​Not leaving the house due to the hazardous air quality of the NSW bush fires has been detrimental for my mental health.

My toddler and I do 67.5 crafts per day, on average. We bake, we pretend to bake in her kitchen, we paint, draw, trace our bodies on craft paper, build forts, make book labyrinths, have a bath in the middle of the day, do play dough. The list is endless, my patience is not. 

By the time my husband gets home, around 3pm, I’ve already asked him 21 questions before his bag hits the floor.

“What’s it like out there?

How was your day? 

What did you eat?

Did you have the recycled air on in the car?

Who did you talk to, and did they tell you any jokes?

What was the podcast about that you listened to your quiet drive home?

Do you think that a zombie apocalypse is imminent? 

Should we start building a bunker with food and water since 2019 was the hottest year on record in Australia?

Will Matrix 4 be a total bust, or the best Matrix yet?

Have you seen how clean the house is?

Do these yoga pants give me the illusion of having cakes, or more of a ..... cupcake?”

I’ve witness my slippery slope and came to a resolution this week, quick smart. I went to my local library and got a bunch of snarky, sarcastic non-fiction books.... my favourite genre, don't mind if I do.

I love reading and it's been a while since I've had the luxury of getting lost in a good book! Are there other things I could be doing with my kid-free nap time? 100% !!! But meal prepping or folding laundry doesn't remotely give me the amount of satisfaction as a good book and a little bit of quiet time.
HOT TIP: I'm most excited about Calypso from one of my favourite authors, David Sedaris. If you like memoirs and non-fiction essays, he is your man. 

The last two days my kids have actually napped at the same time, which has allowed me to crawl into bed with my book and read while listening to the hum of the air purifier. It's the best use of my time, far better than mindlessly scrolling Instagram or googling if dogs can communicate telepathically.

It's so good to be back with my nose in a book. Comment bellow with your favourite books of all time, pluuuueasseeee!!!

EMK 

For Mum

1. Nipple cream.
This is a must! So many people carry on and on about the birth and recovery, but rarely talk about the struggles (and pains) of breastfeeding. My milk came in on day 2/3 (crazy fast!) and nipple cream was a savior for me. Remember to only use a little bit, as you don't want to unnecessarily clog the pores and cause mastitis. 

2. TOM Organic Maternity pads.
These are made of ACO organic cotton, extra long, hypoallergenic and cruelty free.

3. Black underwear, sized up!
​I bought a three pack of black BONDS undies, 2 sizes bigger than I normally wear. Black because it's forgiving with stains, and sizing up for obvious comfort and to have room for your maternity pads or ice packs to help the labia recover. I plan on putting my TOM organic maternity pads in the freezer to make my own recovery inserts.

4. My Eco Store chapsick. 
Labour can really dry out your lips because of all the mouth breathing/panting. 

5. Toiletries.
Shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hair brush, hair ties, natural deodorant, dry shampoo, bamboo face cloth, oil cleanser and moisturising facial serum. The basics... duh! 

5. No fuss make up routine.
For me this means my organic BB cream, and my natural mascara and my highlighter to help make me look a little less tired.  

6. Cosy, breastfeeding friendly loungewear.
Highly recommend packing some cosy, baggy, nursing friendly loungewear. And don't forget your thick socks and/or slippers for hygiene reasons! 

7. Nursing tanks.
I'm no fashionista, and no surprise here, that didn't change after giving birth. I lived in these cute and easy nursing tanks, paired with my recovery shorts, maternity jeans and a simple something over the top like a cardigan or duster kimono.  

8.  Reusable water bottle.
I've heard so many nurses say the plastic hospital water jugs are a big no-no and not to use them. All the more reason to bring your own.

9. Your phone charger.

10. TENS machine for natural pain relief. 

11. Bamboobies: these are reusable, washable nursing pads made of bamboo rayon velour with an absorbent inner cotton layer. After my first childbirth, I purchased the single use Advent nursing pads, but there weren't very breathable and not great for the environment either. I got two packs of the heavy, overnight Bamboobies and I'm so excited to give them a go! 

MISC

1. Essential oil diffuser and oils (if you're into that).

2. Journal/ diary.
My husband and I both wrote handwritten love letters to our daughter on the night she was born a few hours after she came into the world. I also wrote in my journal about my birth experience and jotted down things I really wanted to remember while it was fresh in the forefront of my mind.

