As my six week recovery period is coming to an end – not that postpartum does not extend beyond that abbreviated time frame – I realize how crucial an established support system is after having a baby. When I had my firstborn four years ago, our little family emerged from the hospital to a full fledged pandemic. In order to protect our little one and stop the spread, we declined visitors and by extension any help. As my husband and I were taking on the baby two-to-one, we managed, albeit as first time parents were quite tired.
This time around, however, we were open to having visitors. We were not foolish enough to think that going from one to two kids would be simply double; rather, we prepared ourselves for feeling as though the new baby would be exponentially more work. In order to best adjust, my husband and I asked his mother, my MIL, the Nana, and mom of seven, to join us in the in the weeks leading to my pregnancy and month after. Prior to the baby’s arrival, Nana and I had a fantastic time. We went to a Barry’s class, visited one of the schools that accepted my oldest for kindergarten, attended my doctor’s appointments, and watched a daily afternoon episode of Friends, Frasier, Martha Stewart, or QVC.
While our family could have made it through the immediate postpartum period without help beyond the oldest attending preschool, having others to assist made the transition seamless. It was a priority that our oldest only have the fondest of memories of his little brother’s arrival. Nana and Grandpa, who also visited for a week, served up plenty of oldest-specific attention during which we tended to the newborn. This included building entire cities with magnatile / duplos / blocks, joining him at music class, attending several of his classmates’ and eventually his own birthday party, and serving as Mystery Readers at his preschool which was especially thrilling for him.
Nana, and even Grandpa, provided so much support to our family in a time of transition; it made the transition from one to two sons easier than from zero to one son for which I will be eternally grateful. It has only been less than two weeks since she returned home, but I know that the entire family misses her already.