0  | 

I found this helpful Thank You! Your vote will be tallied soon!

Little things count. I never knew how much, though, until I had children.

Hamlet's first months were complicated by dairy/soy-intolerance-related reflux, which made him throw up once a day, cry a lot, and nurse a lot more. I was glued to my recliner most of the day, which was fine for things like reading and even writing.

Not quite enough, though. To avoid the vomit and a second bout with mastitis, I was wearing sloppy old clothes; not knowing how to rearrange my diet to account for the lack of milk products left me malnourished and sickly.

My creature comforts then involved dressing in jeans, long-sleeved t-shirts, and most importantly, a bra. From there, I got my diet straightened out. Then I got a haircut, and started to go out by myself here and there. It was a process of growing back into myself.

This time around, I anticipated the need for creature comforts. Our first night home, I settled into a new evening routine: shower, then moisturize. Later, when Boris presented with the same dairy intolerance, that routine became vital to my sense of control. So did my favorite tea flavors, when other treats -- chai, chocolate -- became a liability.

The smallest creature comforts make a new mom feel human again, and should never be underestimated.