Unmasking Anxiety: The Impact of Neurodivergence on Motherhood
If you’re anything like me, you’ve always lived a little on the fringe—trying to balance living life by your own rules with the nagging sense that you don’t quite belong in this strange world full of weird societal rules and expectations.
And then motherhood happened. Suddenly, that fringe life turned into walking a tightrope over a canyon you can’t see the bottom of. Nothing is predictable anymore. Routines? Gone. Sleep? Ha. Life feels chaotic, and you’re on the edge instead of on the fringe.
Every morning it’s like staring at a stranger in the mirror—a version of you you don’t recognize—with feelings too big and unfamiliar to process. The people who once understood you, who saw you and let you exist in your truest form, are gone. Now, there are new people, a new life, and it all feels like too much.
I’ve been there. I see you.
Neurospicy moms are involuntary superheroes.
We’re extraordinary, compassionate, empathetic, justice-driven, filled with love—and a little angst. But sometimes, our superpowers get us into trouble. The challenges we face as mothers often come out of nowhere, especially for neurodivergent women.
All our lives, we’ve learned to mask, to hide, to blend into a world that doesn’t always get us. We’re masters at concealing our struggles. Until we can’t anymore.
When my baby was born, it was like stepping into a new world—one that was even stranger than the first one where I never really felt like I belonged. I didn’t recognize the person I was months before. I felt lost, fumbling through a foggy maze with no map or guidance, while this tiny, miraculous human depended on me to figure it out on the fly.
Years later, I realized why motherhood was so damn hard: I had no clue who I was anymore. And that made my postpartum period HARD. AS. SHIT.
For me, early motherhood was a soul-shaking season—family bed, constant breastfeeding, a desperate need to control everything in a life that felt out of control. One where I couldn’t figure out which mask to wear.
Enter Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum anxiety is sneaky and relentless. The fourth trimester—the first months with your baby—is unlike anything else you will experience. Sleepless nights, constant vigilance, feeling on edge, never-ending stimulation: new sounds, new smells, messy house, laundry mountain, no time to eat, shower, or just breathe. It’s rough. Sometimes terrifying.
Naming my postpartum anxiety was the first step to breaking free.
When I was diagnosed with PPA in 2012, I had never even heard of it. I had Googled “Do I have postpartum depression?” a thousand times, but this wasn’t it. At the time, I just thought I was a shitty mom and a terrible wife.
Why are so many moms struggling, silently or diagnosed? What’s happening?
The answer: nothing is wrong with us.
There’s something wrong with the world we live in.
In past generations, neurodivergent moms may have had an easier time—less pressure to perform, less comparison, less expectation to be perfect, have a perfect body, perfect home, and still want to have sex with your husband.
Social media has intensified the pressure to be flawless. Neurodivergent moms are especially vulnerable to feeling inadequate. When you’re constantly comparing yourself to the curated highlight reel of other moms, it’s easy to feel like you’re failing.
But here’s the truth: struggling postpartum doesn’t make you less of a mom. You’re incredible. The fact that it feels harder for you than for others? There’s a reason—and when there’s a reason, there’s a solution.
Solutions come in finding your groove, finding your people, and setting up strategies and mindsets that actually work. Things like postpartum planning, building a support network, and even exploring placental wellness—like encapsulation or tinctures available locally in South Jersey—can make a measurable difference in energy, mood, and recovery.
Motherhood is hard. Postpartum anxiety is real. But you are not alone. There are tools, strategies, and people ready to help you thrive. It starts with naming the challenge, seeking support, and letting yourself off the hook for being “perfect.”
I’m Tiff, The Placenta Girl and I’m dedicated to helping new and expecting moms navigate the challenges of the fourth trimester with confidence and support. Curious about how placenta pills can support your recovery, energy, and overall postpartum experience? Click here to learn more and see how placenta encapsulation can help you feel stronger, calmer, and more prepared.
