New Mama Voices Pt. 1
Building a support system during pregnancy and into motherhood is the framework for creating a strong, sustainable, and empowering environment for yourself and your family. The Nurtured Collective’s mission is to create unity amongst women who are passionate about eliminating the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, eating disorders, body image, and societal pressure towards perfectionism. Through sharing their own unique experiences of pregnancy, birth and beyond, these women are opening the doors towards empowering others to see their own strength and power that comes with having a baby amongst extremely difficult circumstances. This motherhood series is meant to inspire and unite women, reveal how badass their bodies truly are, and build upon the intense love and adoration that accompanies bringing your new little human into the world.
Here are their stories…
“After 37 hours of intense and painful labor, I gave birth to our sweet daughter, Olivia. When the doctor placed our baby on my chest, I immediately cried. Nothing could prepare me for the overwhelming love I immediately felt for our daughter.
Then, reality set in. I could hardly walk up the stairs when I came home from the hospital, as my body was recovering from carrying a child for nine months and giving birth. I had to feed Olivia every few hours. I did not realize that breastfeeding does not come naturally to every mom. I did not realize how painful it can be. I was tired. The nights were the hardest. Sleeping for an hour at a time really takes a toll on your mental wellbeing. Finally, there were times when Olivia cried and cried. Nothing we did consoled her.
The fatigue, pain, and emotional exhaustion were more than overwhelming. On several occasions I thought to myself, I can’t do this anymore. But as a mother, you can’t quit. You find a way to keep going for your child. All it took was one glance at my daughter to realize that I would go through the labor pains and sleepless nights a million times just to hold my baby girl.
There will undoubtedly be times as our daughter grows that I will once again tell myself I can’t do this anymore. But what I’ve learned is that a mother’s strength is unparalleled and never ending. To all of the moms out there giving their all and making sacrifices every day, keep up the great work. You are so much stronger than you know.”
- Jenna
“Motherhood for me is all about living daily life in 15, 30-minute increments lol... constantly looking at the clock to see how long baby has been awake or if his nap time is near. I guess the most surprising thing for me right now as a new mom, is how much focus and research I put into baby sleep and naps.
We had Nathan in March, at the beginning of this pandemic, so our lives were not impacted as much as they are now for expecting parents. I guess a positive to all of this is that we live in a cleaner world. I wish going out with the baby was more “normal” and we didn’t have to worry about wearing masks every place we go.
I try not to be hard on myself when it comes to my body. I’ve accepted that having a baby transformed it in many ways. I wish I had more time to focus on exercising, but I know that eventually gyms will reopen, or Nathan will grow big enough to put him in a jogging stroller. I’ve been wearing some of my maternity clothes for a while now, but I do look forward to fitting in pre pregnancy clothes one day!
Maintaining sanity and self-care are a must for me! I never really knew, as a first-time mom, how challenging some days can be! Even on the toughest days where I’m in tears because I’m tired or feeling overwhelmed with a fussy baby, I remind myself of all the things I’m grateful for, like baby and I are healthy and that I’m able to stay home with him. My husband Chad is a wonderful support, and constantly lets me know what a great mother I am.”
- Heather
