How I Learned To Trust My Motherhood Journey

The day that I became a mom my whole life changed. I became a mom in 2016 and there have been tons of ups and downs along the way. In light of Mother’s Day celebrations yesterday, I really started to ponder on what motherhood looks like for me and how I’ve slowly, but surely, learned to trust my motherhood journey.

I’ll admit, it’s not easy and it can be exhausting trying to maintain who you are in the midst of such a significant life change. I shared a lot of these frustrations in some of my very first posts here on the blog. They were all about why I decided to become a stay-at-home mom, universal truths about becoming a mom, and how to stop mom bashing once and for all.

It’s safe to say, I was deep in the trenches of new motherhood and I knew that there was no way that I could be alone in this. Eventually I found my footing (and my confidence) and I decided to approach motherhood as my 100% authentic self. Similar to Finley Sinclair in the upcoming film: Finding You.

So today I’ll be sharing three ways that I learned to trust my Motherhood Journey and mom on my terms.

Three ways that I learned how to mom as my most authentic self:

1. I Started To Trust Myself

If I can give any new mom a solid piece of advice, it would be to trust yourself. You are that baby’s mama and you should 100% trust the decisions you make for your baby. In the beginning of my motherhood journey I used to doubt every decision and any sort of negative feedback would ruin my entire day.

Fast forward almost 5 years and three children later and now, I’m confident in the decisions I make for my little ones and let any negative comments roll off of my back. That’s not to say that I don’t ever get offended or that I’m never unsure when making important decisions. Quite the opposite actually (more about that in tip #3).

I am however confident in the power that lies in the fact that God gave me my children for a reason and no matter what I’m faced with, I always strive to make the best decisions for MY family. That means that sometimes my decisions won’t look like everyone else’s and that’s okay!

At the end of the day, you are the true expert when it comes to your children. Rest in that truth and soon you’ll be standing firm and confidently behind the decisions that you make.

2. I Learned To Find Autonomy

This one is a biggie! Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I worked full-time and was able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Becoming a stay-at-home mom seemingly stripped me of who I was and for a while there I was tossed to and fro with each day that went by.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after my bout with postpartum depression that I realized the importance of autonomy in motherhood. For me, I had to find a sense of autonomy again in order to not become overwhelmed or resentful.

I’ll admit that attempting to find autonomy in motherhood is hard and it has only worked for me when I’ve searched for mini pockets of ‘me-time’ throughout the day. Being a mom requires a ton of sacrifice and sometimes you just need a moment to yourself.

For me some days that looks like taking a drive, going to get my nails done, or simply eating alone. If you’re struggling with feelings of overwhelm ot you feel resentment creeping in, try and get a moment for yourself. Even if it’s just for five minutes, it could change the entire course of your day.

3. I’m Thankful For Grace

Remember in tip #1 when I said that just because I trust myself as a mother, it didn’t mean that I”m never offended or unsure – well this is why!

Grace my friends. That’s right. In this journey called motherhood, I believe that there is grace for each of us! Keeping this truth in the forefront of my mind has helped me to be a bit gentler with myself when I mess up.

It gives me the room I need to learn myself as a mom and recognize what does and doesn’t work for me without constantly beating myself whenever I make a mistake. So on days when I lose my temper and am feeling like the worst mom in America, I remember that this one moment doesn’t define my entire journey as a mother.

Instead I learn from it, move forward and equipped with my lessons learned, I view each day as a new opportunity to be the best mom that I can be.

By doing these three things, I’ve learned to fully embrace motherhood and trust my journey. Motherhood looks different for each of us but it’s our unique perspective and approach that defines what being a mother means to us.

What ways have you learned to embrace your unique motherhood journey?