A few days ago, I was looking for something in our storage room and needed to move the pack 'n play from the shelf. Well, unfortunately the pack 'n play was not securely packed (which will be blamed on my dear husband), and it flew straight out of the case and directly onto the top of my foot. OUCH. 

Luckily my daughter is too young to understand curse words because I'm pretty sure I yelled every single one of them as I fell to the floor in pain. I spent the rest of the night icing my foot with half a bag of frozen corn, watching as it turned various shades of purple (my foot, not the corn). Flip flops are not a good look for me this week. But I can walk, so there’s that.

Now that I think about it, the early years of parenthood are just so physically taxing, which can be extra hard when you’re sleep deprived. We’re constantly lugging around heavy baby gear, including car seat carriers that weigh three times as much as the baby. Huge strollers need to be opened and folded and transferred in and out of trunks throughout the day. Diaper bags are packed to the brim (which usually results in having to empty them entirely to find important things like house keys). I always look longingly at the mums who have figured out how to successfully “wear” their babies wrapped up in those long pieces of fabric and go about their day, while I’m trying to shove my stroller through a tiny doorway.

And babies are in on this too… now that my little girl is learning how to grab and play with toys, she thinks I’m just another one. If my hair isn't up in a bun at all times, every strand is fair game. She’s all about the grab-pull-shove-in-mouth method. Or she’ll pinch my nose or cheek, not understanding that it is, in fact, attached to my face. And the nails! The nails! Why do baby nails turn into tiny claws 24 hours after you cut them (which is a terrifying process)?

Basically, personal trainers and specialized baby manicurists should be an essential part of postpartum care. Who's with me?

By Jess