The Many Joys (and Many Challenges) of New Motherhood

The Many Joys (and Many Challenges) of New Motherhood
By Janet Gross

More and more women today are choosing to have children later in life. They are pursuing higher education and fulfilling careers before they marry and start a family. Transitioning from full-time employment to full-time mom can be a difficult challenge for many women. It is often a mix of emotions as a woman navigates the challenges of her new daily life, whether she has stay-at-home status or she is balancing the demands of work and family caregiving. No matter what the challenge, the journey one takes with a new baby does not have to be taken alone. There are many resources out there to make the challenges of new motherhood a little smoother.

Surf the web.
Talking to other moms and sharing your feelings can be immensely reassuring. Online chat rooms like www.mamasource.com give you the opportunity to talk with women about your experiences and get different perspectives on a variety of topics.

Read up.
There are many helpful books on this subject. The Mother Trip: Hip Mama’s Guide to Staying Sane in the Chaos of Motherhood by Ariel Gore and Ellen Forney and The Mommy Chronicles: Conversations Sharing the Comedy and Drama of Pregnancy and New Motherhood by Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett are two great books that help dispel the stereotypes of what a mom “should be” and invite the reader to create their own version of motherhood.

Find YOU time.
Look for something geared more towards you as an individual and not as you as a mom. Explore your passions and set some time for yourself, even if it is just for an hour. Check out a yoga class or check out the local library where you can find some inner balance. Join a book club or have a “girl’s night out” where you can have space to be a woman and not just a mom.

Join a support group.
Mothers & More is a national organization now serving 7,500 moms. Local chapters can be found all over the U.S and are structured to support women dealing with the joys and challenges of motherhood. Find them at: www.mothersandmore.org

Our First Class at the Winnetka Community House, starting April 15, is a 10-week class that offers new moms a place to meet other women with newborns, share their feelings and experiences, find support and a safe environment for their 3-10 month olds to play and learn. For more information on this class, please contact Janet Goss at 847-446-8060.

Janet Goss, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed professional counselor at Family Service of Winnetka-Northfield. This article was published first in the Spring-Summer 2008 issue of Early Childhood.