Mishalle and Elliotte, featured in Rewriting Motherhood, share a story.
At Babes, we love a good story. Everyone has one, and sharing them can empower, can move, can change the way we all see the world.
Storytelling has been part of the Babes MO since the beginning. Not always epic sagas - although we worked hard with ten women to deliver just that for Rewriting Motherhood, our incredible book that let women tell their own stories of crisis pregnancy, of all its challenges, and of their amazing determination in the face of it.
Often, though, it's just a pregnancy progress photo, or the name of a gorgeous new bub. But each little piece tells a bigger story - and to the mama, and to us, every one is another step on the journey, another mountain moved.
And of course, there's the story that started it all.
This week, we were so thrilled so see our founder Helen and her Babes story featured on the we are lumi blog, as part of their Women Doing It Themselves series.
The blog is the work of dedicated ladies Catherine and Lisa, who are committed to helping all women reach their full potential - what a perfect fit for Babes!
The questions they asked prompted plenty of reflection - which let's be honest, isn't something we can always find a ton of time for in the madness of making Babes happen.
But compiling the answers from our eight years of experience, challenges, and bloody hard work, we kept thinking "ha, our supporters would love to hear about that!"
We'd love you to read the full blog, but below is a few mini-stories that are too good not to share! We'd love to hear what comes as a surprise, and what resonates with you - after all, the best stories are the ones that bring the listeners back for more.
So, from Helen's mouth, did you know:
She's walked the walk?
"When I was 20 and suddenly found myself pregnant, it felt like a crisis. I was mid-way through uni, with no job, no family support, no secure housing. I knew nothing about being a parent – but I knew I wanted to have my baby. What I went through – and the judgement and criticism I faced – made me realise how many ways the health system fails to support women having crisis pregnancies, and how the community ostracises them."
It takes a team?
"I’ve been lucky that, from the earliest days of volunteering in this space, I was alongside other women who believed in the cause, and in our potential to make a difference. Babes has always been a team effort – that’s our biggest strength!"
It's all about family?
"My husband, Dean, works at the frontline in child protection (which) really gave perspective to our work early on. It meant we understood the realities of where unsupported mothers and families could end up – and believe me, that’s confronting. Making a better world for our two daughters inspires us as a family, and I want all women to have the opportunities our girls will have."
It's weird but welcoming?
"At Babes, my whole life comes with me – including constant coffees, my cheese obsession, and even occasionally our gorgeous family cat! Babes is a space where you can bring your whole heart, and a lot of life luggage, and be welcomed as part of the family – I love nurturing that atmosphere, and I think it’s pretty great!"
The revolution is happening?
"Eight years since founding, we now have the expertise, the experience and the reputation to back us – The Babes Project is ready to lead a revolution in kindness, care and nurturing that new mothers need. Damn, it’s what our whole society needs!"
Of course, it's all been made possible by so much generosity and belief from our incredible supporters - thank you!
No matter where you started following the Babes journey, there's never been a better time to get on board with our mission, and show your support. Whether through funds, or just by sharing our work within your circles, you can be part of this life-changing story.