A note from Anna: It has been wonderful to see people sharing more on social media about their c-section scars and recovery! It is a privilege to invite Hannah Poulton, an experienced physiotherapist and scar specialist to share her tips on recovery. Her knowledge is fuelled by a passion that mums would be equipped and […]
Calming the Mother Rage It was 5pm, in the kitchen on a Tuesday afternoon. I emitted a roar so thunderous that my toddler wailed and my sons abandoned the television’s glare to investigate. Next appeared my husband, clutching an open laptop whilst swiftly cutting off a colleague mid-sentence. Eyes watched in confusion as I visibly […]
Ruby in the Rubble submission by Lauren Kaighan A note from Anna: Pleasing others and ensuring they think I’m a good person has been a driver for so much in my life, and also the reason I’ve held back. Address this (I’ve written a course called The People Pleasing Course to help guide you in […]
‘I shouted at Charlie. Like, really shouted at him. He cried. I cried, and now I feel bad’ Oh Anna, we all do that. Don’t worry about it. It’s tough. Everyone loses it sometimes. It’s not like it’s all the time. ‘I can’t remember the last day I didn’t have a drink. Just one the […]
I think I’ve changed my mind about self-care. Self-care is not a shower. It’s not peeing when you need to. It’s not hydrating or going to bed instead of doing another load of washing. That is self-respect. Does my husband think he’s engaging in ‘a little self care’ when he hops into the shower to […]
(My Reframing Anxiety Course goes into significant depth on health anxiety, but I’ve been asked numerous times a day to write about how to handle Coronavirus anxiety, so I am putting some of my tips into context). Perhaps you find yourself obsessively checking the news for fresh articles on Coronavirus or scouring updated statistics. Maybe […]
I’m sharing this letter in honour of Gi Fletcher and her beautiful book, Letters on Motherhood. I wrote this to my son Charlie, when he was 5 months old. It was typed through tears as I spent New Years Eve of 2016 alone on the sofa. It’s a stark reminder of how things always move […]
Me: ‘ I can’t stand people being sick’ Someone else: ‘yeah, nobody likes people being sick’ But does everyone else.. Wake with a racing heart after repeated nightmares about vomiting? Replay historic sickness scenarios through their minds like unwelcome horror films? Experience a sharp rise of panic when someone coughs loudly on a train? Feel […]
(Sponsored post by Waterwipes) What a rollercoaster parenthood is! However, a quick scroll through social media would often have us believe that we’re the only ones sitting on this hair-raising ride. It seems like comparison is king and we often feel like we’re the only ones winging it. I’m going to share my top parenting […]
(Those who follow my work will know I had a girl in my third pregnancy. This article was written prior to the pregnancy, updated for use in an alternative context and then placed on my blog. Gender disappointment can prompt feelings of guilt and shame, and these feelings are valid and deserve exploration regardless of […]
I have recently announced my third pregnancy! I am due in the middle of February next year. From the outside, it looks like we’re just completing our little family, but those who’ve followed my Instagram account and blog, will know that the decision to try for a third child, wouldn’t have been an easy one […]
I’m, going to share my top tip for those trying to address their anxiety. As you know, I LOVE a metaphor, so bear with me on this, it will make perfect sense in a moment. My husband badly hurt his shins running a marathon. He couldn’t walk and had to temporarily re-locate to the creaky […]
My house is tidy. Pretty much always, generally tidy. (I am having to claw my fingers in order to stop writing ‘I’m sorry’) Obviously there are pockets of chaos when the kids have just emptied the toys everywhere, or the husband has been at the kitchen, but generally, my house is fairly neat. Through instagram, […]
One of the things that tips petrol onto Mum guilt, turning it from a glowing ember into a ferocious fireball is the belief that we ‘should’ enjoy every moment. Here is my battle: On the one hand I’m trying to live in the moment with my boys, fuelled by the very truthful platitudes of: ‘Make […]
I heard a sad story today. It made me want to hold everyone I love so closely. Not out of pure enjoyment, but out of fear that something may happen. I know I’ve written about this before but it’s a raw and tricky balance to find. On one hand, you’re aware and scared of losing […]
Needing help is a weakness. Asking for it is shameful. That’s our cultural lesson. Self sufficiency is king. If we can’t fix ourselves, we’ve failed. If we ‘need’ from another, we’ve lost something of ourselves.This is my constant battle. My raging self-sufficiency is both a blessing and a curse. It can make one driven and […]
??NO!!!?? This term is batted around so generously. Yes, of course, recognise moments for their worth and enjoy them if you can. But, life can be shit. Days can be long. Tears can be plentiful and salty. Curve balls, words, moods, drama, trauma, tantrums, bad news, tantrums…happen. You can feel like you’ve been depleted of the […]
I bet you slip the word ‘should’ into your vocabulary all the time. ‘I really should…’ or ‘I shouldn’t..’ Every time we do this, we are are trying to keep ourselves in check, telling ourselves we ‘should’ feel guilty if we don’t do what we feel we ‘should’ do. It’s an opportunity to conform to […]
It’s in our nature to present the best bits of our homes, faces; relationships, lives, children. I mean, why wouldn’t we! We KNOW that they are the best bits, we know that there are messy piles out of shot, that the momentary smile has been the only one in the day amidst the grumpy whining, […]
Sitting in the car on the way to the airport, my 3 year old Oscar fell asleep on my shoulder. His little hand relaxed in mine. I looked at him, his hand, his face. I felt an overwhelming, aching love for him. A roaring wave of gratitude. What did I do to deserve my children? […]
I wrote this blog post last year, and have just revisited it as the gross, autumn bugs arrive and I’m not feeling fab: I have spent the last week tending to my sick toddler. There’s a delightful virus going around boasting a week of stubborn temperatures edging 40. We’ve had additional night wakings, cancelled play-dates, […]
Self-care isn’t as simple as taking a long bath or booking in a manicure. It’s about value, self-worth and believing you deserve treating yourself with care and respect. It’s about recognising the difference in what one day may be self-care, can be self-destructive procrastination the next. It can be a fine line. It’s about how […]
I’m the first to acknowledge that I’ve spent the majority of my life as a perfectionist. An insatiable demand placed over myself, by myself. A desire to be the best, with little room left for my humanness. I never believed I was enough. I could write a whole post on how I have begun to […]
I wrote this on New Years Eve as the calendar switched to 2017. Reading it again now, as life feels far fuller of hope and enjoyment, it breaks my heart that I felt so low and desperate. I wanted to publish it incase it might be helpful for anyone – feel free to share. I […]
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