I started a business at seven months pregnant

When we officially launched Peachies, I was seven months pregnant. The timing wasn’t perfect, but then again, what is?

We were building a brand designed to make early parenting easier and more beautiful, and I was about to enter that life stage headfirst. On paper, it made sense. In practice, it was chaos.

What surprised me most, though, was that starting a business while heavily pregnant wasn’t the hardest part. That came later, when I returned to work three months postpartum and stepped straight into a fundraise. 

I was trying to be everything: a present mum, a sharp operator, a high-energy founder, a human milk machine. But underneath it all, I was quietly trying to stitch my identity back together.

Women can have it all — but at what cost?

There’s a cultural narrative that women can do it all. And I believe that’s true. But at what cost? What toll does that take on your body, your mental health, your relationships, your joy?

In those early months back at work, I’d be pitching investors with a breast pump strapped to me off-camera. I’d negotiate supplier contracts while rocking a napping newborn with one foot. 

My calendar was a patchwork of meetings, breastfeeding sessions, childcare handovers, and the occasional stolen shower. 

I survived thanks to meticulous scheduling and the support of my partner and my co-founder, Rima, who held space for me as both a mum and a businesswoman. But it wasn’t easy. In fact, it was the hardest period of my life after losing my father. And it still isn’t easy. 

My calendar was a patchwork of meetings, breastfeeding sessions, childcare handovers, and the occasional stolen shower.

The experience has taught me some deep, humbling truths about business, parenting, and what it means to show up fully in both.

1. Designing your day is a superpower

One of the gifts of running your own company is the freedom to shape your schedule. That flexibility doesn’t mean working less — it means working differently.

I structure my days around when I can be most present with my son, when I need quiet time to focus, and when I’m emotionally and mentally available for meetings or creative thinking.

This flexibility is a lifeline. It lets me integrate motherhood into the fabric of my workday, not just squeeze it into the margins.

2. Resilience is cumulative

Building a business and becoming a parent at the same time isn’t just possible — it’s weirdly symbiotic. The resilience you build in one space feeds the other. 

Surviving sleepless nights made me more patient in tough negotiations. Navigating toddler tantrums made me a better, more empathetic team leader. You build those muscles and find that the strength carries over.

3. Delegation is survival

Both parenting and entrepreneurship demand that you be everywhere, all at once. But learning how to delegate — at home and at work — has been essential. I’ve had to get comfortable trusting others with the things I used to hold tightly.

That means asking for help with childcare, sharing the load with my partner, and leaning on our incredible Peachies team. I don’t need to do everything myself. I shouldn’t.

4. Focus on what matters

You simply can’t do it all — not physically, mentally, or emotionally. And that’s okay. The real challenge is figuring out where your time and energy are best spent. 

What’s meaningful? What’s necessary? What brings you joy? 

For me, that’s being fully present in certain moments. At bathtime with my son, or deep in flow on a supply chain planning session. 

I don’t have family nearby (my partner and I are both expats), so our local village is made up of friends, co-founders, and a patchwork of support. It works. It’s enough.

5. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth it

This journey is hard, but it’s also thrilling. The highs are exhilarating, the creative freedom is unmatched, and the passion we feel for the Peachies mission statement is what fuels us through the rough patches.

Fun might feel like a luxury in the middle of a 2 a.m. wake-up or a crisis meeting, but it’s actually essential. If you’re not finding moments of joy in the building, the problem-solving, the storytelling, then what’s it all for?

All things considered..

Yes, women can do it all. But we shouldn’t have to do it alone, and we shouldn’t pretend there’s no cost. The myth of effortless balance doesn’t serve us. What does serve us is honesty, support, flexibility, and permission to let some things slide.

I launched a business at seven months pregnant. I fundraised while recovering from a major abdominal surgery and leaking milk in a hoodie. I’ve failed, fumbled, cried, laughed, and grown. I’m still in it, still figuring it out. My mindset is to keep moving forward. 

And you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Morgan Mixon, co-founder of Peachies

Morgan is co-founder of Peachies, leading product development and supply chain. Previously she was COO of accelerateHER (part of Founders Forum), an organisation focused on addressing the under-representation of women in tech. Morgan started her career in corporate communications and operations across heavy and sustainable energy industries. Morgan has an MBA from Imperial College and she speaks Mandarin and Italian. A Management Today 35 Women Under 35. Proud mama to Lev.

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