Becoming a mother and the willingness to sacrifice whatever is asked of you for your child's well-being took on a new meaning this past year. During a state of declared pandemic, so much has been different when conceiving, navigating pregnancy, and giving birth—probably nothing like you dreamed about.
The Challenges of Being a Mother in 2020
To reduce the risk of coming in contact with the illness circulating throughout our communities, mothers had to drastically shift their plans and expectations of early parenthood. For many, less support during a hospital birth may have changed your birthing plan or support right after birth. Also, due to the pandemic, some families had to forego or limit family visits and even delay self-care practices like chiropractic adjustments or prenatal massages.
But, as a mom with a child to raise, finding the silver lining is sometimes the best you can do to remain strong for your family. Maybe your silver lining is being able to spend your pregnancy and postpartum period with your partner while working from home? Or, not having to pick between taking your baby to daycare or staying at home is/was your ray of light?
For many, the pandemic caused an array of worries about job safety, personal safety, and even what the future would look like after the pandemic ended. For the non-essential workers, working from home was like a double-edged sword; great for being at home with kids, but also challenging to find the balance between work and personal life.
Home Births & the Pandemic
For many moms who fantasized about delivering by home birth, the pandemic was the nudge that they needed to achieve this dream. For others, losing a job may have been a blessing in disguise, a catalyst for staying home with their baby for a little longer before looking for work. The pandemic also may have been the helping factor for moms to decide not to go back to work at all.
Ranging Experiences for Moms
All moms are different, just as each experience of the pandemic has been different. While the pandemic and the times that we live in are unprecedented, the strength of moms in 2020/2021 has been unprecedented as well. No matter your circumstances or the experience your family has endured in the last year, your love for your child grows, and so does your heart.
