Oh Me, Oh Mãe II (2022-23)

I started Oh Me, Oh Mãe II after giving birth to my second daughter, L, in February 2022. It is about being a mother of two while also continuing sub-series that I have been making in my Oh Me, Oh Mãe and Waiting For Things In A Time When You Wait For Things projects.

These sub-series include family portraits, 'Portrait Of A Mother Of A ___ Month Old', and 'Imitating B ___' (my favourite theme within the series which grew out of wanting to not show her face).

Within this project I continued to document motherhood whilst being as honest as possible about my experiences. The images are accompanied by diaristic text in the form of hashtags.

I have chosen not to show my kids' full faces within my work as they have no idea about the rest of the world and the internet at the moment. They may never want their faces to be seen, so I want to wait until they are old enough to decide if they want their faces to be visible or not.

This project came to an end when I decided to stop writing hashtags to accompany my work. For Oh Me, Oh Mãe III, I am experimenting with different text and poems.

(Below are a selection of images)

I posted all the images and hashtags to my Instagram account.

I Smell Of Sour Milk (21st February 2022)

#TheOtherNightWasVeryEventfulWithMeGoingToTriageDueToMyBleedingGettingHeavier

#IHadChecked111AndCalled999AgainButAClinicianSaidIWouldBeBetterOffCallingTheHospitalAsMidwivesWouldKnowMoreThanAParamedic

#EveryoneTreatedMeABitLikeAnIdiotForHavingCalled999ButIDidNotKnowThatIShouldCallTheHospitalForSuchThings

#WeGotBOutOfBedAndGotThereBeforeTenAndSheDidNotSleepUntilWeGotHomeAfterOneThirtyEvenThoughTiagoDroveAroundABit

#ItWasOurFirstFamilyTripOutInTheCarAndBWasQuiteExcited

#LCameInWithMeAsINeededToBreastfeedHerAndSheNappedOnMeAndOnTheChairs

#ISawAStudentMidwifeFairlyFastWhoDidMyObservationsAndThenIHadToWaitForAMidwife

#SheAskedSomeMoreQuestionsButSaidItWouldBeBetterForADoctorToSeeMeSoIWentBackToTheWaitingRoom

#TheWaitingRoomWasHotSoIDrankMyWaterFastAndINeededToGoToTheToiletButThereWasNowhereForMeToPutLInTheBathroom

#AtSomePointAMemberOfStaffSawIWasUncomfortableAndAskedIfIWantedAHotDrinkButISaidNoAndAskedHowMuchLongerWouldItBe

#SheCheckedAndSaidNotLongButItWasAnotherHourPlusAfterThat

#IWasCryingInTheWaitingRoomUnderMyMaskAsIWasGettingSoTiredAndWasStressedByTheWholeSituation

#EventuallyADoctorSawMeAndSaidEverythingWasFineButGaveMeSomeAntibiotics

#InTheMorningIPassedABigClotThatLookedABitLikePlacentaAndWasTheReasonIWentInInTheFirstPlace

#TheyHadSaidToBeConcernedIfAClotWasBiggerThanA50pPieceButTheyDidNotTakeMuchNoticeOfIt

#ItHasTakenUsAllAFewDaysToCatchUpOnOurSleepAfterThatEpisode

#IHaveBeenGoingToSleepAsSoonAsLIsSettledIfIFeelTiredEnoughOtherwiseIJustRestInBed

#MyEyeMaskIsSoUsefulNowNotJustForNapsButForNightTimeSleep

#LHasAColdAndIsVerySnottySoWeFinallyGotANasalAspiratorWhichIWishWeHadGotWhenBWasABaby

#TheWeatherIsSoTerribleAndIHaveFeltQuiteTrappedAtHomeWhichIsNotFun

#WithBIDidNotLeaveTheHouseForTwoWeeksButThisTimeIGotOutPrettyEarly

#ICanNotWalkForTooLongAsIAcheButItIsGoodToGetOut

#IFeelBadAsSinceLWasBornIHaveNotAlwaysBeenAtTheWindowToWaveBOffToNurseryOrWelcomeHerHome

#SheLooksOutForMeWhichMakesMeFeelWorseButWhatCanIDo

#TheRegistryOfficeCalledAsTheyOpenedNewSlotsForAppointmentsSoWeGotMovedForwardAMonthAndAHalf

#BreastfeedingIsDefinitelyGoingALotBetterThisTimeThoughWhenMyUnclesCameToVisitIRealisedISmelledOfSourMilk

#IWashMyClothesAndThenPutOnANewTopAndThenLeakOverItAgainPrettyQuickly

#IAmWorriedAboutHowThingsWillBeWhenTiagosPaternityEndsAndIWishHeHadMoreTimeButIWillJustHaveToGetOnWithIt

#IKnowIAmLuckyWithBGoingToNurseryAndMyMumVisitingSoItWillNotBeAnywhereNearAsBadAsItCouldBe

#INeedToWorkOnGettingOutOfTheHouseWithBAndLByMyselfForAWalkWhichIAmQuiteNervousAbout

#AHealthVisitorCameTheOtherDayAndLWasOnly50gOffHerBirthWeightThoughSheThenPissedAllOverTheScalesSoProbablyWasABitMoreOffIt

Mastitis Is No Joke (5th / 7th March 2022)

