In September 2011, I was a fairly new mum and was beginning to emerge from the most hectic two years of my life. I had one daughter and was due to have another, and found myself dwelling constantly on ‘motherhood’.
Why are there are so many things that go unsaid? Why did no-one warn me about what was coming?
I’d been so shocked at how unprepared I was – my life had changed unrecognisably – and so I wanted to create a forum where women could share their stories and experiences of being mothers without feeling judged.
‘The Mothers’ project began, and with it a community of supportive women and their wildly different and amazing children. ‘The Mothers’ grows every week and now over 100 women have been featured on the blog.
If you’re a new mum and need some reading material in those wee-small-hours, or you’re pregnant and feeling ever so curious about what you might have in store, this is the place for you.
Everyone is welcome here.
I first started reading the-mothers.co.uk when I was pregnant. I approached the site with caution because I’d been warned by people to stay away from those offering ‘advice’ on giving birth/being a parent and recounting their birth stories (invariably they would be awful because they’re the ones that make the best stories right?). But I couldn’t resist reading the different stories a) because the pictures looked so amazing b) my hormones meant I would automatically ignore any advice given to me and so it was inevitable I would read the blog. I am so please that I did.
This blog is different than others out there on the web because the mothers (and fathers) who tell their stories don’t preach about the ‘right’ ways to do things or what you should/ought to be doing as a parent; it’s just their experiences good and bad. The contributors seem to be so honest about their feelings of themselves and their abilities as a parent. I am often surprised at how open they are and I have been relieved to know there are other people out there who are feeling the same as me.
I found it a comfort to read the site before our little girl came on the scene and even more so afterwards. We had a few issues with the birth and for months afterwards there were trips to the hospital for physio on her neck and feet which sometimes became all consuming emotionally. However, reading the stories of some on the blog and the issues they had to deal with, put our ‘problems’ in perspective. Perhaps I would have found this time more difficult if I hadn’t visited the site to read the stories. I thank my hormones for leading me to this site.
