Pregnant with her third child after two difficult postpartum experiences, Mel knew she wanted to approach motherhood differently this time.
She had done plenty of work on herself, but opening up in a group was new territory. She'd thought about joining Motherland Village for some time, finding plenty of reasons to put it off.
Eventually, she decided to take the leap.
"I just signed up. And because I signed up, I went, right, I'm in. If you're doing it, you're doing it."
From the beginning, Mel made a conscious decision to show up honestly and be vulnerable with her group. What surprised her was how quickly that vulnerability was returned.
"I think that helped because that created that space, and then I found that others reflected that back. As you show up, that's what gets reflected back."
The structure of Motherland Village helped make that possible. Knowing what to expect each week gave Mel the confidence to share things she might otherwise have kept to herself.
There's a structure. I know what's expected of me, so I could be more vulnerable.
What had initially felt daunting became a space where Mel could show up fully, and discover that when one rural mum feels safe enough to be honest, it can give others permission to do the same.
And Mel's Motherland story didn't finish after those six weeks. Wanting other rural mums to have the opportunity she'd had, Mel trained as a Motherland Village facilitator in 2025. She has since supported other groups through their own Village experience and hosted a Motherland event in her hometown of Kingaroy.
Mel came looking for connection. She found it, and then chose to help create it for other rural mums.
In Mel's words
“This has been the best thing I have done for myself as a mum! Before kids and husband I got so much fulfilment from connection and support with other women. This got a little lost along the way and led to feelings of isolation and anxiety in social situations. After connecting with my group and completing the course it has reminded me how important relationships with other women are. Knowing that the women in my group, although completely different in ages and backgrounds, also were seeking a genuine, authentic female friendship group, meant that it won't become a chore or another tick on the to-do list. We nurture and honour the connection because we choose to.”
