Maiden to Mother

As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m personally conflicted. It’s my first as a mum to my curious little girl, Iris. And my first in more than 20 years where I can join the party after losing my own mum when I was young. Yet – the topic of motherhood continues to be tinged with sadness.

Because what they never told us about our 30s is that life revolves around motherhood, whether you choose to have children or not. From wonderful pregnancy announcements and gorgeous babies making it earthside, to difficult fertility journeys and devastating loss. 

The notion of whether to baby or not – and then how the baby gets here - creates an undeniable fork in the road within friendships. A minute a go we were all fairly united in our life stages, then all of a sudden, the baby switch went off and we all became scattered somewhere between maiden and mother.

It's a time that requires great sensitivity. And whilst I don’t have the answers to help support those going through varying degrees of this journey, I wanted to acknowledge it – especially around Mother’s Day.