Hi,

I read your post and it really took me back to when I was a new Mom. I think one of the cruelest things that society bestows on us is this idea that Motherhood is this simple natural transition and that we all give birth and turn into Martha Stewart!!!! I do not understand why as women we let this continue. Motherhood is really, really tough and no one tells you the truth before you have a child. Probably a good thing, or I am sure the birth rate would slow down! You say you are feeling overwhelmed this is normal, every Mom feels overwhelmed. My guess is -- you are probably exhausted and not taking the best care of yourself because you are trying to take the best care of your baby. When I think back to when my kids were little I remeber that fearful feeling of just wondering if I would be good enough, make the right decisions, have enough energy, ever feel like myself again! I remeber all the pressure to appear perfectly happy when the truth is I always loved my children with all my heart but often wondered if I had just given myself away in the trade! Occassionaly I tried to explain this to anyone who would listen but I know they did not understand. Most people said things like "you should be so happy that you have such wonderful healthy kids"! I used to think but what about me? I feel like I am just dissappearing! If I could just offer one tiny little piece of advice I would say: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO! this is a stage and it will pass! Stop trying to be perfect there is no such thing! Start listening to yourself and start trying to meet some of your own needs. I am not saying ignore your baby on the contrary become more like your baby! Take a nap when the baby does, remember to eat when the baby does and most importantly sometimes when you are  Mom you need a good cry just like the baby does! Try to find things that make you laugh! Say no frequently! It is a lot easier than you think! If you are still feeling overwhelmed discuss it with your Doctor but please learn from my mistakes and don't go to the Doctor and say I feel fine! Just stop saying I feel fine, say  I am exhausted and I am trying to adjust to being a new Mom! Believe it or not there will not be a woman that does not understand that sentence!!! Maybe if you start all the other Moms will join in and soon everyone will be more supportive of eachother!!! Please post again and let me know how you are doing because I really do care!

Hi I thought it would be differant!

I think you should re:Title your confidence to "I thought it would get better"! Well if you are anything like me that is! I am the Mom of a two year old and I felt the exact same way as you when my baby was about the same age. It gets better, don't worry! The problem with that age is that you feel like you have been locked away from all your friends and any form of intellegent conversation! It just seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You need to make some time for yourself even if it is only half an hour to take a bath and listen to some music. Take Care, soon enough you will be chasing that baby all over the neighborhood and meeting all the neighbors!

Hey that is the best idea I've heard ever! I would buy that magazine! I'd buy a copy for myself - actually a couple and spread them all over the house - then I'd buy copies for all my girls and their friends and their moms. Then we could stop pretending our houses looked perfect and we might not be afraid to have the playdates at our houses! We could just kick-back, step over the laundry, go around the toys, ignore the dust and have a cup of tea or glass of wine and enjoy each other's company instead of feeling uptight and wondering what we were thinking about each other. We'd tell the truth because it just wouldn't be a crime anymore to admit that just maybe we weren't experiencing the fairytale of motherhood!!! Damn the fairytale version of motherhood is the like part three of the series of fairytales we are told. It's the one that follows the wedding fairytale, that follows the highschool graduation fairytale, along with all the other happy ever after fairytales!!! I'd give that magazine to all new moms! It'd be the best magazine for every doctor's office, hospital maternity ward, and grocery store stands, anywhere a woman is waiting staring at all the perfect covers of all the perfectly touched up people, with their tiny airbrushed waists, sitting in their perfectly designed and decorated, clean homes where even though the cover shot might be a mom with her kids there isn't a toy or crumb or spot of baby drool anywhere! What is with that?!!!

So here's my suggestion, Pix and Gail, I think that should be your next project! The mynameismom Magazine! We'd all buy a subscription!