3. Baby journal and a pen or pencil.
This is great idea because sleep deprivation is a thing! It's important to document the baby's pee and poo movements as well as feeding, and from which breast. The last thing you need to be doing in your postnatal fog is trying to remember all that information! Having a journal on your nightstand is a great way to document everything in a stress free way, and anyone can do it for you. Your partner, a visitor or even the midwife can jot it down if your hands are full or you are having a much needed nap. 

4. Snacks for post-recovery.
You might give birth when the hospital kitchen is closed! Good things to bring are nuts, trail mix, apples, bananas, homemade banana bread (if you're organised), kombucha, sparkling water, etc.

5. Vitamins and supplements. ​

Annndddd, that's a wrap!
What did I forget?
Tell me what you MUST have in your hospital bag below in the comments!
​
EMK

The first time I’d ever heard of eating one’s placenta was many years ago when I was trying to fall pregnant myself. I stumbled across Jennifer Stano who had quite a social media following and was expecting her first child. From memory, I loved her pregnancy style, and followed her in the hopes of getting some helpful dress-the-bump tips.

A video popped up on my Instagram one morning, and the still was of Jennifer and her husband. She had delivered her baby, and she’d had a little boy. The video caught my attention because she was in a hospital but had a kitchen blender in front of her. Perplexed and curious, I proceeded to watch her make a placenta smoothie and with a chunk of her raw placenta, fresh berries and some other ingredients. The video was about the smoothie and getting her husband to drink it, which he did. When I saw this video I was absolutely appalled! Why on earth would you make your husband do that? Shock value? How ridiculous. And what was the point of a placenta smoothie in the first place? I couldn’t help but think it was a grab for attention at the time, and I shook my head, chalking it up to wanting likes and dropped jaws.

Fast forward a few years to when I finally had a bun in the oven and my world shifts. It’s funny how pregnancy makes you pull out all the stops and really look after yourself for the sake of your baby. I was at the end of my third trimester living in Melbourne and a girlfriend of mine had mentioned that she had her placenta encapsulated. I was thrilled to have someone close to me that I could actually talk to about the experience. After all, when it comes to matters such as these, we need to peel back all the layers of assumptions, fear, and disgust that stem from ignorance.

She told me about her great experience with Anna Papadakis from Opening To Life and I called her immediately. Anna is a birth attendant, birth educator, body centered therapist and trainer. She started placenta encapsulation in 2012, and now it's a core part of her practice.

I confessed to Anna that I didn’t know much about the process, how it worked, or anything for that matter. I hadn't even read the website yet, but I was close to giving birth and keen as mustard to learn more. I also alluded to the fact that I’d heard consuming the placenta was good for a mother’s recovery, and that was something I desperately wanted to know more about.

Anna and I spoke on the phone at length about the process, the placenta itself and how sacred it is. I don’t mean that in a spiritual way (although it is pretty magical), but I personally feel that it's such a misunderstood organ. So if you're at all like me, and curious about this process, I find it easiest to break it down into two categories, the WHY and the HOW of consuming your placenta.

​WHY?
As a soon to be new mum, I was quite worried about postnatal depression, commonly referred to as PND. The idea of PND being a dark horse that doesn't discriminate really spooked me. I'd spoken to a midwife who mentioned that I might be at risk for a few reasons, in particular due to our lack of support and absence of family from either side due to our move up to Queensland when our baby would be a mere 7 weeks old. My husband's family live in Melbourne and my family live in California, and I knew I'd particularly struggle when my parents had to say goodbye to their only child and their first grandchild.
​
In the same way that you commit to eating well and getting rest for the sake of your unborn baby, I committed to making my recovery the smoothest it could be, and that started by working from the inside out.

Anna went over a few key benefits, which were:
- Increasing our iron levels, which will help to combat fatigue, give you more energy, and therefore less depression. It's often difficult to absorb iron from supplements. You ingest crazy high does and the excess is expelled via black poop (if you've ever been on these supplements, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about)! However, when it's your own iron, it's much easier to absorb. 

- Some research shows that increasing Vitamin B6 combats post natal depression and helps to regulate mental process and mood.
- The placenta contains high levels of Oxytocin, which is commonly referred to as the "love drug." Increasing the levels of this hormone increases your sense of wellbeing and happiness.
- The placenta also contains Lactogen which has been shown to help increase breast milk supply.

Click here to read about more benefits and how/why they work.

I highly recommend that you read some testimonials to get a feel for what people are saying about the process.

