Mashita,Tell us a bit about your family, yourself as a mom and your work and studies.

My little family consists of myself, my fiancé, and our baby Didier. I have a BCom Law degree, worked for two years and then stopped working to further my studies, so I’m currently a full-time student. I’m a new mom but I still want to achieve my goals and this is why I decided to continue studying. I simultaneously have to juggle being a mother and a student, and yes it has not been easy, but with the support of my fiancé and siblings who also reside in the same city it’s been doable. 

How have you managed to maintain a healthy balance between family, studies and being a mom?

I don’t have the luxury of doing things spontaneously or procrastinating anymore, so I have to manage my time properly, pre-plan my days and try to stick to those plans. I have to allocate time to my studies and time for family. It hasn’t been easy hearing Didier playing and laughing in the other room while I’m sitting behind a desk preparing for a test, but thankfully I have a super supportive fiancé who understands that some days he will be attending to Didier without me and I will catch up with them later.

Along the road to furthering your career, what have the challenges been and has being a mom changed the way you deal with certain things?

Starting my motherhood journey off without having my own mother here to guide me has been challenging. Everything I came to know was mostly off the internet. Low milk supply during my early postpartum days was also a challenge. My milk supply was so low that it got both me and my baby frustrated and I resorted to formula. Didier has been a formula baby since then. Right now, I’m having difficulties with getting him to eat consistently. He loves his formula so the transition to solids is still an ongoing one and he is a picky eater.

With my studies one of the biggest challenges is when school requires most of my attention. I feel as though I'm missing out from fully witnessing my baby grow and develop, but I think even working moms feel that way. It often feels like the time we have is just never enough.

What is Didier's favourite Difrax product and why?

 It has to be the 360-degree cup, because he just prefers it and I've noticed how easy it is for him to hold because of the shape - perhaps that's the reason why. 

For more on Mashita and Didier's journey and adventures, follow their pages @baby_motsi and @thee_mash on Instagram.