During the four days we spent in the postpartum unit, we had a parade of nurses. One of them, a young Polynesian woman whose name I stupidly ignored, saw us a number of times. She was a bubbly, vibrant woman who kept things light during an obviously stressful time, and I appreciated her care more than I can say.
One of her mantras, which I took with me as we left the hospital, was "what's the goal for today?". On day two, the answer was "walk down to the NICU to see my son". On the fourth day the answer was "breastfeeding".
It seems relatively obvious, but this nurse was keeping me focused and moving forward. Postpartum, it's easy to get bogged down in all of the minutia and completely shut down. It's also easy to look too far ahead and get overwhelmed at the impossibility of getting from point a to point z. By setting a simple, daily goal, I was given a sense of purpose, and ultimately a sense of achievement when I achieved that goal. During a time when things seem an endless trail of diapers and feedings, having a goal breaks up the days and makes progress more noticeable.
So I ask you "what's the goal today?". Set something necessary and achievable--a shower, five mins of tummy time, getting the baby into the swing--and take pride when you achieve it.
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