Amanda Tice on Motherhood and Her New Book Now on Amazon

For many new moms, postpartum life presents unexpected challenges and obstacles. Curve model Amanda Tice experienced all the joys and struggles of postpartum after giving birth to her son. “I remember walking George around the block and being on the verge of tears,” says Tice. “Why didn’t anyone tell me that motherhood was going to be so difficult?” After struggling to find transparent resources that addressed her concerns and seeking to help others in their journeys, Tice began jotting down her experiences and creating action-oriented prompts to share with other moms, which ultimately led to her writing The New Mom Code: Shatter Expectations and Crush It at Motherhood. Keep reading our Q&A with Amanda below where we chat about her book, postpartum self-care, and how she embraced the new-mom transformation.

Hi, Amanda! We’re so excited to chat with you today. How has the launch of your book The New Mom Code been going so far?

Thanks for having me! So far, so good! I’m just about to host my book launch event in Austin, Texas that is powered by local mom-owned businesses. It’s amazing to see so many moms coming together to support the importance of postpartum self-care. Additionally, I’ve also really enjoyed the experience of doing podcast interviews and getting to spread my message on a larger scale.

You’ve mentioned all the books you found after becoming a mom talked about “parenting” but not necessarily “motherhood”. What about your own motherhood journey inspired you to write The New Mom Code? Was there one particular “a-ha!” moment, or was it a gradual buildup?

As a new mother, I felt so alone during the first few months postpartum. I felt it was my responsibility to step up, speak out, and do my best to normalize the discussion of certain “taboo” topics surrounding motherhood, like postpartum sex, for example. When George was about 18 months old, I started writing and reflecting on my experiences and once I really felt I had a handle on how I could combat some of the obstacles that mothers face, I began creating and “test driving” journal prompts and exercises to overcome specific challenges related to motherhood. You’ll find the most effective ones in The New Mom Code.

In addition to your own personal anecdotes and tips, The New Mom Code contains actionable exercises and journal prompts for new moms. Why were these important for you to include in the book?

I feel they are an important catalyst for change. Without reflecting on your experiences and searching for clarity within yourself, it’s very difficult to embrace transformation. Journaling can be extremely powerful in that regard because it has the capacity to uncover your subconscious thoughts and bring them into focus. I also feel that a lot of things are easier said or read than done, so creating fun and easy exercises to practice new ways of thinking or behaving are an integral part of transformation as well.

If nothing else, what’s one thing you hope other moms take away from reading your book?

I think a few of the most important takeaways from The New Mom Code should be for moms to prioritize self-care, realize that a lot of what they’re experiencing is totally normal and should be openly discussed, and to empower them to continue to chase their dreams and passions when the time is right.

What are your favorite ways to incorporate self-care into your routine?

I’ve found that both journaling and meditating are imperative to my mental health and well-being. I do my best to take 10-15 minutes during the day to listen to Glenn Harrold (who has an entire series of meditation tapes) and which George enjoys too, and an additional 10 minutes before bed to journal about whatever I’m feeling that day. Both practices help to ground me throughout the day and I highly recommend them.

Aside from all the outside pressures of new mom-hood and having to care for your son, what was one thing about your postpartum journey that surprised you most?

I think the biggest postpartum surprise for me was just how much love I felt for my son and how that love also translated into intense fear. Fear of something happening to him, fear of something happening to me, fear of not being good enough. Almost immediately after giving birth, I felt an incredible amount of fear and worry that I could never have predicted.

You’re also a successful curve model. How has your career as a model shaped your journey into motherhood?

Honestly, I was very concerned about whether my pregnancy would end my modeling career. I absolutely love my job and the idea of losing it because of changes in my body and time away was very unnerving. However, I had always wanted a child and knew that it was the right time to prioritize starting a family (as I was 33). I was also determined to “make a comeback” postpartum because I knew I wasn’t ready to give up modeling (and I’m still not, almost 5 years later.) Motherhood has made me stronger, more resilient, and more persistent.

As a model, you’ve probably experienced the pressures of getting a “post-baby body” firsthand. If so, how have you dealt with this pressure, be it internal or external?

In order to work as a curve model, I knew that I had to be a certain size and shape, which led me to put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to “get my body back.” At first, I really struggled with this, but then at a certain point, I realized that my body gave me the miracle of life. I stop shaming myself and punishing my body for not being what it was before. I made the conscious choice to accept that my body would never be the same because that “old body” didn’t give birth to a child, and through that self-love came self-acceptance. I can now confidently say that I’m happy with my post-baby body (and you should be, too)!

Lastly, if you could go back and give your new-mom self one piece of advice, what would it be?

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice, it would probably be to sign up for multiple new mom support groups (local and national), like the one I created on Facebook called The New Mom Code Community. When you’re in the thick of it, motherhood can feel so isolated and lonely. Connecting with a variety of mothers who are going through similar challenges and can help you troubleshoot different problems is such a wonderful resource to have access to, especially when you don’t feel comfortable leaving the house.

You can purchase Amanda's book, The New Mom Code: Shatter Expectations and Crush It at Motherhood, from Amazon.