from CWBH Members and Instructors:
Sunni Rudd, Dayna Hernandez, Lorain Alba, Nancy Rosario, and Liv Orta
Motherhood is a journey as unique as each individual who embarks on it. It’s a role filled with joy, challenge, transformation, and endless learning. We’ve gathered heartfelt reflections from members of our community—mothers and caregivers—who’ve generously shared their thoughts, memories, and moments that define what motherhood means to them.
What is one word you would use to describe motherhood and why?
- Abundant. It exceeds a measure- So many feelings, so many emotions! The time, effort, energy that comes from being a mother! The Love, learning, growing, caring, nurturing, counseling, comforting and so much more!
- Humbling, because I’m always having to learn and adjust.
- Extraordinary. What I feel when looking at my PRECIOUS girls.
- Liberating. I’m learning to use my voice and advocate for my child in unprecedented ways from my previous experiences thus far.
- Multidimensional. Not only do we provide and ensure basic necessities like food and shelter, we facilitated the creation of a human from another planet and poof! ”birth”. From the other side of our skin to the outside world. We sustain our children as they grow exponentially. We plan and prepare them for the future.
What do you know to be your biggest accomplishment with your child/children?
- All of my children are sensitive- kind, caring, compassionate, empathetic individuals. Eager to stand up for what’s right and lend a helping hand to any one in need. I’m confident they will all make this world a better place.
- I’m proud that my child seems to follow her gut, even when it says “no”, including to me.
- Accomplishment in education
- She explores her environment with confidence! She has a healthy relationship with food & her community. She’s so brave, and I’m so proud!
- I am extremely proud of breastfeeding my first for 3.5 years. He was in the NICU for 30 days after he was born which is a huge barrier for successful breastfeeding. The first time I held him in my arms, he was 12 days old and he latched onto my breast with no issues at all.
What qualities have you developed since becoming a parent?
- Perseverance, Emotional intelligence, Mindfulness, Organization, Time management!
- Since becoming a parent I’ve worked a lot on my listening and communication.
- I’m more brave, I have to advocate for my child, and I learned I don’t always advocate for myself in the same ways. I’m letting go of people-pleasing and working on speaking up because she deserves a parent that can confidently advocate for her.
- I became a midwife! While not a ‘quality’, it is a calling, a vocation. The echoes started during pregnancy when I couldn’t stop reading about everything happening within me. In becoming a parent and a midwife, I am more patient and understanding. I have been working on this mantra for some time now: “I have unwavering faith.”
What have been the most challenging periods of motherhood, and how did you navigate them
- Many things are challenging when it comes to being a mother, and challenges change with each individual child and when we’re at different points in our lives. The important thing to do is try your best and give yourself some grace. For me, The beginning, when everything is new, Every-time each child came into my world. Navigating life around them and with them. Adding them to the plan. While life around us continues to move so fast, finding that time for us to be together as one and keeping up with all 3 of my kids and being in their worlds! Being involved in everything they do, teaching them right from wrong but at the same time providing a safe space where they can feel free to learn on their own and hopefully come back and share their adventures with me, and me remaining judgement free even if I don’t agree, even if they get in trouble, creating and maintaining boundaries and a relationship and then finding the time for me to just be me…
- Some of my most challenging times have been when I focus too much on my fears of what might go wrong in the future, instead of being present with them as they are now.
- Being a single mother was undoubtedly the hardest part of motherhood for me. I’m so proud I didn’t give up and continued to look for community. The Center for Well-being & Happiness hosting our Grown-Up & Me Cooking Class gave me purpose & a community for my child to grow up with. Her friends are there! She gets so excited when we come to the center! I always know we’re in the right place when we’re there.
- Giving birth in hospitals was very hard to navigate. It was not how I wanted to give birth and so I was sure to lean on my support systems, my husband and to trust that all will be well.
What advice would you give to new mothers?
- Balance- Find and come back to yourself as an individual person, away from being someone’s mother. Go back to the things that used to make you happy or become a whole new person and educate yourself on something new. Be intentional with your time, and grow with your children. Times are changing and so are we! It’s ok if everything doesn’t get done today, it will be waiting for you tomorrow. Relax and breathe. Worry about today!
- I wish I focused more on building a community of other new parents who understood what I was going through while I was going through it.
- In my experience as a mother, having more than one child, every child has their own little personality I wish I knew this sooner — tantrums, sickie times when they look at you with their sickie eyes, diaper changing in the middle of the night.
- Be brave, not perfect. Motherhood is filled with mistakes & learning what works in every phase of motherhood. It requires an artistic practice of flexibility. Accept help when it comes! You’ll be surprised by the people who join your village.
- Please ask for help. Ask all your questions. Do your own research on pregnancy, birth, the postpartum, mammary feeding, normal infant growth and behavior, etc. Go to mom groups. Build your support system. You are not meant to do this alone or just with your partner. It truly takes a village.
Moms, we celebrate you every day! Thank you for all that you do.
With love,
The CWBH team
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