While Abby Gilmore always wanted to be a mum, her plan was never to go it alone but since splitting from her partner and teenage sweetheart, AFL player Jake Stringer, last year, that’s exactly what she’s done.
The blogger is just 23 with two young daughters, two-year-old Milla and Arlo who just turned one.
Speaking at the Williamstown Football Club’s Ladies Day this weekend, Gilmore reflected on some of the “pretty heavy stuff” she’s been through since the father of her children moved out in December, leaving her a single mum with a three-week-old infant.
“There are days when I feel like a hero, and I feel like I have my life together,” she began, according to The Courier Mail.
“And I have all these messages I would love to share, and that I am doing so well.
“And then there are days when I can’t get out of bed and I need help to function, and that is OK.
“It does not matter what you go through. Pain is pain and we all suffer from certain things, but if we are taking the right steps to get help, and know it is OK to ask for help, then that is the key message from me.”
Gilmore and Stringer first got together at age 13 but in spite of their best efforts could not make it work in their twenties.
LISTEN: The single mum who went above and beyond on “daddy day” (post continues)…
On her wildly popular blog According to Abby, the young mum who has more than 89,000 Instagram followers, has written extensively – and honestly – about coping with her break-up and post-natal depression in the weeks after the birth of her second child.
“I’m struggling more with the fact that I don’t have a person to confide in and snuggle at night more than I ever thought I would,” she wrote in her latest post from April.
“How funny is it that out of everything, I just miss having someone to tell everything to and get a simple cuddle when I need it.”
Top Comments
Sorry I honestly don't know who this girl is..............
It tells you who she is in the article.... did you not read it?
I was pointing out the fact that she is in no way a person that we should have to read about! Thanks for being obvious though!
Genuine question: does this girl have a job, or is social media it? From what I've seen on her feed, it doesn't look as though she's working...? Am just trying to get an idea of what she's dealing with (single parenting notwithstanding - or co-parenting...?).
She is never off social media and constantly does "live feeds" often with her kids there. I feel for her, she seems to need validation by her never ending posts. I think she must be lonely and apart from being a mum not sure what to do with herself
I'm fairly certain being a single mum to two young children IS A FULL TIME JOB. Anything else (eg. social media) is a bonus.
Indeed, although some single Mums actually have to work to put food on the table etc, in addition to looking after the wee ones. It's also unclear to me just how "single" this parenting is - whether it's a totally solo unsupported gig, or if there is co-parenting etc. It helps to have context to understand her writing and concerns.
I get whee you're coming from, Guest. As a single parent to two little ones who works full time, with no support (including nothing from Centrelink), I don't have time to post my life all over social media every day! I check websites etc during my morning coffee at work and that's it!