Being Mum

No one actually prepares you for how life changing becoming a Mum is. You prepare for pregnancy. You prepare for the birth. You prepare for a baby. But then one day you wake up and find that your perspectives on life and your priorities have completely changed, you are a mother. I love the quote;

“Making the decision to have a child – It’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

– Elizabeth Stone

For me, these words epitomise what being ‘Mum’ is.

Personally, motherhood has brought many changes to my life. As well as sharing the love of a wonderful child with my husband and family, I no longer work outside the home and I find that I have less money, time and energy for some of the activities and indulgences I used to enjoy.

Sleep ins, pedicures, massages, cafe bought coffee (everyday!) and magazines are just some of the little things which happen much less frequently then they did in the past. And I am okay with that as it just means that when I do have the opportunity to indulge, it all seems so much more luxurious. Well I can sort of dream it does anyway…

A coffee and a new magazine are still a thrill, I just now have to share the experience with an inquisitive, busy toddler! So a babycino and my neverfail handbag item – $2 shop stickers – mean I get about two pages read in peace, which is better than nothing!

What do you have less time, money and energy for now you are a Mum? Have you tried to reclaim some personal indulgences or hobby time? I would love to hear your stories about balancing being Mum with being you!

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9 Comments

  1. What a gorgeous quote! It's so true! Motherhood has been the hardest thing I've done but the most rewarding.

  2. Time, money, and energy are all in short supply these days. But I find them when and how I can. I try to maintain meaningful friendships with other moms–not just that we spend time together because we both have kids, but that we try to do things we enjoy, sometimes with our kids, sometimes without. And surprisingly, one thing that is a real sanity-saver for me is freelance proofreading work. My 9-5 job is as a child care provider, which means I'm Mom even when I'm at work. But when I do proofreading work, I get to be just a professional woman, no talking about poops or biting or who took what away from who.

    I love being a mom, and my kids are the biggest part of my life. But I'm working hard to make sure they're not all of it, that there are regions of my brain I can still call my own. And in addition to saving my sanity, I feel strongly that I'm setting an example for them: that being a good parent (or being good at anything in life) doesn't and shouldn't mean you're that to the exclusion of all else.

  3. Ah so true! I remember thinking back in the good old days when we were just trying to get pregnant.."Do I really want to do this? My life will change forever!!!"

    Of course my life did change and most things will never ever be the same. I miss some things but not too much these days. I used to try and divide myself up between Mum things and Me things but recently I've decided that just doesn't work for me. I'm a mum all the time regardless of what I am doing and I love it best of all… that doesn't mean I sacrifice everything I want, it means I do my best to make things work for everyone in my family… which is pretty much how it was when I was just a wife.

    Anyway ramble ramble… great topic!

  4. I think the biggest shock for me about becoming a mum was the non-stop of it all. People tell you about it, but until you are there… Although I was busy at work, I still had weekends, sleep-ins, long lunches etc, etc. I wouldn't trade it for anything though. These days I make luxuries out of little things. I REALLY enjoy a bubble bath, or a glass of wine and a DVD, or a piece (or block!) of chocolate, or an uninterrupted conversation or cuddle with my husband.

  5. Green Mama says:

    For me (and I suppose every other mother on the planet) the biggest shock to my system was the fact that I would be constantly 'on call' for eternity, that there would be no RDOs, time off or public holidays. I'm very lucky to have wonderfully supportive parents who love being grandparents so I manage to sneak off by myself fairly regularly, especially now that I'm not breastfeeding every 3 hours.

    Great post!

  6. That is one of my most favorite quotes of all time.

    I carry my camera wherever I go, just my subject matter has changed over the years. And my blog, I make time to blog.

  7. So true! I was so overwhelmed with this feeling when I had my daughter and took a while to come to terms with it. The biggest thing I still struggle with is having to wait until my husband is home before I can do something alone, or asking my parents before the two of us can go out just us. It feels a little like asking permission 🙁

  8. Ahhh… I think all mummies have less time for almost everything! I used to read quite abit of fiction, but now I'm finding it hard to find time to do so!… However, I'm trying my best to at least get enough rest if possible, and still try to make time to blog and craft, just to keep my sanity! 🙂

  9. I miss my sleep ins and having time to do whatever I want to do. I miss the flexibility of being child-free – getting in the car and going wherever I want whenever I want.

    But, I am so happy being a mum. I love it and I love the new experiences and friendships I have. I try to socialise as much as I can with other mums – with and without our babies. This has been a life-saver.

    I've just been inspired to get crafty again and I've been having fun in the evenings making cards. It feels good to be creative again. I actually am doing more now than I did when I was working and was baby free!

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