Molly-Mae's Honest Parenting Video Is Important
Molly-Mae Hague's Honest Mum Video Really Connected With Me, Here's Why
Image Source: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Emma Grede
As one of the UK's biggest influencers, I had no doubt that after giving birth, Molly-Mae Hague would transform into a mumfluencer, with her fashion, lifestyle and beauty content switching to baby mode and the depiction of her 'perfect life' amped up with the addition of her newborn daughter. It's a common theme I've noticed from influencers and celebrities that I follow. But instead, Hague has been surprisingly candid about the truth of motherhood and her struggles, particularly with a newborn.
In a recent TikTok video, she shares clips with her daughter Bambi with the text: "I wish someone had told that newborn mum … how much better things would get." I can't express how refreshing it is, as someone with low visibility on parenthood (in their early 20s without children), to see her speak freely and honestly about the difficulties of having a baby, despite how glamorous her life seems through Instagram's lens.
This isn't new from Hague though. The "Love Island" star has been incredibly honest about her journey through motherhood, the highs and the lows, which she's documented on her social media channels. Three months after giving birth to her daughter, Bambi, Hague told her YouTube subscribers that she'd been finding mum-life "overwhelming", confessing that she didn't feel like herself.
She said in March 2023: "I have found it really, really hard, the one word to describe it, to describe the past two months would be 'overwhelming'. Every single day you can't believe the 360 your life has taken, it is a very hard thing to wrap your head around, it is the biggest life change that no one can prepare you for."
Then in August 2023, Hague reflected on the first few weeks of motherhood, admitting that she was unsure whether she'd ever feel happy again, but things were starting to look up. "I'd say only now am I really experiencing what I believed motherhood would look like and Bambi's nearly seven months old."
Hague's experiences with a newborn are in complete conflict with what I tend to see pushed out by most celebrities and influencers turned mum-creators online. Although it's common knowledge not to believe everything you see, the ease of motherhood is often perceived as something that's natural, ("It's a skill that just comes to you," my mum would say) especially during the newborn phase — that thought alone terrifies me. Babies are shown as these perfect little beings sent from above that women should instantly know how to care for. Even I know that the truth of motherhood, which I've only been exposed to by close friends and family members, is rarely ever seen online.
For those with children, who might follow more parenting accounts, maybe Hague isn't adding much they've not seen or felt themselves. But still, seeing someone with such privilege elsewhere in life can only help make others feel less alone. But it's got an even bigger impact amongst the millions who follow her that aren't at that stage of life yet. Considering Hague's young audience and huge online presence, sharing such raw, emotional, and somewhat taboo thoughts on motherhood removes another layer of perfection that I sometimes feel a pressure to match when my time comes. And I'm not the only one who thinks so, as someone wrote in the comments of her TikTok video: "Thank you for being so raw about your struggles with the newborn stage. It's so taboo and not talked about enough. I never expected to struggle this much! I can't wait for it to get better."
Hague's authenticity is important in helping to alleviate societal pressures around perfection in parenting and proves that things might not go to plan, or follow as it has for others, but that's okay.
Lauren Gordon is the editorial coordinator at PS UK, where she creates lifestyle and identity content. Lauren has a degree in journalism from University of the Arts London and previously worked as a showbiz and TV reporter at The Mirror US. Lauren specialises in pop culture, hair and beauty, focusing on trends, sharing in-depth tutorials, and highlighting hidden gems in the beauty industry.
