Alannah’s story
What is MotHs role in our community?
Our struggle with Facebook’s algorithm last month forced us to look inward and ask this very question. Why? Because, when the group disappeared from the view of our online members, we ultimately had a choice: to fight or to fold. Was MotHs worth saving? What is our role, and would anyone care if we were to disappear?
So, we reached out to our online MotHs members to find out….and so began our Impact Project. There will be more coming in the future, but first, and most importantly, we’re going to share the stories from our online members, starting with this beautiful story by Alannah.
My son was born right in the middle of the endless COVID lockdowns. Image Credit: Alannah’s own
When I think about what first brought me to Mums of the Hills, I go straight back to 2021….
That was the year my son was born, right in the middle of the endless lockdowns. My husband was a nurse at the time, studying to become a paramedic in Ballarat, all while working as an essential worker. We were living through so much uncertainty. My son was born on the day of the massive 2021 storms; the power went out, everything felt displaced and chaotic, and by the time we finally got home from hospital a week later, I felt completely lost. My parents didn’t live within my 5km radius, which sounds trivial now, but at the time it meant they couldn’t be there to help, to hold the baby while I napped, to just sit with me.
In those early weeks, I felt like I was disappearing under the weight of isolation. I found Mums of the Hills, but at first, I was what they call a “lurker”. I just watched quietly, reading other people’s tips and stories late at night when I was feeding the baby and the world was dark. Even that made me feel less alone.
One day, I made my first post. It was something silly, really, I’d decided that I wasn’t going to let Covid ruin my son’s first Santa photo, so I’d re-edited it in a funny way and shared it with the group. I thought it was meaningless, but the flood of kind, funny replies and all the shared laughter made me feel something shift. For the first time, I felt like I had somewhere to turn, somewhere to be heard, even if I was still in my pyjamas, rocking a baby at 2am.
Since then, whenever I’ve felt overwhelmed or needed another perspective, I’ve come to MotHs. They’ve been a lifeline. There’s one moment that stands out more than any other: when my son was three, he still wasn’t sleeping…ever. My husband was working night shifts, I was running my own business, and every night felt like a battle I was losing. It was the MOTHS group that pointed me to a Medicare-funded sleep school. After three years of night terrors, we finally got the help we needed. My son now sleeps through the night, and the impact that’s had on my mental health, my marriage, my work, honestly, it’s hard to put into words.
My second baby sleeps like a dream. Image Credit: Alannah’s own.
My second baby sleeps like a dream, but even my second pregnancy came with its own challenges. This time, MotHs was my lighthouse, the thing I could always see glowing in the darkness, guiding me back to calm, connection and perspective when I needed it most.
If you’ve never heard of Mums of the Hills, I’d say this: it’s the lighthouse in the darkness of motherhood. It’s a space for honesty without judgement, a place where we can laugh about the ridiculous things our kids do and cry when it all feels too much. It’s practical too. I can’t count how many times someone’s found a stuffed toy at a park and returned it to a distraught toddler (and a mum who was just about to lose her mind).
Looking back, I realise how different things could have been. If MotHs hadn’t existed, I think I would have completely lost my mind. In my second pregnancy, I’ve realised just how much I missed out on the first time - all the support and education that was so hard to access during Covid. But through it all, MotHs was there. And that made all the difference.
I’d love to see even more stories of motherhood shared in the group. More meet-ups, more nights out and more movie nights. Those moments when the online village turns into real faces and real friends. Because that’s what MotHs is: people who get it. People who hold the light when you can’t find your way. People who remind you that even when motherhood feels isolating, you’re never really alone.
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If you would like to share your story we’d love to hear from you. Following the link below. It can be completely anonymous.