Now that I?m pregnant with my second child, I?ve had some time to reflect on the way I managed the newborn stage with my firstborn, and how I might want to do things a little differently this time around. There are many things I did that, in hindsight, I can now laugh at?and many other things that now make me realize that I should have reached out for more support. 
1. I brought non-maternity clothes to change into at the hospital 
Less than 24 hours after pushing out my eight-pound, four-ounce baby, I tried to squeeze into the non-maternity outfit I had packed in my hospital bag and was astonished by the fact that it Did. Not. Fit. I looked in the mirror of the hospital bathroom and was shocked to see my belly hanging over the waist of the pants, and to feel my hips being painfully pinched at the sides.   The shirt that I forced over my exhausted and deflated torso was constrictive and also high-necked, which meant I couldn?t easily breastfeed while wearing it. The surprising part about all of this is that I was surprised at all. I knew it would take at least six weeks for my uterus to  return to its pre-pregnant size, and I also knew I had put on about 50 pounds during my pregnancy (thank you, McDonald?s milkshakes). For some reason, I assumed that I would be exempt from any regular recovery time and that everything would just pop right back into place. Realistically, it took me closer to two years to feel like I was back in my own body, albeit with some permanent an...