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Anchored by My Body, Guided by My Baby: First birthday as a mom, tiny routines, and surprising new moments


This week I’m celebrating my first birthday as a mom… and wow, things have changed!

Liron in a white shirt, relaxed, with her baby in striped clothes on a wooden bench. Stone wall and trees in the background.
Ari and I

I’ll share more soon about my delivery and recovery, which were not simple, but today I want to talk about life after. How everything feels different. How our little baby boy now runs the show- our schedule, our sleep, our rhythms. On one hand, it’s limiting. My days don’t belong only to me anymore. On the other hand, it feels so deeply good to love, give, and show up for this new little human who depends on us completely.


Breastfeeding has been one of the biggest reminders of that. Just like pregnancy, your body isn’t just yours anymore. You’re constantly sharing, constantly giving. It’s powerful and beautiful to know that I’m his whole source of nourishment, but also scary, because it means I’m totally in charge. 


That duality is real: empowerment and responsibility, joy and fatigue. And yet, something unexpected has come with all of this: Peace.


 I also want to pause and say that I feel grateful breastfeeding came relatively smoothly for us, because I know that’s not the case for every mom, and those same feelings of giving, stretching, and finding peace can come through so many different parts of caring for a baby (or any big life change).


Yes, it’s a huge shift. Yes, it’s unknown and unpredictable. But in the middle of it all, I’ve felt a strange sense of calmness and joy. Almost like this new life, even when it’s messy and hard- is the one that eventually I was always meant to find within myself. It’s not necessarily so for each of us…but I find it for me to be familiar and natural in a way I wasn’t expecting.


I’ve slowed down in ways I never was able to comfortably. I stepped back from work, running around and from things that occupied my mind in the past, so I could simply be here as much as possible- in the feedings, cuddles, long nights, and the little moments. It felt necessary and just right. And in that pause, I found presence.


Over the last few years, I’ve been shifting into a much more mindful pace, really learning to listen to my body instead of pushing past it. Now, in pregnancy and especially postpartum, that shift feels less like a choice and more like a necessity. My recovery, my energy, my well-being- they’re not just mine anymore. Every time I pause to ask myself: do I need rest or hustle, gentleness or push? I’m choosing it for so many more reasons now. And I’ve realized this new chapter has been my way of learning what should ALWAYS be the guideline: letting the body’s wisdom lead.


In the background, I’ve also been slowly rebuilding my own strength and ability, experiencing firsthand how the body, naturally and with a little of my support with Therapeutic Exercise, adapts and restores itself day by day. It’s been both humbling and really cool to see progress unfold as time goes by.


And this isn’t just about new motherhood. We all move through seasons where life shifts- new roles, big transitions, challenges we didn’t see coming. They change us. They stretch us. They invite us to reconnect with ourselves in new ways, to learn something new about ourselves. This process enables us to suddenly notice a new side of ourselves and abilities. 



What I’ve learned is this: no matter what season you’re in, your body is your anchor. It will let you know what it needs if we just listen. Movement, breath, and intentional self-care are ways to honor it and to stay grounded even if everything around you is changing.


So, as I celebrate this year (with a babysitter deadline haha) my wish is that we each keep finding ways, big or small, to care for ourselves and others while walking the unknown.


With a wish of wellness (and a little birthday cheers),


Liron


 
 
 

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