Mom Talk with Natalie from The Motherhood Map
In a few sentences (we know you don’t have much time!) tell us about yourself and your little guy…
I’m a mom to a beautiful 2-year-old boy, as well as an occupational therapist, psychotherapist and family sleep consultant.
Tell us all about your new project - The Motherhood Map:
I started The Motherhood Map at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally it started out as a free therapy service for moms struggling during these really challenging times. I had recruited a few therapists willing to volunteer their time and matched them with moms who had signed for the program. Eventually, the demand surpassed my capabilities to keep the program running, but it sparked something in me, a desire that had been building since shortly after my son was born, to start a second business venture (I already have a private psychotherapy practice in Toronto), focused on supporting mothers and their families.
My hope is to provide support in a way that’s more accessible than what I’ve seen from a lot of the more traditional maternal mental health supports. You could say that I’m on a mission to make mental health resources more approachable for moms - because I think we have this idea of what postpartum depression looks like and yet so many mothers struggle with their mental health and it actually looks quite different from what they’re led to believe. Some never have depression but struggle with anxiety, or insomnia, amongst other things.. And a lot of mothers that I’ve spoken with never seek out support OR seek out support but are told that they’re fine and are never given access to resources OR seek out support but don’t feel understood by their provider.
I provide psychotherapy to clients who live in Ontario. I also provide parent coaching and sleep consultations for families regardless of where they live - these are more education based than traditional therapy. I’m also running a few motherhood groups - both virtually and in person - blending the mental health and parenting piece, so that mothers can feel as well supported and connected to one another as we were meant to be.
Faves
What is one thing you couldn’t live without as a mom?
(your ultimate must-have!)
Just one!? My carrier saved me during the first year of my son’s life - he was a little guy who needed a lot of sensory input, closeness, movement, to fall asleep and regulate - so that would have to be my #1. If I could pick a second, it would be the TidyTot - seriously, the best thing ever. Look it up.
What are your child’s current faves?
(if it suddenly disappeared tomorrow - there would for sure be tears!)
He is obsessed with sidewalk chalk. He’ll spend hours on any given day outside drawing - I’m dreading the advent of winter and the loss of his favourite canvas!
What are three things that you take everywhere with you …
(think diaper bag essentials - besides diapers!)
The Munckin 360 Cup
Lara Bars
Love Child Pouches
(All meal related! lol)
Book Club
What is your favourite children’s book?
(a childhood fave or a post children discovery)
Oooh this one is tough. I was, and still am, a huge book lover. Though, if we stick with the classics, I was a big Anne of Green Gables fan. Had the whole box set and all. And Little Women. I wanted to be Jo March when I grew up.
What are your child’s favourite books?
(bet you can recite from memory!)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Goodnight Moon and anything in the Sandra Boynton series - those are my favourite. I mean, those rhymes are so right on point.
Mini Style
What are your favourite places to shop for your babes?
Zara - my son has always been in the 99th percentile for size and Zara’s clothes fit nice and big.
What children’s clothing brand do you wish they made in your size?
(because let’s face it, we’ve all once thought “I wish this came in my size!”)
There’s a New Zealand kids brand called Jamie Kay that I’m absolutely obsessed with. My son lived in their onesies for the first year of his life - they’re the softest things ever, incredibly durable, and stretch like crazy, so it takes forever for them to outgrow them.
Mom Talk
What advice would you tell your pregnant self?
(if only you knew then..)
Oh man, the truth is I don’t know that anyone can really prepare you for it, but I would probably tell myself that it’s going to get really hard for awhile. And that, even though it’ll feel like you’re not going to make it out alive, you will. You’ll surprise yourself. And you’ll come out the other side stronger, more confident, more compassionate than you could have ever imagined. But it’s really going to be so much harder than you think! So keep treading, keep listening to that little voice inside of you that knows what’s best for your child (despite the opinions of others), keep communicating with your husband (even when you’re both irritable and exhausted) and keep doing whatever you have to do to make it through those tough days. But most importantly, you’re going to do an absolutely brilliant job of it all!
As a working mom, how do you find “balance” between work and motherhood?
(really is there such a thing?)
I think it’s important to take the time to ask ourselves the hard questions. What do I want? What do I want for my child? What I am willing to sacrifice? What’s a non-negotiable? What are my values and how can I serve them?
Because the truth is, for most of us, we’re going to have to sacrifice. We can’t do it all. BUT, with a little bit of intentionality and some hard conversations with ourselves and our partners, we can build a life that meets us where we’re at, in this season of our lives, which for me is one that includes a little child with big needs.
What has been your pandemic saviour?
(we need all the sanity tips!)
As already mentioned - sidewalk chalk!
Screen time - we were a no screen time family pre-covid and man I’m so glad to have finally arrived!
Getting outside with the stroller, going for walks, chatting with the barista at the coffee shop, who for the first few weeks of lockdown really consisted of my sole adult conversation of the day!
Finding ways to connect with other moms - whether on social media or social distancing walks/play dates, virtual mom groups. There really is so much out there, we just have to find our way to the right places.
Follow Natalie on Instagram: @the.motherhood.map and visit her website: www.themotherhoodmap.com/
#TMLmomtalk