Why one woman took a solo holiday when her baby was three months old

'Three months into being a mother I had to leave my baby in order to learn how to miss him.'

(Getty Images)

A woman has explained why went on holiday by herself, leaving her newborn baby at home.

When Jo Piazza was in the midst of editing a novel, she found she couldn’t concentrate at home.

Trying to work productively while also juggling the needs of an infant is quite a challenge, one that Piazza felt particularly overwhelmed by.

That’s why she decided to go on a trip for a couple of days - leaving her new baby at home for the very first time.

While Piazza’s decision to go away was prompted by her need to work, she discovered that it was also extremely beneficial for her overall wellbeing.

“I told myself I need two days of silence to read through the manuscript and write,” she wrote for Elle.

“But what I really needed were two nights of uninterrupted sleep to try to make my brain function the way it did before hormones and lack of sleep drove a truck through my prefrontal cortex.”

So, without further ado, Piazza left her young tot at home in the care of her husband and jetted off.

While on the road, Piazza found that she was able to appreciate things that she hadn’t thought about in a very long time.

“Being in the car with my son, who despises his car seat with the vigour of a caged chimpanzee, is so fraught I’d forgotten I ever enjoyed being in the car,” she says.

“The most wonderful moment of the morning was realising I could open my eyes and not have to move. I didn’t have to be anyone’s mum from the second I placed my feet on the floor next to the bed.

“I could just be a person.”

Piazza felt that her identity had become so intertwined with her role as a mother that she hadn’t been able to distinguish between the two in a very long time.

Going away gave Piazza the opportunity to focus solely on herself for a change.

She was able to get her head down, finish her work and gain some perspective in the process.

“Three months into being a mother I had to leave my baby in order to learn how to miss him.”

Many mothers related strongly to Piazza’s choice to treat herself to some me-time, with some expressing that they often receive criticism for doing the same.

“Motherhood is a difficult balance and no matter WHAT you do, the shamers emerge,” one woman commented on Facebook. “Your baby is loved and cared for, and your mental wellbeing matters too!”

Another woman wrote: “I am a strong proponent of independent lives for everyone in the family.”

Piazza illustrated just how therapeutic a small break away from one’s children can be.

There’s no reason why a mother can’t go for a walk on a beach without the prospect of a tiny person throwing up on her shoulder.