To the mom who feels guilty for dropping her kids off at daycare every day so she can go to work. Whether she loves her job or hates it. Whether she needs to do it for her own sanity or it makes her crazy to leave her kids.

To that same mom who is told by society she should stay home and care for her kids, while simultaneously being told she should buy all organic food, and spend hundreds of dollars each month on the best, high quality supplements for her family…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the stay at home mom who never feels like she does enough. The one that got up with her baby 12 times last night, and hasn't slept longer than a 4 hour stretch in over a year. The one who does the laundry and feels guilty because she never seems to find the time to put it into the drawers. So she digs through the laundry baskets every day to pick out clothes, while promising herself she will put them away tomorrow…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the stay at home mom who runs her own business. The one who feels guilty because she doesn't always bring in enough money to pay the bills, and sometimes spends more on the business than she makes. The one who doesn't always feel like her work is valid because she doesn't go to an office for 8 hours a day; but is still working constantly. The one who has to rush to make her social media post after she takes a shower and before she eats lunch, because it may be the only time her baby sleeps all day. The one who has been trying to write a blog post for a month because the world needs to read it, but she literally can’t find the time. The one who picks up the phone to call a client back, but first says a prayer that her baby won’t have a meltdown, and that her husband won’t walk in the door ripping a huge burp. Lol! Yea you…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the mom who feels guilty because she feels like she’s neglecting her husband. The one who gets the kids to bed, and just wants to not be touched for a while. The one who feels guilty because she knows her husband is angry because they don't have sex enough, but she just doesn't want to do it. To the mom who loves her husband and appreciates everything he does, but gets pissed because he just disappears upstairs to take a nap or play video games. The one who knows he deserves that time, but feels like he doesn't care that her body and mind are tired too…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the mom who is so tired, but stays up for an extra hour looking at Facebook; and then feels guilty because she should have been sleeping or spending time with her husband. The one who just needs some mindless alone time at the end of the day, but the world tells her she doesn't really deserve that…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the mom who has super strong instincts and just wants to follow those instincts; but feels she owes everyone an explanation. The one who knows “no” is a full sentence, but the world says she must explain why she isn't going to the birthday party, or the wedding, or the playdate. The one who feels in her bones that it’s wrong to let her baby cry alone in his crib, but the world tells her he needs to be able to “self soothe”. To that same mom who then feels anxiety because she has to explain to well meaning people why she follows her instincts, and not what society says she must do. To the mom who knows in her soul that her instincts are spot on, but who feels like she has to fight the world to live her truth…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the mom who has a hard time putting her thoughts into words, and wonders if anyone would hear her anyway. The one who knows she’s a great mom, but sometimes feels like a complete failure. To the one who doesn't feel like she fits into any of the “mom type” categories. She’s not a high power executive, but she also not president of the PTA. The one who doesn't really feel like she “belongs” anywhere and just feels mediocre and average…

::I see you and you are not alone::

To the mom who loves her life more than she could ever express, but is still struggling. The one who cries into her pillow at night because she dare not bitch about the perfect life she has. The one who fears she will be told “this is what you wanted” if she ever tells anyone how hard some days are. The one who wouldn't dream of crying to her husband, because she still feels guilty about neglecting his needs. The one who takes care of everyone else, but doesn't think she deserves to be taken care of…

::I see you and you are not alone::

Those moms I have just described are all of us. They are you, and they are me. Those moms are worriers and warriors. Those moms are strong and soft. Those moms are angry and still kind. Those moms are quiet but aching to let out a primal yell so the world actually hears them.

Those moms need all of us to acknowledge that we ARE those moms, so that we can stop feeling so damned alone and invalidated. Those moms need a community of other moms who validate their feelings, no matter what they may be. Those moms need to be lifted up. Those moms need to be told they are the center of the universe and are irreplaceable.

Those moms need us to stand up and say…

::I see you and you are not alone::

Yep. That’s a picture of me right after the birth of my son- right next to a picture of Kate hours after the birth of her baby. And guess what? WE’RE BOTH BEAUTIFUL.

I’ve seen so many posts on Facebook saying how her picture is unrealistic or unfair to “normal” moms who had “normal” births. So many posts making fun and bashing her for this photo. But why? Why do we do this? Why do we compare another woman’s birth experience to our own? Why do we make jokes about her and put her down for having a different experience than us? Why can’t we see each birth for the miracle that it is?

If there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that childbirth is the great equalizer. Kate may be royalty, but on that day, she was a mama on her birthing day. Childbirth didn’t come wrapped up in a neat little box for her just because of her status. It was raw, and real, and emotional, and unfiltered, just as it is for all of us. We should be celebrating her and telling her she’s a badass, just like we would want people to do for us on our special day.

And yea, maybe she had someone come in and do her hair and makeup for that photo. Or maybe she did it herself because it makes her feel good to have her hair and makeup done. Either way, we should be celebrating that.

And yea, maybe she had a fast, straightforward, and uncomplicated birth. Maybe that’s why she looks so energized and awake and vibrant. Or maybe not... I birthed for 21 hours (many of those hours I spent on my hands and knees, moving my hips back and forth, and breathing and making moaning noises my husband has probably never heard before. Lol!). But after my baby was born I felt energized. I felt alert and high on all the oxytocin my body was producing. I felt strong and powerful. Birthing for 21 hours wasn’t easy, but because of HypnoBirthing, it was tolerable. And I felt really good afterward. Maybe she did too. Regardless or how her birth went, she birthed a baby. We should be celebrating that.

I can tell you that if her photo really causes you to feel distressed about your own birth experience, it’s time to do some healing. Contact me or another HypnoBirthing Practitioner and we can do a trauma and fear release session. Let’s heal and let go of what we need to within ourselves and begin to view birth in a positive light. Childbirth doesn’t have to be traumatic or horrible. And we, as women, should be lifting other women up and empowering them to have calm, gentle births so they can emerge feeling strong and proud.

listen guys, childbirth is different for everyone. Some people birth in the middle of the woods squatting on a rock, and some people have a c-section. It doesn’t matter. We all should emerge from our birthing day feeling like badasses. Because we are. And we should celebrate other women, no matter how they birth, or what they look like afterward.