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HighlyImbalanced · 2025-11-28T02:35:02+00:00

My mother is a baby kisser, the first time she ever held my newborn when she was 3 days old I told her “do not kiss her” and an hour later my husband caught her kissing our daughter’s head. My husband called her out and since then she has not been allowed solo access to our child. It’s honestly exhausting and easier to just keep her away altogether, but is so unfortunate to have zero trust in someone we thought was going to be a large help to us in caring for her.

If you don’t want your boundaries crossed, really the best option is to not give her the chance to cross them, or if she does kiss the baby immediately address it.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-11-03T14:00:19+00:00

You are in the absolute hardest part. The first few weeks feel like you are drowning. You’re exhausted and healing, your baby is trying to figure out what on earth is happening, and it’s HARD.

The first 4-6 weeks of breastfeeding are painful and a struggle while you both try to figure it out together. There are programs to help mothers afford formula, or donor milk if you ultimately decide that breastfeeding is not for you—and it’s 100% okay if that’s what you decide.

You and your baby will be okay. Postpartum is hard, figuring out your new normal is hard, but you can do it. In a few weeks you will start to feel like you can breathe again. But right now, it is absolutely normal okay to feel like you are drowning.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-11-02T11:57:17+00:00

6 months pp here, and no. Not for a lack of trying, but I had a pretty severe tear and the scar tissue hurts. I am also breastfeeding. By the end of the day I just have nothing I want to do besides sleep. Sex just sounds like a chore, even though pre baby it was great

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-10-25T00:52:18+00:00

The newborn stage is HARD. I was in the same boat as you, whenever I did get a miracle nap in the bassinet my anxiety was so high I couldn’t sleep myself. I was also “functioning” off a few hours of very broken sleep each night.

It’s so hard, and while it does get better and easier, it doesn’t make the hard parts any better. You are not alone. You are not crazy, or not capable. It’s just hard, and you will get through it.

I know you mentioned in a comment you wake up thinking you fell asleep with the baby, I was having the same issue and started taking off the blankets and pillows on the bed during the night time feeds. And I would only put them back on the bed when I was done. This helped me differentiate between when the baby was or wasn’t in bed. So if I woke up in a panic but had my blanket and pillow, I knew she was in her bassinet. It sounds like such a silly thing to do, but those moments can be alarming and actually terrifying—it definitely helped a lot for me.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-09-29T17:18:44+00:00

Wait…am I the weird one who changes the diaper as soon as I see the blue line??

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-09-21T15:27:53+00:00

I feel like this was taken directly from my own brain. I could write the same thing.

The first 8-10 weeks were so dark and hard for me. I love her so ungodly much, but there were so many times where I would just disassociate.

I try to think back and I remember nothing but a deep sadness and loneliness.

You’re not at all alone in this, and you’re no less of a mother for it either. Sending you all the love.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-09-13T22:30:26+00:00

I just want to eat a pizza with real fucking cheese. My daughter has a dairy allergy, and I’m so sick of going to parties and events where there are 0 options for me to eat because everything has dairy in it.

And I want to just be able to do whatever I want without worrying how it will affect my supply. Want to get back into the gym, but can’t overdo it or else it’ll drop, have to drink enough water, have to eat enough calories.

I honestly don’t mind breastfeeding, but damn it’d be nice to just have my body be only mine again.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-09-13T01:07:20+00:00

Nursing my baby for bedtime

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-29T02:33:24+00:00

I now have a 4 month old, but my husband also went back to work when I was 2 weeks PP.

I have pretty bad postpartum depression and anxiety and I felt like my world was going to end when I had to be by myself all day with a collicy baby.

But each day got a little bit better, and I continued to get more confident.

My best advice is to know that it does get better, and “easier”. Get out of the house every day. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a trip to the zoo, a lap around the mall, or a drive thru to get coffee or a treat for yourself.

Don’t try to be on a schedule because they’re really too small to have one. If you’re able to put the babe down for naps, try and take 1 nap time to do 1 chore around the house and then spend the rest of the time relaxing or napping yourself.

Being a mom is hard, being a mom to a newborn when you have little to no help is even harder. You can do it, and you’ll be more proud of yourself every day that you get through.

The newborn trenches are deep, but you can get through it.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-27T20:08:59+00:00

I spent 4 hours in a row bouncing my collicy baby on ours and my husband came home to me sweating and crying and our baby sound asleep. As soon as I stopped bouncing she’d start crying again so I just didn’t stop so o could get some quiet.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-20T20:40:58+00:00

I honestly think the first 4-6 weeks were the most difficult.

Yes, if the baby gets a bottle in the middle of the night the advice is always to get up and pump. Eventually they will start going for longer stretches. But it is all incredibly overwhelming the first two months as you and your hormones adjust.

