I apologize for the disappearing act the last few days but I needed to take a step back. One of the things that I have learned in my years of blogging and creating is that if it’s not flowing, don’t force it.
I’ve been wanting to write a post about six months of motherhood but wasn’t sure how I was going to frame it or how to adequately express the immense and intense ways that it has changed my life. Tonight while I was changing the sheets, the idea popped into my head to share six ways that being a mom has changed me in the first six months.
I still believe there is no way that I can fit it all into one post but at least this will give me a starting point and some parameters.
1. I’ve learned that I AM “maternal.”
I think this is an important place to start. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have kids. I have received so many Instagram DMs and blog comments thanking me for sharing this information so I wanted to say it again. It’s OKAY if you’re not sure if you want to be a mom. It is a MASSIVE life changer.
I have never felt especially maternal. I didn’t grow up babysitting or dreaming of my future children. I always felt a little awkward around other people’s young children and didn’t really know how to talk to them or be silly with them. I never pictured myself doing things like heading up a PTA, attending little league games or planning Disney trips. I wondered if I would be a “good mom” and it if would come naturally to me.
Gosh, one of the most incredible things about becoming a mom is how naturally being a mom has come when it’s my own child. I love being with him. I feel like I understand his needs. And I love singing, dancing and being silly with him. All of that stuff that people say about it being different when it’s your own child is so very true.
2. I’ve never known love like this before.
The love that I have for Finn is a kind of love that I have never felt or known before. I feel so deeply bonded to him. I heard that having a child is like having your heart walking around outside of your body. That is so true. This love puts all other love into perspective.
3. It’s deepened my relationship with my parents.
The journey into motherhood has given me a whole new appreciation for my parents, their love and what they did for me by bringing me into the world and raising me. I am grateful for them on a whole new level. The understanding of the love that you feel for your child is game changing. I am even more regretful for the run for the money I gave them when I was a teenager, haha.
I feel especially lucky to have had my mom by my side to walk me into motherhood. She has been a huge source of strength for me and I am in awe of her for preceding me in this journey.
4. It has slowed me down.
In the very early days of motherhood, I felt like I was losing my mind. It was so jarring to go from working allllll the time and coming and going as I pleased to being glued to the couch and breastfeeding and taking care of a baby 24/7. And with my relationship in flux, it was intensified. I’m not going to lie, it took some time to adjust to the new pace of life…but now that I’m six months in…I absolutely love it.
This slowing down has showed me how much depth and beauty there can be in the smallest moments of life. I don’t have to be busy or working to be “doing something” all the time. Just hanging out with Finn, making eye contact with him and being present can be enough.
It’s also slowed me down in ways like sleeping and resting more and working out less. I know this is crazy but I actually sleep MORE with a baby than I have in 10 years. I get in bed most nights around 8:30 and work/watch TV/read. I am usually lights out by 10 or so and it’s rare for me to get up before 7 or 7:30. I’m definitely averaging about 9 hours a night, although Finn does still eat a couple of times at night. I feel really rested and really clear headed now that I am sleeping more.
I remember being really concerned when I was pregnant about how I would fit in working out after I had a baby. And now I can’t believe how much my mindset has shifted around working out. It’s just not the end all, be all daily priority that it once was. If I can fit in a walk, I am SUPER happy and I find myself wanting to walk more than anything else. I am slowly making my way back to my yoga practice and I know that I will eventually start running and lifting more regularly but for now, most of my energy goes to taking care of Finn and breastfeeding him. And it feels so absolutely right.
5. I have learned a new kind of strong.
The transition into motherhood has made my mantra, “I will figure it out.” Never have I been so resourceful, organized or determined in my whole life. Sometimes I’m like, “is this really me?”
I’ve also learned that sometimes being strong is being vulnerable and asking for and accepting help.
And then there is the whole single mom piece of it. It’s been the hardest thing but the best thing too. I want Finn to see this version of his mom…a mom that is determined, strong, patient, loving, vulnerable and open.
6. I say yes more and put myself out there.
While I am strong and capable, I very quickly learned that I cannot do this mom thing without support from others. I also realized how much I was longing for connection. I knew that it was up to me to take action on these two things.
I had to say yes when people offered to help and invited me to do things. I had to start reaching out to other people and being more proactive about connecting. This is SO not how I’m wired and has put me SO outside of my comfort zone but has been SO rewarding.
