I have been in the industry for almost 20 years and its my absolute honour to be able to take care of women during such a special time for them.

I am also a of mother of soon to be 3 beautiful children and this also helps me to be able to relate and  provide the best possible care and knowledge for all my clients.

2. What is the importance of self-care during pregnancy and in the post-partum period?

As mothers we are conditioned to believe if we aren’t putting ourselves last and caring for everyone else then we are not doing out job correctly.

Unfortunately, this could not be more wrong  growing, birthing and recovering from birthing a baby is an enormous stress on us as women both physically and mentally and deserves to be honoured and nurtured so we can then continue to do this for everyone around us.

Not only are we creating another human our bodies then need to birth this blessing that needs our constant attention all the while healing itself and creating food in the way of milk with minimal sleep.

 3. How can we practice self care during pregnancy and the postpartum period ?

 My best advice for practicing self care throughout this special time is while you are pregnant nurture body and listen to its cues for example if you do feel discomfort book yourself a massage its not being self indulgent.

Connect with yourself and your baby though yoga and mediation not only will these small things make you feel better but will also equip you with confidence to birth your baby and honour this special process.

In your 4^th trimester nourish your body with healing foods, massage and belly binding to ensure your really healing yourself from the inside out. Don’t  have any expectations or allow anyone else’s opinions affect you on this journey you know best!

4. Are there any must-have products or services that are important for self care that you recommend?

Yes, Definitely!

During pregnancy I highly recommend massage as regularly as you need whether for relaxation or pain malmanagement. Also purchasing yourself as really good magnesium oil, salts or both and using them regularly (I personally prefer the salts so I can just soak my whole body in the bath and really relax and meditate).

Engage in the help of mentors, classes or doulas whether its your 1^st or 3^rd knowledge is power and this will also give you the confidence to birth your baby and recover in the 4^th trimester, you will be surprised at how much you actually learn.

For the 4^th trimester again massage is super important to release and create balance and flow throughout the body along with abdominal support through binding. Massage will help release tight muscle encourage relaxation and milk production, while having your abdomen in a bind will offer support for the body and reduce feelings of emptiness and weakness.

I also highly encourage consumption of quality bone broth and warming foods and drinks for the first 40 days to help with postpartum bleeding, nourishing your body and producing milk.

And lastly having a really good trusting support system around you from pregnancy through to the postpartum period, its important to ask for help physically and mentally from people you feel comforted in and trust.

The Takeaway

I think it is fair to say that self care especially during pregnancy is incredibly important, I love how Claudia provided self-care tips that were not also focused on the physical healing but also the inner healing of childbirth and the journey of pregnancy. I found Claudia's knowledge and expertise flowed throughout her interview and was so deeply inspired by her passion to help women heal both physically and emotionally. To find out more about Claudia's services do check out her Instagram page La’Louche Beauty and contact her for her amazing holistic pregnancy and post-partum services.