Serena Williams Eases the Guilt of Working Moms Everywhere with a Single Tweet

Alicia Brunker
Updated

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Serena Williams has been nothing but candid when it comes to discussing her motherhood wins and setbacks ever since she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, last year.

With Twitter as her forum for mommy advice, where she asks for guidance on everything from teething to when to stop breastfeeding, the tennis champion took to the social media outlet on Saturday to reveal a recent loss she experienced after returning to work at the 2018 Wimbledon games.

"She took her first steps... I was training and missed it. I cried," she wrote.

Her words are a harsh reality for working moms everywhere who aren't always there to bear witness to their baby's first major milestones. And fans flooded her comments section, thanking Williams for her candor.

"Thanks for saying that," one user wrote. "My boy took his 1st steps at daycare. Working mom guilt! I've held that regret for 7 years now. You've just made feel so much better!"

Others reminded Williams that even stay-at-home mothers aren't immune to missing out. "I'm a housewife and was in the next room and I missed it," a supporter told Williams. "Please don't feel bad. Be happy for her and be ready for the running after her."

Last weekend, the 23-time Grand Slam winner also got real about her difficult decision to stop nursing her daughter after six months, missing her original goal of January.

"January became March. March became April, and I was still breastfeeding," she said during news conference. "And for me, it was really important to make it to three months, and then it was important to make it to four months. And then I was like, ‘Okay, I can do six months.’”

As for most mothers, the experience was emotional for Williams. “I literally sat Olympia in my arms and I talked to her and we prayed about it,” she said. “And I told her, ‘Look, I’m gonna stop. Mommy has to do this.’ I cried a little bit—not as much as I thought I [would]. And she was fine.”

Don't worry. You're doing great, mama!