Dear Momma:

I see you. I see the battle you fight every day. I see you struggle to get out of bed to answer those tiny cries. I see your desperate need to hand that baby off at the end of the day, the minute your partner walks in the door.

Dear momma, I see those tears. I feel the ache in your heart. I feel the loneliness & shame. And, I feel the immense love you can barely contain. Love so big it almost hurts. You thought you’d feel more joyful. Maybe you waited years for this precious moment. Maybe it was a spontaneous surprise. Any which way, you thought it would feel….better. Different. Somehow.

You expected more joy. More happiness. More light. Instead, there is darkness. Fear. Fatigue. Instead of fullness, you feel heaviness.

You worry for yourself. You worry for your family. You obsess over safety. You see your own weakness and shortcomings each day. They are constantly on your mind.

Dear momma, please reach out. In those darkest moments, dear momma, please know you are not alone. You have a whole sisterhood with you. We walk beside you.

I know you feel weak. You feel like a bad momma because you don’t want to hold your baby 24/7, because you want your body to be your own. Dear momma, I know you feel like you are failing because your baby is always crying and you don’t seem to know why. I know you feel like you fall short because you see smiling and “perfect” moms all around, while inside you feel like you’re dying.

Dear momma, I get it. You want to curl up in a ball and fall asleep. Maybe never wake up. You want to get a few minutes of peace. A minutes of alone time. A few minutes with your partner.

It’s a new world. A new reality. You are a new person in a new life. You are still who you were before, but now you are also so much more, momma. And it is that more that takes adjusting to.

So, dear momma, take a deep breath. Take a step back. Dear momma, look at that baby. Look at her bright eyes. Look at his wide grin – it’s brightest for you. Let that baby soften your heart. Let that baby soften the tears.

Dear momma, it’s overwhelming. Get someone to stand by your side. Even Moses needed someone to help him hold up his arms. This battle is won in community. It takes a village.

Dear momma, make sure you are taken care of. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help Don’t be ashamed to need medicine or a weekly appointment, if that’s what it takes.

Dear momma, that little one with the bright eyes and the heart melting grin? That little one needs you at your best. It’s ok not to be there yet, but work to get there. And, don’t give up the battle getting there.

The world needs this unique new warrior you. Remember? The you who is so much more? Yeah, the world needs that. Your partner needs that. Your little one needs that.

Battle on a little longer. Let that baby grip your finger and ground you to the fight. Find your people. Don’t.Give.Up. Battle on a little longer. You. Will. Beat. This.

I’m with you, dear momma. I see you. I feel you. I. Am. With. You.
Because I am there myself.

Dear momma, let’s battle on together.