I DON’T FEEL LIKE A GOOD MOM, SAYS STRUGGLING SERENA WILLIAMS
FACED with worries about breastfeeding, sleep and establishing a healthy balance between work and parenthood, some new moms struggle during the first months of their baby’s life,
So spare a thought for Serena Williams, who has put the worst loss of her 20-year tennis career down to post-natal emotions.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion admitted she was not around as much as she would like for her 11-month-old daughter because of her demanding training regime.
The 36-year-old tennis star gave birth to her first child, Alexis Olympia, in September.
But in a post on her Instagram page, she admitted she did not feel like a good mother.
She wrote: “Last week was not easy for me. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom. I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with.
“Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know…it’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby.”
The star, who last year married Silicon Valley millionaire Alexis Ohanian, 35, admitted her tennis career made finding a work-life balance difficult.
She added: “I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be. However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be.”
In a message to other mothers, she added: “If you are having a rough day or week – it’s OK – I am, too.”
Williams lost in 51 minutes at San Jose’s Silicon Valley Classic last week in the worst match of her professional career. She lost 6-1, 6-0 to Britain’s Johanna Konta.
She said she could have played “a zillion times better”, and has since pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Canada.
Last month, she revealed she had missed her child’s first steps, tweeting: “She took her first steps… I was training and missed it. I cried.” – Daily Mail