It's a great place to begin if this is something you're weighting up.
​
​Have you ever had your placenta encapsulated?
Would you consider having it done? Tell me in the comments below.
​
EMK x ​

While Expecting:

1. Ina Mae's Guide to Childbirth by Ina Mae

2. Active Birth by Janet Balaskasrth

3. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley
(Appropriate pre and post natal, as the title implies).  

4. The Mindful Mother by Naomi Chunilal 

5. Being There by Erica Komisar 

6. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth M.D. 

7. Up The Duff by Kaz Cooke

8. Brain Rules for Baby, John Medina 

9. Baby Love by Robin Barker 

After Baby Arrives:

1. The Mother's Mind Cleanse by Jacqui Lewis  

2. The Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt and Frans Plooij 

3. Being There by Erica Komisar
(Can read this before or after, but I recommend reading it before your birth so that you can make appropriate plans for your maternity leave). 

4. The Postnatal Depletion Cure by Dr Oscar Serrallach
(Currently reading this now!)

Do you like to read and prepare, or wing it?
​Tell me in the comments below!
EMK x ​

Wishing you all the best and a healthy, happy pregnancy.

EMK x 

If you (or someone you know) is struggling with anxiety and depression while pregnant, or after the birth, don't hesitate to reach out to people like PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) and speak to a professional.  

There is something about being pregnant that seems to lift a lot of people's proverbial filter, am I right?

The uninvited belly touching, the crazy personal questions, it's enough to make your head spin, exorcist style. I'm lucky mine have been quite tame this time around. Here are my top asked questions thus far, with my answers attached as well:

​
1. Are you going to find out the gender?

Yes!


2. Would you prefer a boy or a girl?

I'd love to give my husband the boy he has always dreamed of.
I wanted my firstborn to be a boy, but I was so happy once I give birth to and met my baby girl!


3. How far along are you?

24 weeks.


4. Are you going public or private for the birth?

Private.


5. Where are you having the baby?

Westmead Private, Westmead in their brand new maternity suite which opens in March 2019.
It's like a 5 star hotel, I'm so pumped!


6. Have you chosen a name?

We don't have a boy name yet, and we have nearly decided on a girl's first name.


7. Do you have any cravings?

Spicy food, asian food, fish tacos, Indian food and bao buns.
None of which I really eat funnily enough- except for the occasional homemade asian fusion dishes.


8. Are you going to get an epidural?

No thanks! I always aim for as natural a birth as possible. 

9. How do you think your daughter will adjust to having a new sibling?  
She is so excited to be a big sister! She kisses my tummy all the time and her fav book at the moment is "There's a House Inside My Mummy."


10. How do you feel about giving birth again?

I'm excited I guess. I know I'll hate the waiting game in the final few weeks, but I had a really good birth experience with my daughter....  even though it didn't remotely go to plan (read my birth story here) and we had some big hiccups.
​I can't wait to grow our little family and introduce our little bubba to her sister, and the world.
​

11. What are your favourite green beauty brands to use during pregnancy?

Black Chicken Remedies: 1. All natural deodorant  2. The skin complexion polish and
3. The nocturnalist night serum
For an even complexion: La Mav Organic BB cream (medium shade)
For added face hydration: Biologi, Bf Hydration body serum 
For sunscreen: Simple as That, SPF 30
For my belly and my daughter's skin too: Byron Baby macadamia oil
(I'll do another blog post about these and more later on)
_____

Are you pregnant too? Tell me in the comments below the craziest thing you've been asked!

EMK x

I thought I would share a little bit about our experience returning to life after our toddler's first bout of gastro.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my daughter is an amazing eater, not picky and eats a variety of multi coloured fruits and veggies. I'm not ashamed to say I take a lot of pride in this, and I hope she is always adventurous with her cuisine. However, transitioning her back to normal food after being sick worried me immensely. Would she only want dry crackers and toast for ever? Would she go back to eating veggies after three plus days without food?

I figured that if I had these anxieties, I probably wasn't alone. So, I decided to share a few things we have tried and worked well for us. I wrote this post over the course of a week as we navigated these new waters, and man it has been challenging!

Feel free to take bits and pieces that suit you and your children. Some of our movements were deliberate, others were trial and error. 

1. BRAT diet:
Bananas, rice, apples and toast.
These are great places to reintroduce food to your toddler, or anyone recovering from gastro quite frankly. I grew up with this method and I swear by it to this day. These foods are gentle on the tummy and bland, which is easy for digestion.

