MÈRE Stories: Nicole Connell
The Moment that Led to MÈRE
My MÈRE Story:
On November 1st, 2022, I sat outside on a blanket, tears streaming down my face as I tried to take one-month-old pictures of my second daughter. I was just four weeks postpartum and had already returned to work full-time the week before. In that moment, I felt like I had hit the bottom.
The miscarriage of my second pregnancy had left me emotionally disconnected throughout my third. The fear of having my heart shattered again kept me from truly connecting with my baby.
And then, having to return to work before my body had even stopped bleeding—it broke me. How was I supposed to do it? I was heartbroken, so heartbroken to be robbed of the time I wanted and needed to bond with my daughter and to relearn motherhood as a mom of two.
I wanted so desperately to be held—by a professional, a friend, my husband. I needed someone to tell me that my feelings were valid, that my fears of not being enough for my children, my job, and my life were valid. But instead, I kept holding everything together, all while feeling like I was falling apart. I was desperate for someone to hold me.
Fourteen months later—after navigating tubes, managing milk allergies, and finally getting my first night of real sleep—I began to break the surface of postpartum depression.
Our story matters. You are not alone.
There are women everywhere walking through these same struggles, carrying the same silent burdens, and wondering if anyone else truly understands. I wish, two years ago, that MÈRE had existed for me. I wish a brand had appeared in my Instagram feed, telling me, “Don’t worry, Mama, I’m here to help.”
I wish a team of professionals had been there to hold me through my darkest moments.
“MÈRE was born from my deepest desire for women to feel held—to feel seen, heard, and understood.
You, my friend, deserve to feel like yourself again, and to not do it alone.”
—Nicole Connell, Founder of MÈRE