Transitions are a part of everyday life. We transition into new jobs, schools, homes, relationships. You name it and we have probably transitioned into it at some point. You would be hard pressed though to find a transition more difficult, more life changing, more emotional, and more impactful than the transition into motherhood.

With women starting families later in life, the transition into motherhood can be even more difficult than what has been experienced in generations before us. Women today have careers, homes, friends, charitable responsibilities, family commitments, etc. well before they even begin to consider adding a baby into the mix. Those accountabilities are what go into the “mom” we eventually become, logistically and existentially, but they also make that transition even more impactful. In turn more and more women are struggling with the adjustment into life as “mom”, as well as the anxiety, guilt, and unknown that are natural components of the job.

Let’s break it down. As a mom you are sent home, bruised and battered, from the hospital with a brand-spanking new little angel to raise and protect. Within the first few hours, your new bundle-of-joy begins to test your knowledge, stamina, and willpower, and they do not stop until…. well, actually now that I think about it, do they ever stop? Please do not get me wrong, kids and motherhood are amazing. Being “mom” is the greatest job I have, and will ever have in my life. It is rewarding, inspiring, and truly teaches you the important things in life. But it is tough. The job is tough. The transition is tough. The loss of control over your schedule, your life, is tough.

In the end, the sooner we recognize that the transition into motherhood is not all rainbows and kisses; it is lonely, frightening, and exhausting beyond reason; the sooner we will be able to support and nurture new moms during their transition.

By Katherine Biggs, MSCP