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| Vote for me! |
My
blog started 9 months ago now, and is considered my baby. It took 9 months of
growing and it developed into something so much more than I ever imagined. It
has led me to connect and meet some amazing people. I started the blog as a way
of processing what I was feeling when I was suffering from Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder after the birth of Elijah. I wanted to tell my story, as if
writing it down would somehow make it better, that it may help others and it
did. It gave me a channel to focus everything that I was feeling and thinking
and to get it out. I didn’t expect much to come of the blog when I first set it
up, I didn’t even set it up one of our friends did and I had no clue what I was
doing! Then it became an addiction, I had to write and write and write, the
more I did the more I felt like myself again. It was if I was becoming a better
version of the person I was before as I was stronger, I had a focus and a
purpose to help others who were going through the same thing. One small thing I
had no idea what I was doing, (I still don’t).
When
I first started out, I looked at the elite bloggers (you know the ones, where
you stalk their amazing Insta feeds and hope they like or comment and when they
do you fan girl off your chair.) I knew I would never reach their level. My
photos on Insta are average at best and I cannot bear to part with my Nokia
Lumia 925. I can never do a nice arty or Instagram worthy pic as Elijah runs
away, cries or throws a strop if there is a nice pic, it happened by accident I
can tell you. The photos are like my blog, and I think this is what my mantra
is, they are honest, they are our real lives. I didn’t think brands would be
interested in me, and after a while I realised I had a bigger purpose I wanted
to serve. Yes, my blog may not bring me an income (occasionally some free
stuff) and it does take up a lot of my time, but I believe the purpose of my blog
changed in those first few months. I made me realise I could make a difference,
I could help and hope to change people’s lives.
I
began to identify what went wrong on our own journey. Where I was let down, and
after some researching realised thousands of families across the UK were being
let down too. I have one voice, one small blog but I have tried to use it to
raise awareness of NICU issues and mental health issues. It took a lot of
struggling whether I was brave enough to honestly tell my story it is one thing
going out to strangers, another when your friends and family read it. How would
they react? But, if I told my story, my honest story then others may begin to
follow suit and we can make a change. All pieces, especially the honest and raw
ones were received well, I guess the one person they were a shock to the most
was Greg. You can live with a person, and realise they are not themselves but I
didn’t think he knew to what I was truly feeling. I think he felt guilt, but it
has made us closer and the lines of communication are fully open between us
now.
After
beginning to connect with some lovely ladies on Instagram who all had blogs,
ones that seemed to be on a completely different level to mine (Mummy and Nina, Too Much Mothering Information Mamazou, The Mum Coach, The Mommy Somniac). They began to
help, encourage and even let me feature on their blogs. It led to making lifelong
friends ones whose house you crash at for 4 days (Life with my Little Duck),
ones who you feel you may have been separated at birth from as you both laugh
so much (Uh Oh Mum, Hey Is It Me, Pabarilife). Ones who check in with
you for no other reason than to see if you are okay, (The Mum Coach), and ones who notice when
you are not yourself or haven’t been online for a few days (Too Much Mothering Information) Ones
who when you need it will help you in a heartbeat. Ones who help make your
dream of being published real (Salisbury
Parenting). I will still maintain I don’t really know what I am doing, most
is done on gut feeling and I will always help those and pass on what I know
especially to new bloggers. After all, if I wasn’t given helped I wouldn’t be
where I am today.
I
began to contact parenting sites, and other sites that accepted guest blogs. My
biggest achievements to date, was being invited to become a Huffington Post
Parent blogger and taking part in the first #PNDAW16. Back then, I had no idea what I was doing, and if I was even
good enough I look back on the email I was sending out to everyone, and no
wonder most didn’t ever come back to me! It is strange to think of how much I
have picked up since then. I became a regular blogger on two other parenting
sites and took the decision this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to write, to
campaign to help others so have joined Bliss and Little Miracles UK as a
campaigner as this is where my passion is. If I can use my writing to make a
difference, then I will be happy. I guess like most 90’s kids my dream was to
become like Carrie Bradshaw and with the help I have been given, and the
amazing opportunities that it now becoming a reality. My dream, to be published
in print, my words, on a page you can go out and buy, to maybe even one day
write a book.
This
leads me to now, I entered the UK blog Awards 17 on a whim (like most things on
my blogging journey) and didn’t think I would get through. However, here I find
myself pleading for your votes to get to the judges round (the closest I will
ever get to X Factor that’s for sure) like most of my blogging journey it was
done on whim and I have no idea if I will get through, but if you can help me
do this then I will be very grateful. After all, it’s not just for me, but it
is exposure for all of those NICU parents as well. This is who I am doing this
for and why I continue to do this. You can vote for me at the following link; until Dec 19th;
Thank you,
NICU MUM XX
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