A South Cheshire mum is rising up the book charts after revealing “raw and real stories” of motherhood in her first publication.
In ‘Mum’s the Word – The Mothering Journey’ Kate Blakemore tells of her harrowing loss following an ectopic pregnancy and a later miscarriage as well as the post natal depression that led her to undergo a termination.
More than two decades on, the now mum-of-three has finally found the courage to open up about her infant loss, postnatal depression and her son’s illness as a newborn, to help others facing similar situations.
The book, released this summer, also includes the mothering journeys of 25 other women speaking frankly about their birth experiences and impact on their bodies, careers and sex life.
Their candid chatty style, and often amusing encounters with partners and the medical profession, has struck a chord with readers who have charted the same path.
The book offers a guide to mums-to-be and aims to be a comforting companion to those already navigating the mothering journey.
It spans all ages from young mums to the role of grandmothers while exploring the topics of teen pregnancy, menopause and empty-nest syndrome.
It’s rising up the Amazon charts and selling well at independent Cheshire book shops.
And Kate, 44, is delighted – as a percentage of proceeds is going to the charity she founded in 2015, Motherwell Cheshire.
The winner of many awards for contribution to the community, the charity champions the rights of women and girls and supports their health and wellbeing.
It runs menopause cafes across Cheshire and has recently launched campaign to end period poverty handing out free hygiene products from its base in Crewe and community spaces across South Cheshire.
Kate, who is also a counsellor, said: “I made a bold decision to make this a ‘raw and real’ book with amazing women who have contributed in such an open and honest way.
“These mothering journeys are stories that need to be told. So many books for mums-to-be and parents sugar coat the experience sending us all on a guilt trip.
“Social media constantly shows ‘perfect’ mums and there’s no such thing. Just mums doing their best in often trying circumstances.
“I had to reveal my secrets like the decision I had to make in my early 20s to terminate a pregnancy which I had kept from everyone.
“I was so poorly after an ectopic pregnancy and losing my first child and even though I had only one fallopian tube, I became pregnant again but simply didn’t have physical and mental strength to carry it through.
“I had a termination and the guilt was horrendous. I held it all in for over 20 years until my secret was out in this book.”
Kate, previously a manager for a national clothing chain, quit the corporate world to focus on Motherwell Cheshire and her counselling work specialising in infant loss and birth trauma.
Her experiences of an ectopic pregnancy, then miscarriage and termination offers an insight into the mental anguish of the many women she now supports.
She also went through the ordeal of her first child being born with exomphalos, a tummy wall defect, which meant his first six weeks were spent in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
She added: “Women are natural born communicators, telling it warts and all. The way they find humour in the darkest of days speaks volumes about their emotional intelligence, humanity and strength.
“Yes they have ‘mum guilt’. That follows us forever but women are survivors and this book is a tribute to every mum I have ever met.”
Kate, who now has three children aged 17, 15 and 11, is currently on a book tour.
She’s received excellent feedback on social media and has a five-star rating on Amazon where Julia Goulding, who plays Shona in Coronation Street, wrote: “Kate’s journey, from a free-spirited young woman to a devoted mum of three is a testament to the transformative power of motherhood.
“Her experiences, combined with her professional insights as a counsellor, provide a profound understanding of the emotional and physical changes that come with being a mum.”
Mum’s the Word – The Mothering Journey is currently £11.99 on Amazon. Go to https://amzn.eu/d/04KWKkH5
It’s also available locally in Nantwich Book Shop.
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