by Christina Bernice Butler

Created on: October 07, 2009   Last Updated: November 11, 2009

Your child is a very fiber of your being yet an entirely different creature altogether. When a woman becomes a mother, everything about her changes, both automatically and gradually, over time and with experience.

As human beings, we are spiritual creatures. We also have mental, emotional, social/relational and physical parts of our being. Another part of us is our intuitive and instinctive side. Then, there are always professional/occupational and financial aspects. As a mother, all of these parts are turned inside out, shaken up and stretched.

When you have somebody else to care for throughout their entire life, you cannot think of life the same way anymore and you cannot think of yourself the same way anymore, either. Your mind is constantly creating strategy, calculating and organizing. Your thoughts travel between topics regarding your child's care, their future and their well-being so very often that thoughts regarding your own being can easily get put on the back burner. This is not a good thing, though - not usually - the healthier a mother, the healthier their child can be. Mothers who think of themselves last all of the time eventually burn out and are not able to help their child as best as would be possible if she'd taken more attention toward her own care. Priorities must be set and managed as well as constant schedule regulation and organization. The preceding are mental changes that motherhood brings to women.

Physically, women are obviously more fatigued and probably have gained weight since before pregnancy. Everybody can anticipate fatigue and extra weight as well as soreness, aches and pains but there are many non-obvious physical changes that many women experience and endure when they become mothers. For one, hormones during pregnancy lead to a lot of changes! Her appearance can alter dramatically. Most changes dissipate post-delivery. Her hair may grow a few inches, change color or/and begin to fall out. Nails can lengthen beautifully or grow weak. Skin can become dry and develop rashes. Discoloration is common as are stretch marks. Internally, organs shift. Your heart enlarges. Breasts also enlarge and, eventually, lactate. These two were other "obvious" ones, though. Not so obvious or expected, however, is that many mothers have weakened bladder control post-delivery and some have even lost a tooth or two. Mothers who had cesarean sections (c-sections) usually also have incision scars long after delivery. You never know - it depends

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