Motherhood and Me

[sunnybunny]

I've been struggling with feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and resentment as a new mother. Between caring for my infant, managing household chores, and maintaining relationships with loved ones, I feel like I'm constantly juggling too many balls and risking dropping one (or multiple) at any given moment.

It started before having the baby, to be honest - I was already overwhelmed by societal expectations of what a "good" mother should be. The pressure to breastfeed exclusively, to always prioritize my child's needs above all else, to be perfect in every way... it's suffocating.

Lately, I've found myself getting frustrated with small things that normally wouldn't bother me (dishes piling up, the baby waking too early), and I feel like I'm losing myself in the process. It feels like I'm just trying to survive each day instead of truly living. What are some strategies or practices that others have used to maintain their sense of self and well-being during this incredibly challenging yet wonderful time?

 

[techsavvy]

In addition to acknowledging your feelings, I want to share an exercise that helped me regain a sense of self and balance as a new mom:

Schedule Self-Care: When I first had my baby, I felt like I'd lost all control over my life and time management skills. Trying to find time for myself seemed impossible, but having kids actually made me realize how essential it was.

To prioritize self-care, we set aside [x] minutes daily as "me" time. It might be just meditating while baby slept in the other room, enjoying a cup of coffee alone before the chaos began, or even doing some stretches during lunch whenever I could squeeze them in.

During this allocated time, no one told you to do anything else except focus on YOU! In fact, putting that 15-20 minutes on my calendar was more about reminding myself and others of its importance. As a result, these brief sessions added up over the weeks – sometimes in less tangible ways than expected.

Here are some activities I found helpful during "me" time:

* Reading short stories or devoured podcasts within 15 minutes.
* Doing my makeup – as ridiculous it sounds, for me, when I put on makeup, it made me feel more confident and better able to tackle challenges.
* Taking short naps because honestly, sometimes our bodies just needed a recharge before pushing through another day.
* Writing poetry or simply jotting down thoughts or inspirations – not perfecting anything for others but only myself.

The goal was never perfection; it was to start feeling like yourself again and finding purpose beyond motherhood.


Let's explore other supportive ideas that helped new moms manage their identity and stay true to themselves, even amidst the chaos of caring for a newborn.