Pregnancy

So, when did you know that you were ready to be a mother?

For me, it was when I got married. It made sense, it was the best next move after doing lots of soul discovery during my 20s and got married to the love of my life right before I turned 30. It felt like a fairy tale and we were ready.

There was a nudge in me that wanted more time for myself to adjust to a new city. Like, hey it doesn’t hurt to want to go out and meet new people to build a new social circle. I can join the badminton and dragon boat team, yoga and pilates sessions. Maybe even start a side hustle. It was time to get fit and go on lots of hike and dinner dates with my husband, right? We can also travel the world and do several road trips around the Pacific North West. Why not.

It felt selfish when I was getting excited to all those things. I know, I know. Especially in this generation that praises DINKs, I am so basic in not wanting to just be a couple with no kids. My maternal instinct is kicking in hard and my husband if anything is more ready than I am to start a family.

By the way, I am not a fan even when I was single when women would mock pregnancy – a huge example and this was when I was in my second trimester during a Barbie showing. I was so turned off and disappointed that the show how much it was all about women supporting other women, it was not all inclusive. The fact that they “phased out” the Barbie who was pregnant was just a slap on faces of mothers. Do we truly expire after we get pregnant and give birth? That’s not fair.

What did I want? I was conflicted. I was ready but also I wasn’t. I asked around and the consensus was nobody is really ever fully ready to be a mom. No one prepares you to be a mother of a human being.

We are so filled with love and overflowing with it that we felt ready to try, at the very least.

So, we took the chance.

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Looking back, I realized something.

Maybe no one really knows when they’re ready. Some could be in the spur of the moment with someone they truly love and cared for, not worrying about the future. Some could be dictated by tradition and timeline where it was now or never. Some could be because it was the best next step in a relationship. All of those are valid. When there is love and of course, responsibility once the child is born, I truly believe that it can fit the story as well.

As for me, I never imagined this is what motherhood is all about. I simply had no idea. I am enthused in sharing the different topics and themes throughout my pregnancy and early motherhood that I wish I knew. 🙂

Feel free to share your thoughts publicly or privately. We are all in this together. And yes, dads – if you’re there and present, we appreciate you with all our hearts.

Motherhood is a personal journey into a different chapter of womanhood. Let us dive in!