Mama Bear Mode
7 days left before I get to meet my baby love, I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It’s bitter sweet because I’m physically tired of being pregnant, but I don’t want to share him with the world. As I descended into (new) mommy bear mode, I reflect on 7 things in the past 10 months..
Planning - Though my pregnancy was planned, you can never be prepared for everything that life may throw at you. One thing that I’ve learned about planning is that when plans change, you just shift to your new plan. Your plan may change multiple times before you figure out what’s going to work best for you. Be flexible.
Surviving Pregnancy Alone - I use the term alone lightly, because I’m never alone. My kids have a village, just as I grew up with one. But, going through it without the one person you started it with can be tough at times. If this is your life now, let me tell you that you will get through it just as I did. Focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, the baby that you’re carrying. Focus on giving him/her a healthy mom - physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
Coparenting - Life events will truly show you who a person is, and when you have a kid together it’s important to figure out the “gray area” of coparenting. I’ve been coparenting for almost 4 years, and because I’m the type of person that will figure it out myself, there’s never been any issues. Being pregnant, there were things I had to fall back from, which caused friction. The lesson I learned here is let the other parent do what they feel is best, but protect your kids from low quality experiences. They’ll see who was always there.
Boundaries - Make sure you have them! In every area of your life. Because of my journey, there’s nothing anyone can tell me about my kids. I’m the only one that is here with them on a daily basis, therefor I expect others to respect the boundaries I create and the decisions I make, especially their dads. I’ll never stop them from being in their lives, but the minute I feel disrespected, a boundary is created. You don’t have to deal with those low quality experiences that you’re trying to save your kids from. Patience - I move really fast in life and I’m always wanting everyone to be on the same speed as me. Patience really is a virtue. I‘m really slowing down, literally because I’m pregnant. I’m taking everything one day at a time and living in the moment. I’ve been blessed to get everything I want, all I have to do is be patient. Take your time
and focus on one thing at a time - you have time.
Staying true to you - I look at this in 2 ways: not letting anyone change you and standing your ground. I’ll always walk in kindness and love, because that’s who I am. Don’t let life experiences change you. You can be kind, but stand your ground. As I prepare for my son to come into this world, there’s no one that can overrule my decisions or change my mind about anything. Do what works for you, no matter what other people say.
Motherhood - I was made for this. As a Virgo, I’m a healer. I naturally give out love and healing energy, which allows me to excel at motherhood. The past 5 years I’ve been able to navigate through motherhood no matter what came my way. From finishing my BA and completing my MBA, to advancing my career and preparing for my next degree - I’ve done everything I said I was going to do while being a mom. I’m determined to give them the best life, no matter the circumstance. Confidence is key. You are or will be, a great mom.
When it comes to my kids, I’m definitely protective like a mama bear. I’ll never take any offense against my kids lightly, no matter who you are. They’re my most prized possessions and my sole purpose in life is to protect what I birthed. I‘m nervous for this next part of my journey, because I dont have all of the answers. But I’m excited, because I‘ll only elevate from here.