Meet me offline, mama

Motherly exists for one big reason and many little reasons. Our big one? To redefine motherhood for this generation of women.

Liz and I conceived Motherly because while embarking on our personal journeys of motherhood, we never found a place where we felt like we belonged. We didn’t see modern motherhood represented in an authentic, inspiring way. It just didn’t exist.

So we created Motherly for mothers everywhere because we saw a space and a need for it. We knew we wanted to create a platform where we could inform, inspire and empower other mothers—and each other.

We’ve created a rich, engaging online community with mamas all over the world through our website and social media platforms. But the release of This Is Motherhood marks a really special and exciting moment for us as a company and community. This is a critical inflection point for us—we have tons of articles and classes online—but this is the first physical representation of Motherly. The first of many products down the line.

We are currently supporting moms who are navigating hundreds of pain points of motherhood through our content, and our vision has always included a plan to complement that content with products.

So this is the beginning of that next stage for us. (I guess our baby is now a toddler!)

We’re on our mamas’ phones and in her heart—we know this because we are energized every day by the love letters of appreciation we get ( thank you!)—and now we hope to be in her home.

There’s something to be said for an offline connection with each other. It feels intimate and personal like we’re deepening our relationship with one another. This step is so important for us as co-founders, for our employees (many of whom are contributing authors in the book) and for each and every mama who has ever read an article on Motherly. We exist for one another and through one another. We really are in this together.

The book itself is our anthem: THIS is motherhood. It’s giving birth, it’s signing adoption papers, it’s parenting a child with special needs, it’s single motherhood, it’s figuring out how to be a #twinmom, it’s postpartum anxiety, it’s leaning on your village, it’s healing after miscarriage. It’s raw and relatable. It’s challenging and beautiful. This Is Motherhood is a powerful statement, and we have the emotionally-rich stories from over 40 beautifully talented authors to back it up.

These are stories I hope you’re able to read over and over. I envision you making a cup of coffee or tea and stealing some alone time where you can sit with these women and connect with their words.

I hope this book is a refuge where you can slow down and reflect. Or where you can find a moment to celebrate your strengths. Our end-of-chapter practices are designed to encourage introspection—a safe place for you to work through anything that’s weighing heavy on your heart.

I wrote a lot of my chapter introductions and essays while traveling for work. I’m not sure why flying on a plane brings out my creative side (maybe it’s because my emotions are heightened in the sky?) but I’m glad it did. I’m beyond thrilled to be part of something so special.

I hope this book becomes a gift from one mom friend to another. I hope that a new mama reads through it and feels so excited for what’s to come. I hope this is a book a woman buys when she’s going through something difficult and needs to feel less alone. I hope this is something a daughter may give her mother so she can look back and relive the years she, too, was in the trenches.

I think, more than anything, I hope that whoever owns this book will be able to go back to it over and over. Whether she needs to feel connected in her vulnerability, empowered in her choices or calmed in a moment of overwhelm—I want this book to be there for her.

We’ve worked hard to put this collection together and we hope you absolutely love it. Thanks for being on #TeamMotherly—we couldn’t do this without your inspiration.

By moms, for moms—order your copy of This is Motherhood today.

Order on Amazon, $16.34

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• Motherhood is more complicated than one essay can show—so we wrote a book
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