About me !
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Hello there, I'm Charlene!
I'm not only Charlene, but also a fortunate wife to Dean, and together we're blessed with five amazing daughters: aged 17, 16, 9, 4, and 3. And yes, before you ask, we do have a TV!
Being a mum is not just my role, it's my ultimate joy, my girls are truly my everything. I became a mum at a young age, welcoming my eldest daughter into the world when I was just 19.
Despite the hustle and bustle of managing a large family, I've always felt a deep drive to support others. It's an intrinsic reward for me, something I naturally thrive on. That's why from a tender age, I knew I wanted to work in the care sector.
Personally, I'm passionate about continuous learning and expanding my skill set. There's always a new project in my mind. I pursued my education at college, earning my NC in Health Care & HNC in Social Care. Currently, I'm working toward my BA in Social Work with the Open University.
Recently, I returned to my job after a career break to prioritise caring for my children. I am a pupil support assistant, supporting children with additional support needs. It's a role I adore, the young people I work with are truly remarkable.
Weekends are sacred to us, it's family time where we escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. We love embarking on adventures in our motorhome, exploring the great outdoors, roasting marshmallows by the fire, and play card games.
While my girls bring immeasurable joy and purpose to my life, I won't sugarcoat it, parenthood is not a walk in the park . I'm Know its unspoken challenges, but each hurdle is a chance for growth and learning.
As a mum I know parenting is a whirlwind of love and challenges. I've danced with the unspoken struggles, relationships and home life strains, physical & mental exhaustion, never ending to-do list, mum guilt, self neglect, rollercoaster of emotions, racing thoughts and the loneliness that can creep in, which is one of my main drives in founding Mum's the word.
But you know what? I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. My little crew has deepened my love, stolen my sleep, shrunk my days, eaten up my savings, filled my heart, and made my home the happiest place on earth. 💖
My Misson
My mission is to turn the art of parenting into a magical journey filled with harmony and self-love by providing non- judgemental holistic support to new parents and caregivers.
My family, pregnancy and birth.
No half, No Step, Simply Family
My daughters, pregnancy & birth experiences
My first daugter I fell pregnant with at age 19, I was labelled a "young mum", which I was but my baby was planned, I was still figuring my life & future out but my maternal insticts were strong, I didnt know what my future would be like but I knew having a baby & being a mum was going to be apart of it, I have absolutely no regret. I loved being a young mum and didnt miss all the things everyone said I would, my heart was full, I remember looking at my daughter every day and counting my blessings twice, I still do, with all my little cherubs
I went into labour at 37 weeks, I remember my waters breaking and thinking oh dear, iv had a little accident nope swoosh went my hind waters. I was in labour & haemorrhaged giving birth. I was that young and naieve, I never knew that amount of blood loss wasn't normal! of course the gas & air & pethadine had its part to play on my judgement. I was very fortunate to have had amazing support, my cousin a mid wife on the ward delivered my baby. As soon as I held her I fell instantly in love, that euphoric feeling that nothing in this world comes close too 🥰 It was me & her against the word . I have grew with my eldest daughter, she's helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. Having someone love me unconditionally kept me going, she gave me the strength and courage to make some much needed changes in our lives ❤️
My second eldest, I'm not her tummy mummy but I am her mum all the same, she came into my life at age 4 when I met my Dean. She sadly lost her biological mum at age 8, she is the strongest girl I know. As a parent, seeing her mum lose her battle was one of the toughest things iv had to do, watching my husband break his heart & say goodbye to the woman who gave him one of lifes most greatest gifts & a little girl lose her mum was absolutely heartbreaking. Her mum will of course always be her mum and live on within her. We have always had such an amazing bond. My older girls although not biological sisters are each others biggest support, they are chalk and cheese but always have each others back. ❤️
My middle daughter is my rainbow daughter 🌈 I had her after a silent miscarriage. Being slightly older I appreciated the little miracle of pregnancy and life so much more. I went into labour on my due date, this little baba was not hanging around back contactions were something else with hospital telling me i couldnt be in labour i woukd have pain round in the front, i never and only just made it to hospital to deliver her. Although a speedy delivery, my placenta was not for budging, I had to have it manually removed! Not fun. After this birth, postpartum anxiety kicked in, at the time I never knew this was a thing, overwhelmed by my own thoughts and rollercoaster of emotions my early postpartum stages were very challenging. She was bottle fed & suffered from reflux & colic, she was up every two hours, I was physically and mentally drained with exhustion & sleep deprivation. This chapter of my life was a huge learning curve for parenting.
My second youngest was my little surprise baby! Life was busy another baby was not in our plans, however once the inital shock settled down, we were absolutely over the moon and could not wait to embrace parenthood again. This baby was my first breastfed baby, I had never really considered it before mainly because of stigma, fear and lack of knowledge. This was a different journey and experience for me as mum, new social anxiety, feeding in public, different parental challenges and pressures, she was also the first baby I co-slept with and would not settler nor look at anyone except me for the first 4 months of her life.
My last last baby 🙈 again was a little oopsy during the pandemic. We really struggled to get our head around this pregnancy. Home life was full on with 4 girls, already so many restrictions in place, how would we cope ? We just would, we always do, we have the best little team. I was now labelled an "older mum" which I definitely took offence too, I was only 33 ! Having said that this pregnancy was by far my most challenging. I bled from 6 weeks until 22 weeks, I thought I lost my baby so many times, I had an induced labour this time round, I was absolutely petrified having gone naturally with my other girls. I breastfed baby but this time round it wasn't quiet as plain sailing. Fast forward 3 years this little one still puts my body and mind into fight or flight mode often 😅 she is my little tornado 🌪 she does not stop and is beyond curious but I would not have her any other way.
Our family is not defined by DNA In our home we aren't step, we aren't half, we are simply family .