Check Out Gretchen Moore’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gretchen Moore.

Hi Gretchen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
During the global pandemic, my husband and I knew that first-time moms and parents would be isolated and experiencing all that comes with motherhood. After my public battle with postpartum depression and anxiety with my first child, it was important for me to share my story of hope and healing after deciding with my husband to conceive again.

Creating the Shea Mom Blog and Youtube channel was healing for me. We didn’t know how much we needed to share our story until we began to share. We titled the blog The Shea Mom because my hair was coming out more than the normal amount and my husband rubbed Shea Butter on my scalp to get my hair to grow back. Shea butter restores, refreshes, and is rejuvenating. The goal of the blog is to provide hope and healing for moms and parents who have experienced postpartum depression.

As a black woman, I felt more inclined to continue telling my story once I saw the statics that one and three women of color will experience ppd and anxiety and are less likely to seek treatment.

One of seven women and one and ten dads will experience ppd and anxiety.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While writing was healing for me, it was terrifying sharing my story and wondering how it would be perceived. I think it’s natural to care about what others may think.

It was hard reliving some moments to then share about on my mom blog. I had a lot of support from my family and friends. They reminded me that the situation already happened and I’m sharing how I healed.

My battle with postpartum depression was very public. So sharing how I healed has been healing for others who were around me.

Creating the Shea Mom blog forced me to open up and it made me more relatable to moms who shared a similar experience.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a mom blogger sharing my story of hope and healing. I was recently selected for the Board for the Tennessee chapter of Postpartum Support International. On my blog I share content on mental health, motherhood, marriage, and lifestyle. What makes me unique is I interweave my story throughout the content. I share quotes of healing and words of affirmation. I’ve been blogging for about a year and I didn’t follow blogs until I created my own. I was living under a rock and didn’t know it was a thing. My husband and I spent last summer researching various blog sites to better understand how to create one.

We created our website and we learned how to take photos and edit them. It was a huge learning curve and we’ve come a long way.

I’m most proud that we’ve been able to create our own blog from the ground up. We’ve laid a strong foundation so when we do have branded content, we produce quality work.

I’m the writer for the blog, stylist, and designer of photos. My husband takes the majority of the photos and I help him edit.

I’m also proud that we have stayed true to our story and that it has helped other families and people feel not so isolated and alone.

When we created the blog, we kept the quote from postpartum support international at the forefront. “You’re not alone with help you will be well.”

Mental health for some is still a topic that people would rather not discuss. We created discussions by using our YouTube channel, zoom, and IG live.

It was beyond important for me to raise awareness during a time when many women would potentially experience ppd and anxiety during the pandemic.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I believe influencer marketing and mom blogs will continue to grow. Having more direct access to other people’s real stories helps big companies tell their story through real people.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.thesheamom.com
• Instagram: thesheamom
• Facebook: thesheamom
• Youtube: Thesheamom