Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Stirling.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My mother recently told me and my husband a story. Apparently, when I was a young child, someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up and my answer was, “A mom.” I, of course, don’t remember saying this and don’t recall it ever being repeated to me before this point, but afterwards, I felt a renewed sense that choosing to become a mother was the right path for me.
My husband and I got married late. We met when I was in my late-20s and got married when I was 30 years old. After we completed our respective master’s degree programs, we reached a point in our relationship, where we decided that it was time to start a family. The road to parenthood was unexpectedly long, difficult and very costly (emotionally, physically and financially)! I never would have thought that we would experience infertility. After three infertility specialists, six rounds of intrauterine insemination, and two surgeries, we turned to our last resort: in-vitro fertilization. We got pregnant after our first try, only to have that pregnancy end in its first trimester. After recovering from this loss, we transferred two of our frozen embryos, and seven months later (they were two months premature), our family was complete with the birth of our twin boys!
After the long road we traveled, I knew in my heart that I wanted to find a way to jump head first into motherhood and be with my boys as much as possible during their first few years. In addition to my responsibilities at home, I write and share moments of our lives on Instagram and on my website. SoCalTwinMommy.com is a blog that I started in November 2017 as a way to share my experiences as a new mom of twins.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Overall, the road has been surprisingly smooth. The most difficult part has been accepting change and embracing my new role. I am so grateful that my husband is very involved and takes his role as a parent seriously. We also have received a lot of help in the last two years from family members and caregivers who make our lives easier to manage and which allows me time to pursue my work.
Balance has also been a particular struggle. There is never enough time in the day for a mom of twins, so finding time to meet all of my responsibilities as a parent who also manages a household and a business has been difficult, not to mention trying to maintain my mental and physical health and build my relationships.
In terms of sharing my personal life online, I am constantly thinking about how to provide meaningful content to my followers and readers. This year, I have also tried to show up more in my feed, which has been really challenging for me since I am one of the most awkward people you will ever meet. Being in front of the camera is definitely something that does not come naturally for me and takes a great deal of work! I’ve learned that I can worry all day long about how many followers I have, how other people’s photos look better than mine, and on and on, but at the end of the day, I want to reach people who feel connected to the real me and being myself is the only way to do that. My biggest advice is to be yourself.
Please tell us about your blog.
My blog SoCalTwinMommy.com and my Instagram are my creative outlet. I feel that my experience is unique as an older mom and infertility survivor who used assisted reproductive technology to have my sons. I write about real life as an almost 40-year-old mom of twin boys, cover family-friendly events in Southern California and share about our everyday lives on Instagram.
Most of all, SoCalTwinMommy.com is a way to make connections and build community. As a first-time mom, I found myself extremely isolated and just trying to make it through each day. My goal is to show moms my real moments and that even though motherhood may add a new layer to their identities, it doesn’t have to be their whole identities. I was alive for 35 years before I became a mom, and those years and experiences did not disappear! I want to encourage women to embrace their whole selves and their whole identities.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Sometimes negative experiences shape the person who you will become. I grew up in the ’80s as a typical “latchkey kid,” which meant my older sister and I were left unsupervised for a period of time after school until our parents came home from work. Although I am strongly opposed to this way of parenting, I do feel this arrangement instilled in me a sense of self-reliance, resourcefulness, and independence starting from a young age. That experience also showed me how to figure things out on my own. As an adult, I have come to value those attributes, especially in my academic and work lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.socaltwinmommy.com
- Email: socaltwinmommy@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/socal_twinmommy
Image Credit:
Rebecca Low, Melissa McClure, Matthew Stirling
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