MÈRE Stories: Aparna Kumar
I thought I had everything figured out when I became a mom. I'm a Type A person who researches everything, so I prepared quite a bit for pregnancy and birth.
But even with tons of support—my mom stayed with us for 3 months, postpartum doulas, all the "right" resources—I still struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety.
I felt so embarrassed and ashamed.
How could someone who "did everything right" still end up here?
What saved me were two incredible doulas who showed me there was no shame in struggling and helped me find professional mental health support.
They taught me that needing help didn't make me a bad mom—it made me human.
But then came the identity crisis.
I didn't enjoy my tech career anymore and realized climbing the corporate ladder wasn't my priority—I wanted meaningful work that let me be present with my son while still using my skills.
That's when I realized I could use my 10+ years of product management experience to build something that mattered.
Instead of building and shipping products for tech companies, I could apply those same skills to create a platform that actually helps moms navigate the challenges I'd faced. And that's how Navara was born.
If you had to summarize your journey in motherhood with all its challenges, how would you describe it now? How have you found a way to reclaim your strength or identity? What have you learned?Motherhood has been the most humbling experience of my life.
I honestly thought I would suck at being a mom (I'm not very patient + I did not enjoy the infant phase), but my son is now 2.5 and I've taken a career pause because my joy shifted from chasing promotions to having time and energy for meaningful work.
All the while, my ambition didn't disappear—it just changed because how I define success has changed.
I feel like I've gotten more comfortable with who I am after having a kid by finally being honest about my struggles instead of pretending I had it all figured out.
When I started sharing my real experience—the postpartum depression, the identity crisis, the career pivot—other moms began reaching out with similar stories. That's when I realized my tech skills could serve a bigger purpose.
What advice or words of encouragement would you give another mom walking through a similar chapter? Your struggles don't make you a bad mom—they make you human. That voice telling you everyone else has it figured out? It's lying. Even moms who "did everything right" can end up struggling, and that doesn't reflect on your worth or your love for your child.
The most important thing I learned is to prioritize quality time over quantity—being fully present for shorter periods beats being physically there but mentally absent (like when you're scrolling Instagram).
And please, make time for yourself. It's not selfish; it's necessary. You can't pour from an empty cup, and taking care of yourself models healthy boundaries for your children.
How has your journey changed you, both in ways you expected and in ways you never could have imagined?
I expected motherhood would make me more nurturing and patient—and it has.
What I never expected was how it would completely reshape my relationship with ambition and success.
I thought I'd either be a career woman or a stay-at-home mom, but motherhood showed me there's a third path where I can use my skills for something deeply meaningful while being present for my family.
The biggest surprise was discovering that my lowest moments—the postpartum depression, the identity crisis, the career uncertainty—would become the foundation for my most meaningful work.
I never imagined that struggling so deeply would lead me to build something that could help other moms avoid going through such a hard experience.
Sometimes our biggest challenges become the way that we can make the world a better place.
— Aparna Kumar
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