graphic_fikapodcast_ep15 What if being pregnant isn’t really your thing, and it actually triggers depression as you can’t relate to the changes your body is going through? Caroline Elliot is back and sharing her experience of ‘hating being pregnant’ which was just the start of her postpartum depression that lasted over a year. Grab your cup of tea for an honest and lighthearted discussion over some fika.

Topics

  1. Hating being pregnant and keeping it inside [00:02:47]

  2. Not relating to any of it [00:04:44]

  3. Annoyed and lost [00:12:03]

  4. Not saying anything [00:14:18]

  5. Depression triggers during pregnancy [00:18:41]

  6. Listened to my own self [00:27:33]

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FIKA PODCAST EPISODE 015: Dissing on Pregnancy with Caroline Elliot

Erica Eriksdotter: Hi lovelies!  It’s time for FIKA!  The Swedish word that means bonding and connecting with friends over coffee or tea. This is the place to be for real talks and discussions about everything from healing, fine arts, motherhood and entrepreneurship to health and fitness. The focus is connecting the dots through consciousness and elevating how consciousness is directed through each guest’s career and life path. My name is Erica Eriksdotter, fine arts painter and owner of Studio Eriksdotter. I’m a certified Intra-Dimensional Healer and PR and Social Media Strategist. I grew up in Sweden and have lived in the DC  since 2000. I’m a modern woman, connected to Self who brings meaning to life through an earth centered truth.

Erica Eriksdotter: On this episode, we are having fika with Caroline Elliot, who is back. You may remember that she was part of Episode 3 of Finding Your New Self where she talked about her successful swimming career and how after swimming it was a little bit of a challenge to find her true self again after being a swimmer and athlete for so long. So, she’s back today to talk about something completely different, yet it is as life is connected. We’re talking about motherhood today. We’re talking about pregnancy and we’re talking about post-partum depression. And, why are we talking about this, Caroline? [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: Well, it’s very important that I am going to be an Aunt again.

Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] Yes.

Caroline Elliot: So, my little sister is having a baby boy.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot: In July!

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, so I am seven months pregnant and as we’re recording this, actually we got booted out of room. We are recording this in the living room. My husband, Casey is painting the nursery a lovely shade of bluish gray. Of course, this top is of mind for me being pregnant, but it has been a very important topic for me for a while since watching you go through this and having you being very open of lately in discussing how challenging pregnancy can be and also what can happen afterwards. You know and the stigma that is around it and how you want to share your story to help other woman.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, absolutely.

  1. Hating being pregnant and keeping it inside [00:02:47] 

Erica Eriksdotter: So, Lola, my cat is in this living room as well if she’s noisy, excuse us. So, you actually have described it that literally, you hated being pregnant.

Caroline Elliot: Yep, true 100%. [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: I kept that inside. Because everybody that I spoke to were either just had a new born, or had a little toddler running around or a big belly about to give birth…

Erica Eriksdotter: Or, like our sister, who was like, Oh my god,  I love being pregnant.

Caroline Elliot: I didn’t know what to say when people were saying, ‘Oh, I’m in this lovely bubble of just babies. I love my belly and I don’t want to be in any other state of life right now.’  I couldn’t feel any more different.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, which is so fascinating.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: Since that is something that people don’t talk about.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah. It was also a surprise, because I assumed that was the way I was going to feel. I’ll be just, oh my belly’s going to grow, I’m going to have all these happy emotions. That didn’t happen for me.

Erica Eriksdotter: Because, there is what my chiropractor was sharing to me the other day, there is a chemical reaction that happens.

Caroline Elliot: Yes.

Erica Eriksdotter: Where most people do feel more euphoric during pregnancy.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: Because of the hormones.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, there is actually a chemical reaction. It’s not just like, Oh, I’m really loving this.

Caroline Elliot: It’s a strong chemical change.

Erica Eriksdotter: Change that happens.

Caroline Elliot: Change in your body. Your body can change forever or it can go back. It could be various things. You can have stronger or less.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, clearly, we’re not doctors, we’re just chatting. So, how early did you feel like, I am not relating to this at all.

