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The Mothermorphosis

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“Come at me baby, I can take you. Give me everything you’ve got”.
My daughter was five months old when these words left my lips.
The moment they escaped, I felt sick.

I knew I couldn’t handle all the parts of her.
She was a firecracker.
All her feelings, all her boundary pushing, her power and glory... they were too much for the woman who spoke them and I knew it.

I was scared.
The anxiety rose.
It would take a huge, ongoing up-levelling, to be with a child so strong-willed.

A year and a half later, she …

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Why Investing In Mothers Will Help Solve the Childhood Physical Inactivity Epidemic

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This morning I watched a video of Serena Williams training in the lead up to the Australian Open with her daughter hitting balls alongside her. Aside from being super cute, it got me reflecting on a question I was asked in an interview earlier this week: “what would be the single most important step we could take towards solving the problem of childhood inactivity?”

Physical activity in children helps with concentration, learning, emotional regulation, sleep quality, bone and muscular health, c…

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A Letter To My Mum Across The Border

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Dear Mum,


She is getting so big now, you won’t believe it when you see her. The clothes she wore when you were here in March are packed away, and so are the next size after that.


She’s worn through two sizes of shoes, and that big clever brain is growing too (mental note: must buy her a new hat).


The crawling baby you pushed in a pram last visit is now confidently running. She’s trying to climb things and when she feels really brave, attempting little jumps too. She spends a great …

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What going "overdue" taught me

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When this photo was taken at 40+3, I thought I was so ready to meet my baby.
I had imagined what it would be like to grow and hold a child in my arms for the years of fertility doubts we’d traversed before her conception. I had cultivated a strong connection with her over many months of meditating, journaling and daydreaming. We had sunk into sleep to birth affirmations, had our “last hurrah” childless couple date and the birth pool was inflated, waiting.
Contractions started a…

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What I Want For Dads This Fathers' Day

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Isn’t it telling that Mothers’ Day celebrations often aim to give mums "time out" FROM their kids, yet Fathers' Day is about dads spending time WITH their kids?

The underlying sociocultural assumptions here are that:
1. Mums do the lion’s share of child care, even in families where both parents are present in the home.
2. Dads spending a significant portion of the day with their kids is unusual.

While this doesn’t reflect the reality for some families, data from the Aus…

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Bring your whole self to the experience

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In one of my favourite books (and less conventional pre-baby maternity leave reads) "The Five Invitations", author Frank Ostaseski invites us to bring our whole selves to the experience of life so we can approach death without fear and regret.

If we strive to the patriarchal, capitalist mantles of womanhood and motherhood as pure selflessness, sacrificing of our own needs to meet the needs of others, we repress our experience of life and risk approaching those breaths unfulfilled.


How would it f…

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Confession Time: My Personal Postnatal Rehab Story

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💔The relationship counsellor who's marriage is falling apart.
💪The personal trainer who never gets time for their own workout.
👇Me.

I write this as a postpartum support professional who tells mums to get all the help they need, yet put it off for myself.

The mama mentor who teaches other mums to look after themselves, but put making an appointment for myself low on my priority list.

The exercise professional who tells women to see a pelvic floor physio six weeks after they birth their baby, yet…

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Babywearing - more than a Sensitive New Age trend

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Some bubs LOVE being worn. We're carrying mammals after all.

There are wraps, slings, structured carriers... How to choose?

This is what we know:

Baby wearing helps the infant stay close to the caregiver and regulate its breathing and reduce stress levels (neurodevelopment).

There are myths and truths around baby wearing and baby's hips, and postural considerations for the caregiver (science, anatomy).

The proximity of the baby by touch and scent accelerates bonding between the wearer and the baby (b…

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Why breastfeeding is about way more than boobs!

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Your hormone balance and mood in the early weeks relies on frequent suckling from the baby, which releases a hit of oxytocin to make you feel loved up and makes you more resilient to sleep deprivation (maternal health, science).

Babies expect to be in arms and studying your face at close range lot. They are calmed by sucking and feeling your breath pattern, and their brain is making connections about feeling safe as you feed them (infant development).

Understanding latch, mechanics and feeding on …

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Obstetrix: Mothering the mother beyond birth

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As the woman stands opposite, she breathes. Her shoulders are relaxed, her gaze is reassuring.

Her ears and eyes are open, she sees all of you laid bare, and breathes. She does not shy away or problem solve.

She sees your obstacles through fresh eyes, and breathes love into them, into you.

And as her heart wraps around yours, you breathe anew. You feel your true self step forth, without temptation to embellish or hide.

"The woman who stands opposite", "the one who sees obstacles" and "midw…

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