I have said yes to as many offers for help and connecting as possible. This has resulted in so many amazing conversations and provided so much help and support. I’ve also made some new mom friends, which has been really needed and really great.
I could keep going for another thousand words. Becoming a mom has been a huge blessing in my life, even though it’s not in the way that I imagined. I can see all of the lessons that I am learning through motherhood and single motherhood and I know they are life lessons that I was meant to learn. They will benefit me so much as a mom, as a daughter, as a teacher, as a writer and as a friend.
Thanks for being on this ride with me friends.
Love,
Jen
Relatable and loved that post. Thanks for sharing <3
Thanks so much for reading it Melissa.
I discovered your blog around the same time I gave birth – my Finn is 4 weeks younger than your Finn. 😉 Just wanted to say I have been following along with your motherhood experience and this post really sums up how I’ve been feeling about motherhood, too. Please keep writing posts about your experiences with Finn and how you’re feeling – your blog is very much appreciated all the way in Seattle!
Katie!!! Congrats on your Finn! 🙂 I really appreciate you reading and it’s always so nice to connect with other new moms.
Beautiful, mama. ❤️ What a crazy amazing thing that all along, he was meant to be yours and now he’s here, making you complete. You’re an incredible mom and he’ll never doubt your intense love and devotion to him.
Thank you so much and that is something that I have really been working through…the part about him being meant to be in my life. I do truly believe that and I’m so open to the lessons that I am meant to learn through loving him and being in his life.
I agree with a lot of your reflections and feelings around motherhood.
Thank you. It adds such a beautifully complex layer to our lives and experiences.
Beautiful. Just beautiful. I am so happy for you in this new stage of your life and how much happiness Finn is bringing you. ❤️
Thank you Joy. I feel so grateful for all of your kindness and support.
Thanks for sharing, especially your first point. That one hits close to home. I appreciate your openness, as always.
You are so welcome Amanda. Thank you for reading.
Thank you for sharing ❤️ As someone who knows they want to be a mother one day, it’s wonderful to hear a perspective for someone who wasn’t sure!
I love this Nicki. Just goes to show how different we all are and that there’s no one way. Sending love.
I very much enjoyed your post. I couldn’t agree more with each way that you mentioned. I think the number 1 for me was experiencing a new kind of love like never before. My girls (2 and 6) have given me a such happiness and brought back a child-like sense of wonder for me. Finn is adorable and you seem like motherhood was for you after all. That’s a wonderful thing.
Yes, that child-like sense of wonder is such an incredible gift that these babies give us. I feel like it’s a whole new world seeing everything through their eyes. So much gratitude.
As a long-time reader, I would say that I’ve also noticed a shift based on your blog posts. You were lovely before and after 😉 but since having Finn, you seem to have found a well of strength and joy that shines through in all of your posts. Thank you for sharing with us.
You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you.
Good for you Jen. You have a lot to be proud about.
Thank you so much. <3
Thank you for acknowledging how hard the first days of motherhood are. I felt the same way and really struggled after my husband went back to work and I had no adult interaction most days. I didn’t realize it’s normal to feel lonely and odd in this new life because most moms don’t talk about this time.
You are welcome. We have to talk about this kind of stuff. Other women telling me I wasn’t crazy and affirming how hard it was saved me.
What a great post. As someone who has been reading your blog since before you got pregnant, I have enjoyed seeing you grown into motherhood over the past several months.
I have been a mother nearly seven years; I gave birth to twin boys in January 2012. Motherhood changed me in some significant ways, too. Different ways than you, though. One change you experienced that resonated with me was the change in the relationship with my parents. I can really feel now how much they have always loved me, and I am more forgiving of my mother’s failings as a parent, since I now know firsthand what a hard job it is.
Hi Sharon – thank you so much for your comment and for sharing some of what the motherhood transition did for your relationship with your parents. I feel you so much on having more compassion for my own mother. <3
Wow, what a beautiful post. Normally I just lurk and read via Feedly, but I wanted to comment directly! You’re so beautiful, Jen, inside and out. What a remarkable post, thank you so much. (Also a dangerous and quite effective post! As in I would love to have a baby…) I really relate and it’s refreshing and affecting to hear about your experience. Thank you.
Hi Edith – thank you so much for taking a moment to leave a comment on this post and for your incredibly kind words.
Loved every bit of this post. I’m so happy for you Jen. Motherhood looks so so good on you 🙂
Thank you so much Erika. <3
I love thus post. So powerful. Purposeful. <3
Thank you Eva.