Goodbye 2020, hello new motherhood!

We have officially made it through 2020, one of the most trying, upsetting, unknown, and discouraging years!  I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but be hopeful for 2021 and the opportunities for change and progress it might bring.  

Although as we ring in the new year, the date changes, the transition into the new year is gradual and unfolds over time. There is unfortunately no magic 2021 pill that makes everything better (if there was, I’d be telling you about THAT instead).

The transition into the new year seems to parallel a new mother’s transition from pregnancy to early motherhood. There is a definite change with the arrival of a newborn, but the transition into motherhood (whether for the first or 10th time), is gradual as you begin to learn about your purpose in the role as mother and as you begin to get to know your little.

There are many changes which occur as a new mother. Your roles in each relationship will change. You will be responsible for not only your body and life, but that of your newborn’s as well. You might encounter new challenges in your relationship with your partner as jealousy, frustration, and even resentment love to show their true colors during this time. And your relationship with yourself will also change (and might be challenged at times).

Not unlike the transition from 2020 to 2021, the transition into motherhood brings much of your past with you.  You’re still the same person you were before giving birth, but you have grown and changed in ways which might not be immediately apparent. Although you’ll encounter many new obstacles, events, relationships, difficulties, and triumphs, you’ll bring along the person you were before you became a new mom with you.

When everything is new and uncertain, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and uneasy. Get in touch with yourself, the person you have always known, and lean in to what makes you feel good and full.

Maybe committing time to self-care, taking a gentle stroll to clear your racing mind, or playing your favorite song will help you connect with yourself. 

While we have lost so much and endured so much hardship in 2020, we have also had the opportunity to learn so much from our community, ourselves and the people we are becoming. Take these hard earned lessons with you and hold onto what you’ve learned as you go forward. Just as you would as a new mother, connect with your values, experiences, and sense of self as you grow and evolve into the year ahead of you.