Stronger together in motherhood

Motherhood looks different for every woman. But one thing is for sure, motherhood completely changes your life, in both expected and unexpected ways. 

This International Women’s Day, we spoke with three iL Tutto mums – Carly, Dayna and Shalena – about their journeys into motherhood and the support they’ve found along the way. The constant in their stories is the importance of their village and the women around them on their journey. 

Carly: finding strength in experience and support

Carly became a mum to two little ones in quick succession. While her first birth with Lila – now 2.5 years old – was relatively straightforward, her second – son Max, now one – was much more complex. After going into labour knowing her baby’s cord was wrapped around his neck, she eventually had an emergency caesarean, which was followed by a postpartum haemorrhage.

Despite the challenges, she came out of the experience with a deeper sense of confidence and perspective. “The second time around, I felt more confident to be able to advocate for myself,” she explains. “But in the end, I realised that it’s completely out of your hands.”

Recovery was very different the second time around. With a toddler at home and a caesarean to recover from, even simple things became harder. “The difference in recoveries was a bit of a shock to the system,” she says. “I couldn’t lift my daughter. My husband ended up needing to take four weeks off because I simply couldn’t do what I could do the first time.”

During those long days and nights, her iL Tutto Chelsea Electric Recliner Glider Nursery Chair in Egg Shell became a constant. “I lived in my iL Tutto chair,” she recalls. “Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you’ll be so thankful to have the support of the nursery chair for those middle-of-the-night feeds.

“It was definitely helpful for my caesarean recovery and it absolutely saved my back.”

More than anything, Carly credits the women around her for helping her navigate early motherhood. “It’s nice to be able to rely on others’ experiences and know that what you’re going through is normal,” she says. “It’s been really empowering to know that my friends are there and have been through the same experience as me.”

“I’ve got some great girlfriends that don’t have kids of their own, but they treat my kids like they are their own. It’s so important who you surround yourself with.”

Dayna: finding your people

For Dayna, motherhood was always the dream. After experiencing a miscarriage before her first son, she went on to welcome two boys close together in age – Atlas, now 20 months old and Ledger, just 3 weeks old. While she describes her first birth as smooth, her second took an unexpected turn. “The birth was everything that I didn’t think it was going to be,” she recalls. “I ended up going in for an emergency C-section. But he’s here and he’s happy and healthy.”

She speaks openly about the emotional side of pregnancy and early motherhood. “I struggled a fair bit with pregnancy, both times,” she says. “As much as I love and appreciate what the woman’s body really can do, I still found it quite mentally a struggle.”

This time around, one thing was certain: she wanted a nursery chair, saying it was a non-negotiable after not having one for her first baby.

She chose the iL Tutto Frankie Electric Nursery Chair in Taupe Teddy, not realising just how much she would love it. “I’m surprised how much I love that it’s electric,” she explains. “The recline is silent and I can plug my phone in when I’m nursing in the middle of the night so I’ve got everything I need right next to me.”

Perhaps the biggest change for Dayna since becoming a mum has been her friendships. “Before becoming a mum, I struggled with friendships,” she says. “But since becoming a mum, I have found my circle. I would consider these women to be my family now.”

Living in a smaller coastal town, finding that support network meant everything. “We talk every day and I would be lost without them,” she says.

Shalena: a long road to motherhood

For Shalena, the journey to motherhood took time. After more than two years of trying to conceive, she was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and eventually turned to IVF. “We were trying for about two and a half years,” she says. “Then we decided to go down the IVF route and we were very lucky and very blessed to have Arlo in our first round.”

Now she describes her son – 10-month-old Arlo – as “my little miracle baby and everything I’ve ever hoped for.”

She opted for a planned caesarean so family could be present and to help ease her own anxieties. The experience was calm and positive, and she found recovery manageable with the right support around her.

Her iL Tutto nursery chair quickly became part of daily life. “With the caesarean recovery, the chair was comfortable and made it easier to manage,” she recalls. “It’s so easy to get in and out while holding Arlo. Everything about it was comfortable.”

Becoming a mother has also changed how she sees the women in her life. “I found a whole new respect for my friends who are mums,” she says. “It gave me a whole new understanding of the sacrifices mothers make and the strength it takes to be a mother.”

It also deepened her appreciation for her own mum. “It’s given me a whole new understanding of the resilience and strength she needed when she became a single mum.”