livingfamilytravelmediahome decor

Help! I’ve Got a Kid

If I’d actually had enough spark left in me at the time, that’s precisely what I would have cried out to the world almost ten years ago. But I didn’t. Because it was too hard just to get out of bed, let alone care for my new born baby. I’d been smacked hard with a postpartum depression stick and was completely and utterly overwhelmed.

I knew other mothers didn’t feel like I did. And that made things feel worse. I distinctly recall observing another mother in the doctor’s waiting room and I knew that she — and her baby — were thoroughly enjoying these early days. More than anything, I just wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.

Since that wasn’t possible, I crawled my way through those early days, relying on both family and medical support. I began to arrange my days like I had done as a magazine editor before I’d gone on maternity leave — with a schedule of activities. I needed to keep myself busy, but not too busy. So I would plan for one activity a day. Never more, never less. Some days it was as simple as baby Stella and I going out and getting the groceries together, while other days I attended reading time at the local library, a playgroup in the basement of the church, or a cup of tea with my Mom.

Most of my friends hadn’t started families yet, so I turned to the internet to find parent-and-baby activities and began to read blogs (which were not as common at the time, but I did find Heather Armstrong’s dooce and a number of online forums). That’s why the online site Help! We’ve Got Kids really speaks to me.

OttawaBadge.jpg

Help! We’ve Got Kids was the brain child of two Toronto-area mothers, and just recently, it has expanded into Ottawa. One of these same mothers, Tracie Wagman, asked if I’d be interesting in working with her to help promote the site’s expansion into Ottawa. So that’s what this post is about and why you’ll see a Help! We’ve Got Kids button up in my right-hand menu under sponsors.

Help! We’ve Got Kids compiles and shares the kinds of things I used to look for as a new parent, but conveniently, all in one spot. It includes:

  • listings of local kids activities;
  • coupons for kid-friendly activities and programs;
  • blog posts by Tracie and her business partner Deborah Beatty; and
  • articles by local experts, such as this one on concussions authored by two pediatric neurologists from CHEO.

So whether you’re a natural at this parenting gig or constantly feeling like a fake, I think a site like Help! We’ve Got Kids is a site you’ll want to bookmark.

I wish Tracie and Deborah great success as they enter into the Ottawa market and I’ll be helping out in whatever way I can along the way!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Help! We’ve Got Kids. A sponsored post means that I was paid for my time to write it.

Please note: If you are a new parent reading this article and wonder if perhaps you might have depression, there is help available — you don’t need to get through this alone. Just click here for some steps on how to get started. If you are feeling suicidal, it’s important to call 911 right now so that you can get proper medical attention. 

Comments

  1. great site Julie.. will forward to my sis-in-law who just had her first baby!  i was lucky to have not dealt with PDD, but a site like this would have helped to feel you are not alone out there in “babyland”, which can feel so isolating.. especially in January in Ottawa!!

  2. of coure, i meant to say PPD….

Leave a Reply to Sarah McCormack Cancel reply

*