  1. Not relating to any of it [00:04:44] 

Caroline Elliot: It was in the first couple of weeks when I started to feel, ‘Oh, I know I’m pregnant.’

Erica Eriksdotter: So, did you have more of an alien experience?

Caroline Elliot: I felt like something else took over my body.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot: And, I didn’t like the feeling. I didn’t have control over it. You don’t really have control over it because it’s something that’s growing inside of you. You can’t necessarily change that.

Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm. And, before I became pregnant, I never wanted to have children, per se. But, we did plan for it and it happened. But, I would always look at friends. I can’t relate to this at all, it must feel so alien. Then, when I was ready to become pregnant, I am getting those questions now. Is it alien like? It’s so natural for me, it’s not at all alien.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, everyone is so different. That’s also very fascinating. I was very naive. I just thought that all pregnancies and childbirth and everybody had kind of the same or very similar experience. That is not at all the reality.

Erica Eriksdotter: Not at all.

Caroline Elliot: Sometimes, the experience that you go through yourself opens a whole new world and you get more understanding of what everyone else is going through. What is natural, what is unnatural and what are all the feelings that you go through.

Erica Eriksdotter: Back in the day, you identified yourself as an athlete and you depended on your body to be your vehicle of success, right? Do you feel that that was part of you didn’t like it because your body was changing and it was just not an athletic body? I don’t know.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, well, that was part of it. I was in great shape when I became pregnant and I didn’t want that to change because I was working out and for some reason I was thinking that, ‘Oh wow, now my body has to go all completely whack because I’m pregnant’. Not thinking, that I can just stay in shape and keep working out, which I did throughout the whole pregnancy.

Erica Eriksdotter: Which you did.

Caroline Elliot: Until like 8 1/2 Months.

Erica Eriksdotter: Which, I haven’t done. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: That probably kept me sane through the whole thing. I was very scared that my body would change and I didn’t like that it did change, when the belly grows.

Erica Eriksdotter: What would you say so strongly that you are like, I hated this 100%, the first time around. What are the key points that you specifically, like you did not like. I know you didn’t like anything of it, but what specifically?  So, somebody who’s out there, listening to this, who’s feeling the same, maybe they can relate even more to you.

Caroline Elliot: I felt my life couldn’t continue has it had been in the past. With my first, I was so nauseous from it. I never experienced throwing up or anything like that. I know a lot of women go through that which has got to be so frustrating and awful and trying to be in survival mode pretty much. I was nauseous from the time I ate breakfast until dinner time, basically for 2 or 3 months straight.

Erica Eriksdotter: Oh.

Caroline Elliot: It was hard to continue working, talking on the phone, trying to type up emails or just trying to walk down the hallway to make copies. Just functioning normally throughout the workday. That was just very difficult. You wanted to run to the bathroom and throw up but nothing came up. You never got rid of the feeling and it was very difficult. When I was pregnant, was also one of the busiest times of work. I knew I had to work longer hours and be there and I had ginger ale and saltine crackers on my desk. I tried to do what I could and just hated every moment of it. I was just like, I can’t wait until this is over so I can go back.

Erica Eriksdotter: Were you able to share with your boss, or were you keeping it private?

Caroline Elliot: No, I think I shared at around 12 weeks or 16 or 15, I forget when I started to show.

Erica Eriksdotter: After you had been nauseous for many months.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, they probably knew before I told them because they are mostly women.  [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: They had picked up on it and obviously had seen the ginger ale and the crackers on my desk.

Erica Eriksdotter: That’s funny.

Caroline Elliot: They say either chew on ginger or drink ginger ale or something. It didn’t work for me. It didn’t get rid of the…

Erica Eriksdotter: I was never nauseous once. Real nauseous. I was like, is this nauseous?

Caroline Elliot: Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: The blessing with being nauseous is that you know you are pregnant.

Caroline Elliot: Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: When you’re feeling great…I was a little tired in the first stage

Caroline Elliot: Am I really pregnant?

Erica Eriksdotter: So, you went through the nauseous stage and now you’re about what, second trimester? Or, a third and your belly is growing. You are still working out.

Caroline Elliot: Mmm, hmm.

