Mum of the month - Laura is my Zest4lifeUK amazing "cover girl"!

Hi Laura! First of all, congratulations on being Mum-of-the-month!

You’re a mum of two – tell me, how old are your kiddies?

 

They're 3.75 years and 10 months. My eldest is a little boy and my youngest is a girl. 

What aspects of motherhood do you most enjoy?

I love being a mum and, in many respects, I choose to live my life for my family. The best bits have to be the everyday little things, the cuddles, the surreal conversations that seem to occur with my son and the special memories that are created just by being alive - I wish I could remember all the little things that make me smile everyday! 

 

And the not-such-fun bits?

The tiredness! Both my little ones seem to like to dodge sleep so every night there seems to be bed swapping and awake time. Their little body clocks don't seem to appreciate the need for 12 hours sleep each night!

 

What’s your favourite gadget in motherhood, the one you can’t live without?

I love my sling for carrying my daughter, I feel so close to her and she loves to be up and watching the world from the higher level. It also means I have both hands free to chase my son or help him on his bike or scooter! I wish I could invent a gadget or two though ... Extra hands for example ;-)

 

You do postnatal fitness with me but have you always been into exercise?

Yes and no. At school I used to do a bit, I swam for a local club and did life saving so needed to be fit for that. Then I went through a phase of not really exercising at all. In 2000 I turned 21 and decided I was fed up weighing 90kg and so I began dieting and exercising. I totally changed my view on food and all the exercise culminated in me running the Edinburgh marathon in 2008. I continued to run until I fell pregnant and couldn't carry on. I'm determined to get back to running this autumn, but I'm planning on focusing on the 5k or 10k rather than distance events.

 

Are you into healthy eating? What’s your all-time favourite dish?

I have a dairy intolerance so I'm careful with what I eat. I mainly stick to a healthy, whole food diet. I'm trying to change the way my other half views food and to break some bad habits we've lapsed into with my son but my daughter seems to have food intolerances too so, as a family, we're pretty careful. My favourite dish is tricky! I love a bowl of pasta with lentil Bolognaise but I have a sweet tooth so some banana and chocolate muffins will always be a winner with me.

 

How do you find the time to fit in exercise with young children?

I try to power walk anywhere I'm going with the buggy, which is far easier in the sunshine. My son goes on a buggy board so I'm pushing 40kg whilst walking, which is good resistance. When I go back to work I'll also make time for a head clearing run a couple of times a week.

 

You’ve battled against postnatal depression and made absolutely huge progress. Would you be happy to share with us what has helped you on this journey?

Although I've got two beautiful healthy babies, we've not had the easiest few years. Without going into detail we've had more than our fair share of family illness, bereavement and stress. After the birth of my daughter I found I couldn't keep putting on a brave face and I was eventually diagnosed at Christmas last year. Since then I've worked hard to 'get better'. I've seen a CBT therapist through my GP, I've begun to get back into exercise and I've looked at my diet afresh. I've realised that, for me, the only way to improve was to start respecting and liking myself for who I am and not trying so hard to change. I'm trying to be more positive, I'm taking time to reflect on the good and not so good things that happen each day and I'm trying to look after myself and my family with love and patience. As Queen Elsa says in 'Frozen' - love heals. I've been so lucky to have loving and supportive family and friends, I'm not sure how I'd have coped otherwise.

 

We all need a bit of “me time” when we’re mums. What’s your favourite “mummy me time” activity?

I love nothing more than sitting down with a hot chocolate or cuppa and doing a bit of reading. It's a precious time these days!

 

Fitness for ever?

Definitely, it makes me feel alive!

Laura, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us!