Advent Calendar – 3 December

For Day 3 of my advent calendar, I’m reflecting on where this blog began. It all started with my very first post, “That Woman in the Mirror”—written during those overwhelming early days of motherhood.

Throughout my pregnancy and especially after our daughter was born, my husband and I were struck by just how much we didn’t know. There were so many things we struggled with that no one had really prepared us for. That first blog post captured a particularly scary thought that crept into my mind while I was still in the hospital during that first week, and it stayed with me for a long time after. I wasn’t ready for how deeply the whole experience would affect me, and it hit harder than I ever expected. Despite having friends with older kids who might have warned us, we felt completely unprepared for the psychological rollercoaster.

That’s when the idea for this blog was born. During my parental leave, I wanted to create something that could serve as an outlet for my feelings and also as a resource for other parents—something that might stop them from feeling as alone and lost as we did. Interestingly, my husband had a similar idea, and he began writing a book, Das hat uns keiner gesagt. Both of us needed a way to process what we were going through, and we both felt strongly about using our experiences to support others.

So, I published that first post—admittedly, to a tiny audience of about five friends ! But it was an important first step. Looking back now, I see how far we’ve come, both as parents and as writers. The blog has grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and so have I. It’s not just a space for sharing tips or stories; it’s a reminder of how much I’ve learned and how important it is to keep talking about the messy, raw reality of parenting.

Since then, the blog’s focus has naturally shifted from pregnancy, birth, and postpartum health to the realities of working life with a child. But certain themes remain close to my heart—especially mothers’ mental and emotional health. I want this space to continue sharing the things that surprise or even shock me about being a parent. Not to be only negative, but to help others feel more prepared, more seen, and less alone.

That woman in the mirror: Psychological Dissociation

Reflecting on that first post feels like an important exercise. For one thing, it’s good for my own mental health to see how far I’ve come. You really get a sense of how lost I was back then, and I hope my voice sounds more upbeat in my posts today. It’s also a reminder of the mental health work I’ve done to get here, and I’m proud of that progress. Most of all, I feel proud to have shared those raw emotions so openly—it’s something I hope has helped other new mums feel less alone.

Have you ever gone back to read something you wrote during a particularly challenging time? How did it feel to look back and see how far you’ve come? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram—I’d love to hear your reflections as we keep this conversation going.

That’s it for Day 3 of my advent calendar—a reflection on where this blog started and how far it’s come!
Tomorrow, for Day 4, I’m sharing a special freebie: a list of thoughtful gift ideas focused on experiences and quality time together. It’s an exclusive resource for my subscribers, so if you’re not signed up yet, now’s the perfect time. Sign up to have the post and freebie delivered straight to your inbox!