hey mama, in the lead up to mother’s day we wanted to highlight some of our favourite mama’s out there to help us feel a little more connected, supported, heard & seen during this time.
each day we will be sharing with you an interview we did with one of these beautiful women & we can't wait to introduce you to them.
for day seven we spoke to Dominique...
biglittlethings. | So gorgeous Dom, tell us a bit about yourself & who you’re a mama to.
Dominique | I’m Dominique and I’m 28 years old. I’m a small fashion business owner, social media manager, co-host to luxury Air bnb and a solo mother to two beautiful, wonderful, individual boys; Atticus who is 6 and Bellamy who is 4.
As you can tell I wear many hats but my favorite is the mother one, it’s usually not really a hat but more of a messy mum bun...
B | tell us either about your journey to motherhood OR through motherhood currently.
D | I first became a mother at the young age of 22. I felt like an adult at the time and I felt ready to become a mother. Coming from a small country town a lot of my friends already had children or were pregnant, so it was just kind of expected and normal when I first fell pregnant. Oh how naive I was!
B | You have been an incredible solo parent for the most part of being a mama - what are some lessons you taught yourself & what is some advice you have for other solo mama’s out there?
D | When I first became a solo parent it was definitely a shock to the system. I didn’t ever see my life going down that path, so I struggled intensively for about a year. The only thing I could focus on was surviving. Each day that we got to the end of, was a momentous win and gradually my boys and I found our rhythm. Almost 4 years later and our home life is incredibly enjoyable. Now I see it as a wonderful gift to raise my children as a solo parent.
My advice would be to any newly solo parent, surviving is enough. If everyone in your household has a full belly (even if it’s just chips and sauce) and everyone in the house got a kiss and a cuddle then you have done good. Forget the rest, it will come later.
B | You’ve just launched Terra Dea - firstly, tell us about it! & secondly, how does juggling a small business whilst raising two boys go?? Any tricks or tips?
D | My good friend Brittany and I, launched Terra Dea in December 2019. It’s a small ethical loungewear label for women to embrace who they are right now. Forget about being a better version of yourself or needing to get that ‘glow’, just accept yourself in this moment. Every aspect of the brand is ethical and as environmentally friendly as we can possibly manage. Our garments are sewn on the sunshine coast and our certified organic fabric is knitted and printed in melbourne, AUS.
As for the juggling act I do daily with children and work.. well... My biggest tip is get up before everyone else does! I usually wake up around 4:30-5am and do all my emailing, messaging and social media for the day. It’s a huge head start on the day and helps me focus on the kids when they wake up. My other tip is get yourself a Brittany. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.
She picks up my slack when I’m armpit deep in lego.
B | if you could go back in time; what would you say to your pregnant self?
D | Stop comparing yourself with everyone else and start focusing on what really matters.
Through both of my pregnancies I felt like I should look a certain way, dress a certain way, take photos of certain things and share them on social media.
I felt like I needed to appear that I was owning this whole motherhood thing but the truth was when I was pregnant with Bellamy I was really struggling with my mental health. I felt really isolated and alone. I’d like to go back in time and give myself a hug.
B | what are some biglittle moments of being a mama?
D | Sleeping all night or most of the night is definitely a biglittle thing for us! From the moment Bellamy was born he has slept attached to me. When he was tiny the lack of sleep made me feel like I was crazy. He used to wake every 15 minutes screaming and as he grew he used to wake in the night and headbutt me or kick me, let's just say I’ve had my fair share of bruises from his sleeping habits. His favorite sleeping position used to be (and still would be if he wasn't so big) on
my chest with his head nestled in my neck looking upwards like a baby otter. I now go to sleep with a pillow in the middle of the bed like a line down the middle that he is not allowed to cross... it works.... sometimes...
B | what inspires you as a mama?
D | Lately it’s been teaching my oldest son from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teaching him has been incredibly grounding and fulfilling. Watching him want to learn and then being a part of that learning has been such a beautiful experience. I feel really inspired for our future as a family. I want to experience the world with them and I feel like homeschooling might be a possibility for our future so that we can have some freedom to travel.
B | lastly, a very important question - what’s your Top 3 favourite products from biglittlethings?
D | It’s hard to pick only three because all the products are so wonderful!
But if I have to then, number 1 would definitely be the lullaby club lounge sets! They are so beautiful and soft!
Number 2 would be the Levo Rocker! I wish they were around when I had my babies!
And lastly the Snap baby carriers because baby carriers are worth their weight in gold!
you can follow Dom on instagram @dominnique__ & Terra Dea @terradea_
