10 Motherhood Quotes That We Absolutely Love
Mama, I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s day weekend full of love, appreciation, and maybe even a bit of pampering.
Okay, a lot of pampering...
You deserve it!
Whether your day was quiet or full of festive celebrations, I hope that you were able to take a step back and honor yourself on a day that belongs to you.
I hope you can see just how much you do, and appreciate your strength, even if you feel like you’ve been struggling with all the challenges that come with motherhood.
I truly hope that you’re able to see this not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.
Motherhood is such a powerful, transformative journey that’s hard to put into words. Some days, you’ll feel like this is what you were always meant to do. Other days, you’ll wonder how you’ll ever find it in yourself to get through this.
Here are 10 beautiful quotes that just totally capture the essence of mamahood.
1. “Motherhood is like Albania - you can’t trust the descriptions in the books, you have to go there.” - Marni Jackson
Yesss. I swear, I read every parenting book and watched all the videos. I even attended the classes I thought would prepare me 1000%.
But the moment they placed that sweet bundle in my arms, it was like all that knowledge went out the window...along with my confidence. I felt like I knew next to nothing. The absolute terror I felt when I realized I wouldn’t have the nurses to help me get through this was eye-opening.
And everything that came after only continued to surprise me.
I knew I would fall in love, but I didn’t know how deeply.
I knew the transition would take some getting used to, but I didn’t know it could be this hard.
I knew every day wouldn’t be perfect, but I didn’t know that I would struggle this much.
Honestly, no one is ever truly prepared.
Every baby is different. Everyone’s experience is different - you’re on your own adventure and will reach milestones at your own pace.
We’re in this together, mama.
2. “Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” - Linda Wooten
Our hearts are opened up in so many unexpected ways when we become mothers. We love fiercely. And with that comes whole new fears.
For ourselves as new mothers.
For our babies and their health and happiness.
For our future and what comes next.
It can be so hard to see how strong we really are when we’re in the moment -- when things are at their most chaotic.
But we really are strong. No one can do it quite like us.
3. “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” —Ferrell Sims
Oh how this is true. It’s so hard to strike that balance between taking care of our babies and ourselves.
And if we’re seriously overwhelmed, it can affect every aspect of our lives. It can look like resentment towards your partner, being easily frustrated with the kids, and having very little motivation to get things done.
Sometimes you feel like you just can’t relax or even catch your breath. But remember, you need to put your oxygen mask on first.
Self-care is so important. While going out and doing the things you love is a great way to help restore balance, self-care is also allowing yourself to be vocal about your needs when your emotions are overpowering.
A happy mama is everything.
4. “Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the same. You are stronger than you were.” - Amethyst Joy
Postpartum is a period of profound change both physically and mentally. It is also a period of renewed strength and resilience. You might have thought that you couldn’t make it through childbirth, but you did.
Maybe you thought you’d never get through those early newborn days with all the unexpected difficulties and hurdles, but you managed.
Oh, and then you were convinced that you’d never sleep again, but eventually, you were able to find rest.
Recognize your transformation and your perseverance, mama. You’re doing it. Read that again - you’re doing it.
5. “In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.” - Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn
We change when we become mothers, as do our goals and priorities. We strive for a balance between motherhood and our relationships. We re-examine our personal values and what really matters to us.
It’s the chance to be the mom you’ve always wanted to be.
The possibility of creating a life that you love.
With how bravely we endure pregnancy, labor & delivery, and the postpartum period, it’s abundantly clear that we have the capacity to make it through our toughest challenges.
We’re just that fierce.
6. “The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly - indeed to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.” - Arianna Huffington
Embrace uncertainty? Accept imperfect? Did that just give you anxiety?
Society has conditioned us to expect nothing less than perfection from ourselves as mothers.
To be able to know what to say and when to say it.
To be able to keep up the appearance that everything is fine.
To know exactly what to do for every little thing.
To be flawless, happy, and thriving at all times.
That’s not real motherhood.
And there’s no such thing as perfect. Give yourself permission to let go. Allow help from others, but most importantly be kind to yourself. This is the toughest role you’ll ever have, but the reward is wondrous.
7. “I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, This is impossible - oh, this is impossible. And then you just keep going and going, and you sort of do the impossible.” - Tina Fey
Love this for all our mamas: working or stay-at-home. Sometimes, it just seems impossible to get everything done. The days seem to drag by and the obstacles never end.
We’ve gone through so much over the past year and a half with a lot left to overcome.
We’ve faced this pandemic with resilience and bravery while we learn to navigate parenting in isolation.
And here we are, getting it done.
Every time we think we can’t possibly survive, we do just that. We may be too busy to notice how truly formidable we are.
8. Successful mothers are not the ones that never struggled. They are the ones that never give up, despite the struggles.– Sharon Jaynes
From pregnancy through postpartum, we face so many unexpected challenges.
Some of these involve our physical wellbeing and others concern the state of our mental health.
I’m not going to lie. There will be days when you just want to give up. There will be days where you feel like you can’t go on.
You might even find yourself being criticized for the choices you make including your need for extra support.
But despite all this, you persevere anyway. You find it in yourself to get the help you need or to finally lean on others when times are hard.
And this, in fact, makes you a better mother to your baby because a healthy and happy mom means a healthy and happy baby.
9. “I have found being a mother has made me emotionally raw in many situations. Your heart is beating outside your body when you have a baby.” - Kate Beckinsale
It’s true what they say: you’ll discover a love you’ve never known. Your heart becomes so full when you look at your little one for the first time.
And if it doesn’t happen right away for you, that’s okay too.
Sometimes that moment where we fall endlessly in love happens when we see their first beautiful smile or hear that sweet laugh.
No matter how it unfolds for you, life is never the same - but it’s the best kind of change.
10. There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one.– Jill Churchhill
You’re working hard on this journey, putting in every effort when you’re exhausted and running on fumes.
You show up even when you don’t feel like you can.
You’re not perfect. No one is, and that’s not a failure.
Start by just being present with compassion, patience, and love. Continue to show up as you’ve always done and always will.
And that, mama, is enough.
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Do you have some quotes that inspire you? What are some of your favorites when it comes to motherhood? We’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below!