The in-between season of motherhood is something many women experience but rarely talk about. Here’s what it really feels like—and why it matters.
There’s a version of motherhood that no one really prepares you for.
It’s not the newborn stage, where everything is overwhelming but clearly defined. It’s not the early toddler years, where chaos is expected and survival is the goal. It’s something quieter than that. Harder to explain. And if I’m being honest, harder to admit out loud.
It’s what I’ve come to think of as the in-between season of motherhood.
It’s the season where you’ve found your rhythm as a mom — or at least something that resembles one. You’re no longer in pure survival mode. You know how to handle the day-to-day. You’ve built a life around your children, your home, your routines.
And yet… something inside you starts to shift.
You begin to feel it in small moments.
In the quiet after bedtime, when the house finally settles and your mind doesn’t.
In the middle of a busy day, when everything is “fine,” but something feels slightly off.
In the way your thoughts drift back to ideas, goals, and dreams you once had — or maybe ones that are just starting to take shape.
It’s not dissatisfaction.
It’s something deeper.
It’s the realization that while motherhood has become a part of you, it was never meant to be the only part of you.
And that realization can feel incredibly complicated.
Because on one hand, you love your life. You love your children. You wouldn’t change the path that brought you here.
But on the other hand, there’s this quiet voice asking:
What about me?
And that question is where so many women get stuck.
Not because they don’t want more — but because it feels uncomfortable to even say that out loud.
We live in a world that often frames motherhood as all-consuming. That tells us we should feel fulfilled entirely within it. That suggests wanting something for yourself somehow takes away from what you give your family.
But in reality, the opposite is true.
The women I know — the ones who feel the most grounded, the most present, the most themselves — are the ones who have allowed space for both.
For motherhood and something more.
Still, the in-between season can feel lonely.
Because it doesn’t come with clear milestones. There’s no guidebook. No checklist. No obvious next step.
You’re not starting from scratch — but you’re also not fully where you want to be.
You’re building something… but quietly. In the margins. In between everything else.
Late nights after the kids go to bed.
Early mornings before the day begins.
Moments stolen in between school drop-offs, errands, and the endless rhythm of everyday life.
And because it’s happening in these small, invisible pockets of time, it can sometimes feel like it doesn’t “count.”
Like it’s not real yet.
But it is.
That’s the part I wish more women understood.
This season — the in-between — is not a pause. It’s not a waiting period. It’s not something to rush through or ignore.
It’s actually where so much of the growth happens.
It’s where you start to reconnect with yourself.
Where ideas begin to take shape.
Where confidence slowly rebuilds.
Where you learn how to hold both roles — mother and individual — at the same time.
And yes, it’s messy.
There are days where it feels impossible to balance it all. Days where the guilt creeps in. Days where you question whether you’re doing any of it right.
But there are also moments — small ones — where you feel something shift.
A sense of alignment.
A spark of excitement.
A reminder that you’re still in there… and maybe even becoming someone new.
That’s the beauty of this season.
It’s not about choosing between motherhood and yourself.
It’s about learning how to expand.
To grow into both.
And maybe, just maybe, to create a life that reflects all the parts of who you are — not just the ones the world expects you to focus on.
If you’re in this season right now, I want you to know something:
You’re not alone.
And more importantly… you’re not behind.
You’re building something. Even if it’s quiet. Even if no one else can see it yet.
And that counts more than you think.
If you’re in this in-between season too, I’d love to stay connected with you.
I’m building something special for women like us, and I’ll be sharing more soon — you can join the Insider List here to be the first to know
XOXO,
Allison
