To the Moms Making it Work

Written By Kiara Imani

Allow me to introduce myself - or, for those of you who have been following me for some time, re-introduce myself. 

My name is Kiara Imani. I’m a 33-year-old from Virginia who has lived in Los Angeles, California for the past 7 years  I am an accomplished entertainment attorney, a published author, a media personality, and co-founder of the game LikeU Cards, currently available at Target and Kohl’s.  I’m also a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a Godmother, a dog mom, and as of 7 weeks ago - a mom, mom. Of a whole, real baby boy named River Reign. 

My pregnancy was unplanned, but it was a welcome surprise. I’ve been told by doctors in the past that due to my medical history, it might be difficult for me to get pregnant. I was unsure whether I’d be able to have biological children at all, and had accepted the fact that mothering for me might look like adoption, or require a medical intervention like IVF. 

But here we are! After decades of focusing intently on my career and my side hustles, I have a brand new assignment that is unlike anything else I’ve ever done - raising a child. I have an incredible partner and a supportive family who have been insanely helpful, but as the person who was responsible for carrying, birthing, and now breastfeeding my son, the bulk of the responsibility thus far has been on my shoulders. 

I never saw myself as one of those moms whose Instagram pages became digital baby books and who found it hard to have a conversation without bringing up their kid. In fact, I used to make fun of those moms. How could one little person be the center of your whole world? 

Well, I get it now. Over the past few weeks, the bulk of my conversations have been about the best lactation supplements, pumping techniques, sleep training, contact naps, and newborn pooping habits. I’m so thankful for the community of new and seasoned moms I’ve been able to cultivate to not only share advice but to share in the joys and commiserate in the miseries of motherhood. 

This blog is not a space where I’ll pretend to be an expert on anything related to parenting. Seven weeks does not an expert make. Besides, there are a million other blogs about what you should and shouldn’t do as a parent. Instead, this will be a space where I share my own experiences as a new mother who is trying to find the balance between being a hands-on parent and a girl boss. I will also provide a platform for other women to share their experiences as it relates to modern motherhood. 

Nonetheless, I had a whole life before becoming I mommy. I had goals and dreams. And while some of those are shifting, many of them are the same as they were before River was born. I still want to write best-selling books that go on to become box office-breaking movies. I still want to create passive streams of income that allow me to pay off the hundred of thousands of dollars I still owe in student loans (thank you, law school). 

All that, and, I like money. I’ll admit it. I want financial freedom so that I can travel and spend time with my family without having to worry about whether or not my bills will be paid. I want money to go shopping. I want to stay at nice hotels and eat at nice restaurants. I want to take my kid to Disney World and not feel guilty for splurging on an overpriced turkey leg. 

This blog is not a space where I’ll pretend to be an expert on anything related to parenting. Seven weeks does not an expert make. Besides, there are a million other blogs about what you should and shouldn’t do as a parent. Instead, this will be a space where I share my own experiences as a new mother who is trying to find the balance between being a hands-on parent and a girl boss. I will also provide a platform for other women to share their experiences as it relates to modern motherhood. 

For the past decade, I’ve written about every other stage of my life via various platforms, and after discussing it with my therapist, I have decided that this stage of my life will be no different. It’s a way for me to hold onto who I was before becoming a mom, while still embracing this new season with open, albeit tired, arms.

I can’t promise I’ll be as consistent as I have been in the past. I’m still navigating what productivity looks like when I have limited pockets of time in my day. But I will be as consistent as my new schedule allows!

I hope you’ll join me on this new piece of my journey. 

Xo,

Kiara 

Kiara Imani

Kiara Imani is an attorney, writer, and co-host of Don Amiche vs. Everybody + Crysta & Kiara, a daytime talk show on Los Angeles radio station KBLA Talk 1580 AM. She is the co-founder of LikeU Cards, a getting to know you card game that facilitates human connection and meaningful conversation. Imani graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia with a major in political science. She has been featured in Forbes, Oprah Magazine, The Huffington Post, Blavity, and more. Therapy Isn’t Just For White People is her debut memoir.

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