The Post Partum Identity Crisis You Didn’t Know You Needed…
This is a guest feature from the amazing Maisie Collier, and it sits right at the heart of what The Honest Chapter is about.
Maisie is a mother of twins and a business owner, which means she has lived two versions of the identity shift at once. Here, she writes about the part of motherhood no one prepares you for: not the sleepless nights or the logistics, but the quiet unravelling of who you thought you were, and the unexpected joy in building someone new. It is honest, it is hopeful, and we think you will recognise yourself in every line.
Becoming a mother is a truly beautiful thing.
But it’s equally the biggest identity shift you’ll ever have to go through, and yet, no one talks about it.
Your body’s changed, your lifestyle's changed. Your career is paused, and now you have this tiny human relying on you to love them and keep them alive. It’s a lot to get your head around.
On the other hand, everything you were pre-motherhood just doesn’t feel right anymore: your appearance, your clothes, your sense of self. It’s like you’ve unknowingly hit the restart button, and now you’re figuring out how this new version of you will look.
It can feel scary leaving behind a version of you that you know so well. But it’s equally as exciting to become the very best version of you for your baby and yourself.
It’s the reset you didn’t know you needed. But it needn’t feel overwhelming, romanticise it.
Think of this unknown period like your seven-year-old self playing dress-up in front of your mother’s mirror. One day you’re a princess, the next morning you’re a doctor, and by lunchtime, you’re a mermaid.
Don’t forget the time you raided your mother’s makeup bag and went straight for the lipstick. Remember how much fun you had as that little girl; finding your new identity postpartum can be just as fun, if not more.
Try new styles, new colours, new routines, and even discover new hobbies. Embracing the newness of this postpartum season could be the most fun thing you ever do for yourself, if you let it be.
Romanticise the experiment: try everything, be open-minded to different things, and, most importantly, be kind to yourself and this new version of you. You’ll love your new you very soon.
