‘What does it mean to become a mother? How will it shift who I am fundamentally as a woman, as a person?’

In these last weeks of pregnancy, I find myself deep in thought about this transition—so eager for the chapter ahead, yet quietly afraid of losing myself in it all. It’s as if I’m learning the final pieces of who I currently am before becoming someone entirely new. It’s not that I’m giving myself away, but rather preparing to discover a deeper part of who I was meant to be. I feel a deep knowing that something so unknown, yet somehow oddly familiar, is on the horizon—like returning to myself while greeting someone new, all in the same breath.

'But how do I know what it will feel like?’

This transition. I’ve never done this before. And though the stories from other mothers are comforting, I know that every experience is beautifully unique, and mine will be my own. I teeter between mentally preparing for the inevitable challenges on my path and living in the blissful joy of what the future might hold. I want to feel prepared without dampening the overwhelming sense that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

I suppose that’s just it. The duality. Living in deep gratitude and excitement while also knowing so much is beyond our control. It’s carrying both at the same time, that’s the true gift. The moment is sweeter when you know all that it took to arrive.