BRINGING HOME WILDER

I am so excited to share Wilder’s newborn session with you. I had the pleasure of photographing this little guy, along with parents, Shelby and Trevor, and proud big sister Luna in their beautiful home in Franklin, TN. Wilder was one of the first of my Simply Newborn Sessions taken for a client and I am so grateful for their trust in my vision! Keep reading for Shelby’s own words about her postpartum experience, the family’s adjustment to bringing home baby number two, and advice for parents-to-be.

• How was your birth experience, Shelby? Was it what you had expected?

  I have no complaints about my birth experience with Wilder. Of course childbirth is never easy but it all felt very calm and smooth- especially compared to my first experience giving birth during the pandemic. Though I’d say both experiences were very low-drama compared to stories I’ve heard from others so I feel grateful for that.

• How did you feel about preparing for your second?

  In all honesty, I was very nervous about having another. I experienced some postpartum depression with my first and wasn’t sure I was ready for that again. I was also feeling anxious about losing time with my first baby and worried about how she would adjust.

• What was your experience like bringing Wilder home? Were there any surprises?

  There weren’t any big surprises coming home. My daughter, Luna, handled Wilder’s arrival very well, all things considered. And my recovery was much easier the second time around.

• Did you plan for postpartum before Wilder was born? What was the biggest help for you freshly postpartum?

  We have lots of family in town and friends around so having that support was the best thing for us. And personally, I just tried to mentally prepare for the emotional wave that comes with giving birth because it very much snuck up on me the first time around. My husband and I made a plan to be more communicative about how I was feeling so we could talk through the low feelings.
  

• Did you have any products or resources that were lifesavers in the early days?

  With my first baby, I followed the Taking Cara Babies newborn class and I do think it was helpful. This second time around I definitely referenced that resource. But I tried to be a little more flexible this time around with my routines. As far as products go, the baby bjorn bouncer seat is my favorite thing! We still bring it everywhere. And we used the Snoo bassinet this time- we did not have that for our daughter- and that was a game changer as well.

• Is there anything you bought or prepared that you ended up not using or not liking?

  We had a mamaroo swing that we used a few times, but Wilder didn’t like it too much.
  

• What do you wish more people knew about supporting families bringing home a new baby?

  I think it’s getting better, but I wish people talked about postpartum depression and anxiety more. I see it more on social media now that I follow certain accounts, but I still was not prepared for that with my first baby and it felt very lonely. It’s important to check on your friends mental state when they’ve just had a baby. Everyone asks about sleep and feeding, but emotions are important too!

• If you were to give any advice or support to new parents, what would it be?

  Hang in there. It feels so hard but it does get better! It gets so so so much better! And reach out for help. No one can do it alone :)

• Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Hire Kim for newborn photos :)

Thanks, Shelby, for sharing your thoughts (and for the shoutout)!

I love what she had to say about taking away the stigma of talking about postpartum depression and anxiety. I agree that it is so important to remove the shame that can often be associated with those experiences. You can love your baby with your whole heart and have a hard time too. Hang in there, have help and support on standby for when you need it and you will make it!