As a Pediatrician, I meet so many mothers in my office. Some of them seem to have it all together. They seem to be enjoying motherhood. Mothers who have figured out how to find joy even in the hardest of circumstances. Others would come in and I could feel that they could use some more joy. They seem unhappy and stressed every single visit. I wish I could sit there and talk with THEM about motherhood, but in a Pediatric office time was already limited for the patient, let alone for me to dig more into how the mom was feeling. In my dream practice, I would get hours with every visit to really get to know the baby and the mother.  What do they feel is lacking? What makes them wake up content and ready to start another day of mothering? What would make them happier as a mom? What have they learned to let go of to live a more fulfilled life as a mother? Mothering is hard work. I don’t think any woman on this planet has it all figured out. Even me--someone who uses this platform to give parenting and health advice—is not perfect and learns a lot every day about being a mother.  But, what I have found are traits that bring me joy as a mom. Traits that bring those content mothers in my office joy as well. Overall, I find that the mothers who are happiest are the ones that love themselves. They know what they need to work on it and are constantly emotionally growing alongside their child.  There are many things we do as women and as mothers than can block our happiness.  Tune in as I talk about 15 behaviors that we do as women/mothers that can rob us of our joy. I lay down some tough love so we can become better versions of ourselves so we can find joy in the craziness that is motherhood. Just as our children go through milestones and growth, we also grow through motherhood as well. Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠⁠⁠⁠ page of the website.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices