chelsea barbine (00:04.93)
Welcome to Postpartum Better, the go -to podcast for expecting a new mom's navigating life after birth. Hi, I'm Chelsea Barbine, wife, mama, yogi, postpartum health coach, and your new mama friend. Together, we're covering topics like postpartum recovery, maintaining your mental and physical health, finding your identity as a new mom, and rekindling your relationships. Get ready for expert tips

actionable advice and heartfelt conversations with other moms who just get it. The health and happiness of the world resides in us mamas. It's time to postpartum better.

chelsea barbine (00:49.678)
Holy moly, mamas.

I am, I'm tired. Do I, I feel like, do I look tired? I, no, you know what is like the truest of evidence or like proof is when you ask your husband, how tired do I look? Like, do I look tired? You know, and they respond by asking,

Do you want to know on a scale of 1 10? Like I'm just like, what do you – what are we gauging this off of? And I'm like, okay, yup, nope, I'm tired. I look tired. Cool. Just going to own it. Wow.

Wow, wow, wow. What? I want to say like, what a week, but like, no, like, what a weekend. What is that gonna happen the week? We, Frankie and I just got back from our first solo run down the shore. And let me tell you.

chelsea barbine (02:00.648)
One, I'm so freaking proud for myself, okay? But two,

chelsea barbine (02:10.604)
Now I understand, I like, no, like I know I've said this before, but like I truly understand what they mean when they say there's like pregnancy tired, there's like newborn tired, and then there's like pregnancy with a toddler tired. my God. I get it. Especially when the toddler doesn't sleep through the night.

And unlike a couple of weekends ago, it was just me. It was just me, guys. Thank goodness she went down right away. Like, thanks, sweet baby Jesus. was the first night she woke up a couple of times. We were only there for two nights. We had three days, two nights. But the first couple of times Frankie woke up, she, like, it was a much longer stretch.

The one she was up for like 30 minutes and it wasn't bad like in the moment, you know what I mean? Like I was just like, okay, just get through this tells like you got, know, like we've been here. We know that there's an end, but it was more so the after like I got back into bed and like I legit could not fall back to sleep. And I was like, again, same thing like a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it's like being out of my environment maybe or more so this time because like,

I mean, I've slept in this house like, my God, for the past how many years, like every August comes by, you know? But like, maybe it just because Colin wasn't there with me and I was just like sleeping later, like I was more on alert. I don't know. It's also starting to get more, I will say challenging. It's getting more challenging to like find a comfortable spot to sleep. I'm officially at the stage where like I'm not sleeping on my belly, which I'm a belly sleeper.

Every time I like see those memes of like, you know, the pregnant or no longer pregnant, it's like the postpartum mom just like diving into her bed. I'm like, God, that looks so amazing right now. Like cannot wait. But I'm also not at the stage of like needing a pregnancy pillow. Like it's, I like pulled it out this past week and I like tried it I was just like, no, no, I can't do it. It's like, I slept with it all night, but I woke up.

chelsea barbine (04:35.596)
like so ungodly uncomfortable. I was like, I need to put this back. And it's like back in the, well, it's not like really tucked away in the storage. It's just now in our closet. I was like, yeah, no, it's too much. And it's so funny to me. I definitely like found myself feeling obsessed with the pillow of the first pregnancy. I will never forget. like literally probably because I just saw it too. Like I sent a picture to my sisters.

like of me like snuggling with the pillow like while I was laying on the couch downstairs. Like I actually brought it downstairs. I was like in this big robe, mind you, at this point. It was like late December, January at this point with Frankie. So I was pretty, I want to say if anything, no, I think I was right around the same time as I am in this pregnancy.

I was snuggled up with that, like in my little robe and my slippers and column was like, okay, taking over the couch, where am going to sit? And it was just like, it was funny, know, we were like giggling about it. But I went like zero parts of it. And I think a lot of it has to do with like the way I was sleeping with it maybe, or just it was in the bed and like it's summer and like Mac is up there. It's just, it's a lot. But all in all to say, I didn't pack it. And I totally could have because

It was just me in the queen bed so there was plenty of space. But then I was trying to organize the pillows in a way and I'm just like, I feel like I'm at that awkward point. I'm at that awkward point where it's like, should I really be uncomfortable right now? I don't think so, but also I'm not. Yeah, it's interesting.

