Milli

Tell Us A little About Yourself.

I am a 23 year old first time mum who is working part time at home. I am someone  who is always trying to be proactive about my child’s well being and make the best decisions for my family. Health is a huge part of my motivation and I follow a plant based diet. I love the Montessori learning method and enjoy the variety of teaching my 18 mth old  (Rowie Rose) her development skills and knowledge to set her up for a wonderful life. My child's development fascinates me everyday!

I love horses and also work in the industry and can often be found out in the paddock with my much loved horse Sir Spuddley, AKA Spud. My adored fiancé and I raise our little Rowie in Teesdale on a 1 acre property where we have just built a new home. My fiancé’ (Alan) is a 5th generation farmer (cropping) works on the family farm which is in Inverleigh about 10 minutes away.

We love all things county and it takes a whole family village to survive so it is often all hands on deck which also allows great family connections to be formed. I cherish and embrace every moment spent with family surrounding myself with the ones I love most - this is very important to me and most of all I love being a mumma!!!

 

Describe Motherhood In Three Words.

Most beautiful chaos!!!

 

What Is The Best Advice Or Support You Have Received About Motherhood?

Everyone has advice which comes from experience so I listen to it all. This advice becomes knowledge which gives the ability for you to make informed choices that you feel are right for you and your babies wellbeing.

Take everyday as it comes and enjoy the little things in every moment. Don’t compare yourself, concentrate on doing what’s best for you and your child. Babies don’t come with a manual, they come with a mother so trust yourself and let your natural motherly instincts take over. This should serve you well - relax and breathe!!!! 

 

What Has Been The Most Challenging Thing About Being A Mother?

 

All I ever wanted to be was a mother. It has been the most rewarding, unpredictable, unbelievable, overwhelming and yet most beautiful time of my life. No wanting to be a mother can prepare you for the moment that you hold your precious perfect little bundle. I stayed awake for three whole days staring at my new born's perfections. I felt that my life was perfect!

I left hospital excited to start my new life as a mother. My new little family were living with my parents at the time as we where building a new home so it was wonderful to share this time with both my parents (first time grand parents). It also meant that I was going to have some extra help, YAH!!

I was experiencing pain in my hips and groin however, I just thought this was natural after all I had just given birth. So off we went into the new life of parenting. No sleep, nappies, doctors, maternal nurses, appointments, finalizing house plans etc,etc.

I meet new mums in the mothers group I had joined which was fantastic,  I loved it and still do. We would catch up and compare stories and experiences. By 5 months I started to realize that all the other mums were much more recovered than I was, e.g. going to the gym, walking and running.

I started thinking the pain I was still experiencing must somehow be in my head. Rowie was crawling by now and very active but I was finding things like sitting on the floor holding and rocking Rowie would cause me so much pain. Siting still was not an option as advised by doctors - you just need rest, maybe your depressed, your doing to much and you need to recover.  I was starting to get very anxious about my situation. I started going to physio and was treated with dry needling which caused the needles to jump out of my hips and legs the first few goes. Amazing, my pain might not be just in my head!! I received some bizarre relief but it did not heal the underlying pain. The struggle got worse, I was in so much pain every minute of the day. I had tears running down my face, my legs had started to go numb. I was sleeping in the feeding chair just to stop myself the walk back and forth to bed during the night.

We ended up in emergency one night when I just could not do it anymore. Everyone was so worried, no one more than myself! The thought in my head of how can I not walk, how will I keep looking after my little baby girl and my family. My life was just terrifying. They did tests for MS, post natal depression, lots of CT and MRI scans, blood tests - a whole week in hospital. I had Rowie and Alan with me as they were given a bed as I was still breast feeding and yet to have a night apart might I add. 

The test came back.... In the delivery of my complicated natural birth I suffered multiple fractures to both hips, a broken fragment of my left hip and a tear in my right groin ligament and extremely high inflammation thru my whole body. How was I walking? The doctors still question this….. Their only answer still to this day is that the adrenaline of a new mother is powerful.

 Treatment – bed rest, rest and pain medication. I hopped out of the hospital on crutches, I had pain medication safe while breastfeeding and a new determination that I was going to beat this. Life was tough! I could not take 2 months for bed rest like I was advised, although I had family around everyone worked and i had to and wanted to look after Rowie. After all this was my dream, so I did it all as best as I could. I hopped around a lot, once given my crutches and medication it was obvious that I could not walk without them! I breast feed, I held my baby to sleep, I cried a lot, I loved a lot, I cherished a lot and I was also so grateful to be given this special gift of becoming a mother.

It was the most challenging, debilitating, isolating feeling that I do not wish upon anyone. 16 months postpartum, I got there with the help of my beautiful intelligent, gentle, kind so much loved little Rowie Rose, my main man Alan and all of my family.

I am so grateful for all of my family for what they have all done to help me get through this and for making it possible to still raise my daughter exactly how I wanted too.

 

What Is Important To You When Choosing Foods For Rowie?

The goal is to nourish and flourish right? I am plant based and I trust very much that what i feed Rowie is giving her a good nutritional foundation one that is filling her tiny growing body and mind with vitamins and minerals it deserves and needs, quality protein calcium, carbohydrates, good fat intake, healthy energy to assist with her rapid brain development, strong and healthy immune system and her never ending growing energy levels. I believe that i am teaching her good eating habits so she will be able to help survive the never ending choices that we have available today which don’t necessarily help us in the long run when it comes to our health. Nothing beats clean healthy living in our growing world of disease, pollution and destruction of our planet. By being appreciative and compassionate I hope that I can instill in Rowie a conscious humble ethical attitude as well as having compassion to all aspects of her life. The great outdoors, the love of animals and humans and the respect for our planet that provides for us. Most of all a healthy respect for her own mind body and soul .

