Mothers Intuition

20/05/2023

20/05/2023

You never know what's really going on behind a text, a smile or an emoji 😥 Check-in with that person who crossed your mind while reading this and remind them of how amazing they are ❤️

25/07/2022

✨What if we told women the truth about birth✨

We’d have to tell them that contractions will probably be more than “surges” or “sensations.”

That they’ll probably rock your f✨cking world and leave you begging for salvation as you clutch the edge of the tub or the hospital linens

That your gentle breathing exercises and your Spotify soundtrack will be left in the dust as you sweat and pant and sway and swear your way through it

That you’ll trip harder than any mushroom you ever did in college and vomit with the same ferocity and travel to places deep within yourself that you didn’t know existed. That you’ll float above your body and simultaneously be trapped in it with an intensity you’ve never tasted

And in that intensity, in the sweating and the swearing and the swaying and the vomiting and the endless hours of contractions crashing down upon you
You’ll find your strength
You’ll find a resilience you’ve never known
You’ll find the power you need for the journey of motherhood ahead

In the messy humanity of it all
You’ll find that you are holy
A portal to the divine
Capable of indescribable miracles
A vessel of sacred life

What if we told women the truth about birth?
We’d have to tell them they are capable of anything
Worthy of being treated like goddesses
Made to walk through the flames
Surf the tidal waves
Dive into the underworld
And come out alive

Not unscathed
Not unchanged
But whole
And healed
And ready to take on the world

If we told women the truth about birth
We’d have to admit that we’ve lied about everything else
And that they are more powerful
More fierce
More capable
More beautiful
Than we’ve ever let on.

If we told the truth about birth?
We’d shatter the world.”

~ Words and Art by Catie Atkinson
IG:
www.linktr.ee/spiritysol

SHE On The Tip Of Her Tongue

17/11/2021

09/10/2021

“The children who need love the most will always ask for it in the most unloving ways.” I couldn't agree more.  Do you ever feel like your kids crave your attention, but show it in

07/10/2021

I’ve been the happiest since I’ve had children.
I’ve also been at my lowest.

I’m a much better version of myself.
I also haven’t always liked what I’ve seen when mirrors have been held up to me.

I’ve never been in more company.
And at times never felt so lonely.

Some days I don’t want to end.
Some days I wish away, oh and the guilt from feeling that when they grow so fast.

I’ve never been so sure of who I’m meant to be.
I’ve never wondered so much who I am.

I’ve never felt closer with my husband.
But at times, I’ve never felt more distant.

I believe in myself, I trust myself.
I’ve questioned myself and doubted myself.

I always want to be better for them.
But I’ve yelled and cried and wished I’d handled certain situations better.

I’ve never loved so hard and so fiercely.
And I’ve never felt so vulnerable.

I’ve never been more broken.
And I’ve never been more complete.

I’ve never smiled so much.
I’ve never cried so much.

I’ve never craved alone time more.
But when I am I always feel like somethings missing, my kids warmth.

I’ve never been so excited to watch them grow.
And simultaneously wished they’d stay little forever.

Some days I feel like I’ve achieved nothing.
But as I think of them at night, I know I’ve achieved everything.

I’ve never looked forward to so much.
And I’ve also, never looked back.

It’s one beautiful contradiction.
A journey of wrong turns that are probably still right.
And dreams of the future even if you don’t get enough sleep to dream.
Exhaustion but effortless love.
The hardest and most rewarding thing ever.

Motherhood ❤️

Words from the beautiful book by Jess Urlichs, Writer ‘All I See Is You’ ❤

📸 via .Ch.R

The BreastMilk Fairy

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02/09/2021

This made me cry 😭😭

When you first have children they talk about the challenges of parenting....the struggles of a baby waking in the night,
the toddler who won’t stay in their bed, the cost of childcare, injuries from sports...

Having to take off work to pick them up from school when they don’t feel well, helping them with homework, a messy house, the never ending laundry, the cost to buy school clothes, packing their lunches....

You watch their eyes light up on Christmas morning....and try to soak in the magic of those moments.

You coach them in sports, rushing to practices and ballgames...and tote them all over the country to let them play the game they love...no matter how exhausting or expensive it becomes.

Life is just so busy that you rarely even stop to think what the end of those days look like.

In fact, it’s not really even something you can wrap your mind around.

You go into it thinking that 18-20 years sounds like a long time....

Then suddenly hours turn into days...days into months...and months into years.

That little person that used to crawl up next to you in bed and cuddle up to watch cartoons...suddenly becomes this young adult who hugs you in the hallway as they come and go.

And the chaos and laughter that used to echo throughout your home....gets filled with silence and solitude.

You’ve learned how to parent a child who needs you to care for and protect them....but have no clue how the whole “letting go” thing is supposed to work.

So you hold on as tight as you can...wondering how time passed so quickly...feeling guilty that you missed something....

Because even though you had 20 years.....it just somehow doesn’t seem like it was enough.

