Britt McNabb / miscarriage, lockdown birth & NICU stay, anxiety, milk protein intolerance, mindfulness & meditation

07/22/20 • 77 min

In this episode, I speak with Britt McNabb, a beautiful new mum to her son Aston and a baby who she miscarried in her first pregnancy. Today, we start at the very beginning when she first became a mama to the little one who she miscarried. She bravely opens up about how this affected her at the time, how she reflects on that experience now, and the appreciation it has given her for her new baby, Aston who was born as New Zealand first entered lockdown in March. It wasn’t an easy start for her little family, with level 4 COVID restrictions in place and Aston needing to spend some time in NICU, but it’s clear that the fighting spirit Aston has comes from Britt – a kind and mindful mama who is has wholly embraced her role as protector and nurturer. She has felt it all in their first few months and describes it so poignantly for us today.

We talk a lot about our identity as mothers and it seems to me, from talking to Britt, that as challenging as their time has been, being a mother is the truest essence of her soul and she has never known more purpose. I’m sure you’ll join me in agreeing that she is everything she hopes to be already – and more.
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Previous Episode

Tehani Buchanan / decolonising māmāhood, home birth after cesarean, wet nursing

This week's episode of Motherness is proudly sponsored by Edwards & Co. Edwards & Co is a Kiwi owned and operated family business. They've recently expanded their nursery range with the launch of the SnuzKot Skandi Collection, alongside the already popular SnuzPod Bedside Bassinet.
Today’s guest is Tehani Buchanan, a beautiful māmā who was the catalyst for sparking my awareness of decolonising mamahood.

To say Tehani’s journey is varied would be quite the understatement but ‘journey’ really is the perfect word – her entry into motherhood began with a traumatic c-section birth at 33 weeks which left her with a mental injury that she says was raw, her daughter had a long NICU stay, and she exclusively pumped for a while as well. Then, with her second, a home birth after cesarean, exclusive breastfeeding to extended breastfeeding, wet nursing, feeding to sleep, immersing her tamariki in Te Reo Māori, and becoming a single mama.

Thank you, Tehani for trusting me with the gift of sharing your experience, there is so much power in these words...
Thank you again to Edwards & Co for sponsoring this week's episode. Visit the Motherness Instagram account to enter our giveaway for a SnuzKot from Edwards & Co.
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Next Episode

Amy Fraser / single mum, traumatic birth, working with a newborn, finding love again

This week's episode of Motherness is proudly sponsored by Noopii, a New Zealand and women-owned Social Enterprise company making premium eco-luxe nappies and pants that are non-toxic, chemical-free and made with Manuka Hydrosol - a world first. Use the code MOTHERNESS10 to receive 10% off Noopii storewide.
Today's guest is Amy Fraser, a mum who suddenly became a single mother at five months pregnant and uprooted from New York City to move home to New Zealand to have her son.
Today, we talk through that experience in detail and the beginning of her journey as a mother to her son. An initiation that she herself says was traumatic on many accounts but also a time of letting go, moving forward and becoming an even better version of herself than before. While Amy is pretty frank in discussing the emotional turbulence of this time for her, she’s somehow also gracious in acknowledging that the hardships of motherhood are real for all of us.

You’ll hear in this episode that Amy truly is resilience personified and ultimately, that she is a shining example that a mother's love can and will transcend anything.

She is a true heroine. She is wahine toa. This is her story of The Fourth Trimester.
Thank you again to Noopii for sponsoring this week's episode. Visit the Motherness Instagram account to enter our giveaway for a carton of Noopii nappies.
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