Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Majeno.
Hi Carla, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was 18- almost 19- when I found out I was pregnant. At that time, I knew my life would change forever, but I didn’t know how much. I spent countless hours on YouTube looking up videos of pregnancy and what it means to be a “mom” and felt like I needed to know everything in order to be prepared. However, as much as I watched videos, read books, and studied for this new life, nothing prepared me for what happened.
I had been depressed in my life before, but the sudden change in my life was not what I expected. At the hospital, I was informed that I was at a higher risk for getting postpartum depression, but I didn’t think much of it. I was happy. I was a newly married to the love of my life, and had just given birth to our daughter- why would I be depressed. I didn’t know that depression does not work that way. Shortly after giving birth, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. None of the videos, books, or stories that I had researched talked about this. I looked it up on YouTube and I only saw a few videos on it. It felt like no one would understand. I started talking to other women and realized it is quite common, but I never saw anyone talk about it. At the time, it felt like there was this stigma, that as soon as you had your baby, everything needed to be perfect. Of course, we all know about the sleep deprivation and the confusion that comes with being a new parent, but there was so much that no one wanted to talk about.
I started my YouTube channel a year after giving birth for this reason exactly. My mom actually came up with the idea, and it sprouted from there. I wanted to talk about mental health and the things that felt very hushed. Soon after, I started talking about mental health on Instagram and was amazed by how many people related to me. I wanted to expand of that, so I started talking about the realness about being a mom. The not-so-beautiful parts of life that no one wants to show. I wanted to not only talk about motherhood but also empower women and let them know whatever stage they are in, they are doing a great job.
What started out as me wanting to help other new moms and have an outlet for my PPD, has transformed to so much more than that. I have became part of a beautiful community full of powerful women.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
This has not been a smooth road at all. There’s been so many times I have wanted to quit. With creating content, you are never sure of what the response could be. Since this is the internet and I use to be afraid of judgment, at first, I was very scared or shy to show myself completely. I was scared I wouldn’t be accepted or that I would be judged, but when you let go of all those fears and are able to be your genuine self, you start making such wonderful and true connections.
Of course, there’s always that fear of growth or “am I good enough” sometimes we get so caught up in numbers, we forget what is truly important. Which is how am I giving value to someone else’s life. I try to make content that isn’t just “look at this cute picture” I want there to be a reason for it. I try to talk about my struggles, fears, and mental health, but also how I am learning and growing from that. No person is perfect, and I like to share the imperfections and struggles of real life on my Instagram- which isn’t always easy to share.
I thank my husband, daughter, mom, friends, and most important- God because there’s so many times I want to quit, but I am pushed to keep going. I am still young and a small blogger, but I know this is what I want to do with my life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The simple answer is I make content on social media. I make videos for YouTube and post pictures and videos for Instagram. However, why I do it and what comes out of it is the real reason for why I do it. Being a parent can be scary and confusing at times, definitely not easy, but I see it glamorized on social media a lot. I show the real side of parenting and what it is like being a young 20-something year old who has mental issues and is also raising a little one. I try to share my voice and who I am on these platforms.
On YouTube, I mostly stick to lifestyle and vlogging. My life isn’t luxurious or anything. I just show myself having fun and doing family activities as a young mom. I keep it mostly vlogs around this time of the year, but regularly also do more chatty videos about motherhood, mental health, or about social media.
I keep more of the “deep” or personal parts on Instagram. Along with regular pictures, I will post on my story sharing who I am. I try to make sure my audience knows that I am not just a picture on their phone but a person. I have been on an overall better health journey for a bit, and I try to share what I learn along the way. I spent too long not loving myself, and feeling like I had to change myself- but once I learned to truly embrace who I am within, my whole aspect of life changes. I want to empower women and see how powerful they truly are and how beautiful self-love is. I surround my Instagram page on talking about self-love, mental health, spirituality, and overall health.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Throughout my time in building my social media, I have tried to make genuine connections and tried to build a community. That is what has helped me the most.
The community in which I surround myself in is pretty positive. I have made some pretty awesome friends through it, and we all support and encourage each other to reach our goals. Usually, if I have a question, I can ask one of them to help me and everyone is pretty open to help out.
Contact Info:
- Email: Carla.battaleme731@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floppyx_x/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaMajeno
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarlaMajeno
Image Credits
Memories by KC