You ask yourself so many questions...

Did you teach them the right lessons?
Did you read them enough books as a child?
Spend enough time playing with them?
How many school parties did you have to miss?
Do they really know how much you love them?
What could I have done better as a parent?
....When it’s time for them to go, it all hits you like a ton of bricks.

And all you can do is pray....hope....and trust that God will protect them as they start to make their way into the world alone.

Parenting is by far the most amazing experience of your life....that at times leaves you exhilarated....while others leave you heartbroken.

But one thing is certain.....it’s never enough time...💕

So for all the parents with young children...whose days are spent trying to figure out how to make it through the madness...
Exhausted day in and day out...

Soak. It. All. In.

Because one day....all those crazy days full of cartoons, snuggles, sleep overs, Christmas morning magic, ballgames, practices and late night dinners...

All come to an end.

And you’re left hoping that you did enough right, so that when they spread their wings....

They’ll fly...💕💕💕

Credit to the Amazing Author:
Misty Brewer Lee

28/07/2021

Ok, so let’s talk about mum guilt.

Imagine this. Your child really wants to play with you, but you have to sort the washing. They want you to get the paddling pool out, but it has a puncture in it. You need to do more times table practise with them but you’re so tired. They want the latest games console but it’s just too expensive. Whatever causes it, mum guilt can be an inconvenience at best, and agonisingly exhausting at worst.

As mums, we put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect, that we rarely, if ever, live up to our own expectations. Social media is a trap; we catch a glimpse of people’s ‘perfect’ lives, when it is often just a posed snapshot amongst an otherwise messy imperfect day. I’m as much to blame as anyone with this; I try to get the smiling children, with their clean clothes, neat hair, mown lawn, all finished off with a glorious sunset in the background. The reality however, was probably very different; quick wet wipe to the toddler’s face to scrub off last night’s dinner, get just the right angle to avoid the dead lawn and overgrown weeds, and bribe the children with Mcdonalds if they will just stop arguing and smile for one minute.

In the last week, my ‘mum-guilt list’ includes:
The boys don’t eat enough healthy food
They have too much screen time
I don’t play with them enough
I haven’t hoovered the house again
I should spend more time reading with them
I shouldn’t sit down, I should be doing something
I shouldn’t want half an hour to myself, that’s selfish
I’m too strict
I’m not strict enough
I should be more adventurous and take them out more
I should do more baking with them
I should keep on top of the tidying up

And the list goes on and on. The overall feeling of not doing enough; not being enough. Why do we put such pressure on ourselves? Why do we feel so weighed down by obligation and expectation? It’s unhealthy and quite honestly damaging to our mental health.

I believe we need to ask ourselves this simple question; are our children safe and loved? Sure, some days will go better than others. Hey, we’re human. So what if the TV is on for 3 hours? Who really cares if your children are having chicken nuggets for the third night this week? Does a 9 o’clock bedtime hurt once in a while?

Are our children safe and loved?

Let go of the guilt, Mama. You are doing just fine. You are enough. You are more than enough. 💕

15/11/2020

25/04/2019

Experts offer advice on how to help children develop a taste for vegetables without hiding them in tater tots.

30/03/2019

One of these ladies is 40+2 and the other is 40+4 weeks pregnant. Both went into labour within 24 hours of these pictures. Both had 8lbs2oz babies, both girls.

Another thing both these baby bellies have in common? Their Symphisis Fundal Height is identical, 40cm.

When you hit 22-24 weeks in your pregnancy, your midwife will start measuring your belly. From your p***c bone, to the top part of your uterus - the fundus. This is how they monitor your babies growth curve. Usually the number of weeks you are is the number of centimetres you measure, give or take 2cm. If you fall off the curve your pregnancy has been following, your Midwife will offer you for necessary testing.

So the next time someone tells you you’re “too small” or “too big” for the number of weeks pregnant you are, point them this way!

01/03/2019

How was your second night with baby? What could have made it easier?

Read more about baby’s second night here: https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/bf-basics/second-night/
If you are concerned that your baby is not getting enough milk, check these signs and check with your healthcare provider: https://facebook.com/LaLecheLeagueUSA/photos/a.264537160241504.82770.253475138014373/1721611477867391/?type=3&source=54
[Image: Blurred photo of neighborhood at night. Text: Second Night Syndrome
"All of a sudden, your little one discovers that he's no longer back in the warmth and comfort of his womb, and it's SCARY out here! All sorts of people have been handling him, and he's not accustomed to the new noises, lights, sounds, and smells. He has found one thing, though, and that's his voice...and you notice that each time you take him off the breast he protests--loudly! A lot of moms are convinced it's because their milk isn't 'in' yet, and the baby is starving. What's really happening is that your baby has realized that the most comforting and comfortable place for him to be is at your breast. It's the closest to 'home' he can get."
- Jan Barger, RN, IBCLC, FILCA from The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding]