16. Why pregnancy can make you feel like you’ve lost yourself

Pregnancy isn’t only about growing a baby. It’s also the beginning of becoming someone new.

A listener asked me to talk about the strange space between pregnancy and motherhood: grieving who she was before pregnancy, feeling disconnected from the things she used to love and having no idea what life will look like once her baby arrives.

In this episode, I explore why pregnancy can feel like such a liminal, in-between time. Your body is changing. Your energy, interests and identity may be shifting. You’re no longer living your old life in quite the same way, but you haven’t entered motherhood yet either.

I also share my experience of losing interest in work, struggling with sleep and wondering where the old version of me had gone. Rather than treating those changes as something going wrong, could they be part of the transition into motherhood?

We talk about pregnancy identity changes, matrescence, grieving your pre-baby self and how to honour the woman you’ve been while making space for the mother you’re becoming.

🤩 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.If you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it – this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Overcome those moments of overwhelm with some light hearted fun! ⁠⁠Download my Overwhelm Busting Bingo sheet here⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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