Brilliant Mum Feature 169
Hello and welcome to the Brilliant Mum Feature. Once a week I will be featuring one mum in a bid to find out more about them and their lives.
If you’d like to take part in this series, simply fill in this form.
This week our brilliant mum feature is Michelle from Blossom and Cave. Michelle says:
“I’m a 34 year old mum of three from Belfast. My children are aged 6, 3 and 1 so we’re right in the middle of it! I’m married to Eoin, a software developer and climbing fanatic.
I work part-time in a local university and run three different projects. I have my own event management company where I create #eventsthatmatter including Northern Ireland’s first positive birth conference. I also run a peer support group for parents struggling with mental illness and a resource website to help them out (www.wearepangs.com). As well as all that, I also run a family, parenting and lifestyle blog, Blossom and Cave.”
Thanks for taking part Michelle.
Have you always wanted to be a mum?
I always wanted to be a mum but it didn’t take the direction I expected.
How did you feel when your children were born?
When my eldest was born I struggled with my mental health. Severe anxiety led to depression which at its worst had me contemplating suicide. I suffered with birth trauma and it took me almost 2 years to get back on track with my mental health. I struggled again through the pregnancies of my two other children and up until recently I’d been seeing a therapist for postnatal anxiety and panic disorder. I love being a mum but it has been an uphill battle to get to a place where I can enjoy it fully.
What have been your most rewarding experiences so far as a mum?
Seeing my children grow and develop despite the struggles I’ve had with my mental health. I was able to use my experiences to write a book that was just launched, Pangs: Surviving Motherhood and Mental Illness. That has been a proud moment for me, to take all the adversity of being a parent with a mental illness and use it as a force for good.
What are some of your funniest moments to have happened to you as a mum?
There are so many! My eldest daughter’s imagine has me in stitches regularly. Today she made us throw a birthday party for a toy mouse who’d had rough birthdays in the past (her words!).
Have there been any situations with your children that you have found difficult to cope with?
My daughter has asthma and is regularly taken to A&E with breathing difficulties. That’s tough to deal with as a mum, wanting to fix it and feeling powerless. Also, when I’ve been anxious or panicky myself and having to meet their needs too. You don’t stop being a mum even when you feel you aren’t coping. You have to keep showing up regardless.
What are your dreams and hopes for your children?
That they avoid the mental struggles I have been through and that they find partners that love them fully and that they can rely on, like I can with my husband. Life is so much easier when you have great support.
You can find Michelle online here…
If you’ve been featured as a brilliant mum and would like to share this badge on your blog, please do!
