The Identity Shift of Becoming a Mom

Have you considered what motherhood means to you, and how you are going to integrate that, with your current identity? How do you feel about the words sacrifice and devotion? Sophie McEntee is here to tell us why becoming a mom can be such a messy process, and what you can do to prepare. Check it out!

What we talked about:

• The physical (and hormonal!) changes of becoming a mom
• The emotional changes of becoming a mom
• Unpacking what motherhood means to you
• Why becoming a mom is a messy process
• Why it’s so common to feel like you are ‘losing yourself’
• The importance of the ‘integration period’
• Dealing with the social pressures
• Stopping the “should”-ing
• Tearing down the ‘superwoman’ idea
• Ways of making the transition less rocky
• How do you want to show up?
• Creating a plan and finding support
• Parenting = sacrifice + devotion
• What to do with all the feels?
• How the identity shift affects your relationship
• Squaring away your ideals of motherhood with reality

Related resources*:

• The Birth of a Mother, New York Times
• Motherhood is an identity crisis—5 ways to embrace the new you being born, Motherly
• How To Cope With An Identity Crisis After Motherhood, The Huffington Post
• Women Who Leave Careers For Motherhood Undergo Identity Changes To Become Satisfied With Their New Lives, Medical Daily
• New Moms: Motherhood and Identity Changes, Child Therapy Chicago
• The Birth of a Mother, by Daniel Stern
• Birthing from Within, by Pam England
• Parenting from the Inside Out, by Daniel J. Siegel

Related Birthful episodes:

• How Will Birth Transform You?, with Britta Bushnell
• The Transition into Parenthood, with Elly Taylor
• Taking Care of You, with Mar Oscategui
• Dealing with Family & Visitors, with Kate Turza
• Restoring Your Vitality After Birth, with Kimberly Johnson

Courtesy of Sophie McEntee

About Sophie McEntee

Sophie McEntee is a licensed psychotherapist with a combined thirteen years of training and clinical experience specializing in the emotional and spiritual well-being of women, specifically mothers. She is the co-founder of Honest Mamas, an online collective that is dedicated to supporting women through the transitional and transformational times of motherhood, including fertility and pregnancy. Sophie works virtually and in person with women who are pregnant, in the postpartum period, and working through issues around Motherhood Identity. Sophie hosts the Honest Mamas podcast, a program dedicated to supporting mothers emotionally and spiritually on the motherhood journey.

Learn more at sophiedmcentee.com and at honestmamas.com