To all mothers

Initially, this article was going to be about my relationship with beauty and well-being, and perhaps even some of my tips or daily routines... But I've been thinking about it for several weeks now, without managing to find an angle that seems interesting or relevant. And finally, after turning the question every which way, I thought of you. 

I thought that instead of talking about myself, I'd like to talk to you.

You, the moms, the ones who have been moms for a long time or just for two minutes, the mothers-to-be, the ones who are pregnant, the ones who can't take it anymore or are desperately trying, the ones who were moms for only a short time before everything came to an abrupt halt. Those who, along the way, have encountered bereavement, illness, the unexpected... It's to you that I want to write. You, the brave, the tired, the beautiful, the acne-ridden and the radiant, the lonely and the well-cared-for, the full-bellied, the empty-bellied, the sagging breasts, the full of milk, the lion-haired and the very sparse. This article is for you.

So, for the past 2 and a half years, you and I have been talking a lot, on an almost daily basis: in the evenings, at weekends, on public holidays, on the way home from a party or during your lunch breaks.... First, to answer your questions, your "in what order should I do my routine?" and your "but what REALLY works to avoid stretch marks?" or "is it ok to apply my oil before breastfeeding?" or "for how many months can I do the hair treatment because it works really well on me?".

From functional questions, we quickly moved on to more existential angles: some mornings, you told me you'd seen those two little blue lines appear: "I'm telling you, I haven't announced it yet, but this is it, I'm pregnant at last", or your sorrows: "I was still pregnant yesterday, but tonight, it's over". you've sent me photos of your babies at the maternity ward, you've thanked me (even though I didn't do anything), we've laughed, we've cried, we've hoped, together. 

Photo credit: Charlotte Leonardi