Episode 01 An Introduction: My Story

Transcript:

hi, I’m Jalesa Dodson, a mom of three littles and you’re listening to a Love Letter to motherhood. Where I provide you with a small dose of nourishment to get you through the week. Because if we’re being honest with each other, we all need little reminders that we’re doing the best we can when we can, SO grab a cup of coffee & let’s chat!

Welcome to A Love letter to motherhood! I am so excited to finally get this thing rolling. If you know me, I really love being a mom. Like I just knew motherhood was meant for me and I have embraced every ounce of it. The highs, the lows, you name it. I wanted to create a safe space for mamas to share it all. I'm a firm believer that life is a learning process and we should all share our life stories because there are so many, like us, going through it. There are so many other mothers that are out there struggling, as well as celebrating and it's nice to have a village to share those highs and lows with. It really does take a village to raise these little humans.

Think of this podcast as a journal. We're going to talk about it all! There is no shaming, no judging, just sharing. Taking what we can use, sharing what we think others can use, and leaving what doesn't serve us at the time.

So here's my story & how I became a mother.

I became a mom at 17. I was still in high school and obviously a teen mother. You can only imagine the judgment I received for being a teen mom. The stigma around that is a whole other issue. But I refused to allow that stigma to define me. I am so much more than a teenage mother, a young mother. I made sure that I got a job, I went to college (on a scholarship mind you), and made sure that my daughter was well taken care of and well-loved. I did what I had to do for me and her. Now being 26 with a 9 year it's still crazy to me thinking about it all. People still stare at us and you can see them calculating our ages in their head when they hear her call me mom. But I really enjoy it. We grew up together. We're learning this mother-daughter dynamic and figuring it out as we go. She's taught me more about myself than anything else ever could.

6 years later I had a miscarriage. It changed my life. I had been trying to have another baby for years! Then for this to happen. I was angry. I was sad. I was confused. Doctors told me I couldn't have another baby for reasons that were unclear but we kept trying anyway only for this to happen. My marriage was challenged, my faith was challenged. I was ready for another baby but time was not.

9 months later i was pregnant with my rainbow baby. I was so happy. and so scared all at the same time. he was born happy and healthy and has been such a blessing in our lives.

Shortly after having him, I was pregnant unexpectedly with my third. She obviously was not planned, I was happy with just two but now here she is. God clearly knew I needed her more in my life than I thought I did. It's funny how we try to make our own plans and God has other plans for us. Unfortunately, I did go through a phase of depression during my pregnancy and even after she was here, I had postpartum depression and anxiety. I just had a really hard time accepting my pregnancy especially since I had just started my career and was doing really well. It was also just an extremely difficult pregnancy. Um, we got through it though. She's here and I love her sooooo much. She is honestly a pure light.

I would probably say I would have more kids if I didn't have to go through pregnancy again. I do enjoy being pregnant! I just cannot. I've never had easy pregnancies. They took a toll on me physically and mentally. I would rather give birth than be pregnant.

All three of my children were unmedicated so that's saying a lot that I would prefer birth over pregnancy. But we don't have to think about that anymore. We're done done. Our little family is complete I would say.

So there's a little about me and how I became a mother with each of my pregnancies. They're 9, 3, and 1. Definitely fun ages. Each one keeps me on my toes.

So I want to preface, I'm definitely not an expert in any way. I'm constantly educating myself and choosing to grow and change with my kids. My parenting style is definitely more child-led. Each of my children have completely different personalities and learning styles. What works for one does not work for the other. I also base a lot of my parenting on science. I love child psychology and I don't agree a lot with how I was raised and disciplined. That's a whole other topic we're going to dive into eventually. But what works for me isn't necessarily going to work for you or another. I'm not here to give advice and tell you what to do with your children. I'm here to encourage you and uplift you. we all make mistakes but as long as we're willing to apologize and learn then that's all that matters. We're all just really trying to figure this out.

We're going to talk about some hard topics because motherhood is hard but we're also going to celebrate each other along the way. I can't wait for you to walk this journey with me.

So let me be your supporter, your motivator, your encourager, your internet friend that pats you on the back and let you know that you're doing an amazing job and also remind you that you don't have to do it alone!

I hope you enjoyed today's episode and that you got some nourishment for your soul. I'll talk to you in the next love letter.

Love & Light, Jalesa.