Erica Eriksdotter: You’re probably still very busy at work, per usual. So, how are you feeling now?

Caroline Elliot: I felt like the belly was definitely in the way. Sitting, standing, bending over. I mean, the belly at this point is probably not that humongous and it was also my first pregnancy so you don’t get that big in the beginning, I guess.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, you are not identifying with your body.

Caroline Elliot: I am not identifying with anything. I definitely do not feel like myself.

Erica Eriksdotter: And, you’re not feeling the F*&%ing hormones. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: [laughing] They were probably…

Erica Eriksdotter: Euphoria.

Caroline Elliot: It was probably coming out like just fire out of my ears. Hormones everywhere.

Erica Eriksdotter: You were more mad than happy?

Caroline Elliot: Yeah, I was more mad than happy. Annoyed. I was probably mad at moments, but I was probably annoyed…

Erica Eriksdotter: Annoyed.

  1. Annoyed and lost [00:12:03] 

Caroline Elliot: At every moment of the day. Yes. Just annoyed. I definitely couldn’t identify with anything. I also didn’t talk about it. I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t do a whole lot of research because I didn’t want anything to do with it. [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot: I didn’t want to read more. I didn’t want to understand more. I just wanted it to go away.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot: Where did Caroline go? I just need to find her.

Erica Eriksdotter: What I’m experiencing and this is in the US, I don’t know how people deal with strangers or friends, co-workers and in other places in the world, but in the US everyone asks you how you are feeling and they have this anticipation…

Caroline Elliot: How far long are you?

Erica Eriksdotter:  They are so excited for you. Oh my god you look great, how are you feeling? And, like, I have been feeling great, so I have been like, I’m great! [laughing]

Caroline Elliot: [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: If I was feeling really not good, there’s no way another answer would have been acceptable to that question.

Caroline Elliot:  You would keep saying, I’m great.

Erica Eriksdotter: I would have said, I’m great.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: You probably got the questions.

Caroline Elliot:  All questions across the board. To a stranger in the grocery store or something like that, you would say, I’m hanging in there, doing alright or something like that. Then, to somebody you’re really, really close, UH, CRAP! [laughing] It is what it or something, I’d probably say it like that.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  Internally, I would just UH PLEASE!

Erica Eriksdotter: I think also many people want to share their own experiences if they are mothers. They always want to share, I remember.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah, Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: Blah, blah, blah. I have never really encountered anyone this far in my life who has been so open and willing to share that. Not that you are sharing your story the first opportunity you have with new mothers.

Caroline Elliot:  [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: To be open, you know what, pregnancy is not the most fun for everyone.

  1. Not saying anything [00:14:18] 

Caroline Elliot:  Well, I didn’t say anything openly because it seemed like everybody…you were supposed to be happy or at least that’s what I heard from other people and I was like, whoa. What happens if I say that I hate this. They are going to look at me and say, whoa. You have two heads. So, I didn’t say anything. I probably should have said things or just ask lightly with close friends. Is that something that you felt or do you think that’s common?

Erica Eriksdotter: You didn’t mention it to your doctor either on your regular check-ups?

Caroline Elliot:  Oh no, I didn’t. I was mad at him, too. [laughing] It was a man, so when he started to talk about what a woman should be feeling and what the cramps could feel like or what the kicks could feel like, I was like, what do you know? You’re a man! [laughing] You’ve heard stories from other women. There’s no way you know how this feels. Hormones are different, they change. Yes, you studied them but how the heck do you know, you’re a man? So, I was mad at him, too. [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: What about your husband? Did he figure out that something was off?

Caroline Elliot:  We were reading all those baby books together so he was in tune with what the changes could be.

Erica Eriksdotter: Of course.

Caroline Elliot:  He was like, okay, so now we’re in week whatever or this is what you could be feeling. They list probably like 1500 things and I’m like, okay, I feel all those 1500 things. [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: Yes, I would read that and be like, I’m not feeling any of these. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: I stopped reading them because I was like, I’m not identifying with all these things.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah. He probably would have…

Erica Eriksdotter: Of course, now we know the whole story where…I know the whole story where…well you are the only one who knows the full story. I know that you hated the pregnancy. I know that you had an extremely fast delivery that was not planned on being natural, but it was natural and then you was kicked into postpartum depression for a long time, yet, I didn’t know, until much later.

