How Baby

This picture aaaaaaaaaaaaaabsolutely exists of me and Momo, exposed nipple and everything. I think everyone has at least one picture that truly captures the exhaustion and the mess, and that one rarely makes it onto Facebook.

I’m in awe of the people who can pull off that polished mom-and-baby selfie. It’s a skill I never mastered. It was a source of some angst, because I’d see these beautiful photos of moms enjoying their smiling babies, and there I was… exhausted, covered in milk, all my rolls on display, quietly wishing for death. One of the worst thoughts to think postpartum is ‘why can everyone do this but me?’ because it’s so insidious and it’s so hard to silence, because your lived reality just isn’t out there. It’s all white dresses and long hair and sunlight coming in through windows.

But it’s not! This is what it looks like, baby eczema and all.