I really wish I did a better job taking notes on things with Frankie.

chelsea barbine (06:26.52)
truthfully because I look very much the same as I did with her. People have been asking, I feel like more and more like, okay, you're getting a little further along. Like, do you think you know what you're having? And I'm like, not a clue. And I also, I feel bad kind of saying this, but I'm like, maybe it's because I just don't, I haven't really thought much about it because I don't want to know. So it's like, again, with results like literally being in

within reach. I could know if I really wanted to, but I'm trying so hard not to. I'm just erasing it from my brain that I could even figure it out, which is funny. But all in all to say, besides the sleep and I would say the first night, thank goodness the second night was so much smoother. They were definitely longer days, know, like being solo. I think it's more so being out of our environment, which is what felt the most

taxing on me.

Yeah, because it's not like I didn't have help when we were down there. My in -laws are down there, my sister -in -law, her husband, the kids are down there. my god, I got to tell you, seeing my niece and nephew play together and even Frankie with all... We even had this over the past couple of weeks, with Frankie's birthday and even the week before being up at my sister -in -law's in -laws beach out.

Seeing all that gets together, does, it makes me so freaking excited for Frankie to have a sibling. Like I just, of course I'm excited to like have another little one and just like to expand and grow our family. And it's also like such, like such a cool thing to like think like, my God, there's gonna be two, like Frankie's gonna have a little buddy. Like I hope, my God, I hope that they, I hope that they get along that they click. I don't know if I've shared this or not, but well.

chelsea barbine (08:20.032)
you must, if you're into astrology, you're definitely picking up that both Frankie and I are Leos. And given my due date, Colin and our youngest will essentially both be Capricorns. I'm like, that could work really well for us. Like one, like, you know, we're evening the tides in the house, you know, but also two from just like a sibling dynamic. think the way Colin and I, the way that we

blend so well together. Like it's exciting to think about that in like a sibling capacity, you know. And it also, it kind of makes me wonder like what it will be like, I don't know, with like, what would it be like for there to be a girl version of Colin, like Capricorn energy or like a little boy like that? Like, what will that be like for me? You know what I mean? Like as, as mom, I don't know, it'll just be, it'll be interesting. Or, Colin and them, like what would happen? Like, hmm.

I'm like immediately going to like potentially butting heads more so because I think Frankie and I are similarities. That's where we butt heads. But one thing I have learned pregnancy wise and all the things is I have noticed over and maybe it was maybe it's like habitual for me, but this past week not being like in our normal environment or like

being out more, you know what mean? Like we took the kids to the playground. We were at the splash pad. Like we did all these things. I was definitely like more focused on the snacks and the water than I have been before, which pros to that again, with it being like the dead of summer and just making sure like well -nourished, but I definitely gravitated more towards like always feeling like I was like prepared. And with that, I will say I was pretty impressed with myself of like

Again, I wasn't like solely responsible for all three of these children. Like there were plenty of adults to go around, but just practicing the dynamic of, you know,

chelsea barbine (10:30.85)
I don't want to say managing multiple kids. It's funny because this kind of came up for me a couple of weeks of like watching my sisters like do this. Like I just, I don't know, it was to find myself like interacting with them and then, you know, especially with Frankie and Harper, you know, her cousin, they're like a week apart, like to navigate a lot of different conversations and situations. I was like really proud for how I was able to like show up and practice that with

more than one child. It kind of put me a little bit at ease. like also, again, maybe it's this whole point too of like thinking and really visualizing Frankie like with the sibling of like how cool that's going to be for her. That's been like really on my mind lately of just not just like our own excitement for like expanding and growing our family, but like having like a little one to snuggle and like all the things. But again, it's like for her to have that bond. just, it's so cool.

chelsea barbine (11:31.224)
So cool. I did have an interesting drive home in which I really like, I'm noticing a little bit more of maybe it was just in the situation or again, because we were outside of our normal environment this week and it was just like me and Frankie, but definitely more of like this mama bear instinct kind of kicking.

