Being a mom is absolutely the hardest job I have ever had. Sacrifice and parenting really do go hand in hand. You start by sacrificing your body, then comes the mental sacrifice with the lack of sleep and what feels like no downtime. That part gets better, but your sacrifices also begin to evolve with time. Maybe you sacrifice your bed when your little one has a nightmare or maybe it’s your time when you spend every day taking your kid to an endless amount of practices, games, and playdates. However, after talking with friends and other moms, I found that the thing that we seem to sacrifice the most is our mental health, something most of us don’t even realize.
Sure, I have plenty of the “Mama just needs a minute!” moments but it wasn’t until last week when I realized just how mentally exhausted I truly have been. As most of you know, we are currently expecting! I was browsing a few mom groups when someone mentioned something about different classes that Covenant Hospital offers and what a great resource it was. I decided to look it up and found that they are currently offering a prenatal yoga class. As a stay at home mom, I hardly ever get out, let alone without my kids. I also suffer from anxiety and stress so I found the time that best fit my schedule and decided I would give it a try. Y’all, this was life-changing.
If you haven’t taken a yoga class before, depending on the type, it is typically very peaceful and relaxing. This class was exactly that and as it turns out, exactly what I needed. It was a small class and most, if not all of the others were first-time moms who had a few questions and were just trying to relax and ease some of the discomfort and pain that pregnancy brings. At the end of the class, we wrapped up by listening to peaceful music playing in the background. The instructor had us lie on our mats in almost a fetal like position with a cushion between our legs to ease the pressure. She encouraged us to get comfortable and just relax. She told us to imagine a peaceful garden and think about the beautiful life that was growing inside of us at that very moment and then slowly turned the music down until it was completely silent. I honestly wasn’t sure exactly what to do. I loved every minute and was super relaxed and at peace. However, I also found myself starting to fill up with anxiety a few seconds later.
I realized it was because I can’t, for the life of me, remember the last time I was so relaxed and in such complete silence. I’m not sure about you ladies, but typically at our house, silence means my toddler is getting into something that he is most definitely not supposed to. I actually had to take a second to talk myself down and bring myself back to that “peaceful garden.”
After the class, as I was on my way home, I thought about how silly it was for me to get that worked up over a peaceful silence and realized that as a parent, it actually isn’t that too farfetched. Every day, from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep my brain is constantly at work listening for the kids, cleaning the house, getting ready for what the next day brings and so on. As moms, it can sometimes feel like our work is never done and we are constantly go-go-going. I am so grateful that I came across this class because even something as simple as this can give you the break that you really do need.
So, moms, I encourage you to take the break you probably don’t know you need. Take the class, grab some wine, take a bath, eat that chocolate you’ve been hiding or all of the above! I know it is hard and sometimes seems like there is just no way but there is. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of those sweet little babies!
If you’re interested in prenatal classes like the one I took, check the link here: https://www.covenanthealth.org/patients-and-visitors/for-patients/classes-events/maternity-events-and-classes/