#ThisWeekHasBeenARoughWeekAndIFeelDumbComplainingWhenTheNewsIsSoAwfulAtTheMoment

#ISpendALotOfMyTimeWhileBreastfeedingJustDoomScrollingAndCryingAtVideosOfBabiesAndChildren

#MothersGivingBirthInBasementsAndBombSheltersWhileIHadAPleasantExperienceNotEvenAMonthAgoAndHaveBeenHavingMedicalTreatmentForBleedingAndBadBoobs

#IWokeUpAtTheStartOfTheWeekInTheEarlyHoursOfTheMorningWithOneBreastJustFeelingReallyHot

#IFeltAroundForALumpAndCouldNotFindOneButWasInstantlyWorriedItWasMastitis

#TheFluLikeSymptomsKickedInAndIHadMajorChillsAndCouldNotSleepWellAtAll

#TheBadSleepingWentOnForACoupleOfNightsAndIFoundARaisedAreaAtTheBottomOfMyRightBreast

#TakingIbruprofenMadeMyChillsGoToExtremeSweatsWhichWasGreatFun

#ICheckedTheNHSWebsiteAndItSaidToContactYourGPIfSymptomsDidNotGoAwayAfter24Hours

#SoICalledAndTheyGaveMeSomeAntibiotics

#LeadingUpToThatAndAfterThatIHaveJustBeenTryingEverythingFromEpsomSaltsToCabbageLeavesToExpressingToMassagesToLecithinToBathsAndShowersToWarmCompresses

#IDoNotFeelThatBadNowThoughIHaveBsColdAndASuperPhlegmyCoughAndILostMyVoiceACoupleOfDaysAgo

#SoBreastfeedingMightBeGoingBetterButWithBINeverGotMastitisWhichIsProbablyBecauseIMainlyPumpedSoMyBoobsWereAlwaysEmptied

#ITookLToHerFirstBabyClassWhichSheSleptThroughAndDuringTheSocialisingTimeIFeltSoAwkwardDueToMyWeirdVoiceThatIThoughtIShouldLeave

#OfCourseLWokeUpThenSoIChangedHerAndGotTalkingToAFewPeopleAndThenFedHer

#TheClassEndedThoughSoIEndedUpSittingAtTheBackOfTheNextClassFeedingHer

#InTheEndWeWereOutFor3HoursWhichWasABitMuchButItFeltGoodToGetOutOfTheHouseAndDoSomethingDifferentAndSeeSomePeople

#HopefullyIWillGetTalkingToMorePeopleEachWeekButLWasTheYoungestBabyByFarAsTheRestWereSittingUpAndMostWereCrawling

#WhenITookBToClassesIOnlyReallyTalkedToThoseWithKidsOfASimilarAgeSoIGetItIfNoOneWantsToTalkToMe

#IDidNotGetToTakeBToClassesThisEarlyOnAsThereWereNoneOnOrNoneNearUs

#LHasNotBeenSleepingGreatDuringTheDayButIThinkItIsBecauseOftenIShouldJustGoAndPutHerInHerCotButBecauseBIsAroundIJustTryToSeeIfSheWillFallAsleepDownstairs

#IAmDefinitelyMoreRelaxedAboutLHavingAScheduleThanIWasWithBButMyMumHasAlwaysSaidThatTheSecondKidJustSlotsIn

#IfBIsAwakeAnywaysThenThereDoesNotSeemMuchPointEnforcingAScheduleOnLUnlessIWantUsToGoOnAWalkButIKnowSheWillFallAsleepInTheCarrier

#IHaveBathedLByMyselfACoupleOfTimesWhichIsGoodAndProbablyAReliefForMyMum

#BMakesMeLaughSoMuchTheseDays

#SheSeemsToHaveANewHabitOfStoringFoodOrAtLeastJustPuttingCrustsSomewhereSoWeKeepFindingOldCrustsAround

#SheHasAThingAboutPushingHerFingersIntoGrapeHalvesWhichIShouldProbablyImitateAtSomePoint

#WhenLCriesSheGoesOverAndGetsAnnoyedWhichIHopeSheWillStopDoingSoon

#IThinkSheKnowsThatWhenLCriesSheGetsPickedUpSoSheWantsLToStopPerhaps

#BeforeBeingAMumIDidNotGetWhyPeopleDressedTheirKidsInMatchingOutfitsButLikeInOurFirstFamilyPortraitTheyHaveAFewMatchingOnesiesAndIGetItNowItIsCute

Imitating B’s Toddler Style (24th / 26th March 2022)

Imitating B’s Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (12th / 13th April 2022)

Second Family Portrait As A Family Of Four (3rd / 8th May 2022)

Portrait Of A Mother Of A Twenty Seven Month Old And A Seven Month Old (13th / 14th September 2022)

Imitating B Using A Watering Can As A Trumpet (27th / 28th September 2022)

34 / Portrait Of A Mother Of A Twenty Eight Month Old And An Eight Month Old (October 2022)

Imitating B’s Sad Face (19th / 20th January 2023)

Portrait Of A Mother Of A Thirty Five Month Old And A Fifteen Month Old (10th May 2023)

Seventh Family Portrait As A Family Of Four (25th July / 2nd August 2023)

Previous Project: Máscara Maternal (2022)

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