There was a moment after I became a mom when I looked around and thought:
"Wait... nobody warned me about this."
Not the sleepless nights. Not the diapers. Not even the physical recovery.
Nobody warned me that I would grieve parts of my old life while being completely obsessed with my baby.
I loved her more than I knew was possible.
But I also missed spontaneous dinners. Sleeping in. Leaving the house without packing what felt like an entire apartment.
And the guilt that came with those feelings was overwhelming.
Because aren't mothers supposed to be grateful?
One mom recently shared:
"I felt guilty for missing who I was before becoming a mom. I thought something was wrong with me."
Nothing was wrong with her.
And nothing is wrong with you.
Motherhood is one of the only experiences where two opposite emotions can exist at the same time.
You can love your baby deeply and still miss your freedom.
You can feel grateful and overwhelmed.
Connected and lonely.
Fulfilled and exhausted.
The truth is, becoming a mother isn't just the birth of a baby.
It's the birth of an entirely new version of you.
And sometimes that means saying goodbye to pieces of who you used to be.
Not because they're gone forever.
But because you're growing into someone new.
Nobody warned me about that.
Maybe they should have.
Because the moment I stopped fighting those feelings was the moment I finally felt like myself again.
