MOTHER OF FIVE KIDDOS HOW SHANNON LEACH STAYS STRONG INSIDE & OUT

Motherhood is a beautiful journey, but it often comes with sleepless nights, endless responsibilities, and little time left for oneself.

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For Shannon Leach, a mom of 5 kids, health advocate, and fitness enthusiast, the challenge has always been finding balance – nurturing her children while also caring for her own body and mind.

In this interview she shares her challenges and smart skills to find true balance to serve as a guide for new moms.

Shannon, can you take us back to the early days of motherhood? What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a new working mom?

Some of the biggest challenges I faced as a new working Mom were honestly a lot related to breastfeeding and the need to pump. I worked in a hospital at the time, and despite being a healthcare worker, there was literally ONE room available for hundreds of nurses. Often, I would try to go pump between patients, and the room wouldn’t be available. Eventually, I requested to have a curtain/frosted window put in my office so I could pump in my office. However, at one point, a fellow employee complained about me pumping in my office. It always felt like a constant battle — I wanted to do what I could to breastfeed my baby and keep her healthy, and yet, it seemed there were so many barriers in the way. Another big challenge was finding childcare — Someone I could really trust with my kiddo (and eventually kiddos) who would nurture them, help them grow, & LOVE on them since I couldn’t be there with them 24/7.

Many moms struggle with “mom guilt” when trying to balance career, family, and self-care. How did you navigate those emotions?