Tough times

I was sitting in the park yesterday with a lovely friend who I have met through school. Her family have had a hard year with several illnesses diagnosed with her three children. As she was explaining to me about the side effects of medicine, the treatments, the counselling and the affect this has on the family, I sat back and admired her.

I told my friend that I admired the way she has taken all of this on board and the way she has approached her life as is now with so many curve balls. She told me that what keeps her grounded is how grateful she is for her family and her husband. It was just beautiful.

How easy is it to complain about how hard our life is today? It may well be a tough day but in that moment of feeling down and trodden, think of one thing you may be grateful for and hold onto that thought.

I can guarantee your frown will turn into a smile and your energy will shift. It may be the difference between having a bad day to having a better day.

Friday's Thought of the Day

" The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for" - Maureen Dowd

Take this thought with you today and really think about the consequence of your choices. Mothers deserve the best in life - do not settle for anything less.

The best gift a prem mum can give to her baby - Kangaroo Care

As mentioned in my book "Miracle Beginnings", I found the most precious time with my premmie babies was in the quiet moments of kangaroo care. To hold my precious babies skin to skin and feel their tiny heartbeat was a piece of heaven.

Emotionally, it gave me a sense of bonding, that I was missing as their mother. Physically, it was obvious how much my babies enjoyed our sessions. Oxygen levels would increase, Heart rate levels would stabalise, Body Temperture would be perfect and in that moment, they would be functioning as a normal baby.

I truly hope midwives are encouraging mothers with premmie babies to kangaroo hug every day. There were days when I thought it would not be possible with all the wires, complications, and tests. However, I was always hopeful and persistent with the midwives to let me have at least 20 minutes of Kangaroo Care time with my babies.

As a mother of a prem, its the best gift you can give your baby.

Mother Meltdown

Early this week, I had a mother meltdown infront of our kids school. You know the kind!

It was Monday morning and all the kids were tired from a huge weekend of socialising. When we arrived at my daughter's school, she was reluctant to get out of the car. I got out of the car and gently asked her to get on with it and go to school. She started crying telling me she was tired and did not feel like it. I was so frustrated. I looked up at another mother who smiled at me reassuring. I then proceeded to push (gently) Hanna into the car and for us all to breathe.

I drove off (in a furious rush) and dropped the other two kids to school. On my way back, I dropped Han off to school and walked her into the classroom.

The next day I bumped into the mother who had smiled at me the previous day. I went up to her and thanked her for her reassurance. I told her it was just one of those mornings. Her reply was to remember that no emotion remains the same and that as mothers, we have all been in the same place.

It was lovely to connect with another mother who was not passing judgement. At the end of the day, we all understand each other. We just need to let each other know that some days its ok to have a mother meltdown of any kind!

Fresh Air

I have been walking these past few weeks for exercise, however, also realised how much I love the fresh air! We all walk for exercise to shape up for summer, but there is so much more to it then just the physical benefit.

Breathing fresh air is a pleasure we take for granted. Just try it and see what happens....your thoughts will be clearer, your energy will increase and you hormones will be happy. Even if you can go for 10 minutes, it is better than nothing at all.

If I could only help one mother....

I remember when writing my book that I worked with a mission and that was to help at least one mother through her depression, hard times, battle or whatever you would like to name it.

It's funny, I never really set out to sell millions of books. My intention was always to be honest and open about my experience with the return result being able to help other women do the same.

I could not care less if the book was selling really well in bookshops. What I do care about is how it affects women when they read it.

For example, today, a reader told me she has booked herself into seeing professional helpto sort through her post natal depression. When she read Miracle Beginnings, she felt as though I was speaking to her and she could relate to every word written.

This is when I feel most proud! It is life changing. I am so proud of the women who choose to change their lives by seeking professional help. I can promise you it will make your world a whole different place to live in.

Five years on...

Last Friday our boy Kye turned five years old. It felt like five minutes ago I was sitting day in and day out next to his humidicrib. In a blink of an eye, our tiny baby is now a five year old with a huge personality.

I remember the conversation with the specialist when Kye was born that it would take at least five years for him to catch up in all areas of his life - physically and mentally. I always kept this in the back of mind especially when he took his first step to walk at 23 months. In just the past few months, Kye's life has fallen into place. He can now write his name, he is starting to read and his height has shot up like a beanstalk. He still has no body fat (he use to turn purple in the water up until last year!) and he is still tiny in features.

When Kye was born, it was so hard to visualise the future ahead. However, I tried everyday to be positive and know that it was all going to be ok. I am so grateful that we are through the dark tunnel of uncertainty and on the road to developing a great life for Kye.