Now, meal prepping doesn’t come without a bit of effort. My husband made these meatballs (we LOL’ed about the fact that the title of this letter could be “My Husband’s Meatballs”), and he spent a couple of hours prepping it in total. You could probably find a meatball recipe that requires a little bit less effort, but truthfully, I find that all the extra chopping and frying makes all the difference.

How many meatballs you want to prep will inevitably influence the time spent prepping. Our philosophy is that now that we’re already chopping 2 onions, why not double the amount and make extra? This is totally up to you. If you want to prep only 12 meatballs, obviously this process will be a lot less tedious and take less time. The following recipe left us with nothing less than 98 extremely juicy meatballs of 30 ish grams each. Sooooooo many meals are ready to be served with this meal prepping!

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If you’re a follower of mine, it should come as no surprise that I value cooking quite a bit, not only for the sole purpose of the actual cooking, but also for the purpose of staying healthy and prioritizing nutrient density. Food is fuel, so a lack thereof will deplete your body in more than one way.

In this series, I’ll be sharing recipes on the meals and snacks I prepare for early post partum. We’re expecting a baby girl shortly, and already have a 2,5 y/o toddler at home, so we expect to be busy and overwhelmed once I’ve given birth. I’d like to be able to focus on our newest family addition, but surely also my beloved son & husband, so removing the task of daily cooking in the beginning seems like a great place to save ourselves some energy. For this reason, we’re stacking our freezer with meals and snacks for the entire family. Come along for the ride!

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In late 2023, I gave birth to our boy, and shortly after, we started having conversations about how and when to bring a sibling into this world. I’ve dreamed of having many kids my entire life, and while my husband isn’t quite as certain, he has always agreed that we should have at least two. Knowing our odds of conceiving naturally were extremely low, we agreed to go ahead with ICSI (advanced IVF, per recommendation by our doctors) as soon as we felt ready for this next chapter.

Despite being assessed in 2023, we had to start all over again in early 2025 when we decided to go for it. Sperm tests, fallopian tube flushing, blood tests—you name it, we did it. Waiting for doctor’s appointments, waiting for results, waiting, waiting, waiting in general made this part of the process a bit more drawn out than any of us had hoped, meaning we probably got started a good 6–8 months later than we had imagined.

While the waiting game was tedious and, at times, a little heartbreaking, we both knew this time was best spent preparing our bodies for the next steps. Despite our challenges being male-factor related, we knew that I would ultimately be the one carrying most of the load regardless, because I’d be the one doing hormone injections, egg retrievals & embryo transfers. Ugh!

In the following, I’d like to share what I did to really prepare my body and mind for ICSI — from months leading up to + during & after egg retrieval and embryo transfer.

Curious how it all went??? Find out in the last chapter of this post <3

Supplements

While I don’t like advocating for “this-and-that” regarding supplements, I’ll share with you what I used during this period. Please remember that everyone’s needs are different, so for you, this might look a little different. However, these supplements mentioned below are all relevant in terms of optimizing female fertility: This covers balancing of hormones & improving egg quality (highly relevant when you actually want to become pregnant and want the blastocyst to develop properly! IVF or not), but it also supports the uterine lining, which ideally should be thick and receptive to a fertilized egg when it implants. I started this protocol roughly 4-5 months before starting on hormones.

High-dose vitamin D (90 mcg)
Vitamin D plays a central role in hormone regulation and overall ovarian function. Low levels are quite common (especially in the northern hemisphere) and have been linked to irregular cycles and reduced fertility. Getting levels up can support more stable ovulation and create better conditions for egg development.

Zinc & selenium
Zinc is directly involved in hormone production and ovulation, while selenium supports thyroid health and protects cells from oxidative stress. Since the thyroid is closely tied to reproductive hormones, both nutrients help create a more balanced internal environment for conception.

Methylated folate
Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and proper cell division, which makes it highly relevant for egg quality and early embryo development. Using the methylated form ensures the body can actually utilize it efficiently, which isn’t always the case with standard folic acid.

