When a friend told me to listen to my instincts when I was a new mother, I wondered what she could mean. At the time, not only was I unable to tune into my instincts, I had little idea that
The mother-child bond
One of the most astonishing things about become a mother for the first time was the feeling that I would never again be a unitary being. Holding my baby in my arms, looking into the tar-black pools of her eyes,
My story– on The Awakened Parent
I’m really pleased to be sharing my story on Clare Kirkpatrick’s brilliant blog, The Awakened Parent. Here’s the link: http://theawakenedparent.org/
How much is enough?
An analogy that I once read that has given me pause for thought is that meeting a child’s needs is like filling a cup. The more you fill the cup, the better your child will feel, and children whose cups
Top 5 ways to listen to your heart
“Listen to your instincts.” It’s a phrase I often use when discussing breastfeeding and other parenting decisions with mothers. When they tell me that they are confused and that other people are giving them advice, yet they aren’t sure what
If/then
I was interested but not surprised to read this week about new research from the University of Warwick that shows that in spite of their differences, most parenting advice from the past 50 years sets unattainably high standards for mothers.
Standing on my own two feet
It’s so easy to go with the flow, to do what everyone else is doing, to follow the latest advice and listen to the ‘experts.’ What’s harder is questioning commonly-held assumptions, making up your own mind and taking responsibility for
Mother nature hasn’t read that book
I am a lover of books. Several walls of my house are lined with full book shelves. I always have at least one, if not more, books on the go. I’ll read fiction and non-fiction. I’ll read paper books and
A bit of a rant, actually
This is not going to be a rant about health professionals. Nor is it a rant about grannies, mothers-in-law or anyone else for that matter. It is a rant about how fear can work its way into the mind of a
Climbing the steep learning curve
The first weeks with a new baby, especially your first, can be a mind-blowing experience. There seems to be so much to do for the little one, and the mix of emotions is potent. One minute you might feel elated
