It’s taken a very long time for me to set about writing ‘my story’. Theres only one reason for my postponement, it involves reliving what was one of the lowest points of my life.

I was born in the UK but moved to Australia in the September of 2016 with my husband, we arrived in Brisbane where I quickly landed an administration officer role.

I loved getting up for work every morning, it’s what I do, who I am. In England I had worked as an office manager before training as a High School teacher. To be honest, I never really minded what I did for work, as long as it was challenging.

However, by Christmas 2016 we were moving to Bundaberg where my husband had been offered a job. I immediately started looking for work, my attempts were unsuccessful, what was successful was our efforts to fall pregnant.

By February I had a baby on the way, unemployed, in a foreign country in a place where I knew no one. I was terrified. I continued to search for employment but the more my baby bump showed the more futile it seemed to become. Having no work was more than not having an income or a challenge, it also meant no networking or making friends. My body was going through changes and I had nobody to confide in, nobody to ask questions or to share my worries with someone who had been through it too.

After joining a number of Facebook groups, I was recommended to join Mama Tribe, it was in its infancy at only a few weeks old. I attended a meetup and it literally changed my life.

I remember pulling into the car park and feeling like a fraud, I wasn’t even a Mama yet! My mouth was dry, hands sweaty and I was nervous.

I sat down at the nearest seat and soon discovered I had so much in common with the lady beside me and we chatted and chatted. Before leaving we were Facebook friends and I was wearing a smile for the first time in months.

Through Mama Tribe I have met the most amazing and supportive group of friends.

They were the ones who checked on me when a scan result came back with possible complications, they were the ones who threw me a surprise baby shower, they were the ones who wished me a happy due month, they were the ones that visited my baby and I in hospital with gifts. They were the ones who have been there for me ever since, they are the ones who saved me, they are my family.

Mama Tribe catch-up.

I know it may seem silly to some.

I know I may seem ungrateful to some.

I’m not.

It was all just a lot to happen at once and I’m not ashamed to say that it brought me down and made me anxious.

However, I would go through it all again to end up where I am today. My son is now 10 months old and I am a proud Mama as well as a Mama Tribe Ambassador.

Natalie and her bub.

Many of the faces at our meetups are familiar and I love that but I’m not ambassador for that reason. I am an ambassador for the one woman who really needs to have friends, someone to talk to, to support her.

As long as Mama Tribe exists then no woman gets left behind and that is so important to me. So, if you’re reading this and you’re nervous about going to a meetup just message an Ambassador, we are you, this is YOUR tribe.