I remember writing a blog this time last year for Maternal Mental Health Week.  At the time, other Mums jokingly called me ‘Super Woman’, due to juggling an (ever) expanding family and business. In reality, I often felt far from it. In fact on some days, I was dying to shout out “I’m not OK.”

Talking to my GP was a massive help at the time. But whilst I mentioned last year how good it is to talk; I failed to mention the importance of listening as well.

I caught up last week with a lovely friend of mine at our local playgroup. My friend (let’s call her Alice) was quite tearful and admitted she was beyond exhausted. Baby number 3 is to put it politely a ‘sleep thief’. Alice then stopped herself and said:

“I don’t know why I’m moaning. You have 4 kids and another 2 on the way. My load is easy in comparison.”

I put Alice straight: Comparisons are meaningless. Things are tough for ALL of us at times, no matter how many children we have. The most important thing is to know that we’re there for each other.

This is why the #thereforher campaign is so powerful. Our friends at Mummy Social have teamed up with ‘The No Filter Mum’ on the #thereforher campaign during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. There for her is all about being there for the Mum who needs support. After all, Mummy Social was actually started by a Mum who was feeling lonely at the time.

So if you know a Mum like Alice, make sure you give her a hug, a cup of tea and a chance to off load. And if you’re finding it tough (and let’s face it, we all do at various times), remember you’re not alone. I know we shouldn’t need a reason to do it, but what better time to start. Let’s reach out and support each other; whether it is a good friend or that Mum you see out and about and who seems to be having a hard time. 

If you want to find out more about #thereforher campaign, go to The No Filter Mum Facebook page.