NeuroThrive Health

NeuroThrive Health Clinical Naturopath, Specialising in paediatric & women's health care (fertility, hormones, pregnancy & postpartum). Support for Neurodivergent families

PRACTITIONER
As a medical practitioner my role is to provide educate, my role is to guide and support you and your family. NURTURER
I have always been a nurturer, however by becoming a mother my nurturing skills have really flourished. This is one of my biggest strengths and helps me in holding space for parents to release what they need to in our sessions so that they can resume being the awesome parent they are. It's not just children that thrive in a position of being nurtured. SUPPORTER
I will be your biggest supporter, this is a completely judgement free zone where you are able to express yourself completely and freely. CONNECTION
Connection & feeling safe within the work we do together is important. A healthy connection between myself and clients is what I strive for. Trust is formed from this connection (after all we are working within your family unit). CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT
I have a background in Education. Children, their development & health/wellbeing has always been a keen interest of mine. With a special interest in neurodiversities, I'm constantly sifting through research for information that can assist neurodivergent families like mine with the various health challenges that arise.

I’ve updated my website to better reflect the work I do supporting women and neurodivergent families 🤍Over time, my clin...
23/03/2026

I’ve updated my website to better reflect the work I do supporting women and neurodivergent families 🤍

Over time, my clinic has grown into something much deeper than just naturopathy.

I work with women who are exhausted, overwhelmed, running on empty, and trying to hold everything together. I work with children who are navigating feeding challenges, sensory needs, gut issues, and big emotions.

And most of the time… I’m supporting both.

Because it’s never just one person in isolation when it comes to families.

This is why my work now centres around:
✨ Hormones, energy, and nervous system support for women
✨ Feeding and regulation for neurodivergent kids
✨ Gut & vaginal microbiome
✨ Practical, realistic strategies that actually fit into real life

Many families find me when searching for a neurodivergent naturopath who understands both women’s health and children’s needs, and that’s exactly what I’ve built this space to reflect.

If you’ve been feeling like your body is struggling, your child is struggling, or everything just feels harder than it should…

You can explore more here:
www.neurothrive.com.au

Let me know what you think!

One of the most fascinating things about breastfeeding is that it is not static. Your breastmilk is constantly adapting....
20/03/2026

One of the most fascinating things about breastfeeding is that it is not static. Your breastmilk is constantly adapting.

There is a feedback loop happening between you both. When you hold your baby close, kiss them, and spend time skin to skin, you are being exposed to their microbes.

Here’s the amazing part.

When you are kissing your baby’s face, head, or skin, your body is naturally sampling which microbes are present on them and collecting information. That information then signals your immune system to adjust your breastmilk, particularly immune factors like antibodies, to help support your baby. So when Bub is sick… kiss away, my friend.

Here’s what is happening:
Those microbes interact with your immune system, and in response, your body can tailor your breastmilk to meet your baby’s needs. This is one of the ways babies receive targeted immune support in early life.

We all know how incredible breastfeeding is. But it is not the only way to support your baby’s gut. There are some really powerful things we can do, even with formula feeding. I’ll share more on that later this week 🤍

Nine years ago, this was me.Skin to skin, completely in love, completely exhausted, and unaware of how much was unfoldin...
20/03/2026

Nine years ago, this was me.

Skin to skin, completely in love, completely exhausted, and unaware of how much was unfolding beneath the surface.

At that time, I didn’t understand the microbiome like I do now (although I wish I did because I'd do so many things different).

In those early moments, my baby’s gut, immune system, and internal ecosystem were beginning to take shape through exposure, touch, and connection.

What I understand now is this:
The microbiome is not built in a single moment.
Birth plays a role, yes.
But it is only the beginning.

From there, the gut continues to develop through repeated inputs.

- Skin to skin contact
- Feeding patterns
- Environmental exposure
- Nervous system regulation

These early experiences help guide how the gut, immune system, and digestion mature over time.

This is why I take a broader approach when supporting babies and families. Because when we zoom out, we can see that gut development is not about one factor. It is a process.

And it is something we can continue to support well beyond those first few moments.

I’ll share more on that tomorrow 🤍

When your child eats the same food every day, then suddenly refuses it... One week your child wants the same food every ...
16/03/2026

When your child eats the same food every day, then suddenly refuses it...

One week your child wants the same food every single day.
Pasta every dinner or the same meal every morning, lunch and dinner. Maybe it's a particular yoghurt that must be the correct colour and brand.

Then suddenly… they will NOT touch it (usually after we've fully stocked the fridge of it of course!)

Parents often feel confused when this happens. This pattern is called food jagging, and it is actually very common in childhood, with neurodivergence & also ARFID (Important to note that this is not confined to just kids either).

Food jagging usually happens when someone eats one food repeatedly for a period of time, then stops eating it altogether. There can be several reasons for this.

🫶Sometimes they need a period of predictability and safety with food. Eating the same thing repeatedly helps the nervous system feel calm and familiar.
🫶Sometimes the sensory system becomes overloaded with that particular flavour or texture, and the brain simply needs a break.
🫶Sometimes it is part of normal developmental curiosity, where they rotate through preferred foods.

For neurodivergent people, sensory processing can make these patterns even more noticeable.

The helpful approach is often:
🫶Gentle variety without pressure
🫶 Offering foods alongside familiar ones
🫶Keeping mealtimes predictable and calm
🫶 Allowing them to return to foods when they are ready
Many people eventually cycle back to foods they previously refused.

