This is the story of a Norwegian girl living in Copenhagen with her husband, her 5-year-old son and her 3-year-old triplets. I am completely convinced that when you are an influencer you have to have your own experience to share and you have to do it with certain integrity. I don’t follow many influencers and I always look for honesty that provokes you to embrace the topics he\she finds interesting. I found this honesty in Maria. I was fascinated by the reality of postpartum life she depicts and by all that comes with it. I love the clear way in which she shares every day, every problem, every issue that bothers her. I love her responsiveness. I admire her courage to dive into raising four children, giving birth to triplets, and to keep chasing her interests in music, arts, films, fashion… Here are her thoughts about motherhood and work. Who says you cannot have hobbies when you are a mom? A mom of four has them!
photo credits: gyldholmphotography
Who are you and what do you do for a living?
I am Maria Nordø Jørstad, I am 39 years old and currently work as an Instagrammer/influencer. Before I started doing that fulltime, I worked with TV.
Tell us more about your job and how you started it? What is your job for you? What does it make you feel?
I have the Instagram account @triplets_of_copenhagen, that currently has 370.000 followers worldwide. I started the account as a personal blog in May 2018 to document my triplet pregnancy and to be able to share with my family and friends in Norway. At the same time it was also a way to connect with triplet parents all over the world, because we really wanted more information about what to expect when it came to the pregnancy, how to handle 3 premature babies, and so on. There was no information to get from the healthcare system about all the practicalities. In September the same year a video of me showing my belly went viral, and I got 200.000 new followers in the course of a month. Then I understood that this could eventually become my job.
photo credits: Maria Dehtiarova
This job has given me flexibility, which has been key for our family. With small triplets and their brother, who is two years older, there has been the need to work shorter days and work evenings instead, or to stay home whenever one of them gets ill. Apart from that I am proud of what I have achieved with my account, when it comes to bringing focus to different areas of postpartum health and motherhood. Some of my postpartum posts were shared in news articles all over the world, which felt very important and empowering. I think me sharing personal thoughts about being a working woman and mother today, with all the balancing that requires, can make others feel less alone. I love the community that has been built up around my account, and that many feel comfortable about sharing from their lives as well in the comments and in personal messages to me. It leads to more openness, which Is very important to fight taboo subjects and stigmatization.
How many children do you have and what are their names?
Mikael who is 5 years old + Iben, Filip and Agnes who are 3 years old.
What is the first thing that came to your mind about your job when the children came?
photo credits: Maria Dehtiarova
At that point I was not sure if I was going to try to go back to the TV industry or try to make a living out of my Instagram account. When the triplets turned 1 year, I had started making money on it, and decided to choose that path.
What is the most difficult part of motherhood?
I think it is to have to give so much of yourself all the time, even when you are really tired, stressed and overwhelmed. To know how to handle different situations (like meltdowns, siblings fighting, etc) the best way, and that you have to be so patient many times a day.
photo credits: gyldholmphotography
If you have the book Mamah of Helene Deforge, which is your type of mom? If you don't have the book, what type of mom do you define yourself?
I will define myself as loving mom, who tries to be as attentive and fair as possible. I hope I will raise them to be empathetic, independent, kind and interested in culture and society.
How do you rest from motherhood and what is your recipe for handling the tough moments?
I have my little morning ritual that is very important to me, where I put on my make-up and get dressed while listening to a podcast or audiobook and drinking coffee. I also like to meet a friend for lunch at least once a week, and if I get in a bad mood during the day time, it most often helps to go for a walk and grab a coffee somewhere. Apart from that, my husband and I have always prioritized going on dates, which I have found to be really important to keep staying connected when life is super busy and chaotic at work and at home with 4 small, loud kids, who makes it impossible to have a normal conversation.
What are your tips for going through tough moments and keeping your other life alive?
For me it was really helpful to share my reality on Instagram, especially during that first year at home with 3 babies. When I wrote openly about things, I got a lot of feedback that meant a lot for me at the time. So my tip is to share your struggles with friends or family, it is also a good way to figure out what you can do to try to improve things.
It has also always helped me to get dressed in something nice every day, because if I feel ok with how I look, I also naturally get more self-esteem and feel better about myself than if I just go around in sweatpants and without make-up (which I actually could do since I work from home).
Give yourself some breaks where you get to do exactly what you want to do. (I am currently working on getting better at that, because when you are self-employed there is always something that can be done.)
What do you dream of? ( not in general, but personally for yourself)
A better life/work balance, more free time and less stress. I also dream of getting the perfect house in Norway next year, that my kids will thrive at their new school & kindergarten and that I will get a great job with lovely colleagues that I get to work on exciting projects with.