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More than just a Mummy.
Me and my three.

More than just a Mummy.

I read a blog post today by Hannah Gale about losing your identity when you become a Mother, and it really resonated with me. Hannah Gale is a big lifestyle blogger who I have followed for quite some time – she became a first time mother earlier in the year. I actually remember thinking when she announced her pregnancy if her Instagram or blog would change, because we all know, without a doubt, motherhood changes you.

I am very much a ‘Mummy blogger’, my blog is all about our adventures as a family. My Instagram feed is 99% pictures of my children to the point when some days I feel very much defined by them. I love being a Mum, I honestly believe that Motherhood was my calling. There is no denying it can be hard at times but being a Mum comes quite easy to me. I love being with my children.

However, I am more than just a Mum and sometimes that is easy to forget. I always loved fashion before children for example, it was a huge part of my life yet I lost this when Meme arrived – not straight away but gradually I stopped reading fashion magazines and stopped following what was in fashion. I would love to write about clothes and take outfit pictures to post on Instagram but, apart from being completely camera shy, I feel that I am not equipped to do this. Like most Mums, my uniform is skinny jeans and a t-shirt – who wants to see that?

I love interiors, I follow a lot of interior bloggers and swoon over their homes and beautiful styling, feeling inspired by their pictures. Again, I would love to take pictures of my home to share with people. Yet at the moment my home is a complete mess, I feel a little fake posting a style picture of my home knowing there will be a huge pile of mess pushed away from the capture.

I guess it is a confidence thing. My beautiful children are my security blanket. It comes so easy to me to write about them and take pictures of them. Yet, as much as they are my everything there is so much more that I can give and do. There is so much more that I can and want to capture. Maybe after 7 years since having my children I need to step outside my comfort zone and remember that there is more to me than being a Mummy.

More than just a Mummy

21 thoughts on “More than just a Mummy.

  1. It’s part of the process and very weird. You’re still you after a major life change – marriage, children, redundancy etc – but the bits fit together differently and it takes time to figure it all out. (If you ever do!)

  2. Completely with you here. ‘Mummy’ is my comfort blanket now and I could talk about them all day long but remembering what I enjoy, what I am good at, what I know seems to be a bit of a struggle. I’m sure one day it’ll all fall into place and my house will be kinda tidy again! xx

  3. I love being a mom too. It is my biggest and greatest achievement for me even if or when I actually get my act together and get my writing career off the ground but I did lose myself after having my children. It took time to figure out that I needed to still be me and in fact, it’s beneficial to the kids to stay true to who you are but it takes time to get that part of yourself back after having a child. Great post! #FamilyFunLinky

  4. I love this. I am all for being more than just a Mum, this is why my blog has the sub-heading Being Mum, Being Me. It’s so important to cling on to a part of yourself so as not to lose your identity. Thank you for sharing this with #TriumphantTales, I hope you can join me again on Tuesday 🙂

  5. I think we all seem to lose a piece of ourselves when we become mother’s, I know I certainly did and felt lost for a while. At the same time, they are my everything and I would never change a thing about them. It was starting my blog that helped me feel like me again, even though I was writing about my kids. I’m excited to hear what your new chapter will involve.
    Thank you for joining the #FamilyFunLinky x

  6. I’ve always struggled with this – you really do lose your identity when you become a mum. You’re just someone’s mum, not you anymore. Sometimes you need to do things to make sure you have you time! #KCACOLS

  7. I definitely feel like I changed a lot after having kids. A lot of my interests are still the same, I just don’t always pursue them in the same way now. x #KCACOLS

  8. But why not show your skinny jeans and t-shirt? Why not show the little corners of your house that you know you CAN show? Even if it means moving the laundry pile to the side for the purpose of taking that shot? It sounds like it’s something you’d like to do – your intuition is telling you to come out from behind the camera and be you. To express yourself! Do it! Even if it means starting a new Instagram account that no one knows about for now, just as a way to build your confidence and experiment! Let me know and I’ll follow you! I say go for it! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time, Sara.

  9. I completely get this Natalie! I definitely became defined by being a mummy and I’ve been trying really hard to push me to the front again. I share more of me and my home on Instagram now and whilst I do cringe, I’m going to keep doing it and hopefully it will become more natural. Thank you for joining us at #SharingTheBlogLove

  10. Motherhood was definitely not my calling! I do love being a mum though, but I’ll be honest and say that part of the reason I love being a mum is that I work too. I can escape, I have maintained a bit of my pre-motherhood identity. It is the balance that works for me, full time motherhood would be too much for me. Pen x #KCACOLS

  11. I have taken this to the next step and decided after 10 years of being “Mummy” and working part time while raising my little darlings it is time for me to go back to work full time and train to do something I have always wanted to do…teaching…I’m terrified! #kcacols

  12. this is so true. I have only recently changed my Instagram picture to one of me – for so long it was one of my kids as like you say its is quite easy to hide behind them. I would much rather have a picure of their gorgeous faces than have one of me up which I will no doubt over analyse. But its true, I am not sure mum, I’m still me too and I do need to keep reminding myself of this! #sharingthebloglove

  13. I can totally relate to this. I feel the same but I can’t remember what made me tick before.. gym.. work.. food/baking.. I don’t do these things any more. (Welll I do bake but not so much for me). But like someone else said I think as they grow we 28”” get more time for ourselves again and rediscover ourselves. I definitely find blogging gives me my me time. It’s just hard to “excelll” at it when it’s so time consuming and you’re also running a home and raising a family xx #SharingtheBlogLove

  14. Here’s the thing – can’t you be both? Can’t you like and talk about something without doing it all the time? I know a travel blogger who uses stock photos. He writes about where he is interested in, rather than where he is going or been. I rarely write about the kids so my blog is my little window from 6am – 7am each day that is just for me. It’s about big and small things, but my thoughts, and what interests me…So you could do the interiors and shove that stuff out of frame. No one cares. It’s not fake. It’s akin to the supermodel sucking in her tummy (which I guess no one does now because it can just be photoshopped off….but you know what I mean). Do it for you – it’s not forgetting them, and it’s not fake. It’s just a little something to make your day more interesting…

  15. I felt completely lost after I had my first. I split from their dad so wasn’t a partner any more and couldn’t afford to go back to work so lost that part of my identity too. #sharingthebloglove

  16. I wrote a similar post a while back, it is hard to not just be ‘mummy’ when it’s such a big part of your life. I work almost full-time hours now though and do find it makes me be more of my old self the majority of the time #KCACOLS

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