What are ‘Sunset Scaries’? ‘Sunset scaries’ or ‘sundown scaries’ are terms that are sometimes used to describe a wave of anxiety, sadness, or overwhelm in postpartum that tends to hit in the late afternoon or early evening as baby’s bedtime approaches. This nighttime anxiety is really common, especially among new mums who are in the […]
‘Sunset Scaries’ – Why Do New Mums Feel So Anxious at Night? Read More »
If you’ve previously struggled with your mental health during pregnancy or postpartum and you’re expecting another baby, being scared it’ll happen again makes perfect sense. Your fears aren’t unfounded – research shows you are more at risk of developing perinatal anxiety or depression if you have a previous history of these conditions. In this article,
Mum Stress – Why Are We So Susceptible? ‘Mum stress’ is a term used to describe the chronic mental, emotional and physical exhaustion mothers can experience. It stems from the relentless demands of caregiving, running a home, working, and living up to society’s ideals around what it means to be a ‘good mum’. There are
Mum Stress – A Therapist’s Tips for Coping with Overwhelm Read More »
Self-compassion is a powerful and effective tool that I believe should be part of everyone’s motherhood journey. It’s about being kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical – offering yourself the same gentle, nurturing support you would give others. It’s acknowledging your own suffering and turning towards it, rather than away from it, to alleviate
3 Daily Habits to Help You Build More Self-Compassion as a New Mum Read More »
What Does Overwhelm Feel Like? Overwhelm tends to feel like you’re being stretched to your limits. You might feel more irritable than usual, or even angry. It can feel like your own needs aren’t being met because there’s just so many other things to organise, sort out, and do. Even if you’re aware of things
Why Do I Feel So Overwhelmed as a New Mum? Read More »
‘Mum guilt’ is such a common experience, I probably don’t even need to describe it. I would go so far as to say all mums experience it to at least some degree, at some point in their motherhood journey. In my experience, mums tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves and have very
Is Self-Compassion the Antidote to Mum Guilt? Read More »
When we’re preparing for the arrival of a new baby, we tend to focus on practicalities. You might have a nursery to decorate, and you’ll probably spend some time researching the best pram to buy. You’ll also think about the type of birth you’d like and maybe you’ll book on to some kind of antenatal
An Emotional Self-Care Plan for New and Expectant Mums Read More »
What Does ‘Triggered’ Actually Mean? Being triggered means you’re experiencing a strong emotional and physical reaction in the present which is strongly linked to unprocessed past experiences. It’s a response that can happen in any situation where something feels similar to a previous traumatic experience. Essentially, you’re reliving the past in the present moment. The
Why Do I Feel So Triggered by My Kids? Read More »
In my experience, unsolicited advice and motherhood go hand in hand. It often starts in pregnancy when we share our hopes and desires, perhaps related to labour and birth. Imagine telling someone you’re planning a homebirth and they respond by reeling off a list of awful reasons you shouldn’t. You can even find yourself on
How to Cope with Unsolicited Advice as a New Mum Read More »
I’ve written extensively about your inner critic and how it can leave you feeling like a bad mum when really, you’re anything but. In this article, we’re going to explore the topic in more depth. As well as outlining three different types of inner critic, I’ll describe what each one sounds like and explain how
3 Types of Inner Critic and How They Might Show Up for Mums Read More »