back in of like, yeah, maybe it's because I'm pregnant. I don't know, or a combination of all the things, but I found it interesting to share of I remember this actually happening when I was pregnant with Frankie. It was a little bit later on, but I remembered like I would be out like walking back in the neighborhood and like I would just kind of feel myself like, I don't know, like almost like preparing like, you know, like not psyching myself out, but like almost like preparing myself for

certain scenarios and like how would I respond, you know, if like if another dog came up to us or like someone else came up to us and like we were in an uncomfortable situation, being pregnant and like a little bit more like quote unquote vulnerable, like what would I do in that scenario, especially with him? And I found myself in a similar situation on our drive home last night. And again, this is probably more so why I'm so tired. Because she slept great like two nights ago.

but really that I found myself, I was trying to organize the times of our drive, like our commute. That would be like best for Frankie to commute. This is something that like we actually learned over the past couple of years with her. we, when we drove down on Sunday, it was like super early. And then on the drive home, I wanted to go like after dinner. So it was a little risky for myself in the sense of like, knew

It was gonna be like a, I don't wanna say like a later night. Like I planned on being home by like 9 .30, like 10 at the latest. Like I wasn't driving like in the middle of the night. But we hit some bad weather on our way back and it was the first time where I actually felt like my whole body like tense and like since being pregnant. And I actually like, when that had happened on the drive home,

chelsea barbine (13:56.142)
I could literally feel like my uterus, like it was like contracting like a stress response. And it stayed that way. Like the whole, the rest of the drive, like once the weather hit, thankfully we only had like 40 minutes of it, of our commute like left when it happened. But it was the strangest feeling of just like, okay, like it was like truly reminder that, know, all right, it's not just me. Even like, it's not just me and Frankie.

processing like how am I going to now keep like all of us safe in that sense. And obviously like a little different, you know what mean, with like the baby is with me, like literally with me versus like both of them in the backseat. But I don't know, there was just something about this weekend that I started to really click with this.

idea of like, I don't know, like with two, as silly as that sounds, like I know that the baby's not here yet, but maybe it's a little bit of like, you know, being around everyone with multiple kids or just again, like being a little bit more solo with Frankie while trying to be really mindful of like the state in which I'm in. I'm to tell you, I'm so glad that we have decided that like Colin is going to like

be with me when we go to Michigan at the end of summer. I feel like, especially last night with the weather that we hit and the situation, I literally, I was calling Colin. He was supporting me from afar, checking the radar and kind of giving me tips on, you know, remember at one point, he's like, wow, you're already there? Okay, well, don't be speeding. You might hit it sooner. And I'm like, I'm not trying, I'm literally going the speed limit. I don't know what you want me to do here, you know?

It was like one thing, it just felt so reassuring to like not be in it by myself and like this kind of, I don't know, like not the best of situations, you know, again, not that I feel.

chelsea barbine (16:04.558)
I don't know, maybe I just, I've been so incredibly blessed with ease when it comes to conceiving and very smooth pregnancies and I'm technically not even halfway with this one, but you know what I mean? It's just been very, I don't know. Maybe because of that, I haven't really thought about.

how much a consideration that like being pregnant is in the day to day. I understand why. After last night, I know why people don't travel by themselves with kids. I mean, I more power to them than they do, you know? But like last night was very – it was a lot. I felt good all day. I had a great work day. I some amazing interviews. I was feeling like so – I mean, I still am. I'm still so freaking proud.

for that stretch that, know, Frankie and I have like that first hole. I'm like, okay, like check, we'll go back again, you know, next weekend. I feel confident in doing it, but like, I don't know. just, it's, yesterday the drive home was a lot and maybe it was more of that physical, again, like that response of like just feeling so tense, literally like white knuckling at the steering wheel and just.

