Bachelor alum Lauren Bushnell Lane is opening up about the difficulties of balancing life as a working mom.
Bushnell Lane, 33, shared her struggles during an Instagram Story Q&A with fans on Wednesday, November 29. When asked “How are you, really?” by one user, Bushnell Lane replied that she was feeling “emo.”
“I feel like when I’m a great mom and spend a ton of time with my kids my work effort suffers. When I spend time working or focusing on adult friendships I feel like I’m failing as a mom,” she wrote. “I haven’t figured out how to balance it all but my default has been to fully focus on my kids because I love being a mom!”
Bushnell Lane welcomed sons Dutton and Baker with husband Chris Lane in June 2021 and October 2022, respectively. Parenthood has impacted her dynamic with Lane, 38, whom she married in October 2019.
“I do miss having alone time with Chris and traveling together and I miss seeing friends often,” Bushnell Lane added on Wednesday. “So yeah, emo.”
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This is not the first time Bushnell Lane has spoken out about the more challenging side of motherhood. In February, she exclusively told Us that the transition to being a family of four has been “chaotic” but “fun.”
“It’s definitely one of those things where I’m sure one day we’ll look back and it’ll be too quiet in our house,” she added. “So I’m trying not to take it for granted or wish away time, but it can be a little stressful at times.”
Several months later, the former reality star got candid about her struggles with postpartum anxiety on fellow Bachelor Nation alum Shawn Booth’s “In The Booth” podcast. “I definitely had postpartum anxiety. I was just very anxious all of the time,” she said in July. “I actually started taking anti-anxiety medication. I’m not going to be on it forever, but for now I need it.”
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Despite the hardships she’s experienced since becoming a mom, Bushnell Lane isn’t opposed to expanding her family further. Earlier this year, she joked via Instagram, “This haircut makes me want baby #3 @iamchrislane,” in response to a photo of her husband rocking a new buzz cut.
Before their children were born, Lane exclusively told Us that his wife wanted a big family. “Lauren grew up with three other siblings,” he said in May 2020, confessing that he’d be fine stopping “at two” kids. “She probably wants a lot from what I’ve heard.”