Sophie Shaw is 24, newly-engaged and mum to her 7-month-old son, Bobby. She is also a rising star in the Aussie blogosphere with more than 22,000 followers on Instagram.
She is The Young Mummy and has joined our Mother & Baby team as a regular blogger aiming to keep things “refreshingly honest about all things mummy.”
Here we had a quick interview with Sophie to get to know her a little better.
Tell us a little bit about you and your family.
I met my partner, Jaryd back in 2010, and one of the first things we ever spoke about was our love for kids & how much we wanted to be young parents (rare for a 19-year-old male at the time!). Fast forward just over four years and we brought our not-so-little Bobby into the world on Anzac Day, 2014.
After being diagnosed with severe polycystic ovaries as a 17-year-old, being told I was “infertile”, and not getting a period for over 18-months before I fell pregnant, Bobby is the biggest blessing in our lives. And when I say biggest – well, he is a huge boy! With both Jaryd & I coming from large sporting backgrounds, he was destined to be born with biceps.
Left: Sophie’s husband, Jaryd, her son, Bobby, and Sophie | Right: “B boy a little battered & bruised from trying too hard to get up on his feet.”
So how did you get started blogging?
I was half-way through my journalism degree when I fell pregnant, and when I could no longer attend uni due to extreme morning sickness, I began writing as a hobby to keep me busy.
I wrote my original piece ‘My Miracle Baby’ about surprisingly falling pregnant and sent it around in the hope it would be published somewhere. When that all failed, I loved the piece too much for it not to be read, so I began The Young Mummy. I received so much positive feedback from that original post that it just became a regular thing.
Tell our readers about your blog – why would they enjoying reading it?
In society these days women already put a ridiculous amount of pressure on themselves to uphold the perfect image – it’s all about how good you can look to others through your social media.
When you’re pregnant and a new mum, it’s very easy to constantly feel lousy. So I’ve gone the other way in opening myself up to the world – to not only celebrate how beautiful pregnancy and motherhood is regardless of what comes with it, but to really maintain a sense of reality & normality.
Do you ever stop and think, “Should I really be posting this?”
Mmmm, sometimes I wonder if I’m taking it too far – but then I soon remember that’s the exact reason why people love reading what I write. Because on one side it’s the things you’re not supposed to say in public, but on the other it’s extremely relatable to so many people and I can almost guarantee what I write about has happened to 90% of people at some stage.
What has been your proudest moment as a mum?
On a personal level, I could very easily say I’m proud of myself for giving birth but that would be the obvious answer. I’m also proud that I persisted with breastfeeding Bobby through some excruciating scar tissue in my left breast that was a result of having a lump removed back in 2012.
The pain was indescribable, and my mum helped me come up with a way of biting my lip for the first few minutes to push through the pain when Bobby would latch on. This lasted for a good month, and when you’re doing 10-12 feeds a day…ouch. I could have very easily chucked in breast feeding but I wanted to do it.
Left: Sophie enjoys cuddles with a sleeping Bobby | Right: Sophie after a make-up session with her bestie.
What do you see yourself doing in five years time?
Baby making! I’ve always said I want another baby when Bobby is five-years-old so that I get to spend lots of quality time with my little man. I also am in the motion of writing a book – well, it’s an idea I have anyway. So I would like to see myself as a part-time blogger still, but also a successful author.
What is your personal motto?
“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
If we looked in your handbag right now, what would we find?
Currently in my handbag is:
A teething rusk
My phone and charger
Headphones
A fresh nappy
My pill script
Sunglasses
Wallet
Five lipsticks
Bronzer
Mascara
Who inspires you?
My mum – she had four kids aged under six-years-old. In the early days after I’d had Bobby I sat on my couch with him as a newborn and that’s all I could think of – how the HELL she possibly did that!
I also look up to Megan Gale – a very successful & established business woman, a fantastic mum, and now a great friend. Our partners played football together and are best mates (Shaun is Bobby’s Godfather), and Megan & I experienced pregnancy together. Regardless of our age & lifestyle differences, she has been a fantastic support for me, Jaryd and Bobby, and I admire the way she runs her busy working lifestyle but her little boy is still her number one priority at all times.
