#RealMotherhood during Maternal Mental Health Week

This week is Maternal Mental Health Week and I’ve seen a handful of mamas posting to follow this year’s #realmotherhood #noshame theme. So I walked through my house & took photos of what real motherhood looks like to me. It’s funny because pre-baby I would’ve been embarrassed by these photos, but now that I have entered a community of women that have honest discussions about real motherhood, I am able to give myself so much more grace & my perspective has so completely shifted.

| photo 1, note the natural cough syrup and big-as-yo-face coffee: what I see this morning is that I am privileged to be able to care for my child and go to the store to buy what she (and I) need ☕️ | photo 2, dishes: what I see is a well-fed family with no food insecurity | photo 3, life cereal. It’s what’s for breakfast. Got us out the door, nuff said | photo 4, my daughter’s room: I see a young child being raised up with playfulness and space of her own, l privileged to have so many toys and books to foster her imagination | photo 5, my room: I see that my husband served me in washing the clothes, that we are so lucky to have a washer & dryer in our home, and that somewhere in that pile I will find a clean bra to wear (hallelujah) | as many as 1 in 5 women will deal with maternal mood disorders, but how often are we having a real conversation about it? How hard are we working to change the culture so that the moms that come after us won’t have the same Donna Reed style expectations of what motherhood will look like for them? I know that I struggled with antepartum depression and have had highs and lows since having my daughter. I also know, though, that I am not alone in motherhood... that I have so much to be grateful for... and that a perspective shift can absolutely change everything ♥️♥️♥️ |