Award-winning Muswell Hill based professional baby and family photographer Louisa Peacock has launched an amazing social media campaign, #asyouaremotherhood to support and empower mums. She wants to change the way mums think about themselves and the pressure to be 'perfect parents', and when I came across her campaign on Instagram I knew I had to share it with you! This is such a common theme, and Louisa is supporting such a great cause! As Louisa says,"Perfection doesn't exist and yet we mums still try to pursue it whilst juggling work, housework, childcare and more, and too often our own mental health and welling falls to the bottom of the list. We fail to enjoy the moment, and let go and live in the now of mother hood while feeling guilty and falling to meet such high standards of idealism. Mums, please realise that you are good enough!".
As part of the campaign, Louisa will be waiving her usual fee of £95 on a maternity or baby photoshoot, and will be asking for a minimum donation of £20 to Little Village. She is also here on my blog to tell us more about her incredible campaign! Thank you for sharing with us Louisa!
Louisa, tell us why you have decided to support Little Village, and what #asyouaremotherhood is all about!
Lousia: "When I came across the work that Little Village do I was stunned. It’s like a foodbank, but instead of food, it offers essential items like clothing, books, toys and baby equipment to parents in need, right across London. It’s frankly alarming that thousands of families need to rely on ‘hand me downs’ and the good will of other people to barely survive. This is just for essential items.
"I am saddened that in this day and age tiny babies and children under 5 are going without the most basic of items right here in London, items I completely took for granted when I was pregnant and during the early years of my children growing up. Can you imagine trying to breastfeed your little one without any breast pads to pop in after? Or not having enough nappies? Imagine not being able to clothe your children appropriately. Imagine trying to entertain your smallest children without the most basic of toys or books?
"This is where I think I can make a small difference. As part of my ongoing #asyouaremotherhood campaign across Instagram and Facebook, I'm celebrating and highlighting those of us (silent) women heroes, who everyday, do all we can to provide for our children and to be the best mothers we can be. There is such a pressure for us mums to be perfect: we all strive for perfection everyday when the reality is, perfection doesn't exist.
"We all worry, are anxious about whether we're doing the right thing for our unborn baby or the children we already have. We can look at others and think they're somehow doing it better than us, and feel like we've failed.
"We must change our attitudes and change the way we treat ourselves. That's why I'm giving away a limited number of mother and baby photoshoots to celebrate how amazing and unique we are as mothers, how we ARE doing all we can to help our children. And that our best is good enough. We are good enough.
"Through this project, I can ask pregnant women and mums to come into my studio, get a fabulous photoshoot to show how fabulous they are (just as they are without the need for fancy or OTT props) - and spread the word about self-love and acceptance. And then in return all I'd ask is a contribution to Little Village.
"This is my way to give back to some struggling families on my own doorstep? Little Village does just that; giving the gift of the most basic but essential things to babies and children who really need them.
"As their website says: “It takes a village to raise a child - this is especially true in London where we often feel alone as parents. “Little Village is a gift from one family to another, passed on with love.”
"If I ask each of my photography clients to donate, say, just £20 to this cause, I would forgo my booking fee of usually £95. Clients could of course donate more if they wish or were able to, but I thought this would be an excellent start.
"So if you're keen to book a Maternity or Baby photoshoot with me, I’ll direct you to this page where you can donate what you can and then we’ll see what happens. Things will snowball from there. Let’s do this together and be part of something hopeful to change the world we live in, right on our doorsteps.
"Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity."
Thank you Louisa! Visit Lousia's JustGiving page to donate, and visit her website for more information about her Maternity and Baby photoshoots!
Read my Winter newsletter for all my latest news, and plenty of fun ideas and mindful thoughts for the Christmas season (more tips for surviving Christmas to come in the coming weeks!)! And if you are thinking of planning a babymoon for 2022 check out this post!
You can find my brand new list of offers and events for 2022 right here (plenty of free events, webinars, Q&As and parenting masterclasses!), and as always you can the rest of my website to learn more about child development, child behaviour, and positive parenting! And check out my other blog posts for loads of other useful tips and advice, including lots of great tips from pre- and post-natal nutrition and exercise specialist Emma West.
All the best,
x Isobel