10 Real Stories on Motherhood
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Words by Sarah Hartley, Editor in Chief
Being a mom comes with so many mixed emotions. Uncertainty, fear, hope, love, joy, and everything else in between. Some days feel like they’ll never end and other days fly by so fast. But one thing we want you to know - you’re doing your best, Mama. Your journey through motherhood will not look exactly like anyone else’s. But talking about your feelings and experiences truly help us all. When your eyes are blurry from exhaustion and you’ve had to answer the same question 1,200 times, and you’ll scream if you have to rock in that chair for another minute, you won’t have to wonder if anyone else feels the same way you do. You’re not alone! And what you’re feeling is valid.
10 Real Stories on Motherhood
THE GIGANTIC TASK OF MOTHERHOOD
When I became pregnant, I looked forward to being a mom with great anticipation. And while I knew my job would entail more than sitting on the floor, oohing and aahing all day, I still held onto the small fear that the first year of motherhood would be mundane.
A FAST AND FURIOUS BIRTH
There are a lot of opinions out there on what a good birth should look like. I believe that no matter what her choices are, a woman should never be brushed aside – never be ignored. The fact is, there are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the birthing process, and maybe we should all humble ourselves a little and listen.
HOW MY “NO” BECAME A “YES”
As a couple, we had to unpack the many layers about my reticence to have children. One night, about two years into our dating relationship, I just broke down. I let all my feelings out. I told him that I knew I was supposed to want to have children.
MATERNAL INSTINCT: SO NOW YOU’RE SOMEONE’S MOTHER
At the end of my pregnancy, it felt like I was going to be pregnant forever. All I wanted was to have this baby, then you have her and she’s here, and you realize you’ve got her and more importantly she's got you for the rest of your lives. Whoa.
A MOTHERLESS MOTHER
Instead of having a mother by my bedside ready to celebrate the arrival of her grandson, I had my husband and the lingering feelings of grief, as though I had lost someone. But the reality was that I had never lost a mother. I just never had one.
I’M A RELUCTANT STAY AT HOME MOM
Being a Stay At Home Mom is not a decision everyone arrives at easily. For me, I was completely in the other camp until I had my first kiddo. And once I was home it felt like the right thing for my son, but I became incredibly resentful. I felt like my brain was shriveling up and dying.
HOPE FOR THE NEW MOTHERS
I looked at the baby, an arm's length away from me in the room that was as dark as I could get it. The sheets I had tacked up over the windows let in too much light. We needed curtains, although they’d probably never be in the budget. Fog hung heavy in my head as I moved my eyes from the sheets back to the baby, screaming baby, as he struggled against his swing.
THE DOUBTS OF A MOTHER’S HEART: AM I DOING ENOUGH FOR MY KIDS?
I'm full-on in the depths of motherhood, raising young children, loving this incredibly difficult and rewarding mom life. I'm giving it my all, yet feeling like I'm failing every day; trying to show myself grace and finding my way one day at a time.
THE COURAGE TO BECOME A MOTHER FOR THE SECOND TIME
Many assume that second time mothers have it together; that being well-informed they are good to go. We don’t often recognize the courage it takes to enter that space again, this time fully aware. The creation of a life - and all that goes into it - is no less magical when the curtain has been pulled back, but the second time you are the magician’s assistant rather than a member of the audience.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WORKING MOMS
To put it simply: I missed working. I missed the morning chit-chat, the random venting sessions, the ability to go out for lunch, or sit and read at my desk. I didn’t miss the deadlines or stress, but I missed the person I was while at work. Someone who was needed for her mental abilities, not her nurturing skills.