Caroline Elliot:  I didn’t know either.

Erica Eriksdotter: I think it’s fascinating. I’m absolutely not an expert at all. I barely read about this, but to me it’s a fascinating story. It was like pregnancy was almost the first part of your postpartum depression.

Caroline Elliot:  I absolutely think so. Now, after the fact, I can go back well that’s absolutely. I am sure that is actually what it was.

Erica Eriksdotter: And of course every women is completely different, like we’ve said. Postpartum might be something that the majority feel kicking in after delivery.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: But, it seems very likely that for you, it was just a longer process that happened earlier.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah. So, now, seven years, crazy, seven years later, looking back, I know for sure that I was definitely down and something was wrong. I wasn’t being Caroline anymore. Maybe I didn’t change to other people around me, I was definitely big changes inside and maybe I didn’t want to acknowledge the changes and you know, actually be aware of everything that I was feeling inside that was actually happening. Just looking back, I know when I was pregnant, that my depression had already started.

Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm.

Caroline Elliot:  Not maybe in full bloom but I was definitely down and yeah, it was already there. Something had changed.

  1. Depression triggers during pregnancy [00:18:41] 

Erica Eriksdotter: If you look back at it now, since it’s hard being in it, right? It’s hard to identify what you’re feeling. But, if you’re looking back at it now, what were those triggers for you or signs for you that you were down?

Caroline Elliot:  I was still social and out and about. I was going to work and all that stuff. I wanted to withdraw more. Being at home and not necessarily talk about the pregnancy. I was the first of my group of friends closest friends, that was pregnant here, at least in the US. I couldn’t necessarily talk about what, I mean, of course I could talk about it and people ask me a lot of questions. It’s not that I could talk to another pregnant person…

Erica Eriksdotter: Mmm, hmm.

Caroline Elliot: That was close to me. So, I felt that was very difficult. I had my mom and my older sister I could always go to but everybody’s feeling so different, so I couldn’t relate to anybody.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  I didn’t have anybody that felt the same way that I did and I just wanted to hide it. I didn’t want anybody to look at me like we said before, like I had two heads. Whoa, what kind of feelings do you have?

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  Why do you hate it? It’s the best thing that ever happens to woman. You can go deeper than that and some woman can’t even get pregnant, so you should be happy when you are. I felt guilty for all of it.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  So, it was difficult to talk about.

Erica Eriksdotter: When I was first pregnant and I had my first doctor’s appointment, I remember taking pictures of the forms, questionnaire that I had to fill out. This is is what, 6 months ago, or something like that, probably four or five. It was all about, how are you feeling? Are you feeling this? Are you feeling this? I remember thinking, This is great!

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: This is wonderful that they are asking me these questions. On a questionnaire, I feel safe that I can actually answer more authentically and it’s not right in my face. My husband is not sitting next to me.

Caroline Elliot:  Mmm, hmm.

Erica Eriksdotter: That is actually the last time they have asked me.

Caroline Elliot:  Oh.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, I thought that was interesting. It seems like, at least I got a questionnaire. It seems like you didn’t get anything.

Caroline Elliot:  To be honest, I don’t remember filling anything out. They maybe it was something in the beginning, but nothing I remember filling out saying something specific that I was feeling…

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  I probably would not had said anything.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, of course. If you are not admitting it to yourself…

Caroline Elliot:  But, I wasn’t sure what I was feeling at all. So, I didn’t know how to express myself either.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. Do you feel as when you were pregnant, do you feel like you were lost and numb? Or, do you feel like you were more stronger annoyance, like you said earlier. Did you have like more of the angry feelings or do you feel like…clearly you did not have happy feelings. Did you feel numb or did you feel like you were more pissed?

Caroline Elliot:  I was pissed! [laughing] It triggered a lot of anger. It definitely triggered a lot of anger. It could be, you know, for anything. It could be the smallest little things that internally would be annoying and upset me.

