When I first published this blog post, it marked a whole nine months since I became a mother. 39 weeks of having a beautiful daughter in our lives, filling each day with sunshine. It also shares a little insight into the story behind the Mama You Got This design, which I first designed as an iron-on patch.
When I look back over the past 273 days, it’s easy to just remember the good bits. The sofa snuggles, the smiles first thing in the morning, that little giggle that never fails to lift even the worst of moods. Motherhood is wonderful, but admittedly it can be tough.
As well as the nine-month milestone, this week also marks a significant milestone for my business; the patches from my first ever Kickstarter arrived.
Had you asked me a year ago if I intended to release a Mama product, I’d have given you a firm no. Fast forward to May this year and as I thought about my next products, the Mama patch was the one thing that I knew I just had to make.
Since H was born, I’ve found myself drawn into a community of women supporting each other through thick and thin. Be it family, the lovely group of friends that I met at Yoga, or the many people I follow online (though have never met), there is always someone there to support you.
In those early days, I’d find myself chatting to my Mum friends on Whats App at 3am as we all tried to rock our little ones back to sleep. As the rest of the world was sleeping, there was someone there reassuring me that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, new-born babies just like to be cuddled. When everyone else was at work and I was stuck on the sofa under a snoozing baby, I’d find myself on Instagram, scrolling through and laughing at stories from other Mums. I’ve come to realise that Motherhood is a community, and while there are those that like to criticise others (Mumsnet forums bashing ‘Insta Mums', I’m looking at you), for the most part, we’re all just cheering each other on, during the good times and the bad.
There’s lots of Mum merch available these days, and I’ve got my fair share. Why do I buy it? Because I love the positive messages they give, and I like supporting other Mums. On those mornings after a bad nights sleep, I’d put on my ‘Strong Girls Club’ t-shirt with pride, a little reminder that I could still smash the day, even if I just wanted to crawl back into bed.
The Mama patch is my contribution to the motherhood community. Yes, part of it is to expand my business further (those bills need to be paid), but mainly it’s to share those positive vibes that I’ve experienced over the last 39 weeks. Whether you give it to someone else, or keep it for yourself, it’s a constant reminder that you’re doing an ace job. Put it on your jacket, or stash it away in your changing bag for a sneak peek when you’re out and about, just remember that even though the day may be bad, there’s a sea of women out there ready to cheer you on. Mama, you are amazing.
