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Something really lovely happened when I talked about becoming a mum

3 0
12.10.2025

As Elle Duffy prepares to leave Rum to give birth on the mainland, she reflects on the unexpected strength found in shared stories, surprise celebrations, and the deep-rooted support of Scotland’s island sisterhood.

“From one island mum to another, you got this.”

It’s funny how a simple phrase can be exactly what you need to hear. Those words came from a friend from the next island over, after I wrote about my nervousness of leaving Rum temporarily to give birth on the mainland in just a few days time. I didn’t even know I needed to hear it until I did.

There’s something about becoming a mother in a place like Rum that makes you acutely aware of both your own strength and your dependence on others.

And so, when I started talking, really talking, about my impending motherhood worries, something lovely happened. The community of island mums rallied. Not just on Rum, not even just in the Small Isles, but across the country - mums on Mull, Lewis, even Shetland,........

© Herald Scotland