Vanessa

Hi, I'm Vanessa. I'm originally from the Philippines and moved to London in 2010 to work as a nurse. What I thought would be a temporary move became a completely new chapter in my life. I eventually became a British citizen, married my husband, and built my life here in the UK. I often say that my life began at 40. I married at 40, became a mum to my son at 42, and welcomed my daughter at 44. The path to motherhood wasn't straightforward. After getting married, I experienced two miscarriages before the birth of each of my children. Being in my 40s, there were times when I genuinely believed becoming a mum might never happen. Looking back, those experiences of pregnancy loss, hope and eventually welcoming my children have shaped both me and our family. Becoming a mother during the Covid pandemic, with no family living nearby, brought its own challenges. My husband and I navigated those early years largely on our own while also adapting to life in a different country. In 2022, I left my nursing career to become a full-time mum, another significant change in our family's journey. Some of the experiences I'm happy to talk about include: Moving to the UK and building a life away from family Becoming a mother in my 40s Pregnancy loss and miscarriage Pregnancy after miscarriage Obstetric cholestasis during pregnancy Pregnancy and new motherhood during Covid Parenting without a local support network Raising a mixed-race (Filipino and British) family Leaving my career to become a full-time mum Raising young children, including the everyday joys and challenges of the early years Any conversation with me is based on my own personal experience — simply sharing what it has been like for me and my family. When I first left the Philippines, I never imagined where life would take me. From building a new life in another country to becoming a wife and mother later in life, every unexpected turn has become part of the story that shaped our family.