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Talking Point: Smear Tests
In January last year, I received the letter. You know, the one all women dread landing on their doorstep when they hit the grand old age of 25? I’d given birth six weeks earlier, so the thought of anybody poking around made me feel incredibly anxious. I was still ridiculously sore from my caesarean, and if I’m being totally honest, it was a bit of a mess down there. It was an enormous relief to me when I called to book an appointment, and was told by my doctor that my smear was being delayed for a couple of months, to allow me more time to physically recover from childbirth.…
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The Loneliness of Being a New Mum
Motherhood is wonderful, beautiful, magical. Every time I look at Theo’s happy little face, I feel so overwhelmed with joy that I could cry. I am so blessed. Every day, I ask him: “How did I get so lucky to be your mummy, Theo?” But it’s irresponsible to say every second of motherhood is easy, or even enjoyable. Amongst many challenges new mums face, motherhood can be incredibly isolating – which is something nobody ever prepared me for. But in hindsight, I wish I’d embraced those early, intense, lonely days more. And if you’re a new or expectant mummy, I’m here to tell you that those overwhelmingly lonely early days…
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How I lost Weight After Giving Birth
I feel it’s important that I start this post by making it clear that I never had the intention of losing weight quickly after having Theo. It just wasn’t on my agenda. I have spent so much of my adult life trying to slim down, and have tried everything from detox teas (which I strongly advise against), laxatives (so dangerous) and of course the traditional and ONLY safe and effective methods – healthy eating and regular exercise. But I’m human. I love chocolate and I certainly don’t want to spend every single second of my free time in the gym. So, like most women, my weight has fluctuated in a…
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My Pregnancy: Labour and Baby Bear’s Arrival
Throughout my pregnancy, I attended hypnobirthing workshops and repeated positive affirmations as if by ritual in the hopes these would help me to have the most natural birthing experience I possibly could. But from the moment it was decided that I would be induced, I knew this textbook natural birth I’d hoped for might not (and probably wouldn’t) go to plan. And although I was, admittedly, a little bit disappointed, I was too excited to meet my little boy to worry too much about how he would get here, and vowed to stay positive regardless. I knew that being induced would mean I’d be hooked up to monitors and –…