Dry toast is a good place to start, and you can always add topping as you go. I added a little bit of honey to my daughter's toast to entice her to eat it, but also to help get her sugars up since they were so low from severe dehydration. Honey is great for antioxidants and is also antibacterial.
* Honey IS NOT RECOMMENDED for children under the age of one. 

Other ideas are to progressively add to the toast as time goes on. For instance, maybe a thin spread of calcium dense tahini and then mashed banana on top.

Not a fan of plain rice? Add grated apple into the rice for some sweetness. 

Do they find bananas boring? Slice them up and sprinkle them with  a few chia seeds.

2. Avoid Dairy
Avoid milk and dairy for the first few days. You may want to see your child eat again, no matter what it is, but things like whole milk, sugary foods, soda and candy can all worsen diarrhea. 

3. Keep Fluids Up!
Do whatever you can to keep those fluids up!

• Offer sips water frequently 
• Try an icy pole of Hydralyte ice block
• Use a syringe (read below)

Our daughter refused water off and on for about two days after we left the ER which was pretty stressful. After a follow up with our GP, he suggested using a syringe to give her water and gave us a 6ml syringe to take home. She loved it! I guess it was the novelty of something different, but it worked for us. You don't need to go to the doc to get your hands on one, you can simply use the ones you have to administered medicine like Tylenol. Just make sure it's washed well and cleaned after each use. 

4. Stick To The Rules
This might divide the crowd, but so be it. Once my daughter started to eat again, I assumed she would keep eating normally. This wasn't the case sadly. For instance, one morning, just a few days after her sickness, she surprised me and had toast, a scrambled egg and a few tablespoons of yogurt. That afternoon she didn't eat any lunch or dinner!  I was confused and frustrated because I didn't know why she was putting up a struggle. Did she not like what I offered? Was this the opportunity for her to finally be picky? Or was she still not feeling fantastic and couldn't communicate that to me? 

The following night I made a veggie quinoa salad and salmon (her fav). She didn't eat the meal, so I packed it up and put it away in the fridge. An hour later she said she was hungry, so sticking to our rules, I re-offered what she had, not something else. She gagged on the salmon and my mouth nearly hit the floor. Gagging on her fav food of all time- I was so perplexed! Clearly she wasn't ready for that taste, texture smell or whatever. Instead of offering her a sugary sweet or something else, she was fine with water and going to bed.  I don't offer her other food if she has refused what was given at dinner, because once you start making substitutions to appease your children, you'll never be able to stop. 

5. Reintroduce Dairy Slowly
When you do decide to reintroduce dairy, start small... think baby steps. We started with gut healthy kefir and greek yogurt in tiny doses a few days after her episode. 

6. Keep Offering The Norm
Even though she was hit and miss on some meals, I kept offering her what she would normally like on her usual Love Mae tray, as if nothing had ever happened. Consistency is key in my experience. This did mean a lot of food was put back in the fridge, and some stuff was sadly thrown out. 

Don't just offer the norm, but stick to the normal schedule too. If your toddler can still sit at the table and watch you eat your meals, this is a good thing. When she wasn't eating, I'd still keep my daughter in her high chair at meal time and let her play with play dough while I ate. 

7. So what shall I make?
1. The BRAT diet mentioned above is always a good start

2. If normal finger foods are a challenge, you can't go wrong with bone broth or a heathy soup. Creamy and smooth for the pickier kids during this sensitive time, or chunky if they can tolerate it. You can transition to pouring the homemade soup over some simple, kid-friendly pasta as time progresses. 

3. Smoothies are great as well because you can make them with veggies and/or fruit. You also don't need to add any dairy to them. I made my daughter's recovery smoothies with water for added hydration.

Preparing for the ER. I get it, I sound whack.

How can you prepare for an emergency? Hence the name, emergency, urgent... but here is the thing, just hear me out. You might read this blog post and add something to your First Aid Kit. Or, maybe you read this and take a subconscious mental note that will help you in the future. 

Here are a few things we did, or wish we had done, prior to our awful night and first experience in the the ER with our 1 year old:

Bring a book, or books from their normal routine
I wish we had a book to distract her when she was in a good headspace between vomiting. She LOVES books and I think she would have really enjoyed having a few of her favourites there. If your kid is proficient with the Ipad, bring it. It's always better to be over prepared than underprepared, especially when you don't know how long your stay will be. We don't normally give her our phones, but we happily made an exception and tried to distract her with baby shark and the wiggles which worked for about 20 precious mins.  

