Dear Newborn Mother, Please Know This Is What Productivity Looks Like

“Dear newborn mother,

Please know that this is what productivity looks like.

It looks like feeding your baby on the couch for an hour, sometimes more.

It looks like leaving a dent in the cushions when you leave, if you leave, but you don’t have to leave.

It looks like being constantly relied upon, and poo’d on and spewed on.

It looks like burping them, and cleaning them. And then cleaning yourself, but only if you have time.

It looks like ignoring the mess surrounding you and somehow making more. There’s always more.

It looks like staring at them for the longest time so that you completely lose track of time.

It looks like taking lots of photos and videos of them and then cringing at the sound of your own voice on playback.

It looks like conversing in one-sided baby language and constantly thinking ‘there’s a smile’ with only the slightest of mouth movements.

It looks like stroking their hair, nuzzling them, and kissing their cheeks because you still can’t believe they’re real.

It looks like asking your husband to bring you things. And not bring you things. And then him forgetting to bring you things.

It looks like rocking them, hushing them, and singing to them. Or just anything that works really.

It looks like letting them fall asleep on you and letting them stay asleep on you.

It looks like putting them in their bassinet so you can sleep but staring at them again instead.

It looks like you sleeping, eating, and showering when you can. Or at least trying to anyway.

It looks like doing what you need to survive the days and nights, the weeks and months.

It looks like you and them, figuring it all out together, one day at a time.

Productivity comes in many different forms and this is one of them. So if you have done nothing other than some of the above today, know that you have been productive.

Know that you are working hard.

Know that you are doing great things.

You may not feel alive right now, but you are keeping someone else alive.

That’s productivity at it’s finest.

Keep up the good work.

Best (sleep) wishes,

Another newborn mother.”