Motherwhelmed: Challenging Norms, Untangling Truths, and Restoring Our Worth to the World

Such a perfect book to put in perspective feelings that I feel as a mother. Incredible advice on how to find you.

I ignored my kid to read this book. Let me tell you it all started with me in tears while telling the rest of the family that I was working (WFH content writer) and while I did have work to do, I just couldn't bring myself to say I was overwhelmed and needed to have a meltdown to exorcise the guilt and shame for my feelings about my child, the house, my husband, and all of the rest of the family who must have CLEARLY seen that I was out of my mind with sh** to do and not a one could offer to help. So there I sat, and was like, you know, books haven't let me down before and a quick search led me to this book.So what's actually in this book? I won't spoil anything but this is NOT a "parenting" book in the sense that you need to spend 3 hours of quality time each day with your kid to produce a valuable adult. It also isn't a "parenting" book that is the "do what you want and they'll figure it out in their adult years" scope. Ultimately, this is a book on mothering and trying to figure out what that means to the individual reading it so they can do the best job possible without burning out, building resentment, and hating their life (and everyone in it).If you're looking for actionable: wake up at six, make waffles, spend two hours cleaning the kitchen... advice you won't find that in this book. And it's a good thing!I have spent my three years as a parent thinking that if I just woke up early enough, stayed up late enough, made good enough meals, or mopped with hotter water that "it" would click and I'd be dubbed a super mom. Now I know that type of thinking just doesn't produce anything because this book spelled it out super clearly. I mean, that breakdown behind the keyboard was not the first instance and I still hadn't learned.This book explains why we think there's an answer or a key out there waiting for us so that we can become great moms. It dives into how our personal experiences might make us more or less patient/kind/caring/hardworking/ etc.I highly recommend this book to any mother or anyone who provides mothering because it doesn't offer quick fixes. This book is all about the long-haul that you and the kids in your life deserve. I can't rave enough, and I'm buying a few copies for the other moms I know.

I am the mother of three teenage boys, who has done a lot of personal transformation work and I would definitely gift copies of Motherwhelmed to both new and seasoned mamas.I found many jewels throughout the book, which helped me to pinpoint ways in which I continue to abandon myself as a mother, by oftentimes minimizing my own needs and betraying my deepest essence. I think this work is lifelong and the extent to which we embrace it, may very well contribute to a more physically, emotionally and spiritually sustainable way to raise children on the collective level. Author Beth Berry calls it "re-villaging" and in spite of being an introvert, I want to yell "Where do I sign up?" Luckily, she offers many creative suggestions for just that.Motherwhelmed breaks down transformational processes and possibilities into chewable bites that are easily digested. Berry's voice acts as a loving presence as it guides us to explore some painful paradoxes which we face as mothers. We all want the best for our children but what happens when our idea of what's best doesn’t match up with what's realistic economically? The author's exploration of this and many other themes, leads us to a tender letting go of certain expectations, which when contemplated, don’t even match up with our heartfelt desires. I finished the book thinking about how powerful it is to actually love the lives we have, rather than be constantly in pursuit of what's "out there" whether it's an experience, a certain school or an emotion we wish we were feeling right now.Thanks to Motherwhelmed, we can all plan on meeting one another in a more expansive plane of motherhood, where everything we have ever known about our connection to Self and connection to Other, have been rewritten from the old tired stories into vibrant new contracts.

Motherwhelmed begins by pointing out experiences that so many mothers endure but are reluctant to share. Our culture sets us up to feel like we need to be super heroes, but we end up feeling like failures or, at the very least, like we can't measure up to other mothers or to society's expectations of us. There are so many examples given in the book that had me saying, "Yes! That's totally me," and hearing that I wasn't alone in those feelings was a comfort. Mothers constantly feel like they have to do it all and that self care is selfish, leaving us feeling helpless, frustrated, resentful, and often alone. Throughout the book, Berry goes through many of the lies we tell ourselves or let ourselves believe based on what our culture has told us, and then she empowers mothers by giving us permission to tell ourselves we are worthy. There is no feat you need to accomplish first, mamas, because you're worthy now. You can accept seemingly contradictory emotions about motherhood and your sense of self and still be worthy. You can let go of all the things you thought you had to get right as a mother and still be worthy. It's time to start a revolution for mothers, and that revolution will start with each mother as an individual. If you're ready to be kinder to yourself and find peace in the "motherwhelm" without sacrificing your own needs, this book is for you.

This book is revolutionary. As a first time mum, motherhood fell from grace pretty quickly for me. I feel that as a woman, I have been set up to fail as a mum from birth (mine!), with almost every message from my culture, and I have worked really hard in the past 2 years to understand why I've felt like a failure so often when I'm actually an educated, hardworking and nurturing person. This book describes it all… the great, the bad and the ugly. And so much more. In ways that feels like the writer has crawled into my own head and taken out the words. And yet, having read the book I feel more empowered than I ever have, to create a future for my child that I could only have dreamed off, and the best bit is that I can do this, at the same time as creating my own amazing authentic future for myself. Because now I know, they’re one and the same. This book does not slate motherhood - I love being a mum. But it doesn’t ask you to pretend it’s easy either. The most honest, empowering, authentic and insightful book on motherhood I have ever read and will continue to remain at the front of my book shelf for many years to come.

Im So thankful that I found Beth on my journey, reading her book is like having soul food! Definitely recommend to all mothers

❤️I LOVE Beth Berry’s work. I sat in circle with her and other beautiful overwhelmed mothers 5 years ago for a period of 3 months. Beth had so much wisdom and resources to help me work through my own stuff and help me learn and understand my own needs. Before that I didn’t understand what was feeling “ off “for me. I have grown a lot since then, gained much self awareness, and still I love and appreciate Beth’s healing, loving and supportive words for mothers are. Beth Berry has written a book full of wisdom, contemplation and understanding. With great empathy for mothers her voice is supportive and eye opening. For anyone feeling the overwhelm of life in motherhood, I can not recommend her book enough. So if you’re looking for a good read, and empowering read, her book is worth your time❤️ I believe so deeply in her work and in us, mothers🙏❤️

I had the pleasure of reading this book during a time where I needed it the most. A book in which the author not only brings to light the challenging realities of motherhood that us mothers know too well, but she also helps us question, think critically about why things are the way they are, and offers words of comfort and wisdom. I could relate to many of the concepts she discussed in her book and I’d recommend every mother read this!

I am at chapter 5 and feel like I've read the exact same chapter 5 times in a row. I'm hoping the rest of the book is less repetitive.