PARENTING ADVICE: Be kind to yourself - this is a time like we’ve never seen before and your journey, emotions and feelings are entirely yours and valid.

We’ve talked about new Mummy’s in lockdown a few times, but I also posted on stories talking to a lot of mum's who have recently had their second or third baby and are finding it really tough at the moment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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It's particularly challenging at the moment because maybe you had hoped that grandparents would be around to support you. That the older siblings would be at school or nursery so you could have time to spend just with your new born and have time to recuperate physically and emotionally yourself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The maternity leave perks of lunches out and box set snuggles just aren't possible at the moment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Then there's the guilt for feeling that hard done by for not having that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The underlying anxiety that goes with living through a pandemic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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The emotive question of whether or not you should send your older ones back to childcare settings if that option is available. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It's a muddle of conflicting emotions for everyone but so heightened when you're a jumble of hormones and suffering from lack of sleep ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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I've been absolutely staggered by the volume of messages I've received in reaction to talking about this sometimes ago and I've shared some of them on stories so you can see you're not alone in feeling this way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Most of all, I just wanted to reiterate to be kind to yourself.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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It's ok to feel upset, it's entirely valid. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Try not to feel guilty about things not being how you hoped, that feeling is valid. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Try and work around the guilt on sending your child to a childcare setting if you have that option. Your decisions are made in your families best interest.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It’s important to take time to yourself, even if that means your older children are having lots of screen time. I would encourage you to do so, you need time too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Be kind to yourself - this is a time like we’ve never seen before and your journey, emotions and feelings are entirely yours and valid