“A mother’s love is like no other, but you are important too.”
Minding Mum is a simple yet revolutionary concept – new mums need to focus on themselves as well as their children. Only 25% of new mums have reported looking after their own health and wellbeing post-pregnancy, but at such a vulnerable time it is vital to be kind to yourself and give yourself time to recover.
If a mum is not happy and healthy it creates a domino effect within the family. This is why you need to look after both your physical and mental health better than ever, and who better to teach you than someone who’s been there, model, mum and multitasker Alison Canavan.
In Ireland, we prepare mums very well for pregnancy and for childbirth. Expectant mothers are cared for by doctors, midwives, nurses, family and friends and are encouraged to mind themselves, eat well and relax as much as possible. But when the baby arrives, mums tend to neglect themselves as all of the focus moves to their precious new bundle.
After having her son, James, Alison felt over-whelmed. While she found a multitude of books and resources on how to care for a new baby, there was little on how to look after a new mum. Through her support of Irish mothers and in this writing this book, Alison hopes that this will soon change.
Minding Mum is about making the choices that suit you and that make you happy. It’s time to move on from sacrificing ourselves and time to change the way we think about mums. With chapters on nutrition, exercise, post-natal depression, mindfulness, beauty tips for busy mums and much more, this is a thoughtful and valuable book that any new mum will treasure.
Alison Canavan is a health and wellness expert, parenting columnist and motivational speaker. After nearly two decades as one of Ireland’s most successful international models, she returned to Ireland in 2010 and has since devoted her career to nutrition and health and wellness, with a strong focus on mental health. In 2015 she graduated with Distinction from the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health (IINH) as a health and wellness coach (Advanced Diploma in Diet and Nutrition Therapeutics) and is continuing her studies in this field.
Alison has a weekly parenting column in the Daily Mail, a travel column in the Mail on Sunday and has written for VIP magazine. She regularly contributes to other national and international newspapers and publications, and is a popular guest on various TV and radio shows, discussing issues from parenting to health, mental health, wellbeing, beauty and fitness.
For detailed information on Alison, her work, her interests and her speaking engagements, see www.alisoncanavan.com.
