What I Wish I Knew Before My First Postpartum

If I could sit across from every expectant mom, I’d tell her this: postpartum is a wild, beautiful, and often overwhelming ride. Here are the three truths I wish I knew before entering that sacred season myself.

1. It’s one of life’s biggest transformations—and it deserves reverence.
Becoming a mother isn’t just a physical shift. It’s a deep, soul-level transformation. Your body has done something extraordinary—and now it needs care, slowness, and gentleness. We live in a culture that encourages “bouncing back,” but postpartum recovery takes time. And if we're being honest, there's only a "new you." In many traditional cultures, mothers are nurtured for at least 21 to 40 days with warm food, rest, and rituals that honor the transition. We need that back. A rite of passage like a mother blessing is not a luxury—it’s a recognition of your power and worth.

2. Welcome to the next level of hard.

You made it through labor—but now the real work begins. Breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, constant decision-making—it’s no joke. There will be moments where you feel like you’re failing, like nothing is working, like you’re just crying alongside your baby. That’s normal. Support is everything. Let others help. Say yes to meals, help with laundry, or someone simply sitting with you.

3. You’ll miss your old life—until you don’t. There’s a grief in letting go of who you were. Your freedom, your spontaneity, your sense of control. But something new is being born alongside your baby: you. At first, it might not feel like “the better version” everyone talks about. But over time, you’ll find strength, softness, and joy in places you never expected.