 

What Is Important When Choosing Goods For Rowie?

Long term enjoyment and knowledge about ethical and environmental implications.

In regards to plastic and plastic toys, I’m just not that into it. For the short lived enthusiasm Rowie may show in the object it does not make it beneficial to buy the beeping colorful piece of plastic. The fun we have with nature, wooden, practical ,sustainable, biodegradable toys for learning and play are more than enough and far out way the object that gets disregarded and which in turn could end up in landfill and destroy our beautiful world .

  

What Are Your Dreams And Hopes For Rowie?

Dreams are a big part of all our lives; but if there is one in particular I hope that Rowie is HAPPY. In order for her to be happy, It is also very important for me to teach her life skills and instill in her so many important lessons of integrity, gratefulness, compassion, lessons to help combat fear and make good choices even when the wrong choice is made and how to move on and learn from it not fear it; and always know that there is love and cuddles waiting for her at home no matter what age she is.

My hope for Rowie is that she chases her dreams and truly understands how very important and loved she is not just to me and our family but to the whole universe.

 

As A Parent, What Sustainability issue do you wish to have more focus both publicly and personally ?

 I have so many topics i want to go on and on about but I will keep it simple . if you have read my other answers you will see that I am plant based for many reasons but mainly for my own personal health and wellness. We all want it and let’s face it we all need it to survive; however we are all contributing to a lifestyle that our poor earth and our race just might not be able to sustain if we don’t start making changes personally and environmentally. Industry has had a huge impact and we have all become reliant to a lot of these quick fix products.

Publicly I would like everyone to become more aware when purchasing items that are wrapped in plastic in particular when it comes to food and also the purchase and disposal of children’s toys as they all grow up and don’t use or want them anymore. The land and water is suffocating in plastics let alone our own homes with kid’s toys everywhere. Even though we are now recycling and we all think we are doing our part ; the recycling industry is still having to get rid of a lot of waste that is not biodegradable the problem being a lot goes back into our land and into our water ways . I’m sure we all would like to think that this gorgeous country/world can be enjoyed by the generations to come. We can all contribute by trying to be more conscious of the effects that we have on our wonderful earth.

 

What tips would you give other parents who are wanting to live more sustainably?

As far as giving tips to others / parents I feel as though it is only fair to make the statement that you have every right to take a few moments and pretend to carefully consider it and then ignore it or you may choose to read and enjoy receiving feed back .. I’m not one to give advice as such but I think it’s only fair to speak your beliefs.. I think if you’re wanting to live a more sustainable life it is best starting out by not actually creating more chores for yourself just do what feels right and easy for you.. Reduce your own work load by simply buying foods that aren’t wrapped in waste.. take a shorter shower, turn lights off when you leave a room, buy less plastic toys for your children and more eco, bio degradable toys or even better try focus more on letting them be creative with their play for example earths toys - leaves, sticks, dirt, mud, water, flowers so on .. when children play with a toy it may stimulate them for a short time however, outside they can throw, walk, run, balance, jump, climb, use their imagination for endless periods of time, eat on the adventure (food preferably lol) which are all physical skills kids love and are super important for their growth, co-ordination and even better burn off that energy and even better sustainable!!

 

We Are Living In A Uncertain Time What Has Helped You And Your Family Cope With What Is Happening In The World

I’ve grown and learnt a lot this year. Allowing things that drains your spirit is something you need to let go of; concern and even fear sometimes is necessary but it is in your power to choose what to accept and what to let go of. As a family we are choosing to be happy. We have learned that you can get through bad times and to keep looking forward for better times as long as you have family and people to love you. Live with compassion, honesty and look after all living creatures as best as you can; live a more sustainable lifestyle; appreciate how lucky we still are to have each other; slow down with what we think we need and just be happy with what we have…..  especially the time we get to share together. Believe in yourself; aim high and go for your dreams .We will get through this even if life looks different from what we are used too but this is Rowie’s first taste of life and we intend to make the most of all the goodness that is still out there. xx

 

BEFORE I FINISH

 I didn’t just choose EveEco baby products because of the beautiful mamas behind the scenes (who I’ve created a lovely little relationship with through instagram) nor because they created such a gorgeous, fun, natural, safe, eco friendly, BIODEGRADABLE product for our little ones … I chose EveEco for all the above and more!!!

Their no holes, no mold bath ducks!!! AMAZING

Their products are all made from a natural rubber latex sourced from Hevea trees and have no connection to mold – now that’s a good bath toy!!

Their gorgeous little bath ducks and safety non slip mats make me smile every time! Rowie parks her little bottom on her mat and throws her little ducks in the bath counting 1, 2 ,3  making sure they are all I a row before starting her night time bath imagination adventures! Usually they go over the hills and far away while mother duck (me) sings quack quack QUACK !!

Thank you EveEco for making our night time routine so much fun and for letting me participate in your much enjoyed motherhood journal !

Love Millicent Carson xxx

 

Image supplied by Milli via her Instagram account.