To The Mom Who Is Awake At 2am

I couldn’t sleep.

Being 9 months pregnant, I am to the point where I toss and turn from one side to the other trying to get into a comfortable position.

I feel like everything hurts. My back is aching. My muscles are tight. My feet are swollen. My eyes are tired. My belly is large. And it feels like all of my insides are going to fall out of me any second.

As I laid in bed, listening to the heater turn off and on, the fan spinning quickly, my husband snoring and sleeping so peacefully and the quietness that resonated throughout the entire house – I thought about you. I thought about what an amazing mom you are. I thought about the role that we share as mothers and the many blessings, heartaches, headaches, laughs, memories, and love that we share, even though we may not know each other personally.

I thought about you as a mom. Yes, you…the woman that is reading this. The mom that maybe lives next door and is up at 2am, just like I am. The mom that maybe lives on the other side of town, in another state, across the country, or maybe even on the other side of the world.

I thought about how I most likely wasn’t the only mom on the planet that was laying in bed awake at that very moment. In fact, there are probably THOUSANDS of us who are all awake in the middle of the night, simply because we have one thing in common… we are moms.

Maybe you are the mom that is awake at 2am because of a crying baby who will not go back to sleep. As you feed and rock the sweet baby in your arms, you wonder if you will ever EVER sleep again for longer than 45 minute intervals.

Or maybe you are the mom that is awake at 2am because of a sick child, who can’t keep anything down and you are washing and cleaning sheets and blankets all. night. long.

Or maybe you are the mom that is awake at 2am because you are worried. You are worried about a child and can’t help but stay up and pray for them to be okay and find joy in their life.

Or maybe you are the mom that is awake at 2am because you are working on everything you didn’t get to do earlier today – because your kids needed you and their needs came before your long list of to-do’s.

Or maybe you are the mom that is awake at 2am because your mind is racing. You just can’t slow down. You have too much going on. You are super uncomfortable. You don’t feel well. Or you simply need a mommy-break and you are finally getting it.

Whatever the reason for you being awake at this hour of the night… THIS is for you:

1. YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK: Being awake in the middle of the night was probably not exactly your plan before you went to bed. In fact, you probably prayed that you would FINALLY get a good nights rest without interruption, but alas, you are here again – wide awake reading an article in the darkness of your bedroom.

I hope you know as I was thinking about you – I realized that you are much MUCH stronger than you think. Sometimes as moms we go from day to day, wondering if we will ever feel like ourselves again. Whether it’s pregnancy that is causing you to feel uncomfortable or a new baby who won’t let you put them down or children who are tugging and needing you constantly – motherhood is a whole lot of work and can make you forget about yourself.

But remember that you have’t lost yourself – you have found yourself. As a mom you hold SO many roles, balancing life and children and a spouse and a job and a house and everything else. And as a mom, you are holding THE MOST precious, sacred, special, eternal role. And you are strong.

You are strong because you made it through another day. You are strong because you are awake. You are strong because you haven’t given up. You are strong because you are being a MOM.

2. THIS WILL NOT LAST FOREVER: Even though sometimes it definitely feels like it is never ending. If you are awake because you are worried about a difficult trial you are going through – it will end. If you are awake because you are THE MOST uncomfortable you have ever been in your entire life because you are growing a baby inside of you – that baby will be out before you know it. If you are awake because of a newborn, a teething baby, a toddler who has bad dreams, a child who is sick, a teenager who is going through a rough time – they will grow so fast and this stage in life will be a long lasting memory.

3. DO SOMETHING FOR YOU: Whether you put your phone down right now and turn on your favorite tv show… or go run the bath and fill it up with hot water and bubbles… go do something for yourself. You deserve it. And you need it.

Treating yourself will only make you an even better mom – because let’s be real – the mama needs to be taken care of in order for her to take care of her children.

So whether you do it now – or tomorrow – do something that makes you the happiest. Get away from your worries for just a moment and DO IT… even if that means indulging in a whole sleeve of oreos and milk like I would do if I were you. 🙂

4. YOU ARE SO NEEDED: As a mom, you are absolutely irreplaceable. NOBODY can take your place. I mean look at you – up and at it taking care of your family at 2am in the morning! It takes a real special lady to do what you do.

Your children need you. Your husband needs you. And what you do for them all day and every night does not go unnoticed.

5. TAKE A NAP TOMORROW: I am sure you are like, “PLEASE! Does this woman even know what she is talking about?! Of course I can’t take a nap – I am a MOM!” … but let me tell you. Being up at this hour is NOT easy.

The dishes can stack high in that sink. The crumbs can be swept up tomorrow. The dirt can be vacuumed later. The laundry can sit in the dryer another day. And you can tidy up the toy room next week. Let the house work wait – and please take a minute and RELAX. Seriously.

6. YOU ARE NOT ALONE: I saved this one for last, because I think it is the most important. I hope you will remember that YOU, my fellow mom who is up at 2am with me, are not alone.

I think that is one of the coolest things about becoming a mom – because when you become a mom – you become a member of the mom tribe. A tribe of women who may not have the EXACT same beliefs, or the EXACT same schedules, or the EXACT same situations… but DO have the EXACT same hopes and dreams.

Because as moms who are up at 2am – we can all agree that we wish we were sleeping. We can all agree that we want our children to be happy and healthy. We can all agree that tomorrow we are going to be dreaming of sleeping again and hoping to have a better night ahead. We can all agree that being a mom is a whole lot of work, but oh SO worth it.

AND lastly, we can all agree that we want the best for our families and would do ANYTHING for them…even if that means being awake throughout the entire night. Because why? Well…because we are moms.

Don’t forget to share if YOU are a 2am mom too… 

Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day!

December 9, 2020 by Danielle Davis | 0 comment