Get your FREE presale swag here!
Feeling Lonely in Motherhood?
You’re Not Alone. Promise.
Discover the journey to rebuild the village we all need.
Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by the daily tasks of motherhood?
Do you long for a way to make motherhood feel less exhausting and more fulfilling?
Do you give so much to everyone else that you have nothing left for yourself?
Were you surprised by the seismic shift in identity when you became a mother?
Do you feel like you're experiencing a wildly disorienting second adolescence?
You're not alone in your loneliness and you're absolutely not broken.
Motherhood is hard- and without a village it's almost impossible.
*I Was Told There'd Be a Village* shows you how to bring joy, support, and genuine connection back into your life.
Join the movement of moms building the village we all long for and desperately need.
Mindset Shifts
Learn how to rethink motherhood to make it less about self sacrifice and more about collective support.
Practical Steps to Connection
Get actionable steps that you can start using today to build meaningful relationships with other moms.
Real Stories
I share my own journey along with stories from moms all over the country to show that none of us are truly alone.
When I started Latched Mama over a decade ago, I thought I was simply providing a clothing solution for breastfeeding moms. But then something remarkable happened: mothers started using the clothing and their love for the brand as a vehicle for connection. The social media community grew, and suddenly I found myself leading a business that wasn’t just about clothing—it was about mothers coming together to find joy in supporting and encouraging each other.
In *I Was Told There'd Be a Village*, I share my journey of building my (in process) village. Like so many of us, I had poured every ounce of myself into my children, my work, and caring for others. I had neglected my own need for connection, so I set out make a change. I learned how to come back to myself. I discovered who I was and what I needed post kids. It turned out the missing ingredient was finding time for connection. Slowly but surely, I built a community who made motherhood easier. I'm not the only one who has discovered the secret to transforming motherhood. Women all over the country are building villages. This book strives to unite us all by replacing the isolation mindset with a village mindset. I invite you to become part of this important movement. Let's take back collective motherhood one friendship and supportive connection at a time.
This book is my honest, vulnerable story of finding my way back to community and joy. It’s a guide to help you do the same.
Learn how to create life-changing connection
Motherhood was never meant to be a solo endeavor. Through small mindset shifts and practical actions, we can reclaim the joy of collective motherhood.
It's not just you. This is hard.
You're not broken, the system is.
Learn how modern day motherhood is designed to keep up apart not together.
We give and give until there's nothing left for ourselves
Learn how to recognize and prioritize your own needs and advocate for yourself.
Early Praise
“Melissa Wirt addresses the struggle we have as parents... and offers a guide on how to create connection in this context.”
Eve Rodsky
New York Times best-selling author
Fair Play and Unicorn Space
“Encouraging, honest, and just fun to read, I recommend this book to all new moms.”
Mary Pipher
New York Times best-selling author
Reviving Ophelia and Women Rowing North
“With warmth and wit, she coaches us on how to establish a powerful network of mom friends. Wirt herself feels like a friend of the very best sort.”
Abigail Tucker
New York Times best-selling author
The Lion in the Living Room and Mom Genes
It's so nice to meet you! Do you want to be friends?
Hi! I'm Melissa! I'm a busy mom to six amazing little people. Most days I'm a bit of a flustered mess, with an even messier mini van. I can't tell you the last time I put the top on the toothpaste and my kids ate cereal for dinner tonight. I am also the owner and founder of the motherhood brand Latched Mama.
I started Latched Mama when my second son was just six months old. I remember shivering alone on a park bench while I fed him wondering why everything in motherhood felt so darn hard. I wanted to make motherhood easier (and warmer) for moms everywhere. So, I got to work. Latched Mama's first product was born that day: a nursing hoodie. That hoodie launched the company and now four more kids and ten short years later, I'm at the helm of a multi million-dollar brand.
What I didn't realize on that park bench in 2014, was that designing and manufacturing a nursing hoodie was only solving part of my problem. The easy part. Sure, I was warmer, but as the years went on, I wasn't much happier. I was still metaphorically alone on the park bench. I realized the larger problem was that I was mothering without a village. I was tired, overwhelmed, and I had no idea how to make things feel easier. In moderating social posts in the Latched Mama community of over 500,000 moms, I knew I wasn't alone in feeling alone. There was an epidemic of loneliness in motherhood and it was making us all feel miserable.
I got to work- again. I researched, wrote, and interviewed my way to a roadmap of sorts that I am so excited to share with you. This new labor of love won't keep you physically warm on a winter day, but my hope is that it will solve the much larger issue we're all facing. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world. But I can promise you that's it's easier when we mom together. I am happier (and my kids are happier) than I have ever been, and I want that for you too.
I live a loud chaotic life outside of Richmond, Virginia with my husband Eric and my six kids. I now find time for myself. I love swimming, hiking around the farm with my dogs, and connecting with my friends (I have those now!). Although I am an introvert and home-body at heart, I have realized the value that inviting others into my world brings to my life. I hope you will decide to join me on this heartfelt and imperfect journey of storytelling, research, and village building. Together, I know we can build back the community that we're all missing.
