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Mrs Mummy PhD

Journeys of Becoming...

About

Michelle | Mrs Mummy PhD
Mrs Mummy PhD - Photo Credit: Peacelily Photography

Hi, I’m Dr Michelle Gibbs – it’s so lovely to see you here!

I am the creative mind behind Mrs Mummy PhD®, Founder of Scholarly Mamas® and Author of Doodle Dozen®. I am married to my high school sweetheart and together we have three sons.

In my post-PhD era, I enjoy combining my knowledge, skills and experience to positively impact the experiences of patients & healthcare professionals through research and continuous learning in clinical practice. 

Mrs Mummy PhD®, however, comes from a place of lived experience and was created to help Mamas on doctoral journeys, to achieve their ambitious academic goals without sacrificing themselves or the family life they love! 

If you’re like me and juggling many balls in real life (i.e. working hard toward your goals but also wanting to live your life with purpose and enjoy it to the full with those you love) then you are definitely in the right place.

My hope is to inspire you through the challenges you face in your own similar journeys, as you create your own legacy too!

A Love for Learning

I’ll start by sharing a bit about my journey so far. 

My PhD was my 5th degree. Madness! I know. Please don’t judge 🙂

My undergraduate degree was completed in the USA and the other three were done at post-graduate level in the UK, all with top honours. My PhD is in Nutritional Sciences, and I’m pleased to say I passed my viva with flying colours!

So, one thing I know well is how to ‘succeed’ academically.

However, while studying and career building, I also married my high school sweetheart and we started a family together, becoming parents to our three wonderful sons – our three ‘son-shines’… our heartbeats!

Michelle | Mrs Mummy PhD
My Hubby & I - Photo Credit: Peacelily Photography

Redefining Success

While my journeys through the tiers of academic study taught me how to be successful in that aspect of my life, becoming a wife and mother, whilst also building me career, taught me how to blend the many hats I wore purposefully.

As a high achieving woman myself, I witnessed so many ‘successful’ people missing out on the precious moments that make this life worth living, sacrificing themselves with lives in shambles beyond all the acccolades, accomplishments and achievements. So, with a family to love and one wild life to live, I decided that this was not going to be my story!

I eventually realised that purposeful success on my journey required a bold change in my thinking regarding what success in life was truly about.

I’m not saying you should not set goals for yourself. In fact, I’m a huge fan of having lofty goals and pursuing them boldly. I’m a high-achiever too and believe that as mothers, we deserve to pursue and achieve our goals – no matter how big they are or what anyone else thinks about them…

But there is a hidden danger of focusing so much on reaching those goals or that perceived ‘destination’ that we don’t even stop to enjoy the journey. Instead, we risk burning out, not reaching our goals and losing what matters most… 

When we seek to discover a deeper purpose in the journeys of becoming whatever or whoever we want to be, then we can better serve every dimension of our lives in a purposeful and fulfilling way. 

This is how you achieve real success, Mama…

This is how you go from the overwhelm and disillusionment of the juggle-struggle, to overflowing with scholarly joy and purposeful success. 

And here on my platform, I help ambitious Mamas who are juggling all the things, to become unstoppable without losing themselves in the process!

In this little corner of the internet, we are changing the juggle-struggle narrative that so many of us academic mothers experience, with a little grit and whole lot of grace. 

Let’s journey with purpose!

Join the journey!

I’ve created a space where other Mamas like you, who are feeling stuck in the throes of the juggle-struggle, can ditch the overwhelm without sacrificing what matters!

This evolving space is for intelligent, ambitious Scholarly Mamas® who want to elevate their journeys with purpose, while pursuing their academic goals with resilience & boldness!

If this sounds like the kind of supportive space you need, why not come join us inside Scholarly Mamas®!

Also do check out my shop with exclusive merch to empower Scholarly Mamas® like you to wear your whole selves purposefully!

If you want to begin living a more purposeful Scholarly Mama® life, then you are in the right place!

