Self-Worth Practices to Support My Transition to Motherhood
— EPISODE 50 —
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As my due date approaches, I’ve been reflecting on becoming a mother.
In this solo episode of Unconditionally Worthy, the last episode of Season 3 and the last one I’m recording before going on maternity leave, I’m talking about self-worth practices that are supporting my transition into motherhood. Even if you’re not pregnant or you’re not a parent, I bet you’ll find this episode useful and these practices applicable to your own life. So, let’s get into it!
There’s so much pressure in our society to become a mother and a wife, so many expectations for mothers and wives to be perfect and selfless, and for these identities to be primary for them. For some people, that’s true and that’s totally okay! But for me, I’ve never felt drawn to identify primarily as a wife or a mother. I think it’s important for all of my identities and roles to be acknowledged. I don’t like the idea of losing myself and who I am in the midst of transitioning into this new identity.
With that said, I’m very excited to enter motherhood, this new phase of life! It’s going to be really interesting to see how myself and the people around me respond to how I embody motherhood.
I have two expectations going into motherhood: I expect my heart to burst when I meet my baby girl and I expect my world to be turned upside down!
As I venture into this new role and this new phase of life with so many unknowns and uncertainties, I’m planning to draw strength and wisdom from the self-worth practices that I talk about here on Unconditionally Worthy: Self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, self-compassion, and asking for help.
Self-Acceptance
With transitions come a lot of change and adaptation. With the inevitable changes that come from birthing a child, self-acceptance is going to be a key practice for me. My body has been changing and will continue to change, my energy levels, my priorities, my interests - so many things are going to change! Accepting these changes with love and without judgment will support me throughout this transition into motherhood. With whatever challenges or changes I experience in the next few months, I have the ability to be deeply accepting of them.
Self-Forgiveness
I’ve never been a mom before and I really haven’t spent much time being responsible for infants and young children! So, the learning curve is steep and I know that I’m going to make mistakes. Thus, I am committing to practicing self-forgiveness through all the ups and downs. It’s not helpful to beat myself up and blame and shame myself when I make a mistake. The best thing I can do is acknowledge the mistakes I make and give myself grace and know that I don’t have to get it right every single time. My intention is to show up for my child, be responsive to her needs, and be loving and nurturing. These values will guide me and even when I miss the mark, I can always return to these values. When I forgive myself, I can move forward with much more ease and compassion.
Self-Compassion
As I become a mother, I will be practicing self-compassion pretty much nonstop. I want to be mindful of my physical and emotional experiences and since I do not do well with a lack of sleep, I’m fully and compassionately embracing the potential roughness of that in the near future. Tuning into myself and my thoughts will help me stay mindful. Reminding myself that sleep deprivation and the emotions that come with that are normal struggles for parents will help me avoid blaming myself. It’s all part of the journey! Offering myself as much kindness, care, grace, and compassion as possible will definitely be a key part of my post-partum life.
Asking For Help
I KNOW that I cannot do this motherhood thing alone. Over the years, I’ve gotten better at asking for help, but I could still use some practice… Going into motherhood, I really want to lean on my loved ones and allow others to show up with me and for me throughout this transition. As they say, it takes a village! So, receiving help and allowing others to remind me of my strength and worthiness, especially when I’m having trouble accessing that myself, will greatly benefit me, my husband, and our baby girl.
To continue connecting to my unconditional self-worth throughout this monumental transition, I’m going to be reminding myself of these powerful practices, both in the hard times and the not-so-hard times.
If you’re starting a new job, a new relationship, or moving through any other transition or new phase of life… how can practicing self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, self-compassion, and asking for help be supportive of you? At the core, embracing our unconditional self-worth is about showing up for and with ourselves and treating ourselves with compassion and grace. This is a powerful way to get to a place where we truly believe we are unconditionally worthy.
Want to know more about these self-worth practices? Grab your copy of my FREE e-book, 4 Practices to Connect to Your Unconditional Self-Worth: www.dradiagooden.com/freee-book
See you in September for Season 4 of The Unconditionally Worthy Podcast! Until then, take care! In case you missed any episodes from Seasons 1-3, catch up here: https://dradiagooden.com/podcast
Watch the full video interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/G-L_7hHLM3w
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