Meet Stevie; Motherhood, Postnatal Depression & Mumma-Community.
Meet Stevie, the mumma that you’d bump into at the coffee shop or park and immediately want to be friends with. She has a heart of gold and has a special way of gathering mums and creating community wherever she goes. Stevie is a mum of 3, and co-founder of Mumhub Collective, which we can’t wait to tell you more about.
Stevie has shared a little about herself with us, including her battle with Postnatal Depression.
Find out a little about the wonderful Stevie and her motherhood journey below:
Name:
Stevie
Resides in:
Ballina, NSW, Australia
Describe yourself in 5 words:
Friendly, outgoing, wholehearted, caring, passionate
What are three of your favourite simple pleasures:
When my kids hug each other and say little positive things to each other (soooo cute), winter sunsets, first spoonful of creme brûlée
What was your journey to motherhood like:
I thought I knew before becoming a mother, growing up with 7 younger siblings. But was I wrong. Long story short, After my first birth (long and traumatic) I struggled with PND/A, along with taking on guardianship of my two teenage brother in laws. It was extremely mentally challenging and emotionally draining, which eventually lead to a seperate from my partner. Motherhood has been a long and challenging ride for me. Having my youngest bub was very healing for me, both with birth and mentally baggage. And now, with three kids under 5 I feel like I am finally finding my groove and who I am as a mother.
What does your motherhood journey currently look like:
(Mentioned previous answer) Now, although super busy with 3 under 5, I feel mentally lighter. I’ve worked through my Struggles and am very aware of my mental health. I definitely don’t have this thing called motherhood to perfection, but I definitely feel a lot more confident and content and comfortable in who I am, as a whole; as a mother and as my individual self
Tell us a little about Postnatal Depression:
After the birth of my son, Roman, almost 5.5 years ago it all started. I felt I had failed at delivering my baby and he had just been “given” to me, after a long unsuccessful labor leading to an emergency c-section. I was drained, my healing from surgery took a long time and made me bed ridden for almost 4 weeks and i had no connection to this little baby who depended on me so dearly. I was very successful with my business prior to having my baby and what I did, I loved doing and it gave me an identity. With a new baby I felt I had lost who I was and I really struggled with that. I was jealous of my partner for being able To socialise and go To work, however the thought of going out also have me chronic anxiety. Along with a new baby, I also had Guardianship of my partners two younger brothers, which ended up putting a lot of pressure on me as a new mother. I hated not being in control, control of my emotions and how I ran the house. This played a huge toll on me I was very aware of how I felt. My mum had PND and had always been very open about it with us as kids. So I was aware It had potential affected me. I had a very supportive GP also. I was put on meds which helped a lot.
What would you tell someone currently going through PDN:
You are not alone! Don’t be afraid to reach out for support or talk to someone. Don’t be ashamed, because there may be another Mama out there who is going through the same thing as you. The more you talk the more awareness you raise and you could help someone going through the same situation as you. You will overcome this. Stick in there mama, you’ve got this!
About Mumhub Collective:
While Stevie was navigating PND, she connected with another mumma-friend, Renee, how was also fighting the same battle. They decided that meeting for a coffee a day would benefit the both of them, so they did! They got themselves and their babies out of the house and to a cafe for a simple catch up, change of scenery, and a much needed coffee. This worked wonders for their mental health!
Since Stevie and Renee visited a cafe daily, they decided to start an IG, @mumhubcollective, sharing about mum-friendly cafes in the area. Mumhub Collective quickly gained attention, and soon became a safe space for Stevie and Renee and other mums to share vulnerability about their motherhood journey. Fast Forward down the track, Mumhub Collective now runs ‘exclusive’ mum and bub family based markets 3x a year, fundraising events, and mumma meet-ups all in the name of supporting mums! The money raised by Mumhub Collective goes toward shouting mums much needed coffee and cake, preparing meals for mums and supporting mums in any way they can. Talk about incredible!
Mumhub Collective is the mum community that most mums dream of, and it was founded by two very vulnerable and brave mummas navigating PND.
Stevie, you have filled out hearts with so much hope and love!
Thank you for sharing with us so vulnerably, and thank you for loving on other mummas they way that you do. You’re an absolute blessing.
If you’d like to follow Stevie’s motherhood journey, you can do so here: @little.lols
All our love,
Team Baask xx