My Journey Into Motherhood: Laura Jackson
@IAmLauraJackson
My pregnancy with my daughter, Sidney, was very straightforward. I had a lovely time being pregnant and a great birthing experience with her in Homerton Hospital in London. I had a hospitalised birth with an epidural. The team I had was amazing and it was a really lovely start to my journey into motherhood.
I was pregnant for the second time during the pandemic, so it was really different. I opted for a home birth, and felt a bit more nervous – I’m not sure if it was because of the state of the world, but it was definitely a shift. Having a home birth wasn’t as straight forward because of Covid - unable to do this via Homerton, I opted to have the Forest Midwives help me. They used to be part of the Homerton Hospital service, but they’ve now set up on their own. Becks and Debs helped to deliver Remy at home. It was a really quick birth – he was born in 40 minutes.
My third pregnancy wasn’t great. I had anti-natal depression and just really struggled. I wasn’t able to stay in bed because I had two other children to look after and I had to work; none of it was straightforward. I decided to have a home birth for my third baby after the successful previous home birth. This was a really great experience and I loved giving birth at home with the Forest Midwives by my side again. Eating a takeaway on your own sofa after birth is truly special.
During my second and third pregnancies, I investigated taking a more holistic approach. With my first, I didn’t really do that much to prepare. I went to a couple of doula classes and read half a book, so I wasn’t that invested, but with my second two I threw myself into it, doing lots of reading to feel more prepared.
@IAmLauraJackson
I didn’t really have any expectations of motherhood. I don’t think I really understood what would change. I just thought, ‘Oh I’ll be me, but with kids.’ But I have changed so much – I’m enjoying the evolution. Right now, I’m in the messy middle. Sid’s just started school, my son’s going to be starting school and my youngest is starting nursery, so I’m very much still figuring it out.
The NHS and my midwives have given me incredible support. When I went for check-ups, the local health teams were so supportive. Both of my boys were tongue tied (which can affect feeding) and getting that sorted out quickly was important. I’m also lucky to have the support of my husband, great friends and an amazing sister.
It’s easy to become negative when talking about how hard motherhood is, but that’s life. The thing I’ve struggled with most is balance: trying to be the same person, keeping in touch with friends, making sure I’m there for bath time etc. It’s early days. I think parenting can require even more as children get older, and I’m aware they’ll need different support at different stages of their lives. The good thing is I’ve learnt a lot about myself. I’m a lot more patient and also find joy in the really small things. That’s what kids teach you: to just lighten up.
@IAmLauraJackson
Matrescence is the physical, emotional, hormonal, and social transition to becoming a mother. You’re not really taught about that journey ahead of time, so you don’t have any expectations around it – which is why I’ve been working to highlight it in a positive way. I’m still very much postpartum and experiencing everything that comes with that. I’m working my way through it, through those hormones, emotions and figuring out that balance. It’s still very much something I’m going through personally.
For women, our entire existence is a cycle. We ebb and flow, experience ups and downs and change every month, so it makes sense that often we can’t have the negative without a positive. Whether you choose to have children or not, there will be an element of change at many points throughout your life. So it’s important to lean into it and not see change as a negative thing. It’s an opportunity to grow.
Knowing about matrescence is as important as knowing about menopause. I was really touched by the response I got after I talked about my work with Tommee Tippee and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance on my socials recently. It highlighted how little is known about matrescence, what it is and how it effects the us. But information is power and the more you can prepare or understand how your body might react to different moments in life, the easier you might be able to ride the wave.
Carving out time that isn’t linked to anything digital is so important. It’s easy to align yourself with what other people are doing or saying but you need to look after yourself, lean into what you enjoy and try to stop comparing yourself to other people. I try to switch off by enjoying food, watching TV, reading and seeing the people I love.
I’m a big advocate for women supporting women. And we can do that by simply reaching out. I had an example this week, where I had to say to someone I just wasn’t in the right mindset to go out and socialise. My friend just said, ‘How can I help, can I call you?’. It’s as simple as offering a listening ear so that the people you love know you’re there if they do need it.
Tommee Tippee, the world-leading trusted parent-care experts, design simple products to empower parenting intuition. Visit TOMMEETIPPEE.COM & follow @TOMMEETIPPEEUK.
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.
