Influencer shares 'joyful chaos' of motherhood

A mum has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social media through "making the best" of the realities of motherhood.

Mum-of-two Daisy Woods, 36, shares content on Instagram and TikTok under the name "Muddle Through Mummy" in an effort to normalise the "joyful chaos" of parenting.

But alongside holiday hacks and home inspiration, over the past four years, the Bristol mum has also opened up about the complexities of post-natal depression and fertility.

"Something that sets me apart I think is that I don't make my life look better than it actually is," she said.

"I think that resonates with a lot of mums because we are just all making the best of what we can, and that's where the Muddle Through Mummy handle came from," she told BBC Radio Bristol.

Influencer content sharing the realities of parenting is nothing new, with content focusing on the harder, messier aspects proving very popular.

While Ms Woods does share posts on difficult experiences, she said she was determined to put an "honest, positive, helpful spin on it".

"Ultimately I always wanted to be a mum and as nice as it is to hear that someone else is struggling with postnatal depression because it makes you feel less alone, it's nice to see then the proactive steps you can then take," she said.

Having worked in advertising and marketing before having her two sons Oscar, 7, and Sonny, 6, Ms Woods said the pressure of modern motherhood was "just immense".

When it comes to making a living online, she said: "I always wanted to provide for my family and contribute in that way", adding that she had been able to "commercialise it in a way, as well as it being my hobby".

Her journey to motherhood wasn't straightforward. After trying for a baby for a couple of years her and her husband Andy found out at their first IVF consultation that they had a "miracle pregnancy".

"But in that same breath the GP had said to me 'you've proved now you can conceive naturally so we won't be able to help you on the NHS', so there was this fear straight away that something bad could happen and nobody would be able to help us."

What followed, she said, was an "anxiety-filled" pregnancy followed by "quite a traumatic birth", after which her son had to be resuscitated.

She and her husband threw themselves into organising their wedding, planned for just months later, but Ms Woods soon realised she was living with something more severe than low mood.

"It's a fine line [...] but once things go on longer than a couple of weeks you kind of have to be really honest with yourself and admit to yourself first that you're not ok," she said.

"A lot of women, myself included, feel so much shame and guilt - you know, this is supposed to be 'the happiest time' and you want to make the most of every minute."

After realising she may be suffering from post-natal depression and struggling with intrusive thoughts that left her feeling "very shameful and guilty" she sought medical help and started receiving therapy.

It is being candid about these experiences online and encouraging people to open up through her social media content that drivers her "like nothing else", she said.

She told BBC Radio Bristol about one message she received from a fellow mum, in which they told her she "had found the courage" to pursue therapy for herself.

"This isn't the only thing I share about on my pages but it is the most value that I offer," Ms Woods said.

"I've never felt more seen than when I share something, and I pick up tips from my followers all the time," she added.

"I get so many ideas from them and it's definitely a two-way relationship. I absolutely love what I do."

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