Two weeks ago I moved into a new demographic, hanging up my Creative Strategist hat for a while to embrace motherhood for the first time. A self confessed workaholic, I was somewhat apprehensive of what the change would mean, how I’d disconnect from the world of technological innovation, social strategies and embracing the opportunities presented by digital evolution, to one solely focused on the care and development of one tiny person.
It’s not that I underestimated the rewards or hard work that being a mum would entail – at Savvy mums are often our core target audience, so I’ve spent considerable time getting to know their world – it’s just that I couldn’t quite imagine what life would be like for me on the other side. Being the target, not doing the targeting, adopting a whole new set of habits, behaviours and communities. It’s one thing to know how mum’s feel, it’s another to feel it.
So what has been the reality?
Well unsurprisingly, life has changed irrevocably. My day to day is no longer mine to fill – a new rhythm and slower pace has been dictated with enforced quiet time, rocking, comforting, changing and lazy dining which stretches over 24 hours, much longer than the longest agency days. I’m no longer switching between my desk, meeting rooms and client offices, knocking about ideas for iBeacons or presenting Powerpoints on wearable technology; there are days where I barely leave the bedroom or the biggest achievement is a solo pram trip to the village shop. And trust me, it feels big.
But for all that has changed, and will continue to change, some aspects of my life have continued to have equal importance, if only framed in a new way.
Far from walking away from a digital world, I have become even more dependent on it, my iPhone being top of the list of baby essentials, way above the Baby Born, Maxi Cosi car seat or Lansinoh cream. From easing the classic ‘is it normal’ new parent anxieties, by providing on hand access to nhs.uk 24/7, to documenting every first gesture, this one smart device often replaces the camera, book or reassuring midwife with a couple of swipes. My ethnographic study has proved conclusively the point we make at Savvy in every single presentation targeting mums – her smartphone is second only to the children in terms of things she cannot afford to be without.
Another aspect of my old life’s day-to-day that I hadn’t anticipated having such meaning is social media. I may not be developing content strategies or working with the team on Facebook apps, but I am having a number of fluid conversations that start in iMessage before crossing Snapchat, Wassapp and Skype. I’ve never been more grateful to live in a connected world than when chatting to a friend in Australia during the twilight hours because the little one decides sleep is for the weak. Such interactions – whether with my best friend in Queensland, old work colleague in Sweden or brother-in-law in Perth – have enabled us to really share these precious first few days in a way that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. My love affair with Twitter too has become even deeper, scanning through my feed being the perfect silent activity to keep me alert during those night feeds, as I find endless gems of interesting stories and new people to follow overseas who do their posting at such hours.
Finally, the world of wearable technology continues to play a role. Granted, it’s not quite as satisfying seeing that I am three hours below my sleep goal every day and that the day after I gave birth I walked a mere 7% of my 10,000 steps. But I do know as my confidence grows and we get to grips with going out and about, those steps will increase, and like with so many other aspects of my daughter’s life, I’ll have a log of just how far we’ve gone. In an ideal world, I’m sure I would have some wearable tech for her too, but for now my baby app suffices, giving me an easy way of tracking her feeding and indulging my desire for data, providing graphs and charts that document growth spurts. It may not be the same big data I’m used to talking about at Savvy, but in my new parent world it feels really big, reassuring me she’s growing up big and strong.
So do I miss my old world?
For now, not really. I know it’s there waiting for me and thanks to all the blogs, content and email updates I receive, I’ve still got a toe in the water in terms of what’s going on. Right now, this life change of mine feels like the start of an awfully great adventure, and one that I think will make me better at my job in terms of truly understanding and empathising with mum’s world. Even at this very early stage, it seems that the more time goes by, the more I learn that will be of benefit when I switch the jeans and sneakers back to Hobbs dresses and heels. It’s just that next time I wear those dresses, I may need to double check them for baby sick.