Life After Birth

31/01/2022

Are you ready to review your month? January can be a month when we make and break lots of resolutions - the average New Years resolution is kept for about 10 days!

So instead of looking at what hasn't gone well, focus on the little wins and things you are grateful for this past month. We get more of what we focus on, so let's focus on positive things and get more of that in February!

07/01/2022

02/01/2022

2021 has been a difficult year for me for a few reasons with my physical and mental health. I know I am not alone in struggling through but I have learnt some important lessons along the way; isn't that always the way with hardship?

🥰 I have an amazing support network of family, friends, colleagues and clients.

🥰 I am in control of my responses, whatever is thrown at me and I can choose to make these positive.

🥰. I am still learning and so mistakes are allowed.

🥰. Nurturing myself is my number one priority, from there everything else will grow.

04/10/2021

I am nearly back! Watch this space x

03/07/2021

Everyone who comes into contact with women before, during or after pregnancy has the opportunity to provide mental health support.

By taking a proactive, rounded approach to perinatal mental health (PMH), the significant human and economic costs of undiagnosed or untreated PMH problems can be minimised.

The MMHA is calling for:

All women and families across the UK to have equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality PMH care, including and beyond specialist services.

30/06/2021

Sometimes life throws curve balls. We think we know where we are headed and have our plans and then something unexpected happens.

For me that has been a new autoimmune kidney disease. Out of nowhere I developed nephrotic syndrome, which basically meant I swelled up with 9kg of water and got very ill. Thankfully Kings College hospital were brilliant and quickly diagnosed a rare kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and through steroid treatment it is now in partial remission.

So life as I knew it has changed and my immunity is compromised through the treatment so even as the country prepares to end lockdown for good I am ramping up my social distancing and hand gel use to keep from catching even a mild illness.

But I am grateful for being alive, for being able to work online and still see clients and to all the wonderful support around me.

05/06/2021

How did you do?

Name the 3 people that matter most to you in this world. And then...

22/05/2021

As we approach the last week in a month about mental health it’s good to consider ways we can make things a little easier in ourselves

A friend shared this and I really liked the lesson! *original poster (Kate Scott 2020)*:

RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.

When I was at one of my lowest (mental) points in life, I couldn’t get out of bed some days. I had no energy or motivation and was barely getting by.
I had therapy once per week, and on this particular week I didn’t have much to ‘bring’ to the session. He asked how my week was and I really had nothing to say.
“What are you struggling with?” he asked.
I gestured around me and said “I dunno man. Life.”
Not satisfied with my answer, he said “No, what exactly are you worried about right now? What feels overwhelming? When you go home after this session, what issue will be staring at you?”
I knew the answer, but it was so ridiculous that I didn’t want to say it.
I wanted to have something more substantial.
Something more profound.
But I didn’t.
So I told him, “Honestly? The dishes. It’s stupid, I know, but the more I look at them the more I CAN’T do them because I’ll have to scrub them before I put them in the dishwasher, because the dishwasher sucks, and I just can’t stand and scrub the dishes.”
I felt like an idiot even saying it.
What kind of grown ass woman is undone by a stack of dishes? There are people out there with *actual* problems, and I’m whining to my therapist about dishes?
But my therapist nodded in understanding and then said:

“RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.”

I began to tell him that you’re not supposed to, but he stopped me.
“Why the hell aren’t you supposed to? If you don’t want to scrub the dishes and your dishwasher sucks, run it twice. Run it three times, who cares?! Rules do not exist, so stop giving yourself rules.”
It blew my mind in a way that I don’t think I can properly express.
That day, I went home and tossed my smelly dishes haphazardly into the dishwasher and ran it three times.
I felt like I had conquered a dragon.
The next day, I took a shower lying down.
A few days later. I folded my laundry and put them wherever the f**k they fit.
There were no longer arbitrary rules I had to follow, and it gave me the freedom to make accomplishments again.
Now that I’m in a healthier place, I rinse off my dishes and put them in the dishwasher properly. I shower standing up. I sort my laundry.

But at a time when living was a struggle instead of a blessing, I learned an incredibly important lesson:

THERE ARE NO RULES.
RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE!!!

14/05/2021

It’s ok to ask for help x

Hello. It’s Mental Health Awareness week - so I thought I’d share this.
I hope you’re ok in these odd times.

(Also - if anyone approaches you with another account in my name - it’s not me. Please ignore it.)

29/04/2021

The best way to deal with intrusive thoughts is to stay detached from them. Wave hello and then let it drift away. There are various differnt ways to imagine this. You could hang a thought on a tree in your mind, pop it on a cloud and let it drift out of your mind, or even drop it into a river and watch it flow away.

Whatever works for you just remember you are not your thoughts. Thinking something does not make you a bad person - we all do it!

28/04/2021

🙋🏼 Hands up if you have .

We all have them but when we have had a baby, are sleep deprived, stressed, and struggling these thoughts can be articularly bad.

You are not alone if you have thought about throwing your baby down the stairs or out of the window.

You are not alone if you have thought about shaking your baby.

You are not alone if you have thought about holding your baby under the water

You are not alone if you have had any thoughts about harming your baby.

It is safe to talk about these thoughts, other parets will be relieved that you have started the conversation so they can also talk about the thoughts they have had. They are just thoughts.

If you are worried that you may act on thoughts of harming your baby or yourself then do seek out a professional to speak to who can help. Speaking about these thoughts will help you to get support.

27/04/2021

If you were to have another
baby what name would
you choose?