Life by Lou Seale

Reflecting on a glorious year of Opie and I want to (hopefully) helpfully honour the sources that have made life possible from the first photo to the last. First for all things pre and postnatal including a 10/10 recommendation for her baby catching skills from a standing position. for the best desperate 3am purchase of baby sleep help. for the best labor preparation and I could have hoped for in an easy guide. for functional bamboo conscious nursing bras. for using her voice to bring wisdom to motherhood and metabolic function. for encouraging me to get certified in postnatal pilates and all her amazing YouTube videos. because instagram apparently doesn’t agree with how I choose to keep my baby healthy. for consciously curated baby basics…and totally not basics. And people… we just need people. God’s design for life is beautiful and women are pretty amazing at bringing it… we’re kinda made for it.

Sign up at bit.ly/april-pilates to join us any or every Wednesday in April at the St.Mary's loft on Old Amersham High Street!
At £5 per session, and a chance to join in your community, what's not to love? You can even bring your bubs!

Old Amersham and friends in the area! Get ready for the April pilates challenge. I'll be hosting in person classes twice a week for all skill levels and ages, including pre/post natal mums (baby friendly!) DM for more info!

At nine months a midwife duo comes for a home visit and drops off all the lovely gadgets and gear to assist them in a home birth. How in the world are we to fit all these gizmos in our wee flat? My personal favorite item I model for you here: the placenta bucket.
Whether you choose a hospital birth or to go out in the woods and do your thang, let's just normalize birth as BEING a natural thing, shall we?

When I was a 13 year old set free in the mall I assumed every boy was turning their head to give me a second look. I wanted to feel special and empowered by being sexy. At 13...let me tell you I was NOT sexy. (Praise.) Today I walked three miles to our favorite flower market (just opened back up!) to buy a long awaited plant for our Baby Girl's nursing room. The first three pictures are of free food people either handed me from their own stash, just because I simply walked (read: wobbled) by them or came into their shop, and they pleaded with me to please not be worried about putting on a mask if I wasn't comfortable. (Only one of whom was female-hey!) The final pic is the long awaited rubber plant for Bebe, given at a steep discount because the seller "saw I was close to being due, and felt the weight of it on him". I've never been larger, moody-er, hobbly-er...or more empowered in the feminity that I was created to experience as an incredibly unique blessing.

Hey Momma's, have you been told your iron levels are low and you need to consider supplementation? SHWAIT! Your iron levels should come up low in blood work, as baby is taking some of that there iron you've been storing up. Don't worry, your body compensates! However it's highly more likely you need other essential minerals to make sure your body CAN compensate as it was designed to. For more on this listen to this Veritas podcast: https://youtu.be/JriwhMLwpuI

Trust that your body was designed to DO THIS. And baby knows just how to take what they want already. 😄

For the end of my pregnancy, Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me to cut out sugars. As a gal who already didn't EAT sugar...that meant ciao to my fruit addiction and a firm ketogenic diet. It's been fun! Today I made a salmon and shmear sandwich and it was so good I think it's likely unholy not to share. Here's the keto bun recipe I literally woke up with in my spirit...Mix dry ingredients in a bowl: 2/3 cup of almond flour, if you have it, add in 1/8 cup coconut flour as well. If not, Make it 1 cup of almond flour. 1/3 cup psyllium husks, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional). Once all evenly mixed, add in 4 eggs, then 3/4 cup of boiling water. Mix all together. Separate into little dough balls, pop onto baking paper on a baking sheet and bake off at 180 C / 350 F until lightly browned on top and dense enough to withstand a light tap. Let cool, if you have the will power to wait.

Join me on LouTube tomorrow: 2PM London/8AM Austin for a free hour of pre natal pilates and wellness-also suits post natal mums and any woman seeking to correct or be sensitive to diastasis recti. Link in bio!

Today my baby is the size of a mango and wouldn't you know I've been craving the HECK outta this impossibly tropical piece of gold. Each new year I choose to go to "war" against something that wars against my body. Last year it was a war against seed and hydrogenated oils. This year it's a war against comfort foods. Comfort food doesn't always mean a sweet treat or white carb, but could be what you desire in a moment of stress or sadness. As a pregnant woman, those moments come more often but I don't want to be a victim to my soul's every whim. So right now I'm resisting dried mango because technically, I will live without it, and perhaps be the better for it.

*Are you in a season of waiting? New meditation for ya, friend.*
In celebrating the beginning of December and the quietness the lock down brought us, I'm running an advent meditation series! Check out the first installation where we spend just a few minutes silencing our souls and focusing on the story of Simeon. Bit.ly/adventbylou

A quick meditation to set your spirit during this lockdown: https://youtu.be/I-9L_pVT9OA

A few miracles lined up to allow us to spend this lock down in not only a monastery of the heart, but also the body! I've been inspired by clients to write this meditation for those who are experiencing this shut down in more cramped and less green quarters.