About Erica
Hi, I'm Erica
A Mama, High Performance Coach, Project Manager, Wife...
And so much more, but when I put all my hats down, I'm just Erica.
I love deeply, feel all things spoken and unspoken, want so much for my life but becoming a mother has left me all the things I don't consider myself - weak, lost and lonely.
I believe myself to be a highly capable person (and my track record would indicate the same), needless to say; motherhood has thrown me for a loop.
That well worn groove of me, that I had been accustomed to and was very connected to - poof, gone.
My timeline of events went like this:
I'm Pregnant! To say I didn't enjoy being a pregnant lady is a understatement. I felt like I couldn't do anything, wasn't comfortable sharing pictures of my body and growing baby, and then layer on COVID... which meant extra vigilance to stay healthy. This also meant limiting any and all interactions. Cue the loneliness.
Discovering that I had Placenta Previa and waiting until a few weeks 'til Cooper's due date to ultimately opt for a C-Section. Cue continued frustration that this was not going as I had planned. And exceedingly peeved that I had already completed an extremely awkward virtual labor prep class!
Fast forward to delivering a happy and healthy baby boy, Cooper. Savoring the quiet time in the hospital for 4 rainy days and the beautiful boy I brought into the world. Those 4 days, I saw 3 different lactation consultants (and ended up seeing 5 in total) to try to get my production up for breast feeding. Ended up paying out of pocket for breast milk from a milk bank hoping that with more diligence that my body would get moving on the whole breast feeding train.
After a few weeks of breast feeding Cooper (with the little production I was making), pumping right after to stimulate production and supplementing with formula - I called it quits. I was spending over 8 hours a day trying to feed Cooper with breast milk when it frankly, just wasn't working for me. Not to mention the guilt I was now layering all over myself - placing blame on my body for not doing what I wanted it to do. Cue the tears.
And to add insult to injury - due to COVID and distance, there was no grandma in my kitchen helping with meals. No friends holding my baby. No grandpa walking the neighborhood with a baby carrier to help our son ease into sleep. None of it. Finally, at 2 months, my parents drove over 2 days to come and see their first grandchild for the first time. My heart was full, but also hurt. This wasn't what I signed up for.
Can you relate?
My story doesn't end there - That was my wake up call. I knew I needed to -
Step 1 - recognize that this feeling was not going to be okay for me any longer and
Step 2 - take action.
Those steps took me far longer to recognize and take action on than I care to admit - I didn't want to admit I was struggling. I wanted to push through and figure it out on my own. But once I did pull my head out of tush and 1) Admit to myself and my husband my feelings and 2) Started looking for help, my life started feeling lighter. I had a renewed sense of purpose and balance in my everyday. To summarize; I can attest that there are ways to finding yourself again. For me, it looked like; finding my own coach, re-evaluating my priorities, lots of trial and error, looking deeply at what I wanted the narrative of my life to be and making that happen with a new set of tools. Because, this is a journey, not a destination. And I intend to enjoy this journey.
Through this process, I also found a calling. A calling to empower Mom's who are finding themselves in my shoes. Our stories won't be the same, but the feeling is. If you've found yourself thinking, feeling, saying:
- This is not what I signed up for
- This is not the narrative I want for my life
- Feeling like you're not doing enough and yet, never getting anything done
- Feeling like a hamster on a wheel running to nowhere
- Feeling like you utterly cannot control what is happening around you and to you
- Feeling like 'only if x was different'
- Feeling like 'only if I had more time, money...'
I'm here to help.
Why Work with A High Performance Coach?
Coaches challenge you, teach you new perspectives and
role model the way.
Teach New Ways to Think
Coaches offer new perspectives and new ways to think.
Challenge You to Grow
Coaches challenge you to grow to new levels and ability.
Role Model the Way
At Hey Mama, you are connecting with someone that is walking the talk.
Work With Me
Schedule a free, 30 minute consult to see if Hey Mama Coaching is the right fit for you.
I'm Ready
