Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast that can lead to infection. The inflammation results in breast pain, swelling, heat and redness. Mastitis can feel like you have the flu as it is often accompanied by a fever, body aches, shivers, pains and fatigue. The main cause for mastitis is a blocked milk duct, which can lead to infection. However, bacterial mastitis is also common.
Read MorePregnancy back pain typically happens where the pelvis meets your spine, at the sacroiliac joint or SIJ, in the joints of the lumbar spine or at the joint between the two halves of the pelvic rim known as the pubic symphysis. Between 50-80% of women experience some form of back pain in pregnancy.
Read MorePostnatal Depression is different to the baby blues. The baby blues affect up to 75% of mothers in the first 10 days following birth, but the symptoms — usually mood swings and bouts of crying — are mild and don’t last long. PND lasts much longer and is more deeply felt than the baby blues and can set in at any time during the first year following birth.
Read MoreThe first step to leading a balanced life is to know where you are. So checking in, authentically and honestly, about where you are struggling, surviving, or thriving with these basic questions can help you think of practical ways to make ‘microintents,’ or small changes that can have big impact.
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In 2017, I suffered from burnout and “hospital fatigue” after working for almost 10 years in Emergency Departments and juggling that with becoming a mother. The irregular hours, night shifts and stressful work environment played havoc with my nervous system. Running off adrenaline, I was constantly in fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system), severely sleep deprived with a disrupted circadian rhythm (sleep wake cycle), depleted and burnt out.
Read MoreThe moment I became a mother was so transformational for me on such a deep level that I simply couldn’t go back to the work I was doing before. I had to get to the core of why some women have positive birth experiences and others don’t. I am driven by a passion to provide evidence-based information and education but also offer much needed emotional and practical support to mothers and their partners throughout this very special time in their life.
Read MoreGetting ready for the arrival of a baby is usually the central focus of many entering into this either new or familiar era once again. Clothes, nappies, toys, sheets, prams, birth plans, prenatal yoga, birthing classes and the list goes on. We do however forget to contemplate life after that incredible portal to Motherhood, where in fact self-love, care and nurture are the most important aspects of wellbeing and overall bonding capacity with your little.
Read MoreYour pelvic floor is the centre of your femaleness, however most women don’t even think about their pelvic floor until something goes wrong with it and then accept it as ‘normal’ and are too ashamed to speak to someone about it. Pelvic floor problems are certainly common but they are NOT normal and we need to learn how to correctly activate and strengthen our pelvic floor muscles and adopt healthy daily habits, as well as practical knowledge to protect the pelvic floor through our life stages.
Read MoreDuring my time in clinic working with Dr Serrallach and treating mothers with Postnatal depletion, I learnt that the first step in the repletion plan is rebuilding your micronutrients. This will involve blood tests to check your levels and then possibly a six week course of oral supplements followed by retesting. Supplements are often needed because there is a loss of mineral and vitamin density in food due to poor soil mineral content and long term storage of foods. So foods are good at maintaining levels but can be poor at replacing levels of vitamins and minerals. Once your depletion is on its way to being cured, you’ll be able to get the micronutrients you need from nutrient dense foods.
Read MoreMost of us don’t take the time these days to sit with a meal, chew it well or eat in good company. We are usually eating at our desks, eating on the run, multi-tasking or not eating at all. The joy and very nature of food as nourishment has been lost for many, and this is not helped by the popularisation of quick convenience foods and ‘food’ like foods, which trick us into thinking it’s okay to eat them as quickly as they can be purchased. The truth is real food takes time to prepare, just like it should take time to be eaten, and here is why –
Read MoreWe all want happy, healthy lives for our children but in todays high-tech, fast paced world it’s pretty easy for our children to become over-stimulated, overwhelmed and disconnected to their natural world. As a result there are increasing reports of high levels of anxiety and mental health problems amongst children as young as primary school age. Living in this world today our children need tools to become more mindful and better able to cope with the increasing pressures of modern living.
Read MoreAs I almost come to the end of the fourth trimester with my third child, I have been thinking about what a sacred and special time it is and how we can best survive (and indeed thrive) during a period which can be equal parts bumpy and confusing as it is blissful and fulfilling. The first twelve weeks after giving birth are intensely raw and emotional, where tears flow with breast milk and the mother is enveloped in a mix of oxytocin soaked, heart aching love and bliss as well as extreme physical exhaustion and a state of hyper vigilance as she adapts to this new way of life.
Read MoreInfections such as the cold and flu are a part of life and despite the annoyance and discomfort of becoming ill, these infections do have an essential role in the development of our immune system. How we respond to infection, that is, how well or how badly we cope or bounce back, depends on a variety of factors including the strength of the immune system, the effectiveness of the barrier mechanisms (skin, nose, mouth, digestive tract), the virulence of the organism and lastly the vitality of the individual.
Read MoreImagine feeling like a patient, calm, relaxed mother unfazed by sibling fights, sleep deprivation, endless multi-tasking and constant demands – where clarity and vitality are the norm? As many mothers are discovering, Vedic Meditation is an amazing tool which helps us do just that. Over three years ago I found myself as a newly single mother with three very young children (5 years, 3 years and 15 months at the time).
Read MoreAfter my second child was born, I suffered from severe post natal depletion. That difficult time luckily led me to a wonderful job in Integrative medicine where I worked with inspiring doctors alongside wonderful naturopaths, acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and other skilled therapists. I have a special interest in women’s health and postnatal care and after reading about the work Dr Oscar Serrallach was doing, I was keen to get involved.
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