This Is Me…

Before you head off, just for fun, here are a few things I’d love you to know about me:

  • I grew up on the Caribbean island of Barbados. 
  • Growing up, I literally lived 5 minutes from the beach! Talk about the good life eh!
  • I married my beloved secondary (high) school sweetheart. My best friend, my soul mate.
  • An early bird? Oh yes, that’s definitely me. Give me early mornings over late nights any day!
  • Please don’t talk to me when I’m hungry… instead pray for your girl 🙂
  • I love fruit (and all things fruity). What’s that? Smoothie, you say? Yes please!
  • I love deep, meaningful convos! (I can talk even more than I can write, just ask my husband, haha!)
  • I enjoy walking outdoors, especially in the warmer months, with my husband and our boys!
  • Family is everything to me, hands down! Home drums beat first here 🙂
  • I enjoy gardening too, because I think it’s when I do my best thinking.
  • I try to have an attitude of gratitude in all things, but accept that I’m still a work in progress!
  • Please keep it 100% real with me – I’ll definitely do the same for you as authenticity is one of my core values.
  • I am a believer and Jesus follower, Amen.

So when I’m not working in health research, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and our three boys as co-executive of our busy household, blogging, podcasting, or sharing my children’s book series!

Let’s Connect!

If you want to follow me on social media, I’m on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Threads, Bluesky and Pinterest. I’m easy to find as I’m @mrsmummyphd on these platforms but I’m usually most active on Instagram.

If you would like to read my blog, you can start here.

Please also feel free to tune into my weekly podcast!

Can’t wait to see you inside Scholarly Mamas®! 

Remember, these are our journeys of becoming! 

Until next time, I’m sending you all the love and gratitude your heart can handle!

Best wishes, 

Michelle - Mrs Mummy PhD

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Meet Mrs Mummy PhD®

Hey! I'm Dr Michelle Gibbs and this little corner of the internet exists to help ambitious Mamas like you, achieve your life and academic goals without sacrificing what matters most. If you're juggling family, career, academia and everything else in-between, then it's time to say 'yes' to savouring the moments that truly matter, while doing what sets your heart on fire! So Mama, are you in? Fabulous! These are our journeys of becoming :-)

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You’ve been trying to do it all — be the perfe You’ve been trying to do it all — be the perfect scholar, the present mama, the one who “proves them wrong.”

But experience has taught me that overachieving is not the same as thriving. It’s often survival mode in disguise leaving you on the brink of burnout.

But you can trade hustle for alignment. You don’t have to earn or prove your worth — you already have it within you. You don't have to just survive this journey, you can thrive without sacrificing what matters.

Swipe through the slides for a timely truth check. Remember Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #phdmom #finishwell #academicburnout #overachieverrecovery #authenticscholarship #restisresistance
“Balance” is a beautiful word… but a terribl “Balance” is a beautiful word… but a terrible standard.

For purposeful @scholarlymamas, life isn’t about keeping everything perfectly weighted — it’s about honouring the seasons as they ebb and flow, clarifying priorities, and remembering that you are allowed to matter in the mix.

Forget chasing balance. Let’s talk about rhythms, integration, and just being enough.

Which part of this resonates most with you? 

Share below.

Remember Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #fromoverwhelmedtoenough #podcaster #journeysofbecoming
If you’re a Mama doing a PhD, you’re going to If you’re a Mama doing a PhD, you’re going to want to listen to this episode with Dr Blessing Adeniyi from @thephdrace 

If you’ve listen to it, share your top highlights in the comments! 

If you haven’t yet, listen to Episode 118 on the @mrsmummyphd podcast! 

Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #thephdrace #journeysofbecoming #gradschool #phdjourney #jugglestruggle #success
Two Mamas with PhDs, one brutally honest conversat Two Mamas with PhDs, one brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to run your own PhD Race...

Dr Blessing Adeniyi from "The PhD Race" @thephdrace just completed her PhD in Sustainability Management while working full-time as a wife and Mama – and she's sharing the mindset shift that changed everything.

