Modern Motherhood Musings

You’re reading Modern Motherhood Musings, a weekly newsletter written from one mom to another. Each week I share an honest reflection on motherhood, and a collection of things bringing me joy. I’m passionate about community, and I hope that by sharing, we all feel a little less alone.

🖊 This week’s musing…

This week I’m diving into fear, and anxiety, and worry.

Quick disclaimer: PPD and PPA are very real things that should be discussed with and treated by professionals. The worrying I’m talking about here is the worrying we do naturally, as mothers.

I’m a worrier by nature, I’ve also suffered with medically diagnosed anxiety throughout my life. The minute I found out I was pregnant, my mind took off. Am I eating enough? Exercising enough? Did I feel any movement in the past hour? How will I know how to take care of a baby?

You tell yourself that once the baby arrives you’ll be able to stop worrying, but then you’re onto the next thing. Are they gaining enough weight? Are they reaching their milestones? What is this rash from? This article says that mom’s spend over 1,400 hours worrying about their baby’s health in the first year alone.

And I don’t think it changes once this season of toddlerhood is over. I think you’re just faced with new fears. Are they hanging out with the right crowd? Will they get into a good college? Are they safe?

Twice now, we’ve received notices that my son’s daycare had to shelter-in-place. While we’re thankful there are procedures in place, the reality of the world we live in is terrifying. How can you NOT live in fear?

While I still struggle daily, there are a few things I’ve found to be helpful:

• Say the worry out loud. Sometimes, the only thing I really need is to just get the thought out of my head, and to have someone else acknowledge my fear.

• Talk with other moms. It’s amazing how many of our worries are the same. Having conversations with fellow moms, especially those who have been through similar experiences, can be incredibly comforting and helpful.

• Faith. I realize this looks different for everyone, but my faith has been my rock. There have been countless nights where I’ve laid in bed consumed by fear and I’ve just had to say “God, I know I’m not in control, but you are”.

When I was pregnant with my firstborn, I prayed that he would grow up to be kind, and to love Jesus. I’ve started to use those as my guardrails when I begin to spiral. Is this affecting either of those goals? If not, it’s going to be ok.

What would putting guardrails around your worries look like?

P.S. This podcast on 3 Tips for Dealing with Anxiety by Jennie Allen is a good quick listen.

✨ Friday Favorites…

💄 The Five Minute Morning set from MERIT has made getting ready so easy! It’s so fast and foolproof to apply, and it’s given me the biggest confidence boost because I feel put-together and ready to take on the day!

👶🏼 Finding a reliable sitter can be a real challenge. That's why I'm loving the Bambino app - it lets you tap into your network to find trusted sitters and even filter for those with background checks or CPR certification.

☕️ I usually stick to coffee with milk, but my mother-in-law introduced me to this Chobani Creamer over the holidays, and it's been a game-changer. Made with real milk and real cane sugar, it comes in flavors like Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Sweet Cream 🤤. It's become my morning go-to ever since!

👯‍♀️ Creating Community

Each week, the Creating Community section will feature either a question or challenge. The goal is to inspire you to build community, because we all need each other.

Thank you for being here, I truly mean it. If you enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you’d forward it to a friend!

Happy Friday! I hope y’all have a great weekend!