Motherhood Thoughts

Before kids, I didn’t realize that motherhood would be all encompassing. Despite the warnings, I didn’t understand how having a baby would change the make-up of my brain; how I would want to be near my baby at all times, even when she wasn’t such a baby after all.I yearn...

The most common feeling women experience after childbirth is a loss of their own identity due to pain, loss of routines/an unstructured environment, and a lack of knowledge about early motherhood and postpartum. A helpful starting place after having your baby is establishing a routine. If you thrived on routines prior to having a baby, this may help to calm your mind and keep you from becoming overwhelmed too quickly. It also reduces mental load because you know exactly what you need to do every day.

Below is a sample morning schedule I used during those first few weeks. It’s important to remember that every baby is different, and every mom is different. The schedule that worked for me, may not work for everyone. It’s also important to note that I live on one level.

The struggle of being a working mom vs. a stay-at-home mom is a never-ending battle that often leaves both sides wanting more. I know, I’ve been there; I’ve been both. I was a stay-at-home mom, unfulfilled in a professional sense while slowly losing my mind, but happy to be a part of every milestone in my babies’ lives. I was a full-time working mom struggling to get ahead in my career because my childcare ended at 5pm, while making meal plans and searching for child-friendly activities during work breaks. I was also a part-time working mom, with the seemingly perfect balance of both, unable to dedicate the proper time and resources to either piece of my life, leaving me completely overwhelmed.

I wasn’t sure that motherhood was all that it was cracked up to be when my swaddled newborn was in my arms and on my breasts, day after day, night after night. I yearned to sleep and shower, and stop the burning pain at the episiotomy site every time I sat down for a rest. I wanted to quiet the words telling me that I should be head over heels with emotion because I felt like an imposter for not feeling that way.

I watched my baby’s newborn weeks from the outside, being mentally disconnected to the tiny body that clung to my insides for months. I was physically and mentally worn from the birthing experience, feeling like my body was going to fail with every step. I was hungry. My breasts were...

I was prepared for the sleepless nights, the overflowing diapers and the shrill newborn cries. I read blogs and books to prepare for my motherhood journey, and googled names. I gushed over tiny newborn onesies and cried at the lovely scent that lingered on them after the wash. But I...