At the time, I spent nearly all of my free time and what little money I had on wellness practices, detoxes, healing supplements, and anything that might help me feel better. For years, I relied heavily on supplements and strict routines.
Then I became pregnant, and overnight, 95% of that stopped.
I stopped intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast. I stopped drinking coffee (never thought I’d say those words). No intense workouts, saunas, or cold plunges. No supplements. Instead, I had to relearn what my body and my baby actually needed.
Honestly, it was such a welcome reprieve from my typical wellness world. It’s been fairly simple and much more supportive of motherhood, at least for me.
Here’s what that looks like right now.
I absolutely consider this part of my wellness routine. The more I’ve learned about women’s hormones and postpartum nourishment, the more I’ve come to love breakfast. A smoothie at 11 a.m. just isn’t my thing anymore.
Most mornings, breakfast is: 3 eggs, sausage (I love Force of Nature), and either this bread or roasted potatoes / sweet potatoes. And whatever Harmony doesn’t eat.
I feel more grounded, my energy and weight stay steady, and honestly, I enjoy being around myself a lot more (lol). I don’t count macros or calories; those years are long gone, and I don’t miss them!
This switch has somehow stuck, and it still surprises me. Coffee used to be my thing. It fueled that productive, workhorse side of me, but it just doesn’t support me the same way anymore. I’m way more sensitive to caffeine and need as few excess nervous system stimulators as possible.
My favorite matcha right now is frothed with coconut milk, raw cacao, a pinch of salt, and raw honey.
I’m not sure what this will look like after breastfeeding, but I’d still like to think I will rely more on my other wellness practices over pills. Right now I take:
Vitamin D
NAC (actually been shown to help with development through breastmilk too)
High-quality Vitamin C (for skin, immunity, collagen production, etc)
A few days a week, I will do grass-fed organ capsules and zinc.
I use more homeopathy and gemmotherapy when something needs to be addressed. It’s been a fun and fascinating new world.
This has stayed with me for over 15 years. I don’t tolerate cane sugar well, and I honestly consider that a bit of a superpower because it naturally eliminates so many quick grab-and-go foods. It helps keep my skin clear and my energy more balanced throughout the day.
But I always have treats. My weekly staples include:
No duh, I know this isn’t new, but as someone who didn’t count a workout unless it was intense and at least an hour long, walking IS my new wellness.
I’ve recently joined a new workout group (hello abs), so I’m working out twice a week now. But walking, at least 45 minutes a day, usually with my built-in 30-pound weight is still one of the biggest pillars of my well-being. It clears my mind, supports my nervous system, and helps me feel like myself. Sometimes I do my walks in 10-minute increments. And we always do an after dinner walk as a family.
After I put Harmony to bed, I usually spend at least 10 minutes on the mat. It helps with digestion, nervous system regulation, and really helps me sleep.
This one has been essential for my sanity. I only allow myself 3 goals or to-dos per day. No more.
One day, it might be laundry, grocery shopping, and a workout.
Another day, vacuuming, sitting and staring at the wall during naptime (ya, doing no t h i n g) and taking Harmony somewhere new and exciting.
The next could be recipe testing, writing a Substack post, and running one errand.
But it stays at 3. This keeps my expectations of productivity realistic.
Whenever I try to do too much, overwhelm creeps in, and motherhood becomes so much harder. Lately, this one has been especially hard to follow, which probably means I need it even more.
This one is hard. Really hard.
Planning, prepping, cooking, and cleaning with an active toddler with me full-time is no small task. But it supports our family immensely and contributes so deeply to all of our well-being.
For us, food is wellness, and I take it seriously.
Sometimes I prep dinner at lunch time which helps when it’s 5 pm and my daughter has the zoomies. All the recipes on my Substack are our staples. Simple veggie + protein rice bowls or tacos are my go-tos.
I used to love long sauna sessions, pedicures, and facials, and I really prioritized making time for those things. But right now, my beauty and wellness routines look much different.
I focus on what I have access to at home: my rebounder (which has taken on a whole new meaning with a toddler), red light, and the occasional Epsom salt bath.
Would I love weekly facials and long, luxurious lymphatic massages? Hell yes.
But right now, no, nope. There’s just no way. Five minutes of red light, a quick bounce on the rebounder, or a bath after bedtime is self-care.
I spent almost two decades trying to find the right way to eat, the right workout, the right detox, the right meditation, and the right supplements.
And then, just like motherhood does, life rewired itself and stripped away what I didn’t actually need to support my wellbeing.
I’m so grateful for the foundation I built around wellness, and equally grateful to have left the rigid practices behind.
I hope my wellness practices seem boring and simple, but don’t underestimate their effectiveness.
With love and Harmony,
Katelyn
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