Erica Eriksdotter: And, it was not just about pregnancy. It was not like, this is annoying, I have to go to the bathroom again, I was just in the bathroom. ARGH can you stop kicking.

Caroline Elliot:  Or me having to go pee at night every third hour or it could be that my toast got burnt or it could be, Oh, the fork that I need it’s not washed. I mean it would be everything. It was just everything. I just got annoyed with everything.

Erica Eriksdotter: Did it escalate or was it the same throughout the pregnancy?

Caroline Elliot:  Um, I think it calmed down a little bit around month five. I remember month five was definitely a calmer month. I don’t know why, but it was probably right before, I felt better because I was not nauseous.

Erica Eriksdotter: Not nauseous, yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  I didn’t have a huge belly. I could still put on my shoes and tie my shoes or pick something up from the floor and then it was right before my belly got really big. Month five was probably the best month.

Erica Eriksdotter: Then it started to go downhill…

Caroline Elliot:  In the beginning really bad, I was annoyed with how I was feeling because I was so nauseous and all that.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  Then after, my belly got bigger, it was more like it was in the way almost, like for me doing what I wanted to do. Because I got tired at night, I couldn’t do things at night that I wanted to do.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, I find it interesting and I’ve been vocal about this…it was really hard and I am not a big drinker, but I do like to have a glass a wine…

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: Or a neat whiskey once a week and I thought that was really, that made me a little mad that I couldn’t have that.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: And, it took me a while to not want that.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: And, I think that is something that you are not allowed to say. [laughing] I didn’t have it. I just really wanted it.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: I really wanted it. For many, many, many days.

Caroline Elliot:  It’s the social aspect too, where you go places, you hang out.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yes.

Caroline Elliot:  Many woman would feel, ‘I’m pregnant, I’m fine. I literally would say, ‘CRAP! I can’t have a drink! I want wine!’

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah, and my husband would drink.

Caroline Elliot:  And I would be mad about it that I couldn’t have it.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. My husband would have these delicious whiskey’s and beers…

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: And wine.

Caroline Elliot:  I would long for it so much, it would piss me off.

Erica Eriksdotter: I had a moment where actually I had the luxury of being able to make a decision. What I really wanted to turn into that really horrible wife who says, ‘If I can’t have this, you can’t have it either.’

Caroline Elliot:  [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: I’ve never been that person in my entire life but I was like I stopped myself. I’ve never wanted to be that horrible wife so badly and it was all about alcohol.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: The temptation was just too much.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: And yet, clearly, he should not be suffering just because I couldn’t have it. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot:  [laughing] Yeah, Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: But, I just felt that it just such a…that was nothing compared to what you went through, but it was just the intensity of that, I can only imagine feeling all the other things.

Caroline Elliot:  I was definitely…I love wines so I definitely loved having a glass of wine.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  And, during my first pregnancy, I didn’t even wet my lips in wine so I definitely didn’t have anything.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah.

Caroline Elliot:  So, whenever my husband and I would go out and we would just meet other people at bars or something like that, you know, you want another glass instead of a virgin something.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yes! Luckily, I have been having a lot of virgins. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot:  [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: [laughing] Virgin Mojito, Virgin Bloody Mary. I was kidding that I should order a Virgin Mimosa. [laughing]

Caroline Elliot:  [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: That’s just an OJ! [laughing]

Caroline Elliot:  That’s’ just an OJ [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: Just stupid jokes like that that get’s you through the day. So, we’re going to stop there. This is part one in talking about postpartum because I wanted to discuss the pregnancy. Since I am pregnant currently, I thought this is such an interesting feeling or aspect of pregnancy that you don’t hear a lot and if you guys have any questions for Caroline, would be happy to answer those in the next part where we’ll go into depth more about the quick delivery and also the onset or the continuation of post partum and how you worked that out. Is there anything else you wanted to say about the pregnancy itself?

  1. Listened to my own self [00:27:33] 

Caroline Elliot:  I just wished I would have tuned into myself a little bit more and listened to my own self and kind of the voices in me. Take care of yourself or do this because your feeling this. I feel like I should have stayed more true to myself then trying to look for external satisfaction or support. I should have more looked inwards and see what I truly needed instead of trying to go by only other people’s advice.

