Take Care of Mom

In my nursing education, we are trained to deal with many different types of situations. The good, the bad, and the ugly. In one of our training exercises, we are challenged with aiding a pregnant woman who has been in a car accident. Many protocols and routines are in place to aid us in dealing with the bad and ugly situations that we may experience. They usually include having assigned roles in every situation. Everyone has a job. As a new nurse I had asked, “Whose job is it to care for the unborn baby? The team is dedicated to the mom.” The response I received will stick with me forever, “Take care of the mom, and she will care for the baby.”

Let that sink in Mamas. Did you know your body is designed to steal from you so it can support your unborn child? Did you ever think you could live on 4 hours (or less) of sleep a night before you were a parent? Did you ever think that you would go years without buying new clothes so your kids would have new shoes for their upcoming sports season? Probably not. But you did. You did because Healthy Mom’s take care of their babes.

Why do I specify healthy? Because the reality is that you can give ALL you have to give, but you cannot sustain that. Did you know that your body will steal calcium straight out of your bones to give to your unborn child in development? Sure enough, because Moms are biologically designed to care for their babes. This is where we have to define healthy vs unhealthy though. Yes, it is wonderful that this tiny human will have all the calcium it needs, but you only have so much calcium to give. You don’t reabsorb near as fast as it is taken and eventually your “supply” is gone. There’s nothing left to give, so babe gets nothing too. We are blessed enough to live in a society that offers education, nutritional support, and resources to avoid that particular situation. But what about everything else you give to your children?

It doesn’t stop at calcium Mama, and you know it. We are so quick to put ourselves last and care for the rest of the world first. They need it more. I’m tough enough to handle it. I can wait. Maybe next month. When they’re older. When x,y,z happens... there are a million excuses, but the reality is the same, you are put on the back burner. You cannot sustain this though. I don’t care how tough you are. If we don’t take care of Mom, she can’t take care of her babies.

Today, I challenge you, do one thing that is just for you. Do one thing that fills your cup. If you don’t know what that is, then book an appointment so we can help you discover those things. You’re not being selfish, you’re being realistic. Healthy mamas can give all they have to their kids, but if you’re depleted, you’re not healthy. Today is the day you choose to be the best mom you can be, the best version of yourself. Today you choose to be Purely You.

I hope nothing less than love and light enter your space!