Being a new mom is hard, even if you're someone who is in the public eye. Tennis star Naomi Osaka welcomed her first child, a daughter named Shai, over the summer, and she's already feeling what we all feel at some point: that she's not a good mom. She took to social media to share her fears, and fellow parents showed her that she's not alone.
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In a social media post commemorating her 26th birthday, Osaka reflected on getting older and how becoming a mom is changing her.
"Something I had to conquer recently is fighting the thought that I won't be a good mom," she wrote, posting in both English and Japanese. "So many doubts raced through my head I had to swat them away like mosquitoes."
"Looking into Shai's eyes and holding her, I always think, 'Wow, this little person depends on me so much, I have to do better,'" she continued. "It's such a strange feeling watching your kid grow, you blink and they're double the size in a few months."
She ended her post expressing gratitude for where she is in life, and where she's going. "Gratefulness reminds me to breathe and take in the little things (and the big ones)," she wrote. "I'm so grateful to have another year and I'm so thankful to everyone that believes in me."
"You are doing the right thing in this moment for you and her take it easy, breathe in, exhale and it will flow as it should. Happy 26 ," one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Your feelings regarding motherhood are completely understandable and even expected sometimes. That’s one way I know without a doubt that you are, and will continue to be, an outstanding mother ," another shared.
"You're doing amazing. You'll be a good mom," a person said.
"If we love our child, we will always worry about motherhood. Just keep going with the same positive thoughts. You will be a very good mother! ❤️ " another said.
"The fact that you are questioning your parental skills proves that you are a good mum. We all go through it ❤️ ," one person wrote on Instagram.
"Motherhood is a beautiful journey full of life lessons and transitions," another added.
"HBD Naomi♥️ I'm a new mom here just like you do always questioning myself 'am I a good mom?' too let's embrace this time and enjoy the new chapter ," someone else said.
