Do you find it impossible to resist having just one more mince pie? Do you always feel totally bloated and over-full? Do you end Christmas feeling shameful and guilty? Do you promise you'll 'get back on the bandwagon' in January? In this article I suggest 3 ways to avoid over-indulging without relying on willpower.
Read MoreAs an attachment-based parent you pour your heart and soul into nurturing your children, knowing that you are helping to grow healthy, independent, emotionally balanced human beings. The problem is, you have exactly the same needs as your children, and neglecting them leads to burnout. In this post, I explore 10 signs of motherhood burnout and what to do if you suspect you're heading down the grown-up dysregulation continuum towards burnout.
Read MoreBeing exhausted and dragging your way through the first five years of motherhood is NOT inevitable. Read on for the 4 steps to a calmer morning – without giving up coffee, having a complicated morning routine or setting the alarm unrealistically early.
Read MoreWhat’s the best food to eat to heal after giving birth and replenish the nutrients your body used during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding?
Read MoreNot enough sleep is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges facing mothers in the early years. The reason is obvious - our babies literally wake us up every 2 hours (if we're lucky!) to be fed, comforted and reassured. The problem is we assume that this will only continue for a few weeks, months at the most. So how do we survive the potentially years of sleep deprivation? How can we get more sleep - without resorting to sleep training?
Read MoreAs mums, we expect to be exhausted and tired in the first few weeks after giving birth. It's all everyone talks about when you're still pregnant - 'Enjoy your sleep now, it's the last you'll get for a while!' But how does poor sleep really affect our lives? What are the long term effects?
Read MoreThe second trimester of your pregnancy is often considered the golden months. It's generally when you start to 'glow' and get your energy back. Usually morning sickness and nausea has started to dissipate and your appetite has returned. But is there anything specific you could be eating for your and your baby’s wellbeing?
Read MoreDoes your newborn baby refuse to be put down? Does she seem fast asleep in your arms, arms floppy, no amount of noise will wake her up, only to immediately startle awake the minute you put her down in her Moses basket? Are you finding that the ONLY place she will sleep is on your chest - leaving you terrified to fall asleep yourself? Read on to find out why…
Read MoreDo you struggle to find time for yourself as a mother? Does the idea of self-care fill you with despair at ever fitting it in? Read on for my top tips on finding a small window of opportunity for a bit of you-time.
Read MoreWhen I talk to women about nutrition during pregnancy, they can often reel off exactly what they’re not allowed to eat or drink. But what about what you should eat? Should you eat specifically to support growth and change at each trimester. Does that change?
Although a ‘balanced, healthy’ diet is a good place to start, knowing what to eat for you and your baby at each stage can be empowering, and help you understand the changes your baby is going through right now.
Read MoreDespite its name, vitamin D is not actually very easily found in food. We primarily make vitamin D from sun exposure - if we’re not supplementing, 90% of our vitamin D is supplied from the sun. All cells in our body have vitamin D receptors on them; this means that vitamin D is important for all aspects of health.
Read MoreIt takes nine months to grow a baby. Yet women often start thinking about ‘snapping back’ into shape within a few months or even a few weeks after birth. It drives me mad - the pressure and judgement and pure expectation that a woman can ‘get back’ to what she looked like before. Your body has likely changed beyond recognition, and may not return. It has done something amazing. Once you’ve had a chance to heal and recover, rebuild and restore, then, and only then, can you start thinking about losing excess fat. Here’s what every new mother needs to know about losing weight postpartum.
Read MoreIn an (unrealistic) ideal world we'd only ever eat brown rice and lentils, hummus and oatcakes and steamed salmon and spinach, generally not having much fun over our food. But actually enjoying your food is also important. But while the odd chocolate digestive or piece of cake now and then is not going to ruin your health forever, overall your body would like to be fed food that is nutritious, easy to digest, and gives it what it needs to keep going. And in pregnancy and early motherhood, eating enough, good quality food is key to healing, recovery and building the energy and resilience you need to keep yourself and your baby going
Read MoreWhat’s the single, most powerful thing you can do every single day? Choose to eat well. You eat three, or more, times a day. Every time you put something in your mouth you make a choice about your health. Sometimes you make that choice consciously. More often you don’t. In the fourth and final instalment in the series, I’m covering the impact of nutrition and diet on mental health.
Read MoreHow well your body deals with hormones depends on how well you look after yourself during pregnancy and after. In this article, I explain the hormones that govern pregnancy and your postnatal phase, and give you some practical ideas for simple lifestyle changes that might be the difference between embracing motherhood and feeling resentful of it.
Read MoreHave you heard of the fourth trimester? It’s not often talked about, but it’s just as important to understand and adjust to as the three trimesters of pregnancy. Learning what to expect from your baby in the fourth trimester can go a very long way to manage your own and your family and friends’ expectations on you as a mother and on your baby. Plus, by understanding the fourth trimester and honouring it, you give you and your baby the best chance you can to bond and establish breastfeeding.
Read More1 in 10 new mothers are known to suffer postnatal depression and many more are likely to go undiagnosed due to shame and feelings of failure if they seek help. Without the support, guidance and advice of elders and more experienced mothers around her, who is there to mother the mother? Who is looking after the new mum? Who is making sure she is nourished and nurtured? Who heals and holds her?
Read MoreInflammation in the body is normal. It happens when there is some sort of repairing or rebuilding happening the body, and it occurs all the time. Inflammation itself is not bad; it’s vital to ensure the immune system works properly. But too much inflammation is bad and can cause complications further down the line.
Read MoreChronic levels of stress, caused by poor sleep, hunger, low levels of nutrients, a never-ending To Do list, becomes problematic, and over time these things add up. Many years down the line, ongoing, unrelenting stress could lead the body to burnout. Here are 3 common ways stress manifests in poor health and 8 coping strategies for new mums.
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