Now That You're A Mother is a series honoring Mother’s Day. Today birth work goddess and mama of one, Jessica Sewell-Mabson, shares her thoughts on the past, present, and future of her experience with motherhood.

What’s something that you said you’d never do (pre-kids) that you do now?

There are so many things I said, I would NEVER do before becoming a mother. The one thing I was dead set on was co-sleeping. I said I’d never co-sleep because I truly enjoy uninterrupted sleep like most people, ha. I also didn’t understand attachment parenting as much as I do now. I was under the impression that co-sleeping was dangerous or that it would make my daughter be “spoiled” but now that I have more evidence-based information, I know differently. We have been co-sleeping for about 20 months, and I plan to co-sleep with all of our future children until they are ready to transition into their own space.

Has your perspective of your own mom or parental figure changed?

My perspective of my parents has completely changed since becoming a parent myself. My husband and I have chosen to parent differently than our parents and be conscious and gentle when it comes to our children. I’ve learned that our parents more than likely have a lot of unprocessed and unrecognized trauma that shaped how they parented us. We do a lot of heavy work on ourselves, to make sure that we are checking our trauma, so our children don’t have to.

What is one hope you have for your kid(s) in the future?

I hope that in the future my children are happy and fulfilled, living free, joyful and as trauma-free as possible. I hope that they are living lives where they have autonomy, self-awareness and peace.

It’s 20 years into the future - what is your kid doing right now?

As much as I’d like to say, that my daughter is doing something in midwifery or birth work with me. I think she will lean more towards being into automotive engineering like her dad. However, whatever she chooses to do or lean towards, I want her to be happy and walk in her purpose. That’s what’s most important to me, not stressing her out with my own wants for her life.

- Jessica Sewell-Mabson

IG: @MamasInColor

Personal IG: @OhDamnSikaa