I Took My First Solo Trip as a Mum of Four — Here’s What Really Happened

I’m back. Last week I took my very first solo trip — three days away as a mother of four, still breastfeeding, at the end of a year of maternity leave. And I want to tell you honestly what happened. Not the highlight reel. The real version — the guilt on the way there, the strange feeling of silence, what I discovered when the noise finally stopped, and what I brought home with me. This is the video I wish someone had made before I went. In this video: • The guilt I felt leaving — even knowing everything I know professionally • What the first few hours of silence actually felt like • The difference between loneliness and solitude • What I noticed about myself when nobody needed anything from me • The small but significant shift I came home with • Why I think every mother deserves this — even without a trip This is part of the Permission to Pause series — July’s theme here at Mind & Motherhood. 💛 Have you ever taken time away just for yourself? Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear your experience. 📌 New videos every week on maternal mental health, emotional wellbeing, and the honest side of motherhood. 📲 Instagram & TikTok: @Mindandmotherhood TIMESTAMPS: 00:48 — Introduction 01:57 — The guilt that followed me out the door 04:06 — What the silence felt like when I arrived 06:37 — The difference between loneliness and solitude 08:54 — What I noticed about myself 10:44 — What I came home with 12:50 — What this means for all of us #MindAndMotherhood #AskDrAnn #PermissionToPause #SoloTrip #MaternalMentalHealth #MumGuilt #Solitude #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ReturningToYourself #MaternityLeave #BreakingCycles #SelfCareForMums #IdentityAfterMotherhood