Erica Eriksdotter: What would you have needed? If you could go back into the past and say, give yourself what you needed, what would you have given you?

Caroline Elliot:  I would have given myself advice to actually open up more and sit down and talk, actually talk even though I wasn’t talking to a pregnant person. Having the actual conversation, saying, ‘Hey, listen, I’m feeling this or do you know if anybody would have…what did they do?’ Did they get advice of doing something different. Have you heard this was, Your sister was pregnant, what did she feel? Just ask friends or more people around you so you get more, not more, but different kind of advice from different people and different aspects of their life. It could be somebody that had kids even grown kids out of college or something like that. Maybe they remember something, just open up and be or just having a little bit of a conversation. Sometimes you feel like with a person you can open up more, you can ask more questions and sometimes the conversation kind of stops, you can get a feeling of how far you can go and open up like that. But, I just wished I would have asked a little bit more questions and have those conversations instead of just internalizing everything. I think talking about it would have helped me so much. Even going to if you would have talked to, I don’t know who you would have gone to while you are pregnant, if you want to talk to your gynecologist. You just ask for advice who they recommend in the field that’s good to go to. Or if it’s a group of women or start your own group of women that are pregnant or friends that want to become pregnant, something like that just open up more and ask a little bit instead of internalizing and not hiding what I was feeling because I felt ashamed of the feelings that I had. I’m supposed to be in this happy baby bubble and I hate every minute of it and why am I feeling this way. So, I felt more ashamed of the feelings that I had, so I didn’t open up and ask the questions. That’s definitely something that I knew I needed but I didn’t listen to that voice in my head.

Erica Eriksdotter: You already knew it then, you chose to ignore it.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah, absolutely.

Erica Eriksdotter: I already know while being pregnant what I am going to wish I had done more of. [laughing] The baby comes and that is to put my feet up. Already, I’m a little bit of a workaholic as you know. I have worked on that a little bit, like getting manicures and pedicures.

Caroline Elliot:  That’s always good.

Erica Eriksdotter: I have yet gone to the spa. I have been thinking about it for two months. I have gotten a couple of massages.

Caroline Elliot:  You still have time.

Erica Eriksdotter: I still have time. We did book a babymoon. I think I just need to sit my butt on a beach.

Caroline Elliot:  Yeah.

Erica Eriksdotter: So, we’ll be doing that.

Caroline Elliot:  You are right to do so.

Erica Eriksdotter: Yeah. So just a couple of things that I normally wouldn’t have necessarily allowed myself before. Everyone’s different, right?

Caroline Elliot:  Mmm, hmm.

Erica Eriksdotter: Everyone has a different needs and stuff and what they are challenged with and my challenge is always that I go full force, like a freight train. Which I always work on doing. That is also why we’re sitting here talking about this important topic because I don’t stop.

Caroline Elliot:  We all have to learn something. [laughing]

Erica Eriksdotter: Yes, exactly. So, Caroline, you will be back and we’re going to discuss, like we said, that delivery and the postpartum. Thank you so much for opening up about this important topic. Really, you’re the first one that I know just blatantly says and openly talks about it with girlfriends, not necessarily shouting it from the roof, but we are very grateful that you’re here talking about it. So, next episode will feature another guest, but if you have any questions to Caroline, shoot us an email. You can also use the hashtag #fikapodcast on social if you want to do that or you can use the link in the show notes and FYI every transcript is posted on my blog at StudioEriksdotter.com/blog. You can find all the transcripts if you want to read something more in-depth, you didn’t follow along with the audio or if you’re a reader like I am, you can read the transcript. Or, also search on StudioEriksdotter.com you can just use a search term and the transcript will come up for you. Please join my email list if you want to stay up to date. You can access it at the bottom of my website and while you are on the internet leave the FIKA podcast an iTunes review and subscribe if you want to have the episodes keep on coming. Thank you so much for listening. We are honored to have you joining us today and listening in.

Hi , I’m Erica! Your compassionate pet portrait painter

I’m a 3rd generation painter who has been painting for over 35 years. I’m here to help you find inner peace with custom pet portraits and creative joy through pet pet portrait course.

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