This publish was written by contributor Chelsea Becker.

Scroll by means of Instagram any evening of the week and also you’ll see a mother sharing a glass of wine as she ends a busy day. Wine has unofficially turn into the drink of motherhood – some folks really feel prefer it’s the one approach to deal with the infinite pressures and exhaustion of motherhood, and a few really feel just like the perspective of ‘want wine to outlive youngsters’ is detrimental.

Personally, I really feel like whether or not you could have youngsters or no youngsters, it’s extra about having a day cap. One thing that alerts the top of your work/child day and the beginning of ‘you time.’ And that was once a glass of wine for me…till it wasn’t.

Wine, or mainly any type of alcohol, began making me really feel shitty, even when it was a small glass. I wouldn’t sleep as nicely, I began getting sizzling flashes in the midst of the evening, and I at all times had some form of sluggish feeling the subsequent day. Not precisely how I needed to really feel, even when it meant cueing rest after the children went down. So I began in search of alternate options.

I gave CBD an opportunity and didn’t really feel a lot of a distinction. I attempted magnesium but it surely wasn’t sufficient. I gave baths and self-care a attempt however some days, that felt like extra work…after work. After which I began smoking weed most days of the week.

Weed wasn’t one thing new to me; I’d smoked my share of it since highschool but it surely was by no means a daily factor for me – particularly not each day. However just about immediately, I started to like my nightly routine of some hits or an edible. It immediately relaxes me, rather more so than a glass of wine ever did. It’s made me extra laid again; I discover myself nagging my husband much less and being carefree – one thing I’ve struggled with as a busy mother. I really log off from work for the evening (vs. responding to emails whereas watching a present with my glass of wine). Plus, for me, it’s helped with my sleep nervousness.

As soon as I bought over the self-judgment of utilizing weed usually, particularly whereas youngsters had been sleeping, I realized to like my routine. I by no means smoke sufficient to the place I can’t care for the children in the event that they had been to wake and it’s essentially the most stress-free day cap I’ve discovered but. No hangovers included.

What are your ideas on weed + motherhood? Do you could have a nightly winddown routine?