Michelle Casarella(She/Her/Hers)

Motherhood can be both the most beautiful and most difficult thing all at the same time. You have been feeling so anxious and overwhelmed--this is NOT what you expected from motherhood! It's supposed to be the happiest time of your life but instead it feels so difficult. It may look like you have it all together, but inside you're struggling. You post those adorable photos on IG with captions like #twomonthsofbliss or #familyphotoshoot but things are not as perfect as it looks. Instead of the happiness you expected, you are feeling anxiety, mom guilt, overwhelm, exhaustion, frustration and rage.

You find yourself crying, snapping at your husband and questioning if you are even cut out to be a mom. You really wanted to become a mom and you love your baby so it's really hard to understand why you're feeling this way. Maybe sometimes you tell yourself you have no reason to feel this way because you are blessed in so many ways. And maybe sometimes you just want someone to recognize exactly how hard motherhood is.

Your feel like you've lost yourself and there is always so much to do and think about. It feels like you are carrying the weight of the entire family on your shoulders and the pressure is too much. Your husband doesn't get it and sometimes you don't even get it so it's hard to explain. Sometimes he'll ask what you need and it's hard to know how to answer that question. You know he loves you but you can see him getting frustrated. Sometimes you get frustrated with him for not getting what it's like to be a mom. And sometimes you feel frustrated with yourself for not being happier.