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Why supporting mothers means so much to me.
If you'd told me back in 2019 that one day I'd create products to support pregnant women and new mums, I would have smiled politely and said, "I think you've got the wrong person."
I wasn't designing wellbeing products.
I wasn't planning a business around motherhood.
I was simply about to become a mum for the first time.
Looking back now, I can see that every challenge, every act of kindness and every lesson motherhood taught me quietly shaped what would eventually become The Prepare Method and The Nurture Method.
This is the story behind them.
Becoming a mum
When I found out I was pregnant at the end of 2019, I was over the moon.
Earlier that year, I'd moved away from my family and lifelong friends to start a new chapter. It was exciting, but it also meant I was navigating pregnancy away from the people I'd always imagined would be nearby.
Thankfully, I had one constant through it all, my amazing partner, Andrew. I genuinely don't know how I would have got through those months without him.
From the beginning, my pregnancy wasn't straightforward. I was classed as high risk and had to give myself daily Clexane injections to reduce the risk of blood clots. I attended regular growth scans throughout my pregnancy, and towards the end we were told our little boy was likely to weigh around 10½ pounds. Because of this, we were advised by the consultant to have a planned caesarean section.
In early March 2020, just before the UK entered its first national lockdown, we held an early gender reveal at 16 weeks with our closest family and friends.
Looking back, I often think how fortunate we were to have that day.
None of us knew it would be the last time we'd all be together for many months.
A pregnancy none of us expected
Within days, everything changed.
The country entered lockdown, and suddenly pregnancy looked nothing like we'd imagined.
Every hospital appointment became something I had to face alone because Andrew wasn't allowed to attend with me. Every scan, every consultant appointment and every conversation happened without him sitting beside me.
Walking into those appointments alone was incredibly difficult.
I know there are so many incredible women who experience pregnancy and motherhood without the support of a partner, and I have nothing but admiration and respect for them. My experience gave me just a small glimpse into how lonely that can feel, and it made me appreciate Andrew's support even more outside of those hospital walls.
Like so many expectant parents during that time, we found ourselves navigating uncertainty, changing guidance and long periods without seeing the people we loved.
Love always finds a way
Despite everything, the people around us found beautiful ways to remind us we weren't alone.
My wonderful friends secretly organised a virtual baby shower with Andrew. They sent balloons, decorations, games and little surprises to our house beforehand, and then we all celebrated together over Zoom.
It wasn't the baby shower any of us had imagined, but it was full of love, laughter and memories I'll treasure forever.
Then came another surprise.
Andrew and my sister, Rebecca, secretly organised a drive-by baby shower.
Andrew told me we were doing a treasure hunt around the house. Completely unaware of what was about to happen, I followed the clues until they led me to our front garden.
As I stepped outside, our family and friends appeared in decorated cars, waving, beeping their horns and celebrating from a safe distance.
I thought that was the surprise.
It wasn't.
The treasure hunt continued into our back garden, where more surprises were waiting. Family and friends had left beautiful gifts for us to discover, creating a baby shower unlike anything we'd ever imagined.
It wasn't the celebration we'd planned.
But looking back, it was perfect in its own way.
Those moments taught me something I'll never forget.
Even when we couldn't physically be together, love has an incredible way of finding us.
Meeting Xander
In August 2020, Xander arrived by planned caesarean section.
After months of being told he was likely to weigh around 10½ pounds, he surprised us all by weighing a perfectly healthy 7lb 6oz.
The moment I met him changed my life forever.
The love I felt is impossible to put into words.
But alongside that overwhelming love came something I wasn't expecting.
Fear.
At first, it was quiet.
Then, little by little, it became louder.
When motherhood felt overwhelming
I became terrified that something might happen to Xander.
I wouldn't walk downstairs carrying him because I was convinced I might fall.
I was frightened to bath him in case something went wrong.
Driving with him felt impossible.
One day, I finally built up the courage to take him out in the car on my own.
A few minutes into the journey, he fell asleep in the back.
Instead of thinking, "He's asleep," my mind immediately convinced me something terrible had happened.
I pulled the car over and had a full panic attack because I genuinely believed he had died.
Looking back now, it breaks my heart that I was carrying so much fear during what should have been one of the happiest chapters of my life.
At the time, I didn't understand what was happening.
I just knew my mind never switched off.
I questioned every decision.
I worried constantly.
I lived in a constant state of "what if?"
Looking back now, I recognise what I was experiencing as postpartum anxiety.
The circumstances undoubtedly amplified those feelings, but I also know many mums experience postpartum anxiety regardless of where or when they become mothers. Becoming a mum is one of life's biggest transitions, and yet so many of us quietly carry the mental load, wondering if we're doing enough.
Eventually, I reached out for help.
I had therapy, which made such a difference.
Little by little, I learned how to challenge those anxious thoughts instead of believing every single one of them.
Around the same time, I also started writing things down.
Every day, I'd get the thoughts out of my head and onto paper. I'd focus on what I could control, the things I wanted to achieve that day and the things I was grateful for.
Without realising it, I was creating a simple planning system that helped quieten the constant mental noise.
It didn't magically make my anxiety disappear.
But it gave me structure.
Perspective.
A sense of control.
And, perhaps most importantly, moments of calm.
Why I created The Prepare Method & The Nurture Method
Years later, when we founded Plan to Elevate, I realised I wanted to create the kind of tools I wish I'd had during those early days of motherhood.
Not another app sending endless notifications.
Not another impossible checklist.
Not another reminder of everything I hadn't done.
Just something gentler.
Something that encouraged me to pause.
To check in with myself.
To organise my thoughts without adding more pressure.
To celebrate the small wins.
To remember that my wellbeing mattered too.
The Prepare Method and The Nurture Method are incredibly personal to me because they were born from my own experience.
Not because I believe there's a perfect way to experience pregnancy or motherhood.
There isn't.
Every journey is different.
Every mum is different.
These deskpads aren't about doing more.
They're about helping you feel calmer, more organised and more supported through one of life's biggest transitions.
They're a place to capture your thoughts, prioritise what really matters, check in with yourself and remind yourself that looking after you is part of looking after your baby.
If I can help just one mum...
Looking back now, when I think about that chapter of my life, I don't just remember the uncertainty.
I remember the extraordinary kindness of the people around us.
Family, friends and neighbours found ways to celebrate us, support us and remind us that we were never truly alone.
It's a reminder I'll carry with me forever, and one I hope is reflected in everything I create.
If The Prepare Method and The Nurture Method help just one mum feel a little less overwhelmed…
If they encourage someone to take five minutes for herself…
If they remind a new mum that she's doing a wonderful job, even on the hard days…
Then they'll have done exactly what I hoped they would.
Motherhood isn't about getting everything right.
It's about showing up with love, doing your best and giving yourself the same compassion you'd give to everyone else.
If you're reading this while you're pregnant, I hope you enjoy every milestone in your own way.
If you're reading this with a newborn asleep on your chest, I hope you know that you're doing an incredible job.
And if today feels overwhelming, I hope these words remind you of something I wish someone had reminded me during those early months.
You don't have to be the perfect mum.
You just have to be their mum.
And to your little one, you'll always be exactly what they need.
If my story resonates with you, or you're finding pregnancy or early motherhood harder than you expected, please know you're not alone. Reaching out for support was one of the bravest things I ever did, and it helped me find my way back to myself.
With love,
Victoria x