Magnesium
Magnesium supports the nervous system and helps regulate the body’s stress response, which can otherwise interfere with hormonal balance. It also plays a role in blood sugar regulation, making it relevant for maintaining a stable and predictable cycle.

Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids support hormone production and help keep inflammation levels in check. They’re also linked to improved egg quality and can support the uterine environment, which becomes especially relevant when preparing for implantation.

High-dose vitamin C (1000 mg)
Vitamin C works as a strong antioxidant, helping to protect eggs from oxidative stress and cellular damage. It also supports the immune system and contributes to overall reproductive health, especially during periods of increased physical and emotional stress.

Vaginal microbiome testing

I’m a bit of a nerd, and scrolling through research articles on various scientific databases is my idea of having fun. Early on in this fertility journey, I stumbled upon this study on PubMed suggesting an association between vaginal dysbiosis and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Although I have never experienced pregnancy loss myself, the topic immediately caught my attention. What I found really interesting was that optimizing the vaginal microbiome with one specific bacterium, lactobacillus crispatus, was associated with higher pregnancy success rates, IE fewer cases of RPL’s!!

When you think of it, how could the vaginal microbiome not affect our reproductive abilities, and why is this not something all couples in fertility treatment are being screened for? Sidenote…

After backing up my newly found empirical data with this, this & this study (to name a few; there are looooaaaads more), I reached out for my hormone therapist (currently on maternity leave, but waitlist is open) to get my vaginal microbiome tested. After all, there was really nothing to lose, and you know me, I go all in.

My results were interesting, because while I both had high protection from various lactobacillus (crispatus included, ideal!), low risk of bacterial vaginosis and a normal pH balance (both ideal, too!), I was at high risk of yeast infections (eek, not ideal). This didn’t come as a surprise, because being diabetic, my blood sugar levels are prone to fluctuations, which effectively increase the risk of developing yeast infections caused by candida fungi — a fungi present in everybody’s little eco system, usually overly active though, causing infections & inflammation. Candida responds well to carbohydrates & sugar (same, same), so you guessed it: Something to keep in mind, especially if you’re diabetic.

After getting my results, I went for a completely conventional over-the-counter antifungal treatment, purchased at the pharmacy, just to really make sure that all the candida in my vaginal environment was completely cleared, as per recommendation from my hormone therapist. You basically don’t want a disruptive candida fungi present in the vaginal milieu when you’re trying to conceive.

I also purchased these capsules, developed by Danish gynecologist Dorthe Snejbjerg, containing the very crucial l. crispatus bacteria mentioned in the studies linked above. I did my first 7-day treatment right after getting my vaginal biome test results, and my second treatment on day 1 of the cycle where we’d do our embryo transfer.

This way, I ensured optimal vaginal microbiome balance, hopefully increasing our chances for a succesful transfer. Again: It couldn’t hurt, and I go all in!

Homeopathy & adaptogens

It should come as no surprise that I also leaned on natural remedies during this time. For homeopathy, I’d always recommend you consult a homeopath to track down your specific needs. I personally used Chamomilla, Pulsatilla, and Sepia, all 30C. I used these during hormone stimulation, before & after egg retrieval, and after our embryo transfer.

In the months leading up to hormone stimulation, and during, I swore by Mind Studio’s Reishi mushroom extract (use link and enjoy 20% off sitewide, code applied automatically at check-out!) amazing for reducing stress (by regulating cortisol), supporting sleep (ditto) and supporting overall immune health. I used mine as needed in the evening.

Body therapy

Being a body therapist, seeking somatic support during this time felt especially crucial for me to get a sense of going full 360 on this journey. Leaving out the body would, for me, leave me feeling like something entirely essential was missing.

