Freedom Finder

Today I had a mild break. It has happened with every new child that we have brought home. The demands of bringing a new child into our family has always created for me this deep dichotomy of  joy and claustrophobia. I have found so much of myself in being a mom and it has set me free in so many ways, but in the practical day to day of early "newborn" life I can't help but feel trapped.

Whether it's breastfeeding for 45 minutes every two hours or building and maintaining strong attachment, the early days of new caregiving require an intense amount of mommy time. While my husband would love to give his days and nights to these activities; biology, child preference and income requirements have put a natural barrier to my husband's undivided participation. In the early days of all of our children's lives most, if not all, of my time is spent at the mercy of a tiny dictator, namely the newest child.

 

Now, I'd hate for this post to be mistaken for a pity-party, woe-is-me, stay-at-home-mom-whine-fest. It most certainly is not. The joy I get from living my passion as a mom far surpasses the claustrophobia I feel. I believe nurturing my children is part of who I am made to be and as a way of living better into this reality of myself I want to find more freedom. Which feels basically impossible right as this very moment as it's taken me literally 10 minutes to write this paragraph because of the mom duties I've been called away on.

 

So here's the question. In the early days of new parenting when you can't decide when you get to shower, or sleep, or pee, or eat a meal; when you must decide what your kids will wear, eat, play with and when they will sleep, have screen time, or bathe; how in the world do you keep yourself sane?
Where do you find pockets of freedom without spending money, or leaving your house, or escaping away from your children? How do you find yourself without retreating into yourself?

Please comment below on how you find freedom. I'd love to build my repertoire and give ideas to others. Let's do this together, Mamas! Let's thrive as women in our homes, in our communities, in our world. Let's be all we are intended to be! Let's find a some freedom together!