Responsible Motherhood: What Does It Mean?

It's during childhood that we create future happy adults. Make your child one of them by practicing responsible motherhood from conception.
Responsible Motherhood: What Does It Mean?

Last update: 02 August, 2022

Being a mother is, without a doubt, one of the most pleasant and enriching experiences of our existence as women. It entails giving birth to a new being, discovering yourself, and revealing a new way of loving, that is wholly deeper and different. Hence, the importance of living carrying out responsible motherhood.

This stage begins right at the moment when we discover that a creature is growing within us. It’s when a new path towards self-care begins. This is what prepares us to be able to offer our little one the best possible development within our womb.

From that moment on, your thoughts and actions should be geared towards offering yourself well-being in all aspects of your life. Well-being now means choosing what will be good for you, both mentally, physically, and emotionally.

“Taking care of me is taking care of you”, is a perfect motto to adopt during your pregnancy. What baby would want to grow up inside the womb of a stressed, angry, poorly fed mother?

A mother and her daughter drinking from paper coffee cups in the snow.

Being pregnant is assuming a great responsibility. It means being aware that a new life is brewing within you, a being that feeds and nourishes itself from you. You’re now their source of health and love, so taking care of yourself is your main task during this process.

Relax! This doesn’t have to be synonymous with “difficulty”. Think how wonderful it is to choose the actions that will contribute to your well-being and that of your little one. From this moment on, you can begin the exercise of responsible motherhood by ensuring your good physical and emotional condition.

Taking care of yourself and implementing new healthy habits in your life, such as good nutrition, exercise, recreation time, rest, medical control, and activities that stimulate your happiness during those nine months, you’ll be doing a large part of the work so that your offspring is born full of vitality and positive energy.

Getting started in motherhood

Once that bright little light in your belly meets the outside world, you enter a new phase during your experience as a mother. You already have your little one in your arms, and they’re so small and delicate that they deserve all the possible care and protection you can give them.

Taking care of what you eat is one of your main responsibilities during your little one’s first months. Their food comes from your milk, so the healthier you are, the better nourished they’ll be.

Being a mother is a responsibility that lasts forever, so enjoy the process and believe in your instincts because they won’t let you down. At the end of the road, you’ll see that you were always a great mom

As the months go by, they’ll want to put objects in their mouth, crawl, and play, so cleaning at home is a necessity. A neat house will give you the freedom to move around without worrying about whether or not they play in that corner. Your baby is now the center of your attention, so you must make sure that you offer them the best.

Growing up with your baby

Time passes quickly and, in the blink of an eye, your little one is no longer so small and already talks, walks, runs, and even gives you a few scares.

This is where you return to the starting point… “Taking care of me is taking care of you”. At work, you can lose your temper – it’s valid, you’re a human being. However, now think how nice it is for your little one to see you serene, healthy, and happy during their growth. You’re their example.

By the time you embark on this transformation, you’ll already have learned to tend to your basic needs, carry out activities that you like, and thus avoid yelling at the child unnecessarily after a long day of work.

A other and her three children posing for a picture on the beach.

Love and communication for responsible motherhood

Your little one has before them a whole new world to discover. Always remember the value of communication during their growth. Speak to them with love and always give them an explanation of why you think that what they did or are about to do is wrong or shouldn’t be done. Yelling isn’t worth it, nor is physical punishment.

Allow them to trust you and unfold freely in front of you, nothing will happen to them because they play on the ground for a while or wants to grab that puppy.

The responsibility of being a mother lasts forever. Over the years, you’ll see them grow, making their own decisions, always counting on your support and trust. At that moment, you’ll recognize that you were already a great mother from the time you started this journey.

It’s during childhood that we create future happy adults. Make your little one happy by practicing responsible motherhood.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Cucurella, M. B. (2016). Maternidad responsable: autonomía personal y reconocimiento de deberes. In Bioética de la maternidad: humanización, comunicación y entorno sanitario(pp. 59-70). Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona.
  • Lemus Rozo, V. M., López López, Y. A., & Mojica Castillo, J. D. Camino a una maternidad responsable. Facultad de Enfermería. https://repositorio.unal.edu.co/handle/unal/52850
  • Gómez Gómez, F. (2007). El buen padre: modelo paterno y maternidad responsable. Cimientos: Boletín del APA del Colegio Cristo Rey de Madrid, (30), 13-14. https://eprints.ucm.es/5611/

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.