Real mums MM
Ten things I wish I’d known
Is anyone ever totally prepared for being a parent? Larne mum Portia Woods tells MM what she’s learnt in the process…
Thirty-six year-old Portia is mum to daughters Sophia (nine) and Jasmine (seven). Like many women, entrepreneurial Portia balances motherhood with running her own business consultancy firm, Clear Woods Consultancy, which she set up two years ago. Also, as with many other women, Portia has found motherhood a life-changing process, which comes with its highs and lows.
Responsibility Prior to becoming a mum, I never realised how much I would be needed day and night. From the first few days of total dependency, to the emotional and educational support of a young child discovering the world, it was all a very steep learning curve!
Illness Temperatures were the worst thing: worse than giving birth and worse than no sleep. I truly believe that not knowing what is wrong with a baby or a young child with a temperature questions every logical thought in a mummy's mind.
Breastfeeding I didn’t realise how difficult – but ultimately rewarding - breastfeeding would be. The first time was tough and felt like a lonely battle to do the right thing but, by the time I had my second baby, I was
supported by my local breastfeeding mum mentors and weekly meet-up group, which was a great support.
New friends I had never anticipated how I would make so many new mummy friends with whom I would not only share concerns, but also lovely stories and proud moments. They were always there to hold on to when things got tough.
Organisation I’d always prided myself on having a highly organised life, so I was taken aback – to put it mildly – to find that my highly organised life would be turned upside down and that all of my daily plans could go out the window within seconds!
Career I never thought for a minute that I would ever be drawn to choose more time at home versus a full-time career. Like many women, I found that even working just a four-day week didn’t give me enough time in the work/family balance. It pushed me into difficult decisions but ultimately ended up feeding my entrepreneurial drive and pushing open the self-employment door.
Bad habits! Hand on heart, I never thought I would see the day when I would disapprove of
chocolate and biscuits as a regular snack! I do allow the girls treats from time to time, but they’re sneaked into the daily diet by grandparents, so it's always me that looks like the bad guy!
Solitude When I first gave birth, I never thought for a moment about the fact that I would never be alone again. On the bright side, however, I’ll never be lonely again either. Being a mum could seem like an invasion of personal privacy, but, equally, it means there’s always someone to cuddle, which is just fabulous.
Depression. Before I became a mum, I’d never experienced depression but, again, like many mums, becoming a parent allowed post-natal depression to raise its ugly head and challenged my waking days until I sought help. In retrospect, learning how to manage depression has, I think, made me a better person.
Eternal love I’ve now realised that, for the rest of my life, someone (my children) will love me no matter what. No matter how cranky I get, no matter how many mistakes I make, no matter what I do, I have the endless love of my two girls.
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