Welcome to Mothering Mind & Body| Women's Holistic Health Services

My son just fell asleep on my lap, and my oldest is currently relocating every toy she owns to the living room floor, but I'm finally writing my first blog post.

That sounds so weird, and the thought of putting this out into the world gives me anxiety. But, this isn’t the first time I’ve been here. About two years ago, I attempted to start a blog, but I never hit publish. I was scared, and consumed with the “what if’s." "What if no one reads it?" "What if people think it’s stupid?" "What if people think I'm stupid?" "What if someone says something hurtful?" The “what if’s” still crept back in, but this time I felt the fear, and decided to do it anyways.

I think the reason I failed the first time, was because I lacked purpose. Friends and acquaintances would say, "I love your outfit, you should start a blog,” or “what makeup products do you use? You should do makeup tutorials," "What are your exercise and diet secrets?" And while I was flattered, it just didn’t happen. For so many reasons. I was exhausted. I had two young kids, a full-time job, and I was working through some health challenges. Every time I sat down I lost all motivation, mom-brain set in, and it felt like pulling teeth. Fashion blogging has it's value, but I didn't feel like it was worth the time and stress, and wasn't the best way I could be of service.

This time, I know my purpose. It’s personal, and so near and dear to my heart, and I'm confident that it will help and serve others. How many others? I don't know. But if it helps 20, 5, even 1 momma, it will have been worth it.

I'll get right into it. After my daughter was born I struggled with severe insomnia (like 2-3 days at a time with 0-2 hours of sleep- how is that even possible?!), OCD (major GERMAPHOBIA- and we weren't even in a pandemic), and anxiety (paralyzing, OMG-am-I-having- a- heart attack- anxiety), and I was eventually diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. I knew I wanted to be a mom since I was 15 years old. I had a very smooth pregnancy, and had a beautiful birth and delivery. So what happened? I was so confused, and I was devastated. At the time I was desperate, and had no idea what else to do besides go on the medication my doctors told me was the only option.

I started to think well, maybe I just hadn't been prepared for the sleeplessness, isolation, and anxiety of motherhood in those first few weeks. I kept wishing I had had someone to tell me what to expect, another mom that would have been really honest about her experiences (not just the warm-fuzzy, highlight reel ones), and other moms I could have been in community with. So I thought about being 'that person,' for other moms. I tried to be honest about my experiences with motherhood, and to prepare other moms who expressed interest for what to expect after baby came (think that Frida-mom commercial that got yanked from the Oscars for being "graphic"- epic eye roll). After a few of my friends had babies, I made it my mission to check on them, and offer support in any way I could- and I loved it. I knew I wanted to do something to help moms and build community.

When my son was born a little over two years later, I once again experienced severe insomnia, anxiety, and some new physical symptoms. This time, I went with a more holistic and integrative approach. Instead of suppressing symptoms, I explored what might be causing them, both physiologically, and environmentally, and I learned how much lifestyle, mindset, and environment can affect health. I might go deeper into both experiences at a later date if there is interest, but for now, I want to take all of the research, resources, and things that I learned through those experiences and start sharing them. I remember how it felt to feel alone, confused, and not know where to turn for answers. My goal is to share what I've learned so that you might have the answers I didn't.

One of my favorite quotes from Morgan Harper Nichols is

"Tell the story of the mountain you climbed, your words could become a page in someone else's survival guide."

And if motherhood doesn't sometimes feel like "survival," I don't know what does!

So I'm going to share that story. I'm going to talk about the insomnia, OCD, anxiety, coping skills, birth triumphs and traumas, recovery from pelvic floor issues- think leaks, low back pain, bathroom issues et cetera, (if reading that made you clutch your pearls, this may not be the blog for you, because It. Will. Get. Real. Real personal.), Diastasis Recti (ab gapping, "the pooch" whatever you call it), and all things holistic, preventative and integrative that helped me along my journey.

My hope is to be your partner on your pregnancy and postpartum journey, and to create a community for support. I'm sure you've heard "it takes a village." Somewhere along the way, our society has lost this. New parents, especially new mothers, need a community. They need a community to care deeply about them, to support them while they learn to become a mom and raise their children, and they need a community that allows them to see and be seen my other moms- without judgement.

I truly appreciate you being here. I appreciate your support and patience while I figure out how to do this. I'm doing my best to start creating meaningful content, but in the meantime, I welcome any questions and suggestions for newsletter or blog topics (I promise, there is nothing you can ask that will gross me out.) If I don't have the answer to your question, I will gladly reach out to other professionals in my network and research to find out for you. This is still very new. If you experience an issue/glitch with anything on the site, please let me know. If you haven't subscribed to my email list yet, you'll receive "10 Tips to Feel Better Fast" as a "thank you," if you sign up.

I am so grateful for you. Take care momma.

Love,