Charlotte PHD MAMA
Charlotte, tell us little bit about your background and experience in the pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or motherhood field:
Kia ora, my name is Charlotte Bruce Kells and I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Otago with the Department of Gender Studies & Sociology. My research follows first-time mums through their journey into motherhood, throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The aim of my research is to better understand the experience and impact of becoming a first-time mum, and how we can better support parents in Aotearoa who are new parents.
My passion for this research and drive to understand how we can better support parents also comes from my personal experience of being a mum to two beautiful little girls. My experiences and my continued journey as a mother shape and inform my approach to helping other parents. There is so much to learn about the needs of parents in Aotearoa, so I'm constantly evolving as I continue through both my own motherhood journey and the journey of conducting research about parents.
A brief introduction to your business, its mission, and the services you offer:
In 2022, I was on maternity leave with my second baby and decided to start up an Instagram page to share my experiences as a mum and my research with people who might be interested. I'm always looking for ways to share what I'm learning through my research with the people it will help most - parents. The Instagram page has been an amazing way to do this, and feel as if I am helping to share knowledge, support, and comfort to new parents in the thick of it. The page is designed to be a safe, judgment-free, and evidence-based information source for parents. I love our little online community, and would love for you to join us. I have so many plans for the future to expand on what I can offer in this space, so stay tuned for exciting things to come!
A few sentences about your passion and commitment to supporting expecting and new mamas during their journey:
I love what I do because I feel so deeply that new parents deserve more support than what they currently get from their community. As we have moved toward a culture that places value and expectations on individuals, rather than the community, becoming a parent and raising children has become a more and more isolating experience for many. I am committed to trying to push back against this idea of motherhood and mobilise a greater sense of community and practical support for parents in Aotearoa. I'm also on a mission to get rid of all the ideas we have around what we think it means to be a 'good' mum and ensure that all parents know they are doing an amazing job (regardless of whether they have all the latest baby gadgets, if their house is spotless, whether they work outside the home or not, if they breastfeed or formula feed, or any of the other never-ending list of pressures that are placed on us as mothers!)
How to find Charlotte:
Instagram: @phd_mamanz