There are hundreds of ways to support the body through body therapy. I personally relied solely on reflexology, both because it’s a preferred modality of mine, but also because it felt like the most essential. My baseline was good and healthy — I wasn’t stressed (if I had been, I would have sought out cranio sacral therapy), I wasn’t experiencing any major imbalances (if I were, I would have looked towards acupuncture), so for me, the main goal was mainly to support what I already had going on: A fairly steady cycle, production of high quality eggs, build-up of a thick uterine lining. In a nutshell.

For anyone living in Copenhagen: Lisbeth Heckscher is the queen of reflexology. She can get a cactus pregnant (I got pregnant after 1 treatment back in 2023 — our miracle baby against all odds!)

Diet

I’ll keep this chapter brief, because there are a million ways of going about this. For me, personally, I didn’t change much, because I’m diabetic, meaning I actually keep a fairly stringent diet to begin with. This doesn’t mean that I don’t indulge (I do!), but for years I have focused on whole foods, minimized intake of processed foods, optimized nutrient density in every way possible (read my Substack on that subject here) and generally had my eye on not letting my body be deficient in anything. Nothing disrupts fertility like a body lacking nutrients!

thea.WORLD

My grain free granola

My journey into homemade granola started right before giving birth, almost 2 years ago. My husband and I were meticulously prepping our freezer with post partum food (we loved The First Forty Days and Danish Mad & Mødreomsorg for amazing inspiration and recipes), and this is when my husband stumbled upon a chocolate lentil granola (from Mad & Mødreomsorg). Upon hearing the title of the recipe, I remember being so intrigued, obviously because of the chocolate part, but also because of the lentil part… Could it be something to keep my blood sugar levels on track…

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a year ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · thea.WORLD

What was the outcome for us then?

I spent most of my September on hormones, prepping for egg retrieval. This being our first protocol meant quite a bit of back & forth from the hospital, making sure they didn’t end up overstimulating me, causing OHHS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). I was put on a low-dose protocol which I responded really well to, and everything went according to plan. I didn’t experience major side effects from the hormone injections except from bloating and some degree of headache. No mood swings or other common side effects. I did the injections myself, didn’t make a big fuss about it, and basically tried to uphold a feeling of normalcy in this entire process. I see videos on SoMe with couples standing together and hugging and kissing, and I ask myself: Aren’t you exhausted from this routine?

Whatever works for you — but to me, I didn’t give the shots and injections much consideration. That felt very liberating.

Egg retrieval went really well. The procedure itself felt uncomfortable, but not painful. I held crystals in one hand and my husband’s hand in the other. I felt weirdly fragile during, though: The thought of them “taking” something that belonged to me on a deeply biological level was a very vulnerable situation to me. Tears ran down my cheeks as I told them to take really good care of my eggs, because wow, did I work for those <3 They were able to retrieve a lot of eggs, which made me really, really proud. This was a great start! We needed it.

Right after the procedure, I was in intense pain. How the f*** are we only able to offer women paracetamol after this?!

In the days following, I did end up developing a moderate degree of OHHS, luckily not so bad that I had to be hospitalized. This was extremely uncomfortable, but with rest and great amounts of electrolytes, it subsided after a week’s time.

Because of the degree of OHHS, they couldn’t to an embryo transfer in that same cycle. My body needed rest. I think, for most women, this might feel like a huge setback, because inevitably, this results in more waiting. To me, it was a huge relief. I needed time to reset, both mentally and physically. With our new timeline, we knew that a pending embryo transfer would happen in November. This gave us time to go on our long awaited vacation to Greece, load up on vitamin D, drink heavy amounts of retsina and basically enjoy life.

I let my body reset with rest, good food, my usual supplement protocol, homeopathy, and adaptogens. I visited my reflexologist again, but I also just made sure to let life continue with a 2-year-old taking up most of my headspace. On day 1 of that transfer cycle, I did my 7-day protocol og vaginal microbiome tablets, setting up the microbiome for success once and for all.

