Mama Cynthia and Her Empowering Motherhood Journey
For the month of October, we are glad to have Mama Cynthia (https://www.instagram.com/_mrschia_/) a working mom to 3 beautiful children, Sophie, Charlotte, and one more, arriving soon to share her motherhood and breastfeeding journey with us!
Mama Cynthia also uses her Instagram account to connect and empower other mummies. It has now grown into a wonderful community - filled with amazing and supportive mummies out there!
Follow (https://www.instagram.com/_mrschia_/) for inspiring stories and sharing sessions on motherhood and parenting.
PS: At Lovingly Signed, we are looking for inspiring stories from fellow parents to share with the world. If you have a story that has made an impact on your family, we would love to hear it and to feature you! We want to be a part of celebrating you and all the amazing moms, dads or caregivers out there.
Please write in to hello@lovinglysigned.com and let us take over from there.
1. How has becoming a mum changed your life? What’s the best part about being a mom?
Being a mum has been a 360-degree lifestyle change for me. I mean, I never really thought of myself as “mum material”, you know? Yet here I am, soon to be a mum of 3!
I believe that having kids is one of those things that can change anyone completely. This is especially true for women; when you become a mom, your entire life becomes something bigger than you.
To be honest, at least for me, being pregnant and giving birth was the easy part. Having to care for a living, breathing little human being with her own life to live, well, that’s the hard part. I remember reading all these articles, books, and attending lots of seminars but none of that got me ready for this new role.
I have come to learn that motherhood is all about learning on the job. No one is perfect and everyone is learning as they go. The learning curve is steep but if you have the right support structure in place, it is totally doable. I am grateful for all the support we got from our family and friends.
That said, while motherhood may be challenging, it is also deeply transformative. Sophie brought out a side of me that I never thought existed. As cheesy as this might sound, her laughter is almost magical for me. It’s just so powerful that it washes all my troubles and tiredness away.
Being a mum has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. My heart is full because of my kids. If you asked me if I would choose to go down this road again if I had the chance, my answer would be absolute YES! In a heartbeat!
2. What's the biggest struggle you faced while caring for your daughter?
For me, their constant need for attention is hands down the biggest challenge. I think a lot of mums can relate to this. It completely renders everything else almost impossible to accomplish.
My husband and I always joke that if I had a dollar for every time the girls call out “MUMMY!”, I would be a millionaire by now!
As annoying as it may be, though, I’m sure I’ll miss this needy phase of their lives in a few years!
Oh, and another thing: the chores! I love my kids to bits and I enjoy every single second I spend with them, but cleaning after them is NOT fun! Please tell me I am not the only one.
3. As you are working and taking care of your daughters at the same time - how do you unwind and have your own “me time”?
Well, I’m currently working from home. So technically I’m on the job all day, every day.
Seriously though, it can sometimes take a lot of effort on my part to carve out some time to myself. I usually work when the kids are napping and the only me-time I have is after they’re both in bed.
Lately, I have been trying to be more intentional in setting aside some time to myself every day. I get my physical rest from a good night's sleep (thankfully the girls sleep like logs through the night!). I also make it a point to either sleep slightly later or wake up earlier than the kids just to take some time to clear my mind, recharge, and do a few things that I enjoy. I’ll have my face mask on, check out my socials, watch a few parenting videos, or just do online shopping!
Every mum deserves a break every once in a while. If you’ve had a long day, you deserve to put your feet up and rest.
Ladies, remember, we are more than just moms! Show yourself some love and let your body unwind before you start yet another day of work, chores, and taking care of the kids! Being well-rested will make you a better mother to your kids.
4. Could you share with us more on your breastfeeding journey?
a.How long did you breastfeed Charlotte?
When Sophie was a newborn, I was under so much pressure to breastfeed her! Almost everything I read online seemed to suggest I needed to do it exclusively. And they made the process sound so effortless! You can imagine how stressed I was when things were not going that great for me. As much as I love my child, breastfeeding did not happen naturally for me. While I was oversupplied, it was rather difficult for her to latch and it gave me so much anxiety! Eventually, I had to exclusively pump for my daughter. I was happier, my daughter was well fed, and that’s all it matters.
Looking back, the challenges I had with breastfeeding Sophie did take a toll on me. That’s one of the reasons why Charlotte was a mixed feed baby. As a second-time mom, I understood the importance of a mother’s mental health so I just did whatever worked for us. Mums need to remember that a well-fed baby is your priority; it doesn’t matter if it’s breast milk or formula.
I believe that the choice between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding or formula-feeding is a deeply personal one that every mum has to make for themselves. Do not compromise on your mental health and always know that support is always out there. Don’t be afraid to ask for it and seek it out.
5. How do you cope with the emotional and physical stress while breastfeeding?
When I was having a hard time breastfeeding my daughter, I was so embarrassed to tell people about the fact that I can't latch my baby comfortably and without anxiety. I thought something was wrong with me!
I remember the first time that I opened up about it was online anonymously to other moms. I was surprised about how understanding, non-judgmental, and kind they all were about what I was going through. I started talking about it more and more and it became clear to me that I was not the only one struggling with breastfeeding.
One of the most important life lessons I have learned when it comes to these issues is that the more you talk, the less lonely you’ll be :) And yes, it might be scary at first, but like all things in life, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it!
6. What are the challenges/embarrassing moment that you faced while breastfeeding
When I was having a hard time breastfeeding my daughter, I was so embarrassed to tell people about the fact that I can't latch my baby comfortably and without anxiety. I thought something was wrong with me!
I remember the first time that I opened up about it was online anonymously to other moms. I was surprised about how understanding, non-judgmental, and kind they all were about what I was going through. I started talking about it more and more and it became clear to me that I was not the only one struggling with breastfeeding.
One of the most important life lessons I have learned when it comes to these issues is that the more you talk, the less lonely you’ll be :) And yes, it might be scary at first, but like all things in life, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it!
7. As you are expecting baby no.3 coming, how do you prep Sophie and Charlotte about it?
The gist of it is to just be open about it with your other kids. Talk to them about your growing belly and let them know what to expect.
I have this ritual with my girls where we do a little bit of belly rubbing and kissing the baby goodnight every night before bed. We also watch how the baby moves together. It's pretty interesting to watch the girl's reactions when they witness the movements in my belly!
