*drumroll*......Introducing....The....HerStories Project!

by Jessica and Stephanie
Introduced by Amy

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a blog that shares lots of new mommas' stories.  Sounds a bit like S.O.M, huh? :)  Let's just say, I was a tad bit excited.  I recognized two kindred blogging spirits (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?) and immediately contacted Jessica, one of the two fabulous bloggers who run the show at "HerStories".  Jessica also writes on her own blog, "School of Smock" and Stephanie writes on "Mommy, for Real".  I love their work (both educated, smart, witty, mommas) and was inspired by all they are doing to help women connect to and support each other.   So, naturally, I asked Jessica if they'd like to share their project with all of you here on S.O.M.!  Which, they did, cause they're cool like that. :) 

I hope you love this project like I do...I am currently working on my own entry.  (Ok, I just finished putting on an a student art show, so NOW I am currently working on my own entry!) If you are a young momma, this is a great platform for you to share your unique perspective and experience on becming a momma!  

Ok, enough from me...here's the scoop from the ladies in charge!



An invitation to the HerStories Project: 

We were so excited to make a new connection with Amy and the rest of the Swag On, Mommas! New mothers need support and a place to share their experiences, and we love this site as a place for new moms to talk about everything joyous and difficult about motherhood.

For a few months another blogger Stephanie Sprenger and I have been collecting stories about women's friendship. We called it HerStories: Tales of Friendship. We featured essays on both of our blogs from writers and bloggers. It didn't take us long to realize that women had a lot to say about the power of relationships in their lives! 

What we also realized is that motherhood changes so much about the emotional support that women require and receive. The transition to motherhood is a time of changing identity, changing routines, and changing emotional balance. Women were writing essays about how friendships had shifted, grown, and disappeared during motherhood.

Stephanie and I decided to start a new project -- The HerStories Project -- to find out how women can find emotional support, stay sane, and adjust to their new identities.

When a mother finally emerges from the baby fog of the 4th trimester, she may look around, bewildered, not recognizing her own life. After transitioning out of the survival mode that accompanies the newborn months, mothers often realize that their support system as they knew it is no longer adequate to meet their needs. A mother may feel isolated, guilty, and confused about how to define herself in the context of her new life. Modifying old relationships and seeking out new sources of support is not always easy, and it may feel like an impossible task during a particularly overwhelming stage of life.

We have several goals with this project:

• We want women's input through our New Motherhood Survey. Take the survey here and add your voice! 
• We want to speak to a variety of experts to bring mothers helpful and meaningful information about how to find support during this stage. 
•  We want to share our own personal stories of motherhood and friendship. 
• We want to feature more powerful HerStories guest contributor essays about female friendship 
• Finally, we're creating a book proposal for our project: HerStories: Finding Support, Staying Sane, and Reinventing Yourself During New Motherhood. 

We welcome — and need! — new moms' participation during every component of this project. By taking the survey, sharing your experiences, and becoming a part of the HerStories community, you can help us to create a useful and supportive resource for new motherhood. Please take our survey and tell us how new motherhood has affected your life!

You can also go directly the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FVCT9YW

 Thank you so much! We can't wait to hear from you!

What do you think?  Doesn't this sound so cool!?  I am a little hyper about this, cause I love any way for women to share their stories and support each other.  So mommas, open up your heart and get to writing! You never know how your experience could impact and uplift another momma.  Even if you don't want to write an essay, hop over to their site and take the survey.  It wasn't complicated or long; I enjoyed taking it...but then again, I'm one of those nerds who take personality tests for fun. Ha!
-Amy

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