This isn't about surviving the juggle struggle; it's about discovering how motherhood can actually become your academic superpower.

If you've ever been told to 'wait until the kids are older' or felt guilty for wanting both intellectual fulfillment AND present motherhood, this conversation will hit differently.

Ready to rewrite the rules? New episode of the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast is live – link shared in stories! 🎧✨

Follow @mrsmummyphd for more!

Remember Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#ScholarlyMama #PhDjourney #PhDMama #AcademicMum #WorkingMum #PhDLife #MumLife #AcademicSuccess
If this sounds like you, Mama, you’re in the rig If this sounds like you, Mama, you’re in the right place! 

Subscribe to the podcast (link in bio) or join my email list and let’s help you finish well without sacrificing what matters! 

Follow @mrsmummyphd and @scholarlymamas for more!

These are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#mrsmummyphd #scholarlymama #journeysofbecoming #phd #dr #phdwithkids
In this raw and honest moment from the podcast, Dr In this raw and honest moment from the podcast, Dr Milensu Shanyinde @workacademicmum opens up about the invisible weight so many mothers in academia carry—but rarely speak about.

Juggling her PhD and work life, navigating pregnancy and raising two young daughters during a global pandemic, Milensu talks candidly about the guilt, the overwhelm, and the internal tug-of-war between ambition and motherhood.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, questioned your choices, or wondered if you’re doing enough—this episode will hit home for you.

Listen to the full guest episode on the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast for more on Milensu’s journey, the lessons she learned, and the quiet strength behind her success. 

Tune in to also find out the one thing she wish she had while she was navigating PhD life and motherhood simultaneously. 

What I really love about her story isn’t only how she was able to see her PhD through to completion while juggling all the things, but also how she managed to land the leadership role of her dreams in her post-PhD era. 

Listen to the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Tune into my IG stories for a fun bonus clip from the episode!

Remember Mama, these are our jounreys of becoming 🦋

#phdmama #workacademicmum #scholarlymamas #podcast #resilience #theresilientrise #phdjourney
Mama, don’t be distracted by doubters👇🏽

…because your journeys of becoming and purposeful outcomes will always speak for themselves, even if you’re also a Mama!

You’ll have a quiet, peaceful confidence about you that speaks volumes 🗣️

You see, for me, delayed was never denied because I knew there was no ‘standard way’ of navigating a PhD journey. Being a Mama before I began this journey and growing our family further during my PhD enhanced my journey in ways I can never explain… it was definitely not a hindrance or barrier to my success. 

Was it harder? You bet! 

Did it take me longer? Yes, it did. 

Would I do it again? I’m not sure 🤔 

But was it impossible? Clearly not!

What I realised, is that I had to hold the belief in who I was and get clear on my why, because I was enough and so are you! You are more than your PhD.

Follow @mrsmummyphd for more of you’re a Mama doing a PhD and juggling all the things.
Here, we’re turning “I’m overwhelmed” into “I’m enough”. Join us @scholarlymamas 

These are your journeys of becoming 🦋

#phdgraduate #throwback #2024 #journeysofbecoming #scholarlymama #phd #mrsmummyphd #scholarlymamas #youareenough♥️
I nearly quit my PhD more than once... Not becaus I nearly quit my PhD more than once...

Not because I couldn’t do the work—but because I was exhausted, isolated, and felt like no one understood how hard it was to keep holding it all together.

These five truths could’ve saved me so much guilt, self-doubt and second-guessing.

Swipe through if you’re:
– Juggling all the things and writing your PhD thesis during nap times
– Wondering if you’re too behind to finish
– Feeling like both a horrible Mama and PhD student who is always in survival mode

If this sounds like you, you are not broken. You’re just juggling a whole lot alone—without the village/support you deserve.

💬If this hits home, DM me 'WELL' and let’s get you connected, refocused, grounded again, and back on track—without burning out.

#phd #gradschoollife #phdlife #workingmum #scholarlymama #mumsofinstagram #academiccoach
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