During this time I also had many conversations with my body & the universe. I only gathered great stories that ended well: None of those “we’ve been doing IVF for 5 years”. While my heart breaks for those having to go through that, I needed to set my mind and energy on a different frequency. The universe sent me plenty of signs telling me that this was going to end well, and my gut told me that we’d succeed, if not the first time, then within the first 3. I told this to my girlfriends as well. Soon, there were signs everywhere: The ones I asked the universe for and the ones that showed up quite unexpectedly. By late November, embryo transfer was pending.

In the few days between my son’s birthday and my own birthday, they transferred our embryo back to me & my body. What a relief. It had made its way home. After this point, it’s a waiting game companioned by more hormones, the dreaded progesterone. I didn’t experience major side effects from this either, but it does mess with your mind as the list of side effects is very similar to those of early pregnancy. During the 14-day wait, I did keep on disclosing this very fact, but I’ll say today, that deep in my heart, I knew I was pregnant. Naturally, it’s not something you dare say out loud when it doesn’t just fall into your lap naturally.

And surely enough: On day 13, in the evening, the day before our official blood tests, I took a pregnancy test (my first one in this 14-day wait. I’m not a tester — it doesn’t feel soothing to me). The result?

Pregnant! Blood tests the day after confirmed this, and since then, time has flown, and I’m now well past the halfway mark of my second pregnancy. We’re expecting a girl <3

We were extremely lucky. From the great amount of eggs gathered, they were able to fertilize a lot of those, and we ended up with what we consider to be an unexpected amount of blastocysts. I’m not disclosing the exact numbers: It feels oddly private to me. They could be our future kids after all. I hope you’ll understand <3

With all of this, I hope to inspire, not pressure or set up expectations towards anything. I did miss something like this when we started our journey. All of these initiatives are gathered from literature, podcasts, research, my educations. You could do more, you could do less. I did this. Take what serves you — and share with someone who might need it. I’m sending my greatest love to those struggling.

With love,
T

It’s a shame, though. By providing our bodies with adequate nutrients from early youth and onwards, we establish a solid foundation for robust physical health in later life. This applies both to dietary intake and to physical exercise. As I plan to grow very old, being mindful about what I eat and how I exercise is very much something I’m aware of today, at age 31.

It’s not always easy, though. Besides the obvious: how dedicated we are — there are a million factors that impact how healthy we want to, or are able to, eat. Things like economy, accessibility of fresh produce, cultural habits, time constraints, and even emotional well-being all play a role. I experience this myself, at least, which means that some weeks score high points health-wise, and others…… mmmmm not so much. That’s OK! I try to refrain from aiming for perfect in all of life’s arenas. I highly recommend this practice, by the way — it has made an incredible impact on my mental health.

Anyways, back to the point: The good news is that there are countless small, simple tricks to enrich a meal with nutrients. Here, I list 6 of them, which will hopefully bring some inspiration into your everyday life—whether it’s for yourself, a friend, your child, or someone else entirely.

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I’m not gonna lie. The traditional Western breakfast is far from ideal for someone with diabetes (or for someone without, but let’s talk about that in a different post). Few things spike your blood sugar quite like bread, fruit juice, and oatmeal, and most quick breakfast options will ultimately f*** up my blood sugar for a good few hours. This means that I’ve always put quite a bit of time and effort into making wholesome, blood sugar friendly breakfast. Facing birth & thereby less time on my hands, I knew I was going to have to come up with new solutions that didn’t take as much time in the morning.

And so, from that day on, I made batches of lentil granola following the original recipe in Mad & Mødreomsorg. I loved the chocolate part and I quickly found out what it required in terms of insulin ratio to keep me steady throughout the morning.

About 6 months ago, I felt like changing things up. Since then, I have been on my own, personal granola journey, if you will, deviating from the original recipe, changing ingredients, method, baking time etc.

I’m happy to say that I’m left with a grain free granola that tastes amazing, has incredible crunch, is super nutrient dense, and keeps me full for hours until lunch time! Read on for full recipe & how-to!

