Kaitlyn Marie - Doula & Paediatric Massage Consultant, Melbourne, VIC Videos

I often think back to my early days as a new mum, a teen mum and it brings so many emotions. The love, how naive I was , the low self esteem, low self worth, the depression, the anxiety and how alone I really was. There are so many moving parts to my story and I often hear people missing their old selves before children but for me I don’t remember that life nor did I really have one. I jumped into a relationship to the first person to really pay me any attention and soon started filling my void with little humans trying to figure out who I was. Of course the relationship was bound to break down and here I was alone with two kids and a single mum by the time I was 22 years old. I soon realised that I needed to be more than a mum, a girlfriend, a sister or daughter. I needed to find myself as Kaitlyn & be the mum and person I always dreamed I would be. I’ve had so many hurdles and bumps thrown my way but through it all I’ve grown and matured into someone I can honestly say I am proud of. My daughters are my biggest blessing in life and in a way shaped me into who I am today. Although our story didn’t start as some fairy tale, it’s now becoming something greater. So to my younger self; You’re worthy You’re loved You’re enough You can do this 🧡 What is something you would tell your younger self? #selfesteem #sometimesallithinkaboutisyou #postpartum #teenmum #youngmum #findingmyself #personalgrowth #matrescence #motherhoodshapedme #mybabiesforever #postpartumdoula #holdingspace

Just for fun 🙊 Anyone else love looking back and seeing how much your little ones have changed? #mummalife #mumofgirls #reelsoftheday #newbornlife #rememberingnewbornphase #preganancy #thirdbaby #csection #csectionrecovery #electivecsection #motherhoodunplugged #mumlife #reelstrending #momlife #postpartumdoula #doulalife #rainbowbaby #transversebaby #babyfever

World Breastfeeding Week brings a lot of happy memories for me but also many hardships. None of my breastfeeding journeys looked the same and to me that proves just how much breastfeeding can differ from baby to baby and without the right support can be a very difficult one. My last baby was by far the hardest journey yet my longest & most treasured one. I had countless cases of mastitis, tongue and lip tie causing latching issues, low weight gain & at times feeling touched out. Yet I was determined! knowing she was my last baby and all the amazing benefits that come with breastfeeding. We made it to 9 months and I couldn’t of been prouder of her, of me, of us ☺️ I mention this because the theme for this years #worldbreastfeedingweek2021 is Protect Breastfeeding: Shared Responsibility. This couldn’t ring truer to me as the responsibility of breastfeeding in my journey was definitely shared. I saw an amazing lactation consultant that honestly saved my sanity and ensured I was able to breastfeed for as long as I wanted. I had a partner that understood that breastfeeding was in fact a full time job and ensured I was supported physically and mentally. I also had a wonderful mother’s group that was a constant support during hard times with a baby that put on weight slowly. And these are just to name a few! Breastfeeding is a beautiful and wonderful job that protects, nurtures & provides our little ones with so many amazing benefits. Breastfeeding is also a learnt skill and one that requires support and that village around you cheering you on! So please share your breastfeeding journey and tag me! I’d love to read how this years theme rings true for you and what supports you had during your breastfeeding journey. The good, the bad, the ugly, no matter how long or short your journey was with breastfeeding, I hope it was filled with support, care, education and love ✨ Here are some great accounts to check out for breastfeeding support a

~not a pregnancy announcement~ I found this video in my phone today and it made me feel all the feels. Before we had Audrey we had gone through a miscarriage and it was a journey we shared with both Payton & Keeley. I show really early and we wanted the girls to be fully involved with our pregnancy so told them before the “safe” period. Just three days before my 12 week scan I experienced some bleeding and thought I better get this checked. With high spirits and feeling certain it was all ok I went without rob and took my sister (mostly because she insisted I didn’t go alone). Unfortunately it was there I was told that baby had no heartbeat and my dreams were crushed by those simple yet heartbreaking words. So as you hear in this video Payton is innocently yelling “the baby’s alive” because to her the dream was back on, mum was going to feel happy again and their baby was going to come home. Do I regret telling them about my pregnancy and pregnancy loss? Absolutely not. You want to know why? Because even though I only carried my baby for three months, that baby was oh so loved. That baby was celebrated and nourished with outpouring love from friends, family and their siblings. My baby changed my life forever and it was more important to me to be able to talk about that life no matter how short of time we had together. So why am I telling you this? Because I don’t believe we should feel pressured to wait for a certain time in our pregnancy to celebrate it. I don’t believe that we should be shamed for opening up and sharing our joy & then the loss - if that pregnancy doesn’t go to full term. I don’t believe we should be going through miscarriages in silence and alone. We need to hear others stories and to know we’re not the only one. Sharing my story I found a community and connection with women that I had known for years and never knew their pain until I opened up about mine. So if you want to tell people you’re pregnant do it