A Love Letter to Mamas
Dearest Mama, I know firsthand how navigating motherhood often feels like an impossible balancing act.
Your own needs and identity can seem overshadowed by your role as a caregiver. You're constantly juggling expectations, societal pressures, and personal aspirations, all while trying to maintain a sense of self. It's easy to feel invisible, as though no one truly sees YOU anymore, and perhaps you don't see yourself, either.
In this whirlwind of responsibilities, it's crucial to remember that prioritizing yourself isn't just beneficial; it's necessary. Reconnecting with your passions, interests, and desires outside of motherhood is essential for your wellbeing. It empowers you to be a more fulfilled individual, which in turn makes you a more present and vibrant mother.
I also understand how the world makes it incredibly difficult to truly love and value your body.
With its stretch marks, loose skin, rolls, skin color, wrinkles, blemishes, and scars—every inch of it. But I assure you, you are not just allowed to love your body, you deserve to. Each line and mark on your body tells the story of your strength and resilience. They are not flaws; they are symbols of your capacity for love, life, and transformation.
Loving your body in a world designed to make us feel unworthy of self-love is an act of resistance.
These systems, which seek to instill shame and dictate control over our bodies, tell us we are not worthy. Yet, why are they so desperate to control something they deem unlovable?
The truth is, when we fully accept and love our bodies, we become confident, and a confident mother is an empowered mother. Empowered mothers are a threat to all systems of oppression. Every time a mother fully accepts and loves her body and becomes empowered, it weakens the strength of those systems. Just imagine the transformative power when every mother realizes and steps into this liberating force.
Empowered mothers will dismantle the systems of oppression.
These same systems that promote shame and fear about accepting and loving your body also seek to suppress your understanding of the power of sexual and intimate pleasure. They harm you by making you feel unsafe to freely address your sexual health and wellness needs. Yet, sexual health is a key component of your overall health. I am here to tell you, to show you, that you are allowed to explore and embrace your sexual health and intimate needs without shame or fear.
Recognizing and nurturing your sexual health and wellness is as vital as any other aspect of your health. This is about more than pleasure (though it certainly includes that too); it's about your well-being and autonomy. By claiming your right to sexual health and wellness, you push back against the systems that try to strip away your agency, dictating how you should feel about your body and what you are allowed to experience.
When you fully embrace every part of you, including your right to pleasure, you don’t just change your own world—you start to change the world around you.
Let’s ignite this journey together, not just for ourselves, but for all mothers. Let’s dismantle oppressive systems with our courage to love ourselves loudly and proudly.
Through this journey of self-discovery and empowerment, you’ll not only reclaim your body and your rights but also rediscover the essence of who you are beyond motherhood. Prioritizing yourself, your health, and your happiness is the foundation of a life lived with purpose and passion. Let’s embark on this adventure together, celebrating each step as a stride towards personal freedom and collective liberation.
Love, Dawn
Dawn Moore is the founder of maternal sexual health platform, ‘Mama Comes First’. She is also a Women’s Health & Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Certified Sex Educator, Midwife, and Mom of 4.