My grain free granola

Ingredients

• 2 dl green lentils

• 2 dl pumpkin seeds

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When my son broke out in a major eczema flare-up at just 3 months old, I immediately took him to the doctor. The verdict was clear: Atopic dermatitis, treated with steroid cream on prescription.

No fucking way.

Both of my brothers had severe eczema when they were small, and my mother kept it at bay using only natural medicine until they outgrew it. I suppose natural medicine runs in my DNA, and so I never picked up the prescription at the pharmacy that day back in February last year. I did, however, clear up his eczema after 3 major flar-eups, and today, he’s been eczema free for about a year. His skin is still reactive, but I have managed to keep flare-ups at bay using natural remedies and prompts.

Listed below are the things that have had an impact on his skin — good and bad.

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Unfortunately, I also noticed that I was running low on all three cleansers at the same time — Lord behold — so stick around ‘til the end to find out which cleanser I just repurchased (it’s an old favorite that never lets me down!).

Let’s dive into it…

1. Lesse Refining Cleanser — Micro-Exfoliating Botanicals & Charcoal

This one is perfect as part of a ritual. It contains micro beads that offer gentle exfoliation — just be careful not to scrub. I like to press it lightly into the skin, let it sit while I do my thing in the shower, then gently massage and rinse. It always leaves my skin feeling fresh, clean, and polished.

2. Reome Three Suns Balm Cleanser

This brand is on another level. If bio-fermented and biotech-powered skincare sounds like your thing, look no further. This balm cleanser applies like a cream, emulsifies with water, and leaves skin feeling clean and nourished — never stripped. (And yes, their Active Recovery Broth serum is a game changer too.)

3. Woods Cleansing Balm

I keep coming back to this no-nonsense balm when my skin feels dry or dehydrated (which, to be honest, is pretty often). It melts onto the skin, then transforms into a milky cleanser when mixed with water — incredibly gentle. Unlike the others, it’s completely unscented, which I really appreciate.

Yes, all three cleansers were running dangerously low at the same time — I like to rotate them depending on what my skin needs. It’s always a bit of a bummer when a product runs out, but also kind of satisfying? Hard to explain. Either way, I knew instantly which one I’d repurchase: It’s the Mantle Skin Magic Milk, an evergreen in their range, offering their signature lemon-y scent and a very hydrating cream formula. I have brought it on summer holiday with me - for some reason, the scent reminds me a little of being in southern Italy.

All of these cleansers are ones I wholeheartedly recommend. Hopefully you found it inspiring — now you know what to try next.

Love always, T

For weeks, I have craved meat in various ways. As I looked through a few of our cookbooks the other day, I stumbled upon a ragout recipe, and right then & there I decided to make a big ass portion of ragout.

This doesn’t come without a little bit of prep. We have our freezer loaded with various meat cuts from both Hedeagergaard and Søtoftegård — organic, biodynamic farms, that serve us the best quality meat. This is important to me. I need to know that the animals I eat have lived a healthy life, eaten well, have had space and fresh air, and maybe even cuddles sometimes. This particular cut that I used for our ragout came from a beautiful cow named Inka — a lovely lady, a little bossy & stubborn, very strong, very loved. Yes, this information comes from Søtoftegård when you buy meat from them.

I knew we had about 1,5 kilos worth of Inka’s beef brisket in the freezer, perfect for ragout! The day before, I had made about 5 liters of bone broth (made on organic chicken scraps and veggie scraps collected throughout the past 2-3 months!), and with both meat and broth at hand, I decided to make my family the ultimate ragout!

Ragout for 6-8 ppl (depending on how hungry they are!)

