Community
The Village that disappeared
On single motherhood, the dark COVID months, and the day she finally asked for help
Jayde is a mum of two — Will (15) and Marley (6) — living in Pitt Town, NSW. Today she runs Women in Business Australia – connect promote grow, supporting and championing other women. But that work was born from one of the hardest seasons of her life.
THE HARDEST PART
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The hardest part wasn’t becoming a mum again. It was grieving the motherhood I thought I was finally going to have.
HER STORY
When Will was born, Jayde became a single mum and went back to work at three months. She did what she had to — but always carried a quiet sadness for the early years she felt she missed.
Nine years later, Marley arrived: a chance to slow down, be present, and soak up every ordinary moment.
Then COVID hit.
WHEN IT GOT DARK
The village she’d imagined disappeared before it existed — no groups, no catch-ups, no family flying in from New Zealand. Just her, Marley, and the same four walls.
A baby who fed constantly and barely slept. Month after month of broken sleep left her exhausted, isolated and running on empty — and slowly, Jayde slipped into depression, reaching a point where she believed her family would be better off without her.
THE TURNING POINT
The day she asked for help wasn’t because she suddenly became brave. It was because she was at the end of the road, and couldn’t carry it on her own anymore.
Recovery came slowly — through support, treatment, and taking it one day at a time. For the first time, she wasn’t surviving alone.
WHAT SHE LEARNED
She’d spent so long surviving that she’d never learnt to love herself — to give herself the compassion she gave everyone else.
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Struggling didn’t make her a bad mum. It made her human — and humans need support.
What makes it worth it now? Being here — watching Will and Marley grow, present for the moments she once feared she’d never see.
HER MESSAGE TO OTHER MUMS
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Don’t wait until you’re completely broken to reach out. Love yourself enough to ask for help.
This is why we are building togetHER, the new village for mums. There is room here for the honest stories, the difficult days and the connections that help us feel less alone. Meet. Connect. Restore.
Follow Jayde — Women in Business Australia
Instagram: @women.in.business.australia
Facebook: Women in Business Australia – connect promote grow
If this is you right now, please reach out. PANDA 1300 726 306 · Lifeline 13 11 14.
#togetHER #MUMPROFILESERIES #MATRESCENCE #MATERNALMENTALHEALTH #ITTAKESAVILLAGE
Originally published on Substack.