So you have a newborn. And they are so cute, and they smell so good, and they make the cutest sounds ever… and all you want to do is watch them. Your time is consumed with everything baby, you’re still recovering from birth and at times it feels like your body is so foreign to …
Life After Birth
Like most mums, I went a little crazy when I had my first baby. I bought just about everything anyone proclaimed I ‘needed’ or that promised to make life easier. For the record, that was a lot of ‘things’. It turns out, I barely used any of them (partially due to my son being in …
To say I was naive about pregnancy and in particular, the postpartum phase is an understatement. In my defence, I knew my son was going to be in NICU and likely to have surgery and all of our birth prep centred around getting him earthside safely and what was going to happen after that. There …
If you’re like every other breastfeeding Mama, and have no idea what IS actually a safe level of alcohol to consume, well… the good news is you don’t need to pump and dump! In my naive Student Midwife days, this is what we were taught, and I cringe to think how many women I’ve told …
I don’t know what it is, but when a woman has a baby, everyone forgets how to make conversation with her. It’s as if staring at a new baby for too long makes their brain switch off and the mouth blurts out strange small talk one-liners. ‘Is he a good baby?’, ‘How does he sleep?’ …
In such a modern world, it makes me sad that women feel as though they cannot feed their baby in a public place, and that it is something we should be ashamed of. Even when many countries have laws supporting breastfeeding women, our overall society views haven’t quite caught up – which is such a …
Hey There You… Yeah you, the one who is showing as my reflection in the mirror, but I don’t quite recognise anymore. The one who looks stretched and worn, who has new bumps and lumps and who looks older (and maybe a little wiser). First of all, I have to apologise. Because I truly am …
When you’re pregnant with your baby for the first time (or anytime really) you imagine what life is going to be like after they are born. You dream of their soft little cuddles, their gorgeous milky smell and that overwhelming love that comes with the oxytocin high. Something I didn’t really think about was all …
Birth is a profound experience. It can be transformative and empowering. But what about when it’s not? What happens when birth leaves you feeling broken, angry, let down, guilt ridden, abandoned, unheard or disregarded, like a failure. Yet life goes on, and it feels as though everything becomes about the baby, but you were left …
This funny thing happens when you’re pregnant for the first time… everyone you come into contact with takes this as a cue to give you parenting advice. And what’s amazing is that you don’t even have to ask for it (that was sarcasm by the way). Now, don’t get me wrong, some advice is great …