Moms Who Make It Work

When I became a new mom, I was living in a neighborhood that was brand new, which attracted young families, like ours: brand new.   It was heavily populated with pregnant women – so much, in fact, that the Relief Society had a separate committee that coordinated dinners for new mothers once they returned from the hospital.   I felt somewhat comfortable in this new setting, knowing that I wasn’t experiencing motherhood alone.  There were others (many others) with whom I could discuss morning sickness, maternity clothes, cravings, false labor, expectations for the dreaded labor, and everything else that was a part of the pregnancy package. 

However, the connection ended there.  Once I returned back to work from my maternity leave, I wanted to discuss how to continue breastfeeding, dealing with separation anxiety and the guilt I felt leaving my baby for 8 hrs a day.  A whole new set of questions arose that could not be answered by these women: Does your baby seem extra anxious to nurse when they see you after work? How do you coordinate sleeping schedules/eating schedules/playing schedules with your baby while dealing with a working schedule as well? 

 These women were living my dream of staying home to raise their family.  They got to coordinate play dates at the local park, lunch dates at McDonalds, and be home when their children came home from school.  I dreaded going into work each day, and was sure my little girl would grow up a drug dealer or prostitute because I was not spending every minute with her.

My perspective soon had to change.  I started to realize that my daughter’s emotional/developmenal state would not be stunted because of my absence during the day, and that she still loved me.  And as for these other mothers who were not headed to 8-5 schedules outside of the home, they still had to make adjustments to their lives as well.  Some had side jobs that took them away from their mothering responsibility.  Some were dealing with illnesses and other life-changing events that were beyond their control.  They may not have been experiencing the same feelings and worries as me, but they were dealing with their own.

At the end of the day, what we did have in common was that we were all Moms trying to “make it work”. 

That was the inspiration behind starting this blog – to connect with women who were trying to perfect the life/work balance.  I have met amazing women whose lives differ – from upbringing, to family size, to responsibilities, to goals and dreams.  And the amazing thing is they seem to “make it work”!

I will be starting a new feature of “Moms Who Make It Work” where I feature a different mom every week and dissect what it is that makes her function.  What drives her? How does she handle what life throws at her? What are her secrets for other moms trying to make it work? 

Come back tomorrow to meet our first “Mom Who Makes It Work“!

(And if you have suggestions of someone you’d like to see featured, please email me at makeitworkmom@gmail.com)

Tagged as: me, moms, Moms Who Make It Work, Mother, working mom