I was completely unprepared for the personal transformation journey of a new mama.
(Like, woah…What did I get myself into? Am I right?)
I had prepared for an ideal pregnancy (and birth), and even put deep thought towards what the most ideal postpartum period would like look.
I recognize I am speaking from a place of privilege, but I had access to two doulas, extremely supportive family members, brutally honest friends, yet my transition into motherhood often felt lonely and isolating.
I frequently felt fearful and disempowered. Everything was foggy and I lacked the essential connection to my inner guidance system. There was ZERO trust in the process.
I was sitting between who I once was and who I was becoming, and I was really, really uncomfortable.
I made it my personal mission to start having transparent chats with other new mamas.
We’d bond over the most challenging, yet transformative aspects of motherhood.
We’d ponder our ever-changing personal identity shifts and honor how far we’ve come.
You’d tell me that just because I Goggled, “When do the good parts start?” doesn’t necessarily mean I have postpartum anxiety. (thanks for that reassurance)
Other times, we’d conspire against our brutally fluctuating hormones to find ways of maximizing our creative potential and to define a new standard of “productive”.
It’s chats about redefining our identities.
It’s sharing anxieties that seem too small to be labeled.
It’s finding ways to forge our own path to parenting.
It’s coming to terms with selflessly devoting ourselves to something greater.
And dang it, it’s our forgotten rites of passage that no one is honoring.
I now refer to these kinds of discussion topics, the unspoken spaces of motherhood.
In my earlier days of motherhood, I was hopeful to find another mama, awake at 2 AM and willing to validate what my inner wisdom already knew.
I wanted to be inspired by others’ stories and other cultures around the world, many of which have this mothering thing seemingly figured out. I wanted to be able to tap into a support system at all hours of the day, guilt free.
I was desperate to be surrounded by honest dialogue so that I too felt safe to bring transparency to my own story and ultimately get the support I needed.
Unfortunately, I’ve found many of the digital communities for new mothers to be lacking in depth on the more challenging topics, spewing dialogue that is overwhelming, mediocre and often disguised behind a layer of desperation and crying emojis. No, thank you!
Sometimes I see a glimpse of something really beautiful and transformative taking shape and my heart explodes with, “Yes! More of THIS please.”
Somewhere along the way, our culture has rewired our mama brains to tell us these types of conversations should be kept private, and that the questioning and desire for guidance makes us sub-par mothers.
With each conversation I have with another mother, more and more of the core needs of motherhood are revealed to me. Each conversation lights a fire deep within me and I’m inspired to find ways to radically change the way we honor and speak about motherhood.
These are the core needs I have found to be true for most mama…
→ Raw, full-access transparency to the reality of motherhood
→ A safe space to hold intimate conversations with other women
→ A supportive community that honors and validates our journey
→ Permission and reminders to access our inner wisdom (aka – mother’s intuition)
→ Resources for tapping into ancient wisdom
→ Reverence towards our ancestors and other cultures
Knowing how transformative it is to find support and validation within a community that honors the unspoken spaces of motherhood, I now fully understand the interdependence between motherhood and community.
It’s freaking empowering.
Our Seva is a community of women, forging deeper dialogue around the unspoken spaces of motherhood. We honor our inner and ancient wisdom to connect with one another through life’s transitions. Within the Our Seva Motherhood Circle private Facebook group, we’re fostering a safe space for changing the way we speak about motherhood.
Together, we’re lifting the veil of transparency and making information easy to navigate and integrate into our own personal journeys. Join us for weekly themed discussions around identity, maternal mental health, cultural expectations and our sacred service to motherhood.
Meet Cassie, Our Founder & Discussion Leader
Cassie Ballard is a first-time mama navigating the many unspoken spaces of Motherhood. Drawing inspiration from truly transformative moments such as undiagnosed infertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum anxiety, Cassie offers a unique perspective to the dialogue she’s fostering within the Our Seva Community.
Her passion is found within the connections she creates with other women and mothers on the journey towards and into motherhood. With deep, intimate dialogue she finds great excitement in the transformation that happens when we honor women for their journey and create a safe space for her to thrive.
She invites you to sign up for her weekly newsletter and join the private Facebook group where she gives her community a peek behind the curtain of some of her most transformative moments in her rebirth into motherhood.