This is a long-awaited episode for us and you, too! We’re talking all about Court’s maternity leave.
We’ve had a few questions on how it went, how we prepared, and what we’d do differently next time, so we figured we’d chat about some of those things in today’s episode, and just talk about her experience on leave!
If you’re curious about how we prepared for my mat leave you can find more of that in Episode #55 where we talk about salary, preparation, and everything else in between. But today, Court’s going to chat a bit about her mat leave experience as a first-time momma.
Court’s Fertility Journey
Court’s pregnancy and delivery were a bit of a wild ride. If you’ve followed along, you probably already know about her journey with fertility. She and her husband suffered through two losses before becoming pregnant with Mila. To say she was terrified would be an understatement.
She and her husband found out the night before our flight to Iceland last August. They both had an acupuncture appointment that evening and on the way home, they were blessed with the most beautiful rainbow overarching the highway. It was then that Court had her first sigh of relief, believing that it was some sort of sign from little Miss Mila.
While in Iceland, they also saw so many incredible rainbows. If you want to see some of those photos, let us know, and we’ll share them in stories one of these days!
It’s time to meet this baby!
Fast forward to May 3, 2023, and it’s delivery day! Mila (meet her here!) decided she was cozy in there and didn’t come until five days later. Court made an appointment to be induced, so they were guaranteed to have their doctor. With everything they had gone through in the past, it was really important to them to try my hardest to have their doctor. Since they were past the due date and Court was miserable, they opted in for the induction (thank you, SPD), even though she was a little nervous about that whole process.
After a little bit of a rocky labor, Court ended up having a C-section, and before they knew it, their double rainbow baby was safely in Court’s arms, and her whole world had changed.
Maternity leave as a new momma
With the infertility issues Court and her husband had gone through, her postpartum mindset was that nothing could be as hard as it was getting here. For her, that could not be more true. Don’t get us wrong, postpartum (or the fourth trimester) does not come easy. And there is soooo much to learn, but Court had prayed for this for so long. So, the challenges that came with it were so worth it.
As far as her maternity leave goes, she can’t complain! Owning a business, having a business partner who is a seasoned mama, and having the best supportive and most helpful husband, Court was a very lucky new momma.
She remembers one day that was a bit harder than the rest. She was texting her husband that she was struggling, and when he arrived home from work, he brought her a growler of cold brew. He knew she loved coffee, and waking up and making it was hard for both of them, so this was something he knew would brighten her spirits. It definitely hit the spot! Every new momma should have easy access to coffee, LOL!
Court’s maternity leave was pretty amazing. She and Mila spent the first few weeks figuring each other out. They both were thrown some pretty new curve balls, but they did amazing working together through it all. Navigating the life of breastfeeding and when to catch some zzz’s. Sleeping when the baby sleeps is a great concept, but it was hard for Court to stop staring at her precious little face when she was snoozing!
Maternity Leave Advice & Favorites From Court
Favorite Go-to shows
- Longest Third Date on Netflix – this was interesting given it was during the days of COVID, and it was in one of her favorite places on Earth, Costa Rica.
- Jury Duty on Amazon Prime – so incredible!
- Air – the movie, all about Nike’s deal with Michael Jordan.
Maternity Leave Activities:
Kickball and volleyball with her husband (she used to play, but with the C-section, it’s taken her a bit more time to bounce back to feeling up to it. Court plays in her rec sports at 150%, but her body is quite ready for that yet, ha!) But Court and Mila love to watch and cheer Daddy on.
New mama learnings
How to hand pump in a bathroom stall at the Beyonce concert because she forgot one crucial piece to her breast pump 🙃
Post-Birth Experience & Recovery Tips:
“Bouncing back” (even though she hates that saying) has been a little more challenging than anticipated. Having had an unplanned C-section, she felt unprepared for what that recovery looked like. She thinks she overdid it the first two weeks, which may be what she’s still paying for now. Court’s still sore and can tell if she pushes her body too much. She tries her hardest to listen to her body, but being a go-go-go kind of person makes it really hard for her to slow down. It’s incredible how smart our bodies are in telling us that we need to take a break. Court is trying to embrace the signs her body is giving her and to ignore any sort of bounce-back culture and instead listen to her body and take care of it at her own pace.
Some of Court’s favorite things about being a momma
In the beginning, her favorite thing was skin-to-skin contact and snuggling Mila all day long. As she continues to grow, Court’s all-time favorite thing is her little babble and her incredible smile when we talk to her. We’re sooooo close to a little laugh, but not quite there yet.
If you have any other questions about Court’s maternity leave as an entrepreneur, we are more than happy to answer them! Motherhood is an amazing gift, and Court is so excited to grow into this role AND to show Mila, through all our hard work, that you can do anything you want to, even if that means running your own business with a baby on your hip.
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
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