On the dark days it’s important to sleep.

Since Aggie’s been earthside I’ve tried my best to sleep when she sleeps, whether it’s a nap with her during the day, or just crawling into bed myself when I put her down at night. It’s not easy – most of the time I have to be coerced from Jeff or my family, but when I do, I notice how much more capable and balanced I am. Through my first and third trimesters I made a point of always napping on the weekends. And in those last two weeks before Aggie was born I took an hour long nap everyday. 

Whether you’re pregnant, you’re stressed trying to get pregnant or you’ve got a tiny person – it’s so easy to feel like everything is wrong. It’s so easy to feel sad and overwhelmed and like there isn’t that much of a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a tiny nap, whether it’s 20 minutes or a full hour, you can open your eyes and see things a little more clearly. A little more soundly and calmly.

Sleep enables our bodies to recharge and reboot. It can give us an extra bout of energy that we would otherwise be missing out on. Instead of jumping for that cup of tea or coffee, try to jump into bed. If you’ve got a tiny person, try nursing them side lying in bed – allowing both of you to fall asleep together. 

Above that – remind yourself that you don’t have to do it all. Laundry can wait. Cooking can wait. Phone calls and emails aren’t going anywhere. In the past two years I’ve probably gotten sick once. That’s how well I was taking care of myself. Over the course of the past week I’ve had a lingering cold that has just dragged on. It’s gone from something small to a full blown cough and head cold. I’m up north for a week and I’m going to take advantage of having family to help me out. I’m going to find moments to rest, moments to be quiet and to just help my body get back to a good place. To both help myself be a healthier mum for Aggie and to help myself get back to that place where my health was in a more constant state of goodness. 

LET HER SLEEP FOR WHEN SHE WAKES, SHE WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS [N.B]