Make sure you bring a lovie (stuffed animal) they cherish
Anything that will make them feel like they are at home. We brought her huge (almost as big as her) bunny which she calls Be Be. It was nice to have and offered her a lot of comfort just having it around, not that she even cuddled it all that much - but having a piece of home was important I believe.

Bring a change of clothes for bub and wear SHOES
At least one change of clothes, preferably 2-3 sets. Make sure they are wearing socks at a minimum, but preferably closed toed shoes.

Hospitals are rampant with staph and other bacterial nasties, so keep covered up..... all of you. I once met a women who got an infection in her foot after wearing flip flops in the hospital, and it robbed her of quality life immensely, maiming all her muscles into a Swiss cheese like consistency full of holes and unable to work properly. True story. 

Bring warm clothes for all of you
ER/hospitals tend to be quite cold, and a spare jumper goes a long way (plus you won't have to ask for one of their hospital blankets. Yuck). 

Bring all the necessary cards
You might be in a rush and panicking, but make sure that you have your Medicare card and private health fund card with you. If you don't normally carry these around, I would recommend saving the membership numbers in your notes app on your phone.

Snacks
I didn't know how bad our little girl would be, or how long we would be in the ER, but I instinctively grabbed some organic raisins on the way out the door at 1:30am. She obviously couldn't have any, but they were handy to have for us.

Bring a hand santiser of your chosing 
I forgot mine, and regretted it! I personally don't like hand santisers because they are bad for your gut biome, and typically have some nasty stuff in them. However, Dr. Bronner's has an organic lavender hand spray that is to die for and I love having this is my bag when I really need it. And when you're locked in a disease infested hospital, especially with a kid suffering from gastro, that is a good time to be germ free!

Notepad or Notes App
Most of the time protocol at the ER/hospitals is to collect information and access how to move ahead. For instance, you might be asked to know or track when the last time your baby had a drink - did they vomit - did they get diarrhea? Tick, yes/no. Having a pen and paper handy is a great way to make a chart and stay organised so that you can present the doctor with all the crucial information. 

Well, that's it. Hope you don't find yourself near the ER any time soon!

In Health,
EMK x

​He leaned across the table and said, “you’ve got great produce and a bad oven.” 
Pedigree eggs (his words not mine) without a place to be cooked only meant one thing - that I'd need to pretty much eliminate my immune system in order to bring my baby to term. So that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 3 and half months - fortnightly immune suppressing infusions of intralipids (pure fat) and taking enough drugs, pills, antibiotics, needles and hormones to tranquilize a baby elephant. 

As someone who really prides themselves on leading a low-tox life, this has been really tough for me. I don’t know the long term side effects of all these drugs. (Will we ever know?)
Maybe one day. Maybe not.

What I do know are the common, short-term side effects like insomnia, weight gain, mood swings, anxiety, depression and the obvious lack of an immune system. So, ya, it's been a tumultuous few months, and that's not even getting to the hormones. I'm on nearly 1000 mg of Utrogestan a day. These help to keep my uterine lining thick and strong, and if you've ever suffered multiple miscarriages, your doctor might have prescribed these for you as well.

_______ 
​
So, if we had plans and you were sick..... I probably cancelled.
If we hung out, and I seemed a bit off. I probably was.
When I was unusually quiet on social media, I was suffering horrible morning sickness or in a bit of a funk, needing (desperately) to focus on myself.

So here we are, 13 weeks in and I'm feeling more human.
For those of you that don't know, this is my second pregnancy, so I'm feeling all the feels and a tinge of bittersweetness because this will probably be my last baby.

I have so much to share with you all about pregnancy, diet, cravings and how to survive the first trimester, all of which will be coming your way soon!
___________________

UPDATE:
EEK. I'm currently 19.5 weeks along now.
I've stopped all my meds and weened off the steroids over two long weeks, and I'm so happy to report that I'm feeling more like myself! I've been drug free for almost three weeks #hallelujah.
My headaches have subsided, but I did get SUPER sick twice over the last month, which was probably due to a combination of factors.  Thankfully I avoided a round of antibiotics by following these simple steps and I'm on the mend. 
​
Thanks again for sharing in our excitement! We've been so overwhelmed by all the love and support the last few days.

Big Love!
EMK x