For children, food learning is rarely linear. It tends to move in little loops and phases as children grow. And those phases are part of how their relationship with food develops over time.

Your toddler licking the playground equipment might actually be contributing to their microbiome…And before anyone panic...
12/03/2026

Your toddler licking the playground equipment might actually be contributing to their microbiome…

And before anyone panics… I'm not recommending it. Unless that is just something your child loves to do. One of mine used to kiss the seeing eye dog statue. Looking back she must have always loved golden retrievers.

But children are constantly interacting with microbes in their environment.
🦮Pets
🪴Soil
🏀Parks
👥Other kids
🥝Food

All of these exposures help shape the gut microbiome.
Which means childhood is essentially one big microbial learning experience.

Their immune system and gut ecosystem are constantly figuring out how to interact with the world around them.

Messy play, outdoor time, and environmental exposure can actually be important parts of that process. Even if it occasionally makes parents cringe.















New research is highlighting something many parents of autistic children already know deeply.Some days, being a parent o...
10/03/2026

New research is highlighting something many parents of autistic children already know deeply.

Some days, being a parent of a neurodivergent child can feel like you are carrying the weight of the whole world.And that's not because you don't love your child immensely, but because everything can feel harder.

The sleepless nights.
The mealtimes that end in tears.
The clothing that feels wrong.
The noise that is too loud.
The lights that are too bright.
The meltdowns that seem to come from nowhere.

And the constant feeling of needing to be on alert all the time.
Watching. Anticipating. Protecting.

A recent study looking at mothers of young autistic children found something that many parents already know in their bones.
77 percent of the children had significant sensory processing differences.

And the greater the sensory challenges, the greater the caregiver burden experienced.

Not because parents are not coping, but because when a child’s sensory system is overwhelmed, it affects almost every moment of daily life:
-Sleep.
-Food.
-Clothing.
-Movement.
-Busy places.
-School.
-Transitions.

Parents often become their child’s regulator, interpreter, and protector all at once. That is an enormous role to hold.

This research reminds us that sensory differences are not just a child experience.

They ripple through the whole family.

When we support a child’s sensory world, we are also supporting the nervous systems of the parents who love them.

You're loving and supporting a child in ways the world does not always make easy.

Sarah
The Neurodivergent Naturopath

Here's the study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.202818









Grief rarely arrives in the ways we expect.Grief takes many forms.It may come through pregnancy or child loss.Through th...
08/03/2026

Grief rarely arrives in the ways we expect.

Grief takes many forms.

It may come through pregnancy or child loss.
Through the passing of someone deeply loved.
Through caring for someone as their health changes.

It can also live in the quieter spaces of life.

The emotional weight of caregiving.
Distance that grows in relationships.
The identity shifts that come with motherhood and life transitions.

Grief doesn't always look dramatic.

Often it looks like carrying on while your heart feels heavy.

So I created something gentle.

Thread of Love
A flower essence blend created with deep care.
Supports emotional wellbeing during times of bereavement, pregnancy or child loss, caregiving stress, relationship changes, pet loss, identity transitions, and anticipatory grief.
Because even when life changes shape, the bonds we hold do not disappear.

They become part of the thread that runs through us.
If your heart is in a tender season, this remedy was made with you in mind.

Available now!

A baby’s biology is being programmed from conception to age two. Scientists call this window the first 1000 days.It begi...
07/03/2026

A baby’s biology is being programmed from conception to age two. Scientists call this window the first 1000 days.

It begins at conception and continues until a child’s second birthday, when the foundations of the brain, gut microbiome, immune system, metabolism and nervous system are rapidly developing.

During this time nutrition, microbial exposure, stress signals, sleep and the caregiving environment all interact to shape how these systems organise themselves. In other words, early life does not just influence growth. It helps set the biological patterns the body will rely on for years to come.

This is why supporting families through fertility, pregnancy, infancy and early childhood can have such powerful long term effects.

Healthy mums help grow healthy babies, and tiny bodies deserve support while their systems are still learning how to work together.

Over the next few posts I will unpack the biology of the first 1000 days and how we can support developing brains and bodies from the very beginning.

Children’s gut microbiomes are constantly developing.In early life, bacteria such as Bifidobacterium longum often play a...
04/03/2026

Children’s gut microbiomes are constantly developing.

In early life, bacteria such as Bifidobacterium longum often play an important role in shaping the gut environment and supporting immune development. As children grow and their diet changes, the microbiome naturally becomes more diverse and shifts toward microbes that digest plant fibres.

Because of this, microbiome results in children need to be interpreted differently from adult results. Looking at the broader pattern alongside age, diet, and health history helps ensure that normal developmental changes are not mistaken for problems.

Inspired by research on paediatric microbiome development from Dr Brad Leech

When we talk about safety, it can sound really abstract, so what do I mean? 👇🏼The nervous system doesn't interpret safet...
04/03/2026

When we talk about safety, it can sound really abstract, so what do I mean? 👇🏼

The nervous system doesn't interpret safety as a thought, it reads it through signals.

👉Consistent meals.
👉Steady blood sugar.
👉Deep sleep.
👉Morning light.
👉Slower breathing.
👉Supportive relationships.
👉Reduced inflammatory load.

These are safety cues, and when your nervous system receives these signals (.....consistently!!) hormonal communication can stabilise.

Ovulation isn't triggered by 'trying harder'

It is supported when your body feels resourced. Now I'm not saying that you need a stress free life, what you need is enough safety signals to balance the load.

Be gentle with yourself. Your body is always responding.
What feels like a safety signal for you right now?

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