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Molly Bernard: On Devotion and Wellness as a Mom
“I had no idea that my heart would live outside of my body from the moment she was born.” New mom and actress Molly Bernard shares with us the ups and downs of pregnancy and the love and devotion that took over as soon as she met her daughter. She details the paths to wellness as a new mom in an incredibly heartfelt way, reminding all of us of the importance of the journey.
Molly, tell us about you:
I’m Molly Bernard, an actress in tv, film and theater.
What was the most unexpected part of your own motherhood journey?
I really, REALLY hated pregnancy. I was extremely sick everyday for the entirety of it, and it took such a toll on me emotionally that by the end I was shocked by my readiness for birth. Before the reality of living through pregnancy, I feared birth in a looming big-scary-monster kind of way. The journey to pregnancy that lead to the moment of meeting my daughter was by far the most profound experience and moment of my life. I recently read that beautiful article about birth as not just the birth of the baby but also the birth of the mother, and that rings deeply true and meaningful to me.
How does Matrescence’s Mission to “mother the mother” resonate with you as a mom?
We all deserve mothering. That kind of unmatched care, love and devotion. And as D.W. Winnicot writes about; the ‘good enough mother’. Some days mothering myself means taking the extra 10 seconds in the shower to exfoliate my body, to feel that I, in fact, have a body and I can delight in caring for it. And other days, all I can do is take a deep breath. And that’s enough.
How about in your career?
In my career it’s always a balance of being too hard on myself and knowing when and how to be gentle and offer myself grace. I hope I can extend the latter to both my daughter and myself as she continues to grow and develop into the firecracker I know she’ll be.
What does wellness in motherhood mean to you as a mama?
Wellness for me right now means long walks with my wife and our daughter. It means cooking nourishing meals together and watching only one episode of our favorite shows instead of two so that we get enough sleep! It means encouraging each other to go and do things for ourselves while the other takes the baby on adventures. It also means being in dialogue with all of our other parent friends about how we navigate all the twists and turns.
What is one thing you wish you’d known before becoming a mom?
I had no idea that my heart would live outside of my body from the moment she was born.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a new mama?
Go slow. Be easy on yourself. Ask for help! Ask your friends to come hold the baby while you take a shower and change your bed sheets. Talk to other moms. Ask all the questions! Have zero shame. And know what flange size you are for pumping! There are no standard sizes. I was using the 24/28 that came with my pump but I’m actually a size 15mm!!!
Follow Molly on Instagram here