Written by Anna Johnson, founder of Bump Haus
It can be a confusing and overwhelming place being a new parent.
I know firsthand how the internet can leave you feeling even more overwhelmed than when you started looking for safe pre and post-natal exercise to do, or advice on all the topics and questions that seem to arise when you’re pregnant or you have a goregous little human to take care of. With advice flying at you from all directions, it’s no wonder you can be left wondering who the hell to listen to and frustrated by conflicting advice. I had a pretty turbulent time to become pregnant in the first place and then just when I thought the hard part was over having endured IVF, my pregnancy wasn’t much to get relaxed about either. With multiple bleeds and scans flagging things up, it was safe to say I was as anxious as they come. With this, I found myself desperately seeking reassurance, whether that be in person, from family members, or the Doctor everyone should avoid, ‘Doctor Google’. Through this lesson of listening to too many untrustworthy sources, and the misinformation around exercise for pre and postnatal women, I found purpose in congregating a team of top experts and offering pre and postnatal Pilates to pregnant women and those early in their motherhood journey, all in one place. Bump Haus, is there to help you feel empowered in this new and often overwhelming role. Here’s what I found and some key takeaways you can use to empower you on what I feel is our best (albeit hard) chapter yet.
Finding experts you can trust for advice is key to stopping you from going insane
The term it takes a village wasn’t coined for no reason, yet in our modern world, rarely do we have a village to lean on for up-to-date advice. With this, what often happens is we can get stuck down an Instagram rabbit hole, searching for answers from so called ‘experts’, instead of going to trusted sources that really know their stuff. This started to become apparent for me pretty early on in my pregnancy and even more so when my little girl was born. Breastfeeding wasn’t as easy as I’d thought it would be and this lack of ease continued even more so when her sleep was practically nonexistent. Luckily, I had found two people I could lean on for both things. Zara de Candole an incredible Breastfeeding Counsellor and Courtney Coast an amazing Sleep Expert. Both are unique in their approach, and both are like no other, which I believe about all of our experts at Bump Haus. Courtney – was the first to highlight my daughter’s allergies after many trips to see actual doctors, it was this incredible sleep expert who could well have saved my daughter and Zara transformed my whole breastfeeding experience and mindset in the early days. From this experience I knew I was lucky to have these women in my corner and wanted to expand on a great team of experts to create a one stop shop of trusted information to cut through the noise and cancel out mindlessly scrolling for answers. This is at the core of Bump Haus’ values. I truly want to empower parents through top advice and movement. Our experts now include, Pediatricians, Pelvic Health Physios, Hypnobirthing Instructors, Midwives, Sleep Experts, Doulas, Breastfeeding Counsellors, Breathwork and Meditation Coaches, Pilates Instructors (that’s me) and of course the incredible Daisy First Aid. Having this many trusted experts at your fingertips for me, is empowering.
Move for your mind, not just for your body.
I think we can all admit we’ve often jumped on the exercise band wagon to look good for a holiday or an event, but never has there been a time that showcased to me the importance of movement than when I became pregnant and a new mum. As someone that works in wellness, I probably shouldn’t admit this, but my usual crutch for knocking stress on the head was the worst thing for it, knocking back a glass of wine. However, when this option was off the cards when I became pregnant, I truly started to feel what I knew already, of the mental shift movement can provide. If you can find something you love to do, instead of what you think you should do, then this is the key to consistency as well as not taking it too seriously. I think the media has made us feel we ‘have’ to do burpees and Hiit, but if this isn’t your thing then don’t push it. For me it’s a Bump Haus Pilates class at home while my little girl naps! Little ways you can fill up your own cup is a great way to be able to keep giving everything to everyone else.
Knowledge is power
Being a new parent or pregnant is very much a learn on the job job, especially if it’s your first time. So I’ve learnt that knowledge is power. You want to be able to act in certain situations quickly, that’s why I was so keen to collaborate with Daisy First Aid, as I wanted to empower new parents if, God forbid, the unthinkable happens such as choking or loss of consciousness. It’s this knowledge that will give you the power to save your child’s life.
Stop scrolling
We all know that comparison is the thief of joy, but I’m the first to put my hands up to not always practice what I preach. It can be really tempting to grab your phone for a scroll when you’re having a moment of peace which is fine if you can keep it light, but if you do ever go down an Instagram rabbit hole and start comparing yourself, I’ve found this reframe works. Ask yourself this question – when YOU put up that picture as a family, or of you cuddling your baby or cradling your bump, what had happened earlier that day? Had you had an argument, had you cried, had something annoyed you? Because trust me, I have a handful of pictures on my feed that look ‘Instagram perfect’, yet probably an hour before, I wanted to divorce my husband. It really is a highlight reel. Which when you’re knee-deep in nappies and sleep deprivation, is a great thing to remember.
Acceptance is something I had to learn the hard way, but now makes life that bit easier
After another lengthy session with my therapist before I embarked on IVF, she said to me “I think if you learn to accept things, things will become easier for you”. Something so simple but that we rarely do. We tend to push back at something that we are not in control of. That’s not to say we should shrug off the bad things or not give ourselves permission to complain, trust me I’m the queen of a rant. But if we learn to accept instead of push, we can have a moment to breathe. I think this is particularly true in early motherhood when we’ve been so used to racing through life and rushing everywhere, yet when baby comes along, we’re forced to slow down or to be relentlessly needed for comfort. In those times I think it’s empowering to accept this chapter for what it is instead of pushing to make it any different. Or to ‘go back to your old self’. You’ve come too far to go back. It’s time to honour who you are now, because I’m sure they’re pretty great! People tell us that Bump Haus is like a warm knowing hug and that’s because I’m essentially a mum that wants to help other mums feel empowered through this chapter of their life. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever love and I’m here to give you a bit of love too.
By Anna Johnson, founder of Bump Haus.
Check out Bump Haus website here.