How I Learned to Ask for Help (Without Feeling Like a Burden)

Jenny Clark
Jul 8
2 min read

And why I believe no mother should do this alone.

I remember sitting on the edge of my bed, holding my newborn, completely hollowed out.I hadn't showered. I hadn't eaten properly in days. I was so tired I could barely string a sentence together.

But when my partner asked, “What can I do?”I heard myself say, “I’m fine.”

I wasn’t fine. I just didn’t know how to ask for help.

I Thought I Should Be Able to Do It All

Somewhere inside me was this quiet belief that asking meant failing.That if I needed support, I wasn’t coping.That other mums were somehow managing without help, and I should be able to as well.

I now know that belief was never mine to carry.It was inherited—from a culture that romanticises “strong, independent mothers”and forgets that strength can look like surrender, too.

The First Time I Asked

It was small. I texted a friend: “Would you mind picking up some paracetamol? I haven’t made it out in two days.” She replied instantly: “Of course. Do you need anything else? Want me to drop a coffee too?”

And I cried. Not because she brought pain relief and caffeine,but because she saw me. She wanted to help. And I’d let her.

That one moment softened something in me.It reminded me that I didn’t have to prove anything.I just had to let myself be held.

At Nest, We Normalise Asking

That experience is one of the reasons I created Nest. Because I wanted a place where mums could land softly. Where you could show up exactly as you are—messy bun, full hands, heavy heart—and be met with warmth. Where asking for help wasn’t a sign of weakness, but a gesture of trust.

At Nest, you’ll find:

Mummas Space – a weekly circle where you can exhale, rest, and be gently supported by others who understand

Play Café – come as you are, sip a coffee, chat with other mums while your little one plays safely nearby

Baby Massage & Baby Yoga – slow-paced, nourishing classes that are as much for you as they are for your baby

New Mum Circles & Retreats – deeper spaces for reflection, sharing, and feeling part of something bigger

Every class and session is held by teachers who get it—women who have lived through the early years themselves. They are spaceholders first, here not just to teach, but to hold space for your whole experience.