Motherhood online is often presented through soft smiles, coordinated outfits and picture-perfect family moments.
However, behind many of these carefully curated posts are women navigating exhaustion, emotional shifts and silent struggles that rarely make it to the screen.
For Shelmith Wanjeri, motherhood has been a deeply transformative journey marked by sacrifice, emotional growth and self-discovery.
Speaking about her experience, Wanjeri said motherhood reshaped her understanding of life and identity.
“For me, motherhood is all about sacrifice and loving someone else so deeply that their needs come before yours. It is about giving myself fully to loving another human being,” she said.
Her journey into motherhood began unexpectedly at the age of 25.
While she said the age is often considered normal by society, it felt young compared to her peers who were focused on careers and financial independence.
“When I got pregnant, it was overwhelming. I didn’t feel ready to become a mom,” she said.
Her pregnancy was physically and emotionally challenging as she recalled severe morning sickness that lasted almost the entire pregnancy.
“I was vomiting from the first month until about eight months,” she said.
Beyond the physical strain, Wanjeri also experienced emotional pressure.
Raised in a Christian environment, she struggled with fear and shame over becoming pregnant before marriage.
She also chose to keep her pregnancy private for a long time, which many online later misinterpreted as a “soft launch” strategy used by influencers.
However, she clarified that her silence was driven by emotional overwhelm, not intention.
“It wasn’t about hiding it for content. I was just processing everything,” she explained.
Despite the difficult period, Wanjeri said a turning point came after childbirth.
“The moment I saw my baby, I felt like this is my calling. This is what I was meant to do,” she said.
That moment shifted her perspective and helped her embrace motherhood fully, regardless of public opinion.
“I told myself, this child is here now, and I can’t live my life based on people’s opinions,” she added.
Wanjeri said support from family played an important role in her transition.
While her mother was initially shocked, she eventually became supportive, and her partner’s family welcomed the news with joy.
Today, Wanjeri is open about the realities of motherhood that are often hidden online.
“One of the biggest struggles is that people only show the good moments. Nobody shows the breakdowns,” she said.
She describes the postpartum period as one of the most difficult phases of her life, both physically and emotionally.
“I didn’t like how my body felt. I felt different, heavier, and not like myself,” she said.
Her daughter also experienced colic, leading to sleepless nights and exhaustion.
“There were nights I didn’t sleep at all. She would cry the whole night and I had no idea what to do,” she said.
Despite the exhaustion, life still required her to function the next day as a new mother.
Wanjeri also highlighted how motherhood can affect relationships, something she says is rarely discussed publicly.
“As responsibilities increase, sometimes partners can feel neglected, and that can create tension,” she explained.
She noted that social media often hides these realities, showing only milestones and joyful moments.
Even as a content creator, she admitted there are many struggles she does not share online, including emotional lows and body image challenges.
“There are days you’re just overwhelmed, crying in bed, wondering when things will get easier,” she said.
Motherhood, she added, is a constant learning process that evolves as children grow.
Her daughter, now a toddler, expresses big emotions that require patience and understanding.
“They are little people with big feelings, and you have to meet them at their level,” she said.
Wanjeri said parenting requires emotional awareness, not just discipline, as children learn from how adults respond to them.
One of her most defining experiences, she said was childbirth.
“I realised my strength during labour,” she said while describing it as painful and overwhelming.
“Nothing really prepares you for it. I even thought I couldn’t go through it again,” she added.
However, the moment she held her baby, everything changed.
“When you finally see your child, it becomes tears of relief and gratitude,” she said.
The content creator reflected on emotional attachment, noting how difficult it was recently when she spent a week away from her daughter for the first time.
“It was the hardest time. I kept worrying about her the entire time,” she said.
Today, her life revolves around flexibility and presence rather than strict routines, as she prioritises her child’s early development.
Through her platform Mum Mingle KE, Wanjeri continues to create a community where mothers can share experiences openly without judgment.
For her, motherhood is not the perfect images seen online, but a real and evolving journey of sacrifice, identity change and deep love lived every day.
