TODAY's Bobbie Thomas reflects on 2015 and her life as a new mom with son Miles

Dec. 23, 2015, 4:54 PM UTC / Source: TODAY

It's been a big year for TODAY style editor Bobbie Thomas, one she can only describe as an "emotional roller coaster."

Our favorite beauty expert welcomed her son, Miles, after a long journey that involved multiple rounds of fertility treatments including IVF — a process Thomas, 41, was open about on her blog and on TODAY.

We caught up with her to look back on the year and see how her life has changed as a new mom. She shares her story as part of "2015 Voices," a special series of essays and interviews with newsmakers behind some of TODAY's biggest moments of the year.

Bobbie Thomas’ son Miles — Miles, Bobbie Thomas' 5-month-old son. Courtesy of Bobbie Thomas

"I had no idea there would be this instant connection to other women," Thomas said of the "sisterhood" that moms share.

She's learned to ask for help when she needs it, which also happens to be her No. 1 tip for other new parents.

"With women especially, we try to do it all, thinking that it's just easier to do something ourselves than explain it," Thomas said. "But I started to learn to ask for help. When someone calls and says, 'Why don't I stop by and do x, y and z? I say that will be great."

But adjusting to her new life hasn't all been easy: "I'm trying to be very honest," Thomas said, "And I had a tough time when Miles came home. I wasn't able to get out of bed for the first few weeks and I had to rely on help. And after this huge journey of just getting him here, it's like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't take care of him.' And you start worrying: How am I still going to be me, and also include this gift in my life? And you can only imagine that's where the guilt begins."

There were also some things about motherhood she learned the hard way.

"For example, I had no idea breastfeeding was an entirely different mountain to climb," she said. "Everyone talks so much about what it's like to be pregnant, and what will happen during the delivery, but now I'm like, 'Why didn't anyone tell me about this breastfeeding thing!?'"

"There are days when I can't imagine my life beforehand," Thomas added. "And there are still days when I look over and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, is this really my son?'"

Aside from becoming a mom, it was also an important year for Thomas' career — she launched her own cosmetics line, Woosh Beauty, in October.

"It was almost like delivering two huge baby projects this year," Thomas said. "And I really didn't want to push that to the side. I felt very strongly about trying to find that balance: being a mom, but also maintaining this very important part of who I am."

"It was really such a beautiful year, this crossroads of my professional and personal life," she said. "It inspired me to be stronger. I felt so fortunate."