Becoming A Mother

Before the birth of my son, my husband and I had no real experience taking care of a child. We were in different countries from our parents, so we had to do it alone. We thought we were prepared. We got strollers, toys, and diapers (in excess). We thought we were ready. No one told us we would be sleep deprived for months. I was constantly on the edge. I was confused. Any little noise would make me jumpy. I wondered why no one had told me how hard it would be; it felt like there was a manual others had read that I hadn't. I was constantly overwhelmed.

I found out later that the reason it was that hard was because I have always struggled with my mental health and the birth of a child just exacerbated things. Transitioning into motherhood isn't a child's game, and if you are not at least 80% prepared, it will take a huge toll on your mental health. I wish people spoke about this more often. Rather than "when you have your child, everything else is easy." It isn't true. Yes, motherhood is a great thing, but it is also stressful, so you need to be prepared.

Ariana Peters

New Zealand