Therapy for pregnant and new moms in Charleston and online for all of South Carolina.
Being a Mom doesn't have to to Suck!
It doesn't matter if you are a first-time mom, or have several kiddos; being a mom can be pure joy and excitement. It can also be a time of fear, doubt, exhaustion, and vulnerability. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there and even more unknowns. Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed, grateful, joyous and despairing all at the same time. How can that be?
Well-meaning friends and family may say:
- Isn’t this the best time of your life?
- Aren’t you just the happiest mom?
- Treasure this time with them, they’re only little once.
- Why aren’t you (insert personal none of their business statement here)?
- You know, when my baby was a newborn…..
- Are you going back to work?
- Are you staying home?
- Oh, it’s just the baby blues, you’ll be fine.
You may feel like saying:
- Yes, but... I’m crying a lot, I feel sad, and I can’t get control of my emotions
- I’m worrying all the time, I’m having difficulty concentrating
- I’m having scary thoughts about things happening to my baby
- I just want to run away for a few months and sleep
- Everybody else has their babies/life under control, what’s wrong with me that I don’t?
- It’s a no-win situation:if I go back to work, I feel like I should be spending more time with my baby, but if I stay out of work longer, the bills might start piling up.
"This isn't what I expected"
From social media, to TV commercials, friends, relatives and even the checkout clerk, people all seem to want to ask you questions and offer few to little support or solutions. You feel like you’re doing this alone, and you’re afraid you’re not enough for your baby. You might feel like you’re supposed to “just get over this” and “be normal already” so you can bond and have that Instagram-perfect Saturday morning with your new and changing family. These are all things that can make you feel like a bad mother for needing or wanting help. It can get better and you don’t have to be alone, drowning in the questions and fear.