A deeper view into how it feels to run a business as a new mother

As a new mother, your identity is shifting. Your values are changing. You’re letting go of everything that no longer serves you. Use this time to reevaluate your business, hanging on to what’s important and parting with the rest. You might incorporate new areas of focus into your business. You may see old problems in new ways. Embrace these changes. You’re not the same person you were before your child.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the role that matrescence plays in a woman’s entrepreneurship journey. Matrescence – a term coined by medical anthropologist Dana Raphael in 1973 – describes the unique transformation that a woman goes through after giving birth. Not only does she give birth to her newborn, but she’s given birth to her new identity as a mother. As a woman’s identity shifts, her values and priorities shift too. After having their firstborn, a lot of women realize that their careers don’t give them the flexibility they desire, or that their businesses no longer serve them.

The birth of the mother, then, is often the birth of a new or changing business.

The first year of motherhood is a time when you’re reconsidering what a good life looks like for you and your family. New goals will come into focus. Old ideas and career paths might no longer align with who you’ve become. Allow yourself permission to change. Your changing priorities can help you focus on what’s really important in your business. But you may also be grieving the loss of your old identity. This grieving process is a huge component of matrescence, becoming a mother. Maybe you had expectations of what motherhood would look like, but the reality has been much different. There’s an emotional push and pull, as you love and embrace your new identity, but feel the loss of your past self.

At first, it may feel like motherhood is holding you back from things you once loved. In time, that perspective will change and you’ll see just how much motherhood enriches your life.

Give yourself the space to experience these conflicting emotions and use this time to reevaluate what’s meaningful to you in your business and who you’re serving. You’re no longer the same person you were before you became a mother. Ask yourself, what’s the world you want your child to grow up in, and is there any way that your business can help bring that world to life?

Here are a few insights to help you as you carve out your business and your new life as a mother.nd out

1. Understand Balance

Finding balance will be an ongoing endeavour. What balance means for you will look different every day. Some days you need to push through and get things done, and other days you might need to totally surrender. It’ll never be perfect, and it’s important to surrender to that.

2. Trust Your Intuition

As a new mother, your intuition becomes harder to ignore. Listen to what it’s telling you. Embrace it. Your intuition may guide you to explore new business ideas or new partnerships, or it might ask you to let go of old practices. You are capable of anything, especially when you believe in what you’re doing. Embrace this time to really understand what your values are and allow that to shape your business.

3. Connect with Our Motherhood Community

You are not alone in this journey. Carve out space to connect with other mothers. Be open with them about your challenges. We can learn from other mothers and share our experiences with them. We are better when we support one another.

Remember, above all, to be gentle with yourself on this new journey.