The rain is torrential outside, but I can still hear you call my name - mama. You’ve woken up with a fright, either a bad dream, too dark, too hot, sore teeth, a night terror - always the guessing game, but all that matters in this moment is you need me. I remember calling for my own mum when I was little with such urgency and almost terror, knowing she could fix anything. She always came, as fast as she could. I’m instantly awake, yet completely disoriented not knowing how long I’ve been asleep or what time it is. ‘I’m here darling, I’m here.’ Your arms search for me in the low light. I find your eyes and I feel the tension dissolve from you in an instant. The tears stop, your arms fit around my neck like the final puzzle piece finding its home. Our heartbeats begin to slow and beat in unison - like an old familiar duet. The adrenaline wears off and I’m weary, I’m exhausted. I’m almost emotional at the thought of how much sleep I’m going to miss out on tonight. Feeling grateful I don’t know the time - so I don’t start the calculations in my head. But right now, I wonder how many other parents are doing this too, sitting in the darkness - with their babies, toddlers and older children too. This is my chance to dig deep, to appreciate what is, to realise the intense love in this room right now between a mother and child. To recognise how privileged and lucky I am to be needed this much. I feel your breathing become regular so I lie down beside you and pull the duvet up. I stroke your hair away from your eyes and say a silent prayer of thanks for the privilege and challenge of motherhood. . . Gem Douglas @themotherhoodprojectnz
Happened again♥️
This is what I need right now. Ten minutes of reading Glennon Doyle in front of the fire with a @redsealnz relaxing tea, because I’ve been wound up today over a few things. I know I go on about self-care in motherhood & it’s something I believe needs a rebrand. It needs to be simplified & redefined – as Brianna Wiest said – ‘self-care is more about parenting yourselves and making choices for your long-term wellness.’ I drink this relaxing tea before bed, as it contains ingredients that promote relaxation, passion flower and chamomile. @redsealnz has a saying that when you put incredible in, you get incredible out, which I adore. Tune into what makes you feel incredible inside either through nutrition, mindfulness, sleep or exercise, and your family will feel the ripple effect when you look after yourself – which is exactly what I go on about so much. Self-care can be simple with big benefits – but you have to figure out what self-care means to you first. What raises your vibration? When I first became a mum, I knew I needed to practice ‘self-care’ but I didn’t understand it other than having a break from my baby. I would often get to the point of having a break, then not know what to do, I’d imagine doing about 10 things & do very little because I didn’t truly understand it’s importance. But now I get it. I need to be consciously aware of what self-care works. Something that raises my vibration & energy levels & it doesn’t need to be hard & time consuming. It can be as simple as putting on my favourite song & taking 5 deep breaths. My other self-care steps: Getting my kids to brush my hair. Sweating through a workout. Make a smoothie – with my supplements. Vacuuming my car. Leaving my phone in another room. Sitting in the sun with a hot cup of tea & breathing deeply. Doing a 2 minute body scan identifying any tension in my body. Cuddling the kids on the couch while watching TV. Calling my mum. . #redsealNZ #incredibleinside #collab . . Always read the label, use only as directed.
All the feels today, but most importantly, this day is a celebration of my daughter turning five and starting school. I felt an ache in my heart this morning at how she has grown into such an independent and brave little being. Then I read this and realized it’s all about attitude and mentality, like so many things in life. This moment is all we’ve got. I won’t ever have to be sad if I’m in the moment l,because I’ll be too busy enjoying them.♥️ Gem - @themotherhoodprojectnz . . @unstoppablemother
You may feel you haven’t achieved anything big today. The washing may have piled up and the dishes too. But just for a moment, let go. Let go of the pressure and the heaviness you feel, from both external and internal places. Let go of expectations and thoughts of not being good enough even for just a moment. Lower your shoulders, breathe and exhale as long as you can. Just let go. Allow thoughts to come without investing in them. Sit for a moment and imagine diving into the gap between these thoughts, where a tranquil space of only peace and love resides. You are untouchable here. In this moment think of how much love you put out into the world today, how many hugs and kisses you gave, hands you held, bodies you fed, washed, dressed and cared for. How safe and loved you made someone feel today. Remember to love yourself too. You did do something today, something so important. Every little thing mattered and so do you. . . Words by Gemma Douglas @themotherhoodprojectnz . Image by @o_trocatintas
Your world is often chaotic, gloriously chaotic, and can be hard to cut through the noise. But listen to the whispers of your intuition before they are silenced. Trust yourself that you know best. You have an authentic inner knowing when it comes to your own soul, and as a matter of fact – to your child’s soul too. . @themotherhoodprojectnz
Postpartum is hard. It’s wonderful but it’s also hard. A lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Through one of the most exhausting, soul touching and challenging moments of my life I suddenly have another soul that is completely relying on me for everything. This little one still believes we are one - which a part of me always will be. He craves my skin, my touch, my smell, my body - to feel safe, loved, fed and comforted. Pregnancy is often thought of as the finish line, yet it’s only the beginning, we are only just entering the arena. It’s important we think about who is in the arena with us as we enter our postpartum phase. Sometimes it hits us straight away after traumatic births, feeding and sleeping troubles and for others it’s months down the track or even years. It’s wonderful but it’s still hard. Let’s start informing and preparing our sisterhood of soon to be mothers that pregnancy is a time to prepare for not just our baby arriving but our transformation into a mother. Let’s also not forget about the mothers having their 2nd, 3rd or 6th babies, those transitions are tremendously hard too. That transition from one to two babies I still remember being intense. No matter what stage you are in as a mother your arena can’t be empty - a mother needs her village surrounding her. Whether it’s a supportive partner, through support/coffee groups, online, that one close friend who you text in the night, your own parents or paid help, don’t do it alone. Begin to fill that arena, whether it’s big or small. I understand this year has been a hard one creating a village but there are little ways we can help each other, dropping or delivering food, texting/calling every day and checking in. Asking what they need and if they are okay. Listening, validating and understanding how they feel. Just being a presence in their lives. Postpartum can be beautiful, it can also be really hard. Tbt Connor no.3 - 7 days old💞
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