.png)
.png)
.png){kind=small}
A PPSC WELLNESS NOTE
PRACTICING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE IN THE POSTPARTUM SEASON
Gratitude can be a real, evidence-backed support during pregnancy and early parenthood — but it isn't about pretending everything is fine. It's about noticing what's steady and good, even on days when things are also genuinely hard.
.png){kind=small}
SMALL PRACTICES FOR A HARD SEASON
FOUR WAYS TO FIT GRATITUDE INTO REAL LIFE WITH A NEWBORN
One line a day
Name one true thing
At the end of the day, say or write a single sentence about one moment that was good — a nap that actually happened, a text from a friend, five quiet minutes. It doesn't need to be profound.
Let it in
Notice what people do for you
Accepting help is its own form of gratitude. When someone brings a meal or holds the baby so you can shower, let yourself actually notice it, instead of brushing it off or feeling like you should be able to do it alone.
Make it physical
Put it somewhere you'll see it
A jar of slips of paper, a sticky note on the fridge, a shared note in your phone with a partner — externalizing gratitude means you don't have to hold it all in your tired head.
Include yourself
Give yourself credit, too
You got through today. You fed a baby, however that happened. You're allowed to be on your own list — new parents are often the last person they thank.
.jpg)
WHEN IT ISN'T LANDING
IF GRATITUDE FEELS HOLLOW OR FORCED
Sometimes trying to feel thankful just underlines how flat or overwhelmed everything else feels — and that's worth paying attention to, not pushing past. Gratitude practices can support wellbeing, but they're not a substitute for care, and they were never meant to be a test you can fail.
If nothing feels good right now, if you're numb, or if you're having thoughts of harming yourself, please don't keep trying to journal your way through it alone. See our Crisis & Emergency Resources, or call/text the Support Line at 415-320-6707 to talk to a trained peer.