Home / Life / Motherly Stories Motherhood blew my mind Motherly's co-founder looks back on the mission that gave birth to our first book, This is Motherhood. By Elizabeth Tenety February 15, 2019 Rectangle Motherhood changed my life. It turned my everyday inside out. Becoming a mother was the ultimate rite of passage—one I never really saw coming. I thought becoming a mother would be challenging, but I had no idea it would be a total transformation. Jill and I started Motherly because we believe women deserve better. Women deserve to be guided through this incredible experience by compassionate experts. They deserve to be supported, not judged, because each woman is mothering the best way she knows how. They deserve a society, a community and a brand that believes in them and supports them in the daily grind of parenting. We believe women deserve Motherly. Motherly became our baby. It started as an idea that turned into a small reality—and then grew and grew and grew. It required a thousand acts of nurturing along the way (just like motherhood). And then one day, you see your little creation ready to go off into the world on their own—and in our case, that’s This Is Motherhood, our very first book. This Is Motherhood reflects a new generation and new approach to motherhood. For a new generation of women—the most educated, digitally-savvy generation in history—the time has come to redefine what “Motherly” means. Motherly is running an online business from home to have more flexibility for family life. Motherly is choosing to stay at home, giving up alone time, adult time—anything time—to gain years with your children. Motherly is continuing your education after an unplanned pregnancy. Motherly is taking care of yourself, eating well and exercising to feel your strongest and to be able to be active with your children. Motherly is awaking before the sun rises to start work early, in order to make time for a quiet, smartphone-free evening with your family. Motherly is holding on to your core identity and being true to yourself as you evolve with motherhood. Motherly is digging deep to live up to what’s demanded of you—and what you demand for yourself. Being Motherly means being a modern woman—and a mom. Motherly is you. So we launched Motherly online and we found our people. So many people. It humbles us every day to see how many millions of women are joining us in creating this more supportive, less judgmental parenting community. And as moms ourselves (I have three kids with one more on the way(!) and Jill is a mama to two), we learn so much from #TeamMotherly. Writing This Is Motherhood means that we can take this online experience, one that helps women (including Jill and me!) not feel so alone, and bring it to your bedside table. To your commute. To your 10 minutes of ‘me time’ during naptime. It means we get to be there for you not just in the virtual sense, but in a physical sense. Our inspiring and diverse writers will make you laugh—and cry—(promise!) whether you’re a pregnant mama, a mom in the midst of the grind, or a grandmother looking back while embracing this next chapter. This is the perfect book for a baby shower, a mother’s day gift, or a “you’ve got this” gift. For yourself, your mom or a friend. Because mothers deserve all the support in the world. Thanks for being on this journey with us. You’ve got this. By moms, for moms—order your copy of This is Motherhood today. Order on Amazon, $16.34 You might also like: Meet me offline, mama Motherhood is more complicated than one essay can show—so we wrote a book The latest Motherly Stories To the mama without a village: I see you Viral & Trending This viral TikTok captures what it’s like to parent through exhaustion and mental health struggles Life Can men really see the mess? Inside moms’ invisible labor at home Life 7 months pregnant on the campaign trail: How motherhood has changed the way I view politics