04/05/2026
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: A personal reflection from our co-director, Caitlin...
Becoming a mother has changed me in ways I’m still finding words for.
There’s a name for it, matrescence: the messy, beautiful, all-encompassing transition into motherhood. It cracked me open. It asked more of me than anything ever has.
For me, as I’m sure is true for many others, it has been one of the most profound and transformative experiences of my life. As a first-time mum, after a difficult pregnancy marked by daily sickness for 41 weeks, pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood felt bigger than anything I’d ever known.
With an intense, driven, overachieving ADHD brain already wired for spiralling, catastrophising, and imagining every possible outcome, stepping into the unknown of motherhood often felt enormous. It was relentless, tender, exciting, and terrifying all at once.
But on the other side of that fear is our healthy, happy baby, and a version of me that feels changed.
Stronger, softer, steadier.
Moving through something so vulnerable and life-altering has shifted my perspective. Things that once felt daunting or intimidating, in business and in life, don’t quite hold the same power they used to.
I’m returning to Ethical Design Co. with a calmer nervous system, deeper trust in myself, renewed courage, and new energy for what’s ahead.
Motherhood has stretched me in every direction. It has also made me more grounded in who I am, what matters most, and how I want to show up.
I know now that I would do anything for my daughter – for her safety, happiness, and security – and that fierce love has sharpened my sense of purpose and deepened my drive for the future of our small business.
And I’m bringing that energy with me into the rest of 2026 and beyond. 💪