The Story of Your Own Mum

A few years before I became a parent, someone said to me in passing: “I get the sense that you’ve had to be your own mum in life.” The words rang true then, and they’ve felt even deeper and more true now that I’m a mother myself.

Motherhood is beautiful, but without a mother of your own to lean on, or a traditional village, it can feel a bit heavier in a specific way. I’ve often felt out of step with how parenthood is widely portrayed, where supportive grandparents are guaranteed, babysitters are plentiful, and there’s always someone cheering you on while you juggle all of the tasks of raising little humans. I have beautiful children of my own, and I don’t have any of that built-in support. My parenting journey looks different: no extended family, no mother to call for advice, no familiar safety net. 

I try not to compare myself to those who do have this support, because it is never helpful, but I’ve often wondered whether others might have a similar experience of motherhood. For me, motherhood can sometimes have a bit of a bittersweet layer to it. The joy is immense, but alongside that is the ache of not having that pillar of support that so many mums (rightly) rely on: their own mum.

Over the years I’ve longed to hear from people who share this experience. Whether due to estrangement and breaking harmful cycles, grief, distance, strained relationships, or never having known a mother figure at all. I’ve always felt there must be a tribe of mums out there who understand this unique untethered feeling: the one where we show up for our kids with everything we have, while wishing we had something, or someone, on the other end of that tether for ourselves.

That’s how Your Own Mum was born.

This community is for you: the incredibly strong mums navigating parenthood while also parenting (and re-parenting) yourselves. The ones building a village from scratch. The ones who still crave the validation, reassurance, perspective, and support that usually come from family, but haven’t got it.

People say, “It takes a village to raise a child,” or “It takes a village to support a mother.” But what if your village doesn’t look like everyone else’s? What if you’re still building yours? This space is for us to do that together. For everyone to feel seen, gather information, and to navigate a version of motherhood that doesn’t often appear in media or conversation.

None of us should have to feel alone in the joy, the overwhelm, the learning, the sleepless nights, the growth, and everything in between that comes with raising little humans.

You may feel like you’re being both your child’s mum and your own, but here, you can take a breath. Have a tea break, read something that resonates, and know with absolute certainty that you are not alone.

You are doing an incredible job, mumma.
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