My breath like wasn't as smooth, you know, I was just like so like on.

chelsea barbine (17:35.406)
I guess I was kind of on edge, you know? But it was to a point where we're driving and it's raining, I probably should have pulled over. I think, I don't know, but I also just wanted to get home. I just wanted to be home safe, not have to worry about it. I didn't know how long the storm was lasting. It was definitely a lot. Thank goodness she slept through it. my gosh. But we got home and I carried her in. I put her in bed and thankfully Collin, you know,

set up like the monitor and the sound machine and all of that for her so I could literally just like leave the room after putting her in. And I looked at him and I just gave him a big hug and I was like, thank God we're home. Like, my God, I missed you like so much. But and also there's just such great pride that like I feel having done all of that. That's probably because it felt, you know, like safe. We were only two hours away from him, you know, and it was just, I don't know, it's

Yeah, I don't know. Anyways, literally took a shower last night and I like sat down on the couch. I like had something to eat and I was like, I said, I'm going to bed. Like I was just like the battery, battery literally just like diminished. Which speaking of, it's making me really excited thinking about that human design workshop that we have coming up. Trying to get all into like the energies. I know I'm the manifesting generator.

So I like, I'm very much a creator of energy, there's, I'm like laughing. I'm like, well, dad Chelsea, like you're literally creating life. Like that's probably why the energy isn't feeling as boom, boom, boom right now. But yeah. Yeah, yeah. All the things, all the things also like has me kind of thinking again in that mindset of like with two of.

Well, next summer is going to look so different. like, am I going to be able to do this next summer? Like, I don't know, you know, I just. Hmm, very appreciative for. Being. In a season and having of like cultivated this life with Colin, like truly like we're co -creating it, I do believe with God of. That was like Frankie and I, like we got to go down there, like we got to go to the shore together.

chelsea barbine (19:58.626)
We had the opportunity to and I just, the shore is like, it's truly like probably one of my happy places. Like I love it. I cannot wait to go down there for my birthday. just, it's my favorite place to be, especially in the summer. And as much as it was like, this is kind of risky doing this, especially, you know, like I've been feeling really good energy wise. Like, I mean, now I'm saying I'm tired, but again, you can kind of get it. Like we were out of the environment.

We have that bananas of a ride home. but there's a piece of me that's like, you know, it was kind of risky doing that. I mean, I'm glad that it went really well. Like it could have gone completely opposite. And there's always next, next week to like really test it out. I was talking with my mother -in about it. I like, what's next year going to look like? You know what I mean? I don't know. I really don't know. But we also, part of the reason like we went down there was, you know, Frankie

is with my mother -in -law all day on Tuesdays. her being down the shore, I was like, well, I don't want to put her in daycare an extra day. I'd rather go down, get to enjoy the beach and the shore, the environment and everything. And her cousins are down there. Why would I not want to be down there with them? I don't know. And just keep it status quo. And also, like,

putting her in daycare with the timing of the cultivate crew calls and stuff, it would have meant a full day and that just would have been confusing for her with nap. She doesn't nap there anymore. But we were talking and she was like, next year. And I was like, yeah, we don't really know what we're doing next year, what childcare looks like. We are just trying to get through. Not get through, we're just heads down getting through, but we're going to think about this come the fall. So we'll talk about it then.

But yeah, I don't know. I don't really think that was like my normal update as far as like pregnancy feels. I guess it was. It's all encompassing you guys. It's not better. It's not worse. It's just so different. It is so different the second time. I kind of talked about this a couple of weeks ago, but like it's definitely, it's thankfully, at least for me, it's not as like

chelsea barbine (22:23.202)
physical, leave focused, it's more of like the mental emotional, like preparation and focused, you know what I mean? On that note.

as I shared technically a Wednesday recording this, like I'm technically 18 weeks, which means Frankie is home. And she just woke up from a nap. So I'm gonna wrap right here. Hopeful for another really, a really good week and like, my God, 18 weeks. Guys, are almost halfway.

chelsea barbine (23:10.136)
Thank you for joining me for this episode of Postpartum Better. If you're inspired by this conversation to help yourself or another mom navigate life after birth, take a minute to leave me a review on Apple Podcast, and then share this episode with someone who could use the virtual hug. The health and happiness of the world resides in us mamas, and I'm so proud to be doing Postpartum Better with you. Until next week, with care, Chelsea.