In February 2022, Jaipur-based Almas Hussain found herself struggling to nurse her then month-old daughter. With no parental support, the first-time mother sought the support of fellow mothers on a WhatsApp group. “My baby is a rainbow baby (born to someone after a pregnancy loss) and I was constantly overthinking the small things. Being a new parent is a rollercoaster ride and the group guided me on everything from nursing and cough remedies to starting solids,” says Almas, 30, of the group, Bubs and Mumz, created by Yahanka Nayak in March 2022.
Almas is among a growing crop of mothers who are now turning to the digital world as they navigate the motherhood maze. Be it Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, the tribe is only increasing and the several threads — discussing everything from home remedies for a rash, product reviews for high chairs, diet charts, and the rather painful topic of sleep routines — are proof. Bengaluru-based Yahanka, 31, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) coach by profession, says she created Bubs and Mumz when she realised there was a lot of mixed information on how to introduce solid food to babies.
Vaishali Sudan Sharma, who runs popular interactive parenting blog The Champa Tree since 2014, says it was the lack of credible resources for pregnant and new parents that prompted her to kickstart a blog. “From being a communications consultant dashing in and out of fashion shows and events, pregnancy in 2013 slowed things down for me. I felt there was very little ‘real’ content being written about pregnancy/parenthood. I started the blog when my son was three months old, and also worked as a PR consultant remotely,” says Vaishali, who, started looking for full-time jobs when he turned three, but realised many recruiters questioned the gap years without recognising the careers she had managed from home alongside raising a child. “In no time, the blog was monetised and there was no looking back. I partnered with a like-minded team on a freelance basis, and today, we have close to 2 lakh views a month, and also run communities on Facebook and WhatsApp.”
