Chronic pain is sometimes debilitating, stopping you from doing your chores. During the worst days you even have to call in sick. But there is one job you can’t call in sick: parenthood. Suffering from chronic pain can affect your ability to raise your child significantly. Pain can already make you spend your nights awake, but when you are a parent, your child needs you strong and healthy. Knowing how to deal with pain and raise your child is very important when you struggle with chronic pain.
You are not the only one
Chronic pain is experienced different by each person, which makes it hard to cope with. At the same time, people can’t see your pain, the way they can see a scratch or a bruise. This triggers an isolation, a side effect of chronic pain. Isolated and suffering from debilitating pain, you can easily get depressed, as the two conditions go hand in hand. Specialists from pain management clinic advise to reach out and find support groups. As a mother, it can be harder to find someone who is in the same situation as you are, but the harsh reality is that there are many more mothers who are suffering in silence from chronic pain.
You don’t have to be perfect
With so many Insta-mothers who are posting their perfect pictures with their perfect families, you can easily fall under the impression you are supposed to be better. The reality is that living with chronic pain limits your actions and forces you to find new ways to do things. One of the most controversial issues when it comes to motherhood is breastfeeding. Women who suffer from chronic pain find it difficult to hold their baby for a long period of time, which makes breastfeeding really hard. In this situation it’s your decision to breastfeed or not, as you know what it’s best for you and your baby. This is only one example of the way people judge mothers in the online medium.
Wearing your baby tied to your chest is not mandatory
Parenting expert’s advice to carry your baby tied to your chest, in a baby carrier. However, if you suffer from chronic pain, this is almost impossible. Even if you manage to do this, the pain afterwards can be excruciating. Despite what parenting experts say, your baby will benefit more from having a mother who is able to take care of them, instead of a mother who carried them to her chest for one hour only to spend the next few hours in horrible pain.
Forget about the guilt
When you have to rethink your parenting habits you can easily start to regret things and feel guilty. This is not going to help you or your baby, so forget about guilt and start living your life. Chronic pain is a challenge and makes your mom life harder. Luckily, there are plenty of treatments you can try, until you find the one that works best for you. Coping with pain is tough, but it’s not impossible and it doesn’t prevent you from being an awesome mother. You just have to learn to accept your limitations and find creative ways to raise your baby in the best possible way.
