It seems all about career these days, folks. Tomorrow I'm participating in a volunteer training for The Baby Blues Connection--I hoping to do peer-counseling for mamas experiencing PPD, as well as maybe co-facilitating group sessions...maybe? Sometime? When I have more time? I've been wanting to get involved with this organization for over a year now--they are the main, free postpartum emotional/mental health option in this area. They kick ass for sure and I'm super into supporting mamas in this way. On top of that, I'm hoping to volunteer for Backline at some point too--a group that offers doula support for women who are having abortions. Amazing, amazing.
Right...and then there is that time piece again. :)
Meanwhile, Lev is repeating everything we say, having enormous melt-downs when his banana breaks in two, reading Dr. Seuss and wanting to wear his froggie boots in the house no matter how covered in mud they are. Hard to believe that this little dude was ever an even tinier dude. Since finishing my postpartum doula training, I already have started working with one family...its so nuts, you guys. SO nuts. Going back to tending to infants is such an enormous flashback to how hellish having a new born can be. Its amazing, yes. But after one hour of caring for a baby, my shoulders ached, my back was sore and I was exhausted. The next day my arms were sore from carrying, bouncing and swinging this one little 8 week old baby in an attempt to soothe his anger at being away from his mama. Dear god, how did I do this with my own child??? Oh right, I nursed him constantly.
While this was only my first family, I can't help but think that I'm more cut out for work with mamas than with babies. Postpartum doula work encompasses both of these worlds, and really--you can't have one without the other (for the most part that is). So somehow, I have to become a baby guru and have all the right answers for those mamas that are needing support. Its daunting to say the least, but at least its a direction that I with my whole heart want to explore. And who knows, maybe when its all said and done, I'll go back to being a Russian Interpreter and forget the whole thing ever happened.
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