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The Mental Load Is Real: Why Moms Are Struggling More Than Ever

You know that feeling when you walk into a room and forget why you’re there?Now imagine that but it’s your entire day.


Because while you’re unloading the dishwasher, you’re also:

  • Mentally tracking when the baby last ate

  • Remembering that the preschool form is due tomorrow

  • Wondering if you sounded too harsh when you asked your partner for help

  • Calculating how long you can push off grocery shopping

  • And debating if the weird rash is worth a doctor’s appointment


That’s not “just being a mom.”That’s the mental load and it’s breaking us.



What Is the Mental Load?


The mental load is the invisible, never-ending task of thinking for everyone else.


It’s not the dishes, it’s knowing when they need to be done. It’s not the doctor’s visit it’s remembering to schedule it, track symptoms, and manage the follow-up. It’s the emotional labor of making sure birthdays aren’t forgotten, meltdowns are soothed, and no one runs out of clean underwear.


Studies show that women carry over 70% of household management and emotional labor, even when working full-time jobs (National Library of Medicine, 2022).


And yet, when moms say they’re overwhelmed, the response is: "Welcome to motherhood."


Modern Motherhood Wasn’t Always Like This


Somehow, motherhood shifted from raising kids to being the default manager of life. We’re not just moms, we’re the planners, the fixers, the feelers, and the first to be blamed when something slips through the cracks.


The CDC reports that maternal mental health struggles like depression and anxiety have more than doubled in the last decade, rising from 9.4% in 2010 to 19% in 2021 (CDC, 2023).


It’s not because we’re weaker. It’s because we’re carrying more and expected to stay quiet about it.


Why We Don’t Talk About It


We don’t talk about the mental load because:

  • We think we should be able to handle it.

  • We’re afraid of sounding ungrateful.

  • We’ve been told this is just “the hard part” we’re supposed to love anyway.


So we laugh it off. We make memes about “mom brain.” We buy the coffee mugs that say “running on caffeine and chaos.”


But deep down, we know this isn’t funny. It’s exhausting. It’s isolating. And it’s not sustainable.


This Is Why I Made It Loud


The Maternal Mental Health Collection isn’t just clothing, it’s a message moms can wear when they’re too tired to explain.


It’s for the days when you feel invisible. For the moments when you need to remind yourself, and everyone else, that you’re carrying more than anyone sees.

Because survival shouldn’t be the expectation.Because motherhood isn’t supposed to erase you.Because you still matter.


Join the Movement (Not Just the Drop)


The Just a Mom Moms Club isn’t about merch. It’s about being part of a community that refuses to stay silent about what modern motherhood really feels like.


Get early access to the Maternal Mental Health Collection and every monthly drop after that.







Sources

Author: Written by Sam Thomson Hall, founder of Welcome Mama, matrescence educator, and mom who knows what it’s like to forget yourself while remembering everything else.© 2025 Welcome Mama. All rights reserved.


 
 
 

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