1500 grams of beef brisket (or a similar cut — needs to be high in connective tissue & marbling)
Olive oil
4 large onions
6 carrots
5 stalks of celery
6 cloves of garlic
Splash of vinegar
4 cans of tomatoes (small tomatoes preferably)
4 dl of white wine (I didn’t measure but used a generous pouring)
Approx 750 ml of bone broth
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
8 sage leaves
4 bay leaves
4 teaspoons of salt
Lotsssss of fresh ground pepper

Cut out the beef brisket in similar sized chunks. Mine were about 5 cms.

Place your pot (I use our beloved Le Creuset pot, the largest one they have — use one suited for the oven!) on the stove and turn on high heat. Add oil to the pot, and once super hot, brown all the meat in batches, where each piece of meat has contact with the pot surface (if it doesn’t, you’ll risk boiling the meat instead of browning it). We like a good browning of the meat on all sides.

Once done, set aside the meat, turn down the heat to medium, add a bit more olive oil, and add in your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic — all of which is finely chopped. Add a generous splash of vinegar and let this sauté until the onions are see-though and everything is well glazed. Now pour in canned tomatoes, white wine, bone broth, herbs, salt, pepper, & browned meat. If you have bones from the cut, add these too. These will add depth & lots of collagen! Mix together, place the lid on your pot, and place it in the oven on 150 degrees.

After 4 hours, take the ragout out of the oven. I picked up the meat pieces and removed the marbling (discarded it) & shredded the meat. I also reduced the sauce a little on medium-high heat on the stove (don’t do this while the meat is in the sauce!). If the marbling has left you with a very fatty ragout, simply remove excess fat with a spoon — it will float around as the top layer, easy for you to get a hold of. Remove bones if you added these. Once meat is shredded, put it back into the pot, and have a taste — maybe the ragout needs more salt, pepper, sugar? You decide.

Serve with pasta, make a mean ragout lasagna, or eat as it is. Voila, enjoy, and thank you Inka <3

Originally, I found the recipe via New York Times Cooking, which, by the way, I can highly recommend subscribing to. They have an app, too, which is just such a game changer when it comes to gathering inspiration for cooking throughout the week.

Since then, I have perfected the recipe, made it my own. Toned down the sugar, upped the salt, added halva & pistachio from time to time (this, too, I can highly recommend).

Before you get started, make peace with the fact that the dough needs to rest 24 hours at least. Yes, you heard it. Make the dough on a Saturday, bake them on Sunday. Or, make the dough, let it rest for 24 hours, and freeze 90 grams balls of the dough — ready to take out and put straight into the oven when ever you feel like it. If you freeze balls of them, throw them directly into the oven (no need to thaw!), and then just give them 2-3 minutes more in the oven. Easy!

In some ways, these cookies are high maintenance, but you know what... Really good food sometimes is, okay, so if you plan on joining my amazing cookie adventure, please take the time, use your scales, and use proper ingredients. I promise it’ll be worth it!

Here goes — enjoy <3

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Very unlike me, I didn’t prepare my body for this event. I used to be really good at it, though, this is — before having kids (again, you do the math), and in all honesty, I deeply regretted my carelessness the next day. I don’t think I have felt so hungover in many, many years. It was rough, to say the least.

I say this, because there are actually ways to help your body along the way, just a little bit, and ease symptoms of alcohol intake the next days. None of these steps take much time, in fact, I’d say they’re quite easy. So therefore, listed below, are my top tips for naturally easing a hangover <3

On the day of

On the day of, this means when you wake up in the morning, brew a good old nettle tea in a pot. Add dried nettle to your tea pot, pour over boiling water, and simply set it aside. That was the first step — easy, yes?

Now, make a proper breakfast with enough protein & fiber to fuel your body. 3-4 eggs & rye bread is a good base! Add avocado, cheese or anything else you fancy. With your breakfast, have a glass of electrolytes to ensure proper hydration in your body (because alcohol will dehydrate, period!). If you don’t have any electrolytes in your pantry, make them yourself: Pour half a glass of boiling water. Add a teaspoon of honey, juice from half a lemon, and a generous nip of sea salt. Mix well and add cold water for the rest. Doesn’t taste great, but gets the job done!

