“My advice is to never regret not being perfect, listen to yourself and what your body is telling you and never feel guilty about anything.”
Rather reserved and discreet, Allison, the creator of Élhée, took part in the interview game. We transcribed her interview for the “Motherhood Diaries” for Liberty London where she tenderly shares her view on motherhood.
Have you always considered yourself a mother and what does motherhood mean to you?
I always wanted to be a mother and I dreamed of having a big family and I was lucky enough to have three beautiful babies plus one, with my husband's eldest son. For me, motherhood is synonymous with unconditional love and chaos. This is the great unknown!
What relationship did you have with your body during your pregnancy?
Pregnancy is an incredibly powerful process and brings enormous changes both internally and externally. I experienced my three pregnancies as a gentle and joyful journey and I loved every minute of my pregnancies. Watching my body transform and feeling my babies growing inside me is one of the things I have enjoyed the most and needed every time.
renounce birth. Breastfeeding them allowed me to maintain this bond that was so intense
time, until having to bottle-feed them.
There is a lot of pressure around pregnancy and motherhood. Have you got
had to face some kind of pressure?
I never felt any pressure during my pregnancies, either professionally or personally. However, I have been subjected to misogyny several times in my journey as an entrepreneur. The most hurtful experience occurred during a pitch for my Élhée project to an “Entrepreneurship Support Association”. The jury elegantly recommended that I stay at home and continue raising my three children rather than continuing my project in order to “protect myself”. These words strengthened my determination and my desire to create my brand Élhée. After all, there is nothing that women cannot achieve.
What resources did you find most helpful during your pregnancy?
Open-mindedness and carefreeness. Letting go during my maternity leave was a great inspiration for me. Being able to spend all my time with my young children encouraged me to devote even more time to them as they grew up. I naively thought that running my own business would allow me to do this, even when I returned to work, but that turned out to be the only partially true thing. My husband and I continued to see friends, go out, and travel after they were born, but we always made sure our children were included. The most important thing for us is to be able to create and give them memories together that they will keep forever.
How did you balance work and family life after their birth?
Balancing children and work is not easy on a daily basis. I appreciate the freedom I have
thanks to my work in order to manage the children and live at their pace, even if
Most of the time, it's quite complicated to find the right balance.
Do you have any favorite Liberty kids brands or products?
There are so many things I love about Liberty , from their range of sleepwear for children and women to their handy notebooks which are ideal for managing maternal mental load or perfect as gifts to friends. But my current obsession is newborn essentials from Good point – they are absolutely adorable.
