Mommy Juice is a Lie—And I’m Done Believing It

For over 20 years, alcohol has been my sidekick. It was my wind-down, my “me time,” my celebration, my coping tool. It was normal. It was encouraged. And it was everywhere—especially in motherhood.

I was the mom with the wine glass emoji, laughing along with the memes. A glass here, a bottle there. I even drank occasionally during my pregnancies—something I’d never admit out loud back then, but I’m done hiding.

Most mornings lately started the same way: slight headache, stomach off, restless sleep, guilt in my gut, and the voice in my head saying, “Today’s the day I stop.” But then 5:00 hits, and the cycle starts again.

It’s time to end the cycle.

I’ve been sober curious for a while, but now I’m committed. I quit smoking 20 years ago—and I never looked back. I can do this too. I will do this.

This space will be my journal, my mirror, and hopefully a lifeline for other women who are quietly suffering under the weight of “normal” drinking. The truth is: it’s not normal. Not for me. Not anymore. One glass turns into two, and then I’m snapping at my kids, feeling resentful at bedtime, wide awake at 2 a.m., and waking up exhausted and ashamed.

Sobriety, for me, isn’t just about quitting alcohol. It’s about choosing myself. My health. My clarity. My family. It’s about unlearning the idea that alcohol is pleasure—because for me, it’s pain.

So here I am, beginning again. Day one. Or day twenty. Or day fifty. Wherever you find me in this journey, know that I’ll be honest. No filters, no lies, no shame. Just truth. Because I believe there’s another side of motherhood—and life—that doesn’t involve numbing our way through it.

And I want to find it.

-Casey