What if the purpose of motherhood is to give you an opportunity to be a whole new person?
If you are a mom, you know by now that you walk out of that hospital room an entirely new person than before delivering your baby. It’s almost like you have a baby and all of a sudden you’re looking out into the world through a different lens, through someone else’s eyes. I can name at least 13 ways being a mom has changed me.
It all starts when you look in the mirror and you don’t even recognize yourself. From there, you look at your partner and the way they are cuddling your newborn and you realize things feel different with your partner (they feel better). After that, every opinion you have and decision you make is altered.
The postpartum season sweeps you off your feet and you’re hit with a whirlwind of emotions and you have no choice but to tackle this incredibly tough transitional period as a new person.
You’re getting to know this new version of your partner and the role they are playing as dad or mom as well as getting to know your new baby, all while not having a clue who you are. You focus on getting to know your baby and tend to their needs, probably without even realizing that you’re not “you” anymore.
You know things feel different by now, but you don’t really understand the intensity of this until it’s time to “pick up” your old life. You start feeling like “yourself” again and you’re getting a grasp on this whole motherhood thing, so you think you’re ready to jump into the interests you had pre-baby. Friends are calling you asking you to and do XYZ and you give every excuse under the sun to not come… “Oh I would! That sounds so fun but the baby didn’t sleep last night” or “Aww man maybe next time, the baby is fussy and teething.” One by one you start realizing how different you really are…
The things you used to once love, don’t seem to interest you anymore.
You have a hard time finding anything to wear because your wardrobe just doesn’t seem like “you” anymore. It takes you forever to find a song to listen to on your playlist because this music isn’t your taste anymore.
Here is your reminder: The pre-baby version of you is the “old you.” And who you are the second you walk out of that hospital is the “new” you.
After every stage and season of motherhood from newborn to baby to toddlerhood and beyond, you are peeling back the layers more and more, and being exposed to the truest and most authentic version of yourself. But what if that’s the purpose of motherhood? How fortunate are we to be able to meet a new version of ourselves… the version of ourselves that’s the most genuine to who we were always meant to be. Being a mom doesn’t need to be our only identity, but it can be an opportunity to be the best and strongest version of ourselves.
Throughout motherhood, there are always lessons displayed right in front of us and these lessons aren’t just us teaching our children how to be better people in the world, but also helping US be better!
Here are 13 ways being a mom has changed me and made me a better version of myself:
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More patient
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More understanding
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More compassionate
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More present
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More confident
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More vulnerable
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More self-respect
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Better professional
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Take more accountability
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More selfless
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Better at time management
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More productive
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Easy to ignore negativity
This is just to name a few and I am sure there are 100’s more. Giving life not only changes you on a cellular level but this is a miracle that just happened… your motives are going to change and with that, YOU are going to change… and that is a beautiful thing.
Take the time to get to know this new version of you, not shame this new version of you.
Welcome the new you with open arms and get excited for the journey that’s about to come.
We hope you enjoyed, “13 Ways Being a Mom Has Changed Me”. For more from Chloe, read My Decision to Start Working Again.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a difficult postpartum season of transition, here is some more information you may find helpful.
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