. A part of me actually mourns the end of this uniquely vulnerable season. It was deeply healing for me to rely fully on the people who surround me. I hope to carry it all with me for a long, long time.
*While the world may be on fire and it often feels like I could never do enough, I’m hoping my micro contributions, my effort in my home, my work supporting mothers, and championing the immigrants I know and love will be small but meaningful drops in the bucket.