Things I know - pregnancy and birth

I've had three babies, one of them turns 7 tomorrow. One is 11 and the other just 6 months old. Thats quite the age gap. It was not exactly planned that way, but then, Mr Man and I have never really been one for planning...we prefer challenges and risks and spontaneity. After three pregnancies and births, there are many things that I know, and this is the biggest thing of all...

There is no right or wrong way to conceive, to be pregnant, to birth, feed your baby or be parent. The only way is the way that works for you and your family. The way that makes you feel safe and secure, which ever way that is. And no matter how many pregnancies and babies you have, each experience is unique, as is every human.

There must be something in the water in our town, or so I am to believe. There has been a substantial increase in third and forth babies over the past couple of years, along with firsts. One only has to look at the waiting list for our three childcare centres in town to know this. Or is it just that I am in contact with these women and families more through my massage therapy business and the school community and circles we move in? We are of the child rearing age after all.

Speaking to different women who have had babies over the past year or so, there is a common theme - guilt and fear of being judged. The mother who feels guilt for accepting intervention during birth. The mother who felt judged by medical professionals and community for choosing to bottle feed her baby after 6 weeks of no sleep...her baby turned a corner and began to thrive. Then there is the guilt and judgement of the disposable versus cloth nappy, and not being 'Eco' enough. And the guilt of the mother whose baby sleeps all night and feeds well, also known as the 'good baby'. Don't you despise that question..."Is your baby a good baby?". All babies are 'good babies'. 

My final comment on things I know, or perhaps it's more of an observation, is that women and communities need to support each other more and judge each other less on the decisions that pertain to pregnancy and birth and the parenting experiences that follow. 

Communicate more, talk, listen, share cups of tea, cook for each other...nurture and accept one another. 

Nic Nurtures

Another great muffin

This morning I woke up to yet another morning of not having prepared the kids lunches the night before. We've had a busy weekend and there was none of our usual Sunday baking and food prep for the week. Fortunately the two boys were already up, dressed and fed. Baby P was sound asleep after her 5am feed and play. 

I made myself a double shot soy flat white and stared into the cupboard. It was bare. Well, full of food but bare of home baked goodies. This is what I created, from scratch off the top of my head, and they are delicious!

Carrot cake muffins

2 cups of spelt wholewheat flour

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

2 eggs

200ml coconut oil

1 large carrot, 2 purple carrots, coarsely grated

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prepare your muffin tins.

Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl and stir through sugar. 

In another bowl, whisk eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in carrot.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Spoon mix into muffin tins, bake for 25 minutes.

These taste so good! Moist muffins, crunchy tops, so yum and easy to make.

Nic Nurtures x

My kind of Sunday...weekend stills

1. baby wearing selfie. thats a sculpture behind me of a woman breastfeeding a baby whale

2. rock pools between surfers point and the river mouth

3. climbing rocks, hot underfoot

4. exploring rock pools, looking for crabs, trying to catch little fish with hands

5. thunderous waves breaking on the rocks

6. the best place to chill

Is there anything better than natures playground? As a kid I loved exploring and playing at the beach. Rock climbing and hunting for crabs was a favourite past time, and my boys love it too. Baby P happily snoozed in the Ergo as we clambered over hot rocks on the first real hot day of Spring. We saw plenty of crabs scurrying in and out of rock formations and lots of little fish swimming in the rock pools. It was a truly magic day.

Nic Nurtures

Taking Stock...October

Making : cacao rough, by Well Nourished
Cooking : chicken broth
Drinking : my coffee with soy milk
Reading: Granny Squares...I'm determined to learn to crochet
Wanting: a new juicer, one that extracts all the juice
Looking: at the wind blowing the trees and washing outside
Playing: bubble mania on my smart phone, sad I know, but it's addictive!
Deciding: what to make for Christmas feast
Wishing: that I had my mum or MIL just around the corner
Enjoying: discovering old favourite board books with Baby P, like 'Peepo'
Waiting: for November 28, Aunty Kiki arrives from Melbourne
Liking: connecting with people on Instagram
Wondering: how to afford a house cleaner
Loving: my $10 satchel bag from the opshop, it holds so much stuff
Pondering: a holiday, where, when, how much
Considering: buying a new juicer
Watching: The Code on Iview
Hoping: my herb garden thrives
Marvelling:at how much Baby P is changing everyday
Needing: to reorganise my pantry again
Smelling: the lingering aroma of our green chicken curry
Wearing: pj's and a top knot
Following: Nikki fisher @ Wholefood Mama
Noticing: that I procrastinate the laundry A LOT
Knowing: that I have always procrastinated the laundry...I'll wash it, bring it in, but dang it, I just can't seems to put it away!
Thinking: about a homemade Christmas - food gifts, photo gifts, craft gifts to make and do
Admiring: Two Mad Rabbits
Sorting: Lego, we have so much and have now moved it into Turbos room in anticipation of Baby P moving about
Buying:mason jars of all sizes to make chutneys and jams for Christmas gifts
Getting:excited for summer and the festive season
Bookmarking: raising children network - great resources for parenting all three of my kids
Disliking: baby p biting me during feeds...ouch!
Opening: packages, my instagram shop purchases are arriving, yay!
Giggling: with Turbo making up silly songs
Feeling: a bit tired, but getting used to broken sleep as being the norm
Snacking: on indian spiced almonds
Helping: Turbo learn to tie his shoe laces
Hearing: birds singing

We had so much going on in October, this is a nice way to reflect on the month that was. And how cool is this photo of the family and I at the beach? You can just see the outline of Baby P's head above my shoulder, peeking out from the Ergo...fun!

Nic Nurtures x

Easy as ...Sunday night dinner

We've had a super busy weekend. Junior cricket on Saturday was a 40 minute drive away so that meant we had to be up and at em by 6.15am. This also meant that I'd miss our local farmers market. Fortunately, the cricket oval was across the road from another fortnightly farmers market, and I managed to stock up on fruit and veg as well as some good old country preserves.

Sunday was spent at Xscape at the Cape, an adventure/waterpark, where Turbo ran amuck with his 2 best mates for a birthday party. I drank coffee with the mums and dads, and we all shared the baby around. 5 hours later, we returned how to an exhausted Mr Man and Junior Hoges. They'd spent the day spring cleaning the garden and renovating the small patch of lawn we have. 

No one could be bothered making dinner.  After a cup of tea, I quickly threw together these super easy zucchini fritters. And we ate them with the three leftover salads from the BBQ the night before. 

Zucchini Fritters

Grate 2 zucchini into a large bowl. Remove all the corn from its cob and add that too. 3 large eggs, a cup of SR flour and some salt and pepper and your ready to cook. 

I cooked mine in a pan with rice bran oil as it has a high burn point. The fritters took all of 10 minutes, in batches, to create a plate full. 

They were gobbled up with sweet Chilli sauce and natural yoghurt. I wish I'd made a double batch...next time.

Nic Nurtures x