Ok, so here it is.

When I fell pregnant it was quite a surprise. Living in a caravan, planning a huge wedding, saving money, paying debt, plans to travel. Things were pretty great. I always wanted children and my now husband and I were open to the pregnancy and nervously excited. 

We moved into a small cottage in the countryside, I left work and eagerly awaited our baby. I felt excited, loved up, with a giddy spark in my step. I couldn’t wait to birth my baby, I had visions of birthing at home, in the pool, with all my birth partners with me.

I had visions of playing with my baby, meeting friends in coffee houses, loving feeding. I didn’t mind the idea of waking once or twice in the night. I was confident I would know what to do after seeing so many friends do it, all having a great time, loving, smiling, nurturing.

I heard so many stories about how in love you feel post birth and hanging out with the baby at home while watching films and drinking tea. 

My expectations were high, my vision was rosy, I was ready to become a mother.

The reality...

My birth was in hospital, one of my birth partners not allowed in with me, my mum saying she would have to leave because the nurses told us there were too many people on the room, vomiting, needles in my back, lying on my back strapped to beeping machines. 48 hours of labour, I pushed to the depths of hell, fortunately I only had minimal tearing, but he came out with no assistance.

I remember feeling completely out of my mind, happy, relieved, exhausted, overwhelmed.

I didn't sleep at all, no rest for 3 days.

Two days after we arrived home, I came out of my blurry post birth head and my entire physical and psychological being plummeted.

For weeks and months I cried every day, I felt physically sick with regret, I dreaded the feeds and I hated doing it. I felt resentful he didn’t sleep. I felt alone, detached, angry. I hated being a mum, it felt wrong, I wanted my old life back. I felt like I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I had to pretend to enjoy it in public, I never told the NHS because I was afraid they would take him away.

I was suicidal with thoughts of running with the buggy into the road so a fast lorry would take us both down. He didn’t deserve this, he didn’t ask to be born. I looked into adoption, asked my husband if he could give him up.

I was riddled with guilt, how could I feel like this, no one else does. Why does everyone else enjoy this, why did they not find this hard?? What was wrong with me?

I was so depressed, conflicted, utterly sleep deprived, only 3-4 hrs broken sleep per night for 5 months.

Can you relate to this?

You are not alone!

Some breakthrough moments

Then after about 6 months I got a bit more sleep. I was pretty vocal about how I was feeling and what was going on. I battled my way through another 4 months, getting better but not brilliant.

But then I had a major motherhood melt down at 10 months.

This release of built up tension, stress, emotion, energy, led me to my turning point of recovery.

I learnt how profound and overwhelming becoming a mother is, I learnt how to reconnect with myself, to rediscover my passions, to build my confidence, my awareness, my acceptance of this new role. 

After that first year I began to feel in tune with being a mother, I was enjoying it, moving forward with it.

The love came flooding in and I began to learn so much more about my incredible, beautiful child. 

I came to learn and to love the new me. The MOTHER ME. 

I had a very rocky start loss of grief for my old life, suicidal thoughts, exhausted beyond belief with no hope of ever getting back to being me, having my own thoughts, or even having any part of life back.

But I took a path of positive change, and I made a conscious decision to change my life.

YOU ARE A WARRIOR

Motherhood is so hard, it throws up a whole new world of challenge. We are constantly learning.

But the best way we can learn, understand, nurture, respect and give support to other mothers and prepare other mothers is to talk about this.

To normalize and to share our truths so we can help each other and celebrate each other.

WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN

Remember: you’ve got this, and the sisterhood has got your back.

Come join ‘The Connected Mother Collective’ we are waiting for you.