Mama Circle

A grassroots initiative to combat maternal isolation

A gentle digital presence for new mothers, built from lived experience. Mama Circle offers a manifesto, shared stories, and a hashtag movement to help postpartum parents feel less alone.

Situation

The early months of motherhood can be profoundly isolating. Despite being more connected than ever, new parents often find themselves scrolling through highlight reels that make their struggles feel abnormal. Online spaces meant to help can feel overwhelming, judgmental, or commercialized.

I experienced this myself. In the fog of postpartum, I wished for something gentler: a space that simply said “you’re not alone” without asking for an account, selling a course, or making me feel inadequate.

Task

Create a small, heartfelt corner of the internet for new mothers. Something that validates their experience, connects them through shared stories, and offers support without complexity. A grassroots initiative that spreads through a simple hashtag: #mamacircle.

Action

I designed and built Mama Circle, a lightweight website and manifesto project:

• From lived experience: Every word comes from my own postpartum journey and conversations with other mothers.
• Vibe coding: I wrote the site directly in code, making creative decisions in the browser. It was fast and liberating.
• AI pair-programming: Used AI to help with the heavy lifting, making it my first true “vibe coding” experience.

Mama Circle - a gentle digital presence for new mothers

Features built

The Manifesto A poetic declaration of what Mama Circle stands for. Not rules, but values: showing up imperfectly, holding space without judgment, celebrating the messy reality of new parenthood.

Mama Cards A horizontal testimonial carousel featuring real stories from mothers.

Code of Care Community guidelines that set the tone for safe, supportive interaction. Because vulnerable people need explicit reassurance that a space is designed with their safety in mind.

Bilingual Support Full content available in English and Portuguese, honoring my own background and extending the reach to more mothers who might need it.

Privacy-First Approach No tracking, no accounts, no data collection. Testimonial submissions happen via email only, with clear disclaimers about how stories are shared. Safety first, always.

Result

Mama Circle is live at mamacircle.me:

• A heartfelt presence helping new mothers feel less alone in postpartum
• The #mamacircle hashtag invites others to share their stories and show up for each other
• Reconnected me to my creative voice as a designer, mother, writer, and builder

Built with Eleventy, Nunjucks, and vanilla CSS. Mama Circle is a digital love letter to new mamas everywhere, and it is just the beginning.