Olivia Marie

When I first heard about elimination communication—the idea of tuning into your baby’s cues and helping them use the potty instead of relying entirely on diapers—I thought it sounded both fascinating and mildly intimidating. But at just four weeks postpartum, I decided to give it a try. What I discovered surprised me: it was way easier than I expected… but also a lot of work for me as the caregiver.

If you’ve ever stared at your phone’s GPS, standing two blocks from your destination, and somehow still couldn’t figure out where to go… welcome to the club, mama. During pregnancy and postpartum, I felt like my brain packed up, left for maternity leave early, and forgot to tell me where it went. What started as a little forgetfulness in my second trimester turned into full-blown “mom brain” that made even basic problem-solving feel impossible. But here’s the good news: it does come back.

Breastfeeding has been one of the most intimate and transformative parts of my motherhood journey. From the moment my daughter was born, it felt surreal to offer my body to feed her—but minutes afterward, skin-to-skin, she instinctively crawled up my chest and latched on. I don’t even know if she got anything, but she latched—and yes, it hurt a bit but there was something powerful in that moment that will stick with me forever.