Transitions to Motherhood

It never ceases to amaze me that one event in a woman’s life can have so many ripple effects. While the women I come into contact with personally and professionally would rarely change a thing about having a family - they are full of joy about becoming a mother and adore their children - they do not always love the other changes in their lives that accompany Baby moving in. And they are often a little embarrassed to admit it. At one of my workshops recently, I heard women quietly, sheepishly admit (among other things) that they yearned for more intimacy with their spouse again, that they weren’t sure who they were anymore since they’d quit working to be home with their children, that they missed having spontaneity in their lives, that they were concerned about whether they were doing a good job of mothering.

Our culture seems to put the pressure on women to be able to do it all - and they’d better be perfect at it all, and love every minute of it too! But the reality is that having a family is a major change in your life: individually, as a couple, professionally, socially. Some parts may change more than others, and some pieces of the transition may come easily while others are more difficult. And here’s the thing: it’s okay, and it’s normal!

Once you can own that you love parts of motherhood, other parts aren’t so great (but hopefully are temporary), and that you sometimes miss parts of your old life... well, you’re ready to redefine yourself. How refreshing! How empowering to look objectively at your life, acknowledge the changes and challenges, appreciate the lovely parts, and start moving toward action to make your life reflect who you are right now. That makes for beautiful ripples that will positively impact your life and your children’s lives into the future.