10 Things I’d Tell a New Mother

From a London mum and motherhood photographer who’s been there

Fourteen.

My daughter turns fourteen this week. And suddenly I’m standing in a kitchen that feels both exactly the same and completely changed holding a photo of her as a newborn and wondering how we got here so fast.

Because it’s true what they say:
The days are long, but the years are short.

I became a mum young. I didn’t have it all figured out. I lost parts of myself along the way. But I also found a strength I didn’t know I had — and a deep love that shaped everything after.

So if I could sit down with a new mum, anywhere, tired, overwhelmed, in love and unsure here’s what I’d tell her.

These are the things I wish I knew. The things I now know — fourteen years on.

1. You haven’t disappeared — you’re just changing.

It might feel like you’ve been swallowed up by motherhood. But you haven’t vanished — you’re becoming. This is a new version of you. Let her arrive in her own time.

2. The days will drag, but the years will fly.

There were days I counted the hours. Now, I look back and wish I’d let myself slow down more. Breathe. Watch. Be. It matters more than you know.

3. Keep something for yourself.

Write, walk, stretch, create — anything that’s yours. You are not just a mum. You are still you, and you still matter.

4. You don’t have to be perfect to be enough.

They won’t remember the spotless house. They’ll remember how safe they felt in your arms.

5. Take the photo and get in it.

You were there too. And one day, your child will want to see that. The love. The mess. The way you looked at them.
(I offer relaxed, heartfelt motherhood sessions across London — if you need help holding on to this season, let’s chat.)

6. Let people help.

Even when it’s awkward. Even when it’s hard. You don’t have to carry everything. No one’s meant to.

7. Listen to your body — it’s done a lot.

You don’t owe anyone a “bounce back.” Rest. Nourish. Be kind to the skin you’re in.

8. You’re allowed to miss your old life.

That doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It just means you’re human.

9. You will get pieces of yourself back.

They might come slowly, in fragments but they return. Sometimes softer, sometimes fiercer, always deeper.

10. You’re doing better than you think.

You really are.

And one more thing...

If you're in the thick of it now let me remind you that this season won’t last forever. But the photos? The feeling in them will.

Let’s preserve that.
📍I’m a West London motherhood photographer (but travel all over London and surrounding areas) capturing raw, real, everyday magic — for mums who want to remember not just how it looked, but how it felt.

💌 Want to book your own session or find out more?
Click here to get in touch