At age 25, Elke Govertsen was faced with a familiar set of circumstances when she and her then boyfriend were suddenly given the news they were pregnant. “At the time, most of my girlfriends were thinking about getting a dog and wondering if that was too much responsibility.” The physical and emotional ride of having a child came with many unanticipated emotions such as guilt, uncertainty and isolation. Elke’s life was forever changed when she met a group of Mothers who (after a while) opened up to her and shared their honest stories of their experiences as parents. She recognized that her own feelings were not unique but part of a series of larger conversations that were ready to take place. Mamalode began as a way to collect these first person stories and share them with her Missoula community. What started as a single edition, free local print magazine has now grown into a multi-platform international media and content company. While the audience and contributors of Mamalode have expanded over the years, the conversations continue to take an honest look at the most fundamental emotions parents experience: fear, joy, sadness, humor and heart.
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