Sugarcoated Motherhood!

Well, Mother’s Day is round the corner! I do love being a mom. It gives me a huge sense of responsibility and makes my life purposeful. Becoming a mother is the most amazing feeling in the world. I still remember holding my new born son in my arms, with his teeny-weeny fingers popping out, wrapped and swaddled all the time. Most of the websites, picture motherhood as a rosy and dreamy experience, which completely puts the expecting mothers in a completely different gamut. But I have always been that very independent, loving my freedom-oriented person and for me motherhood unquestionably changed a million things! Along with the endless love for my child, came the demanding parts too, which I was never warned before.

I had always pictured motherhood, as me relaxing with my baby in my arms and watching my loved sitcom or as my baby is playing around me, I am able to take time and listen to my favourite music! Ah… my thoughts were straight out of a fantasy world maybe and far from the actual reality! How can I forget the sleepless nights, the diaper after diaper changing marathon, the endless stress, not to forget the postpartum depression and the unimaginable bad hormones! I still remember the times when I barely could leave my toddler alone and even take a bathroom break or even sit quietly for a moment to sip my hot coffee!

Learning the ropes of motherhood was not easy, I am still learning every single day handling my soon to be 8-year-old hyper energetic boy! Social media and books portray ‘perfect motherhood’ posts which makes many mothers think, where am I going wrong? The actual reality is far different from the articles we read about motherhood on internet or the dreamy pictures we end up seeing everywhere. I personally love motherhood, but there are so many days when I have almost given up on my well-built endurance and wish to sit and cry alone for some time, yet let me tell you, I so much love my child! Guess, this is the oscillating nature of being a mother that we never give up on the hardest struggles and we come back with full gusto!

But things change, the colic cranky exhausting baby phase and the 24×7 crying and tantrum meltdowns has given away to different growing up challenges! Motherhood brings never ending phases and keeps you on toes!

I am more of a mother who values her independence and my professional pursuits to a great extent that over the years I have learnt to manage my bundle of energy boy with more confidence and positive reinforcement from family and friends. Slowly yet steadily I found the rhythm to manage my work, my motherhood responsibilities with constant juggling the entire day!

I have never taken opinions from friends or family anything about parenthood, always followed my strong gut and instincts and shaped my motherhood journey. What I have learnt is, motherhood is more sugar coated on social media and books – the journey which starts from the 9-month pregnancy, to post pregnancy phases, to handling the new born, to be a part of each milestone of the baby, to gearing up for more raising up challenges is for us to experience and learn! No book can preach us unless we are put in the practical situations.

I know it does seem quite a task. I have learnt to embrace the hard parts of being a mother, it comes with the chaos and less sanity. But that does not mean, I don’t love this stress, the moment my son hugs me and says I love you Mama, makes the sugar-coated motherhood part meaningful and beautiful!

There’s no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one – Jill Churchill

To all the Supermoms out there Happy Mother’s Day!!!