Now, make sure that your pantry is filled with cooling pads for your forehead the next days. My favorites are these Cooling Headache & Migraine Pads from Boots, but a manual cooling gel mask in the fridge is also an option. These are available in several versions across Amazon etc. If you don’t have either, wet a few cotton cloths and place them in the freezer! This will be a lovely option too. If you have a gua sha (or another device), place it in the fridge as well. While you’re hanging around your fridge and freezer, make sure that you have some ice cubes on hand for the next day.

For the rest of the day, remember to stay hydrated, eat enough food containing a well-balanced mix of micro- and macronutrients (IE enough protein, fat, and fiber rich carbohydrates).

During the party

Party time! If your party involves a dinner, you might not have control over what is being served. If you do, however (let’s say it’s a buffet or there’s a menu card), opt for enough protein and enough carbohydrates, IE foods with some substance. This is not the time to eat a cute, green salad, because it simply won’t give your body any resilience towards the alcohol you consume. I’d opt for some meat and potatoes (these are rich in calcium, which is an important mineral to consume when drinking alcohol). Avocado is high in calcium, too.

Now, dinner is over, and you’re ready to dance, mingle or do whatever or wherever the party takes you. I highly recommend that you stop drinking around midnight, even if you plan on having fun until 4 in the morning. After midnight, go for alcohol free alternatives — this way, when you lay your head on your pillow, you will have given your body a chance of burning off at least some of the alcohol, ensuring better sleep (and by that, ensuring less hangover!).

Welcome home

Hi, welcome home from your party. It might be midnight, it might be 4 AM. Who cares, I hope you had fun. Have a big glass of the nettle tea infusion that you made this morning. Follow up with a glass of electrolytes, please, and finish off with cleansing your face with ice cold water, do your skincare in a quick maneuver, and off to bed you go!

Good morning!

How are you feeling? Headache? Tired? Fussy stomach? Either way, if you’re able to sleep in, I highly recommend this. The more sleep, the better. When you can’t sleep anymore (or, if your toddler is insisting you be present), it’s time to get up. Start off the day with drinking a cup of your nettle tea infusion — and drink the entire pot throughout the day. Add ice cubes if you prefer it to be cold and refreshing (you can store the entire pot in the fridge, if you prefer). Have another glass of electrolytes, and then, time for an ice bath. Not your entire body (although, that’s up to you!), but make your face an ice bath. Simply add water and lots of ice cubes to a bowl, and dip your face in it 2-3 times, for as long as you feel like it, to get a sense of being awake and feel, well… fresher.

Now, make breakfast! Try and stay clear of food that is super high in fat (like take-out, bacon or anything your brain will naturally want you to inhale). High fat content might upset your stomach more than it already is. Egg-based breakfast is always a good idea, also in this case. I also recommend a good plain yoghurt (with no additives) & granola — give your stomach some fibres to work with. Porridge is also a good option!

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If you feel like complete shit, I recommend taking homeopathy. Nux Vomica is the most frequently used one, good for headaches & nausea. If you’re not nauseous, but your headache is killing you, Mag Phos is great, too. And then, to support hydration, take China. I buy all my homeopathy from Helios UK.

Now, time for some rest. This is where your cooling pads (store bought or home made) enters the picture. Remember to stay hydrated for the rest of the day, drink your nettle tea, use homeopathy for natural aid, and if you can muster it, get some fresh air. If you’re feeling super nauseous, pour hot water over fresh ginger and sip slowly. Ginger is great for easing nausea. When you’re laying on the couch, grab the gua sha out of your fridge and give your face some love with the ice cold stone.

For lunch I’d make a panini on sourdough bread with prosciutto cotto, aged cheddar, kimchi, mustard & mayo. For dinner I’d make pasta with beans & parmesan & lemon. If you have bone broth, add that too, or even better: Drink it warm.

