Born in Lockdown – raw, honest and inspiring accounts of new motherhood

When Emylia Hall launched a collaborative writing project for new mums to share their experiences, she had no idea what the take-up would be like.

Fast forward a few months and she is celebrating the release of Born in Lockdown, a “one-of-a-kind story with 277 authors and one shared experience”.

Curated by Emylia, the founder of Mothership Writers, the book is an “unflinchingly honest and moving account” of new motherhood in the midst of a global pandemic, when so many of the usual support systems are unavailable.

“I wanted Born in Lockdown to reflect the diversity of the mothering experience, and to speak of the complexities and conflicts as much as the joy and wonder,” explains Emylia.

The Southville-based author and mum launched the collaborative writing project for mums who’d given birth that same year in November 2020 in a bid to encourage writing for pleasure and purpose and to give people the space to hear their own voice.

There was no set criteria and accounts have flooded in from all over the country, with participants asked to write in fragments, each comprising no more than a handful of connected sentences – a style that means thoughts can be scribbled down during a night-feed or recorded as a voice note while out walking, thus capturing moments that might otherwise be lost.

Emylia Hall says the book is an unflinchingly honest and moving account of new motherhood – photo by Nell Mallia

Emylia says: “Altogether, our book is a remarkable record of new motherhood at this time; an unflinchingly honest and moving account, where – despite the pain and hardship – such love and hope shine through.

“One of my favourite lines in our book is ‘the very thing keeping you apart right now will one day bond you together’. Born in Lockdown was made in exactly that spirit. My heartfelt thanks go to all of the 277 new mothers who were willing to trust me with their stories, and to unite – across distance, through lockdown – to make something so special. And to remind us, ultimately, that we’re all in this together.”

All of the writers’ words have been included verbatim and unedited and there are recurring themes of the missing ‘village,’ of isolation and uncertainty, and the extra pressures on mental health, as well as silver linings, new connections and incredible gifts.

Roxy Afzal says being isolated was a new parent was tough – photo courtesy of Emylia Hall/Mothership Writers

Speaking about her experience of new motherhood and involvement in the project, Roxy Afzal says: “Being isolated as a new parent had been my worst nightmare, so it was tough for it to have come true.

“With the added stress of our baby being readmitted to hospital for surgery at seven weeks old, and later, my dad dying from Covid-19, I developed postnatal depression.

“I think, as a neonatal nurse, people just expected me to know what to do, regardless – and I probably expected it of
myself, too. Everyone has been facing their own unique challenges during the pandemic, so I felt the pressure to put on a ‘brave face’.

“The Born in Lockdown project gave me the chance to express myself more honestly and to feel that bit more connected to other mums in a situation where the ‘normal’ places to get together have been taken away from us.”

The book is available to download for free from the Mothership Writers website. The project is supporting stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands so voluntary donations are welcomed.

Main photos courtesy of Emylia Hall/Mothership Writers

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