Finding Joie De Vivre After Twins
I feel the need to write about life after twins because - firstly there is life after twins :) FACT
My beautiful ID twin girls keep me preeetty busy...and very happy of course. There were times however in the early days - which meant 'sleepless nights'.... when I found the labour intensive routine and overwhelming responsibility a bit depleting on my energy. I definitely fell in to an overly routined life, feeling safe only when I stuck to the routine that was tried and tested and that had proven a success in getting both twins miraculously asleep by 7pm or 8pm and this had the effect of hindering my spontaneity to the point where I had forgotten what I enjoyed doing outside of parenting and being a wife and working.
When the twins were toddlers and had voices and opinions :) things became even chaotic. I was rushing around doing too many things at once between co-ordinating social lives and school for the older kids and feeding schedules for the twins.. my energy levels varied greatly from week to week as did my mood. My digestive fire was weak so I didn't really eat enough and I suffered from recurring throat infections. I had every pattern going from a Chinese Medicine point of view from spleen qi deficiency, yin deficiency liver qi stagnation ... and I had a strong suspicion that I was not exactly winning people over due to my snappy attitude.
Looking back I could have been kinder to myself and asked for more help and tried to relax a little bit more. We always had plenty of laughs but I do recall feeling more tired or exhausted than was normal for long spells and less like 'me' at times. It's important to know what works for us and to look for that in our lives and when we find it then do as often as possible. It could be reading or walking in woods or having a treatment. Also, these times of stress are often temporary and do pass so it's a matter of accepting where you are and going with it and knowing that in a couple of years you would be wishing to be back in time having hugs with the babies!
As part of my 'finding life after twins' mission :0 I decided to attend dance classes - this was amazing for getting everything moving and reconnecting and appreciating my' post- baby' body. I would highly recommend it. Dancing moved me out of the complaining stage and into action.
I also received weekly Acupuncture to restore my energy levels and build me up again, took some Ginseng, strarted to do more Qi Gong and started Yoga Meditation Classes and Chanting Mantra's.
Between the Acupuncture, the meditation and the dancing and eating hearty stews and veggie curries I definitely got back on track and out of the mud.
A Happy Mammy is a Happy Home.