If your head feels heavy (or hurt) during the day or night, add Karmameju’s Blaze Tension Release to your forehead, or anywhere aching (just avoid the eye area). This cooling roll-on is a serious life saver!

To sum it up…

OK, we’re at the end now. Not too hard, was it?
Use nettle to support your poor liver. It really needs some love after drinking. It’s also great for rehydrating your body. Eat proper food — from beginning to end, simply. This IS medicine, and I swear, it’s the best place to start! Drink electrolytes to give your body a chance to keep up with hydration (this makes all the difference — dehydration will serve you that dreaded headache). Use natural prompts like cooling pads, homeopathy, facial ice baths, cold gua sha (or likeminded tools to ease tension), cooling roll-on’s, and ensure both rest and fresh air to give your brain & body a chance to restore.

I really hoped this inspired you to incorporate a few, simple tricks into your next night out! Keep in touch in the comments <3

With love, T

I’m okay with being away from my son during the day & night. I find it liberating for the most part — I stay at home with him 24/7, and so when I get to leave the house for work or fun with friends, it’s such a lovely feeling of fresh air. However, my feelings around leaving the house for an entire night with my husband, left me slightly nervous in several ways. Our son is not the most outgoing boy — in fact, I’d say he’s super shy, almost reserved, highly sensitive, and he feels safe with just about no one besides my husband and I — even our closest relatives struggle to snuggle with him.

That’s OK! He’ll get there in his own time.

But we’re his advocates in so many ways, and there’s a fine line between expanding his boundaries slightly and completely over-stepping them. That weekend away, I think we managed to succeed, and so I wanted to share my thoughts on how I prepared myself and my son for the most optimal outcome of our first night away from each other. I hope this inspires you to support yourself through this shift in motherhood.

1. Babysitting at home with close family

We decided pretty early on that it was best if our son stayed at home, in his safe environment, and we left the house. This way, my husband and I had a cute stay-cation in the city, and our son was babysitted by my sister in law. Feeling safe is key for a 1-year-old, and for him to play and sleep in a new environment would have over-stepped his boundaries by far. My sister in law made sure to stick with his routines, from snack-time to bedtime and everything in between. I reckon that this made all the difference.

2. Vocalizing it!

I started preparing him for what was to come the day before. Not days in advance — a 1-year-old doesn’t understand a time frame of several days — but on Friday I started telling him what would happen the next day. He clearly understood!

3. Close contact

Our son sleeps in his own bed, but I felt the need to hold him close the night before, and so, he slept in our bed with us. This regulated both me and our son — lot’s of support to our vagus nerve, lots of co-regulation, and lots of oxytocin.

4. Homeopathy

On the day of, I gave both myself and our son placenta homeopathy — homeopathy I had made on our placenta after giving birth. It’s amazing to use for the entire family during transitions, times of stress, sorrow, sickness, and seperation. It’s a staple household remedy in our home, and we all use it.

5. Reishi tincture & flower remedies

I supported my own nervous system with a few extra doses of Reishi tincture from Mind Studio. I brought this along with me in my purse and had a dose during our night out. This isn’t suitable for baby. I gave my son a couple of sprays of the Bach Emergency Spray made by Ainsworth’s just before leaving, and I brought this with me in my purse, too.

6. Take your time to re-connect

We came home to a happy bub. The afternoon, evening, night, and following morning, had passed by with a minimum of tears, thanks to the calm of my sister in law, I’m sure. Despite this, I’m glad I took the following Monday off, because he clearly needed more physical connection, lot’s of co-regulating (feelings were far more big than they usually are!!!) and time to take things slow. I highly recommend not just focusing on the days leading up to the first seperation, but also having the days afterward in mind (it’s usually during the days after that they really need us).

I felt calm and safe knowing that I had prepared myself and my son for this initial seperation, and I feel much more calm doing this again. Remember, we’re only human — I’m only a first time mother leaving her baby behind — and this transition deserves attention and care <3

Thank you for reading!
Love, T