I was recently talking with a client-friend (psst if you start private sessions with me, we WILL become friends) who’s expecting their second and is feeling a lot of…complicated feelings.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much hearing her struggle resonated with me and brought me back to that exact same place I was in, and not even that long ago.

While pregnancy with my second child was one we had planned, one we had hoped for, one we wanted, there were some very real, very hard moments along the way.

It was a hard pregnancy for me, so I found myself wishing it was over, but then feeling simultaneously guilty and sad at the prospect of that special season ending when it would be just me and my first son.

It was a hard labor for me, and as soon as the baby was born, he CRIED (my first didn’t do that!). I thought, “How rude! I just went through all this work, and now you’re screaming in my face!”

Then he was colicky. Suffice it to say, that was hard.

Honestly, it took me several months to even “like” this baby.

(Now, a year and a half later, he is so dear to me, and I cannot imagine life without him! But it didn’t happen like that right away.)

Transitioning to 2 kids was really hard for me. It was and is a LOT OF WORK.

I say this to say–if you’re going through a hard season, you’re not making this up.

It’s not in your head.

Some things really are just REALLY difficult.

Sometimes things just SUCK.

But you’re doing it.

Okay, maybe you’re not living up to the standard of Super Mom you’ve set in your head, BUT YOU’RE DOING IT.

You’re surviving day in and day out.

And I really do believe that one day, friend, we don’t know exactly when, but one day you will be thriving.

We all need reminders like this. We all need friends rooting for us when we don't have the energy to root for ourselves. That's why the Birth & Beyond community exists. Still making up your mind about joining? Try it out for 7 days free and go from there. We're rooting for ya!