In this episode, my special guest from last week shares Part 2 of her story.
In the last episode (278 - Blindsided by my partner (Part 1)), my anonymous guest talked about how she had always thought she and her partner had a good life. They had been together for 7.5 years and they rarely argued.
Life was good when they had their first baby, but things quickly changed when she saw changes in her partner's demeanour and when he began a strong friendship with a girl from his work. Until one day, she was blindsided by her partner's sudden decision to leave her while she was just pregnant with their second baby.
In Part 1, my guest talked about:
- the challenges of becoming a first-time mum and the shifting in identity from doing what she wanted when she wanted and adjusting to motherhood,
- how she never felt fully supported by her partner when it came to caring for the baby,
- not addressing the unspoken expectations about the shared responsibilities of being a parent,
- the signs and changes in the behaviour of her partner when she found out he was texting another woman,
- her decision to move back to her parents to get the support she needed,
- juggling career and pregnancy while taking care of her first child,
- co-parenting with her ex, and
- moving into her own place and starting the next chapter.
In this episode, my guest shares Part 2 of her story. She talks about:
- the absolute grief and trauma she felt when her ex left her and the emotionally difficult pregnancy and birth she had,
- how she was in fight or flight mode the first months after separation,
- how she proactively sought help and put support in place around her during the early part of her pregnancy as she knew she was a candidate for PTSD,
- trauma recovery,
- intentionally seeking single mum friends who get it and understands her journey,
- how her visits to her psychologist triggered past trauma from her childhood which she never knew were there but
how seeking therapy during these hard times helped release past and current trauma and helped process the rollercoaster of feelings one goes through in times of grief, - her journey to self-discovery, and
- so much more!
Links mentioned in the episode:
Listen to Episode 278 - Blindsided by my partner (Part 1) HERE.
Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE.
Download the E-book – Thirteen single mothers share their struggles, top tips, and their favourite things about being a single mother – HERE.
To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com.
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