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Everyone knows the days and weeks following childbirth are a special time when new moms catch up on sleep and maybe a favorite daytime TV program or two. We munch on delicious healthy snacks made from organic sunflower seeds, and awaken each morning to a content newborn, homemade fruit smoothie, and packages of cashmere baby sleep suits sent by wealthy friends who have the courtesy to not visit two weeks postpartum, when every body part south of a new mom's collarbone still feels like it’s on fire.
Did I just describe your typical mom? Hell no. But this is postpartum reality for Kate Middleton, thanks to her super awesome mom, Carole, who is helping the Royal Couple big time.
Shortly after giving birth to baby George, Kate and Prince William did something that may have ticked off the Queen slightly when they moved their little tribe to Bucklebury to live with Kate's mom and dad. The couple was given its own private wing in the home with a double en suite bed and private living room.
Sure, Kate and Will are being given props all over for their decision to forgo a maternity nurse and do most of the early parenting themselves (baby George even sleeps in a Moses basket by their bed), but let's not deny how much easier this is thanks to George's maternal grandparents.
Kate's mom blends healthy smoothies for her daughter each morning, fends away unwelcome guests, and has even made it possible for Will to get out and play a little Polo -- a far cry from my own new parenting experiences, when I used negotiating tactics with my husband that would make Jimmy Carter proud, all so I could escape the house for a half-hour pedicure.
A strong support system is crucial for new moms, particularly during those first few weeks. As a mom with a great mom and mom-in-law of her own, I was fortunate to receive more outside help than most. Without them, I'm not sure how I would have showered, cooked, cleaned, and slept at all during those first few months of hell.
What do you do when your support system is nonexistent? Do you trade off favors with other mommy friends? Hire an extra hand? Or do you just suck it up and deal with it?
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