Before I became a mum I’d spent a lot of time being an expat. So moving to France - where my partner is from - when I got pregnant felt really exciting and was something that I didn’t question for one second. I mean, I moved to Thailand when I was 22, how difficult could it be?!

Well, as it turns out, quite difficult.

What I quickly learnt is that all of the more difficult things that come with being an expat become even harder when motherhood enters the equation. As much as I was filled with love and joy for my daughter, there’s nothing like mothering a newborn to make you feel outrageously alone. And when you are living in a different country to your friends and family, and therefore quite literally alone, well, it’s tough.

Using MamaZen has helped me to tune into my own power as a mother, and know that no matter the challenges of living abroad, I am strong enough to face them! This has been especially useful for me as an expat mum who has had to learn how to make decisions for the family, with little input from those who are close to me. I mean, when you live in a different country, it’s hard for the people that you know from home to understand the specifics of having and raising a family in said country.

Learning how to be a mother and make decisions for my daughter in a new country has been one of the hardest things for me on my journey so far. Sometimes all we need is a friendly fellow-mum face at the local park that we can talk to. But for me, both are few and far between - which has made my motherhood journey feel particularly isolating.

Being an expat mum has so many incredible advantages - sometimes I just need a little help to turn away from the negative and stressful parts to see what’s so wonderful about it. As an expat I’ve got the opportunity to raise a bilingual child, to discover places that none of my friends has ever even heard of, and to learn about and experience first hand how other cultures raise their children.

I think that MamaZen is a priceless tool in helping mums to draw on their strengths when things get tough and we start to feel alone. And this is something that we all feel at some point or another, no matter our geographical location and the distance to our closest family and friends.

Looking after our mental wellbeing and learning to trust our maternal instincts has got to be one of the most important things about being a mum. And is something that I really believe the MamaZen app can help us with.