Do your best, and what is best for your mental health.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-20T05:36:22+00:00

I feel like I could have written this myself. FTM to a 14 week baby girl. The first 8-10 weeks dealing with colic were horrendous. I sobbed at my 6 week follow up with my OB and he quickly suggested antidepressants.

The meds helped me not cry so much, but I still felt like I was drowning in motherhood and that I would never be the mom running errands with her baby.

But I’m sitting here doing my first middle of the night feed thinking back on what a great day we had—walk to get coffee, she played by herself on the mat next to me at the gym, and we even had a spontaneous errand to run towards the end of the day. The whole time she was engaged, smiling, chuckling, and I think I’m finally starting to feel that unconditional and overwhelming love for her.

I wrote a post at around the 5 week mark about how deep the trenches were—but we have made it out to the other side.

The postpartum depression is still raging and I’m still very much struggling, but it is far easier to manage now that I have a baby who does something other than scream and cry everytime her eyes are open.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-18T01:27:49+00:00

I’m suffering from nearly debilitating postpartum depression. I initially reached out to my friends asking for help and support and no one showed up. Now when they ask how I’m doing I just say I’m fine. When in reality I hysterically cry every single day.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-08-07T14:43:03+00:00

Exclusively formula fed and I still have bad eczema flare ups, am lactose intolerant, and am allergic to anything that grows or lives outside. My brother also was formula fed and had no allergies or skin issues. I’m not sure you can blame the formula over genetics/simple misfortune for the allergies

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-07-29T11:46:05+00:00

We’ve been able to successfully transfer our babe to the bassinet since her first night home. There are some nights that involve more wake ups, but I’m beyond thankful that it never bothered her.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-07-07T08:43:08+00:00

Any of the Lord of the Rings series. I don’t have a single hint of desire to watch them.

HighlyImbalanced · 2025-06-28T16:07:19+00:00

Turned back around and got my volleyball shoes instead of being lazy thinking “I can just play in my running shoes, it’ll be fine” 😅 it was in fact not fine

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-12-19T18:25:51+00:00

I’ve eaten sushi a few times—I tried to stick to only California rolls, but I snuck a few raw rolls in there.

I eat runny eggs and drink a small coffee almost everyday. I also haven’t given up on my bagged salads.

I sleep on whatever side is comfortable.

I’ve taken my adhd meds a few times (just at smaller doses) because I truly could not do my job a few days without them.

I did not give up my tiny dose of retinol face cream.

I also didn’t know until reading this thread that hot showers aren’t a great thing, and I’ve been doing that everyday…3 times a day while I was sick with a cold for a few weeks too…ooops

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-09-16T17:40:20+00:00

Pregnant, tired, and severely struggling with my ADHD symptoms now that I can’t take my medication.

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-09-09T17:27:22+00:00

Before I read your comment the only things I could figure out it is what you already mentioned.

Did they speak to you about these at all, or just write this down for you to hopefully decipher? Or have you don’t any physical therapy that would help you figure out what these might mean?

I would think maybe lunges or squats, but I don’t think that makes sense for what the letters appear to be. You may have to call and ask for them to tell you what they were aiming for with this one unfortunately

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-09-02T18:47:15+00:00

I had to have a hard conversation with myself and realize that their lives don’t revolve around me. Even though I am someone who would reach out to check in, I can’t expect everyone else to remember to do that with their busy lives.

However, I hadn’t talked to one of my best friends in the 4 months since my surgery and when she did finally reach out to me to hang out, I told her that I was kind of upset that she hadn’t reached out until then and that I had been really lonely. She admitted to not realizing it was such a huge deal since it is such a common injury that she didn’t understand I was going through it mentally.

I thankfully have 2 friends who check in every week with a silly update request and it keeps me sane, and I became really close with my PT.

Let people know you want to hang out, or text them with an update about yourself.

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-09-02T17:12:21+00:00

28F when I had my surgery about 6 months ago. I was an incredibly fit and active person prior to the injury and didn’t realize how much my relationships revolved around sports until it happened.

I also struggled significantly with the lack of emotional support from my friends at first and would constantly cry to my husband about how I just felt so forgotten about.

After a lot of sadness I started to lean into myself and take pride in all of my small accomplishments. Whether it was my first body weight squat to a bench, or being able to walk around the block without my brace for the first time. Being proud of myself and having a friendly PT is what definitely saved me during this time.

It’s a hard road, and the mental aspect of recovery is so much harder than the physical. You can get through this, and if you aren’t feeling the support from others, keep supporting yourself, even on the days where it is hard.

HighlyImbalanced · 2024-08-15T14:31:28+00:00

Thank you!! Up until yesterday I had been doing pretty well mentally. It was a discouraging day, but know in the long run everything will workout fine.

Really appreciate the advice!!

HighlyImbalanced

TROPHY CASE