Our MPower 2019 Overall Winner for ‘Spirit’ – Colette Millar Bruce of Little Lotus Baby shares with us her Mother of Reinvention journey xx
Tell us about your journey into motherhood
My journey into motherhood was not what I expected when I found out I was pregnant……….I am a very positive person but in actual fact, my journey has been quite hard.
It started with ….. the birth of my son, which was 60 hours resulting in an emergency c-section (and terrible aftercare) which I have since found out from the hospital was due to a cascade of unnecessary interventions on their part……………. This meant I started the journey with my baby feeling poorly, exhausted, anxious and extremely emotional. Luckily, I bonded with my baby and love totally took over.
We suffered from Silent Reflux until he was around 3 so again that was a struggle on very little sleep most nights. One of the hardest things (apart from obviously seeing my baby in pain) was the constant battle to get anyone to listen to me and take me seriously about my concerns over the fact I thought my baby had silent reflux! I was turned away from the Dr countless times being told ‘don’t worry your just a first-time mum!’. Sleep-deprived, getting over emotional and physical trauma and then not being supported was pretty hard. But I got my Mama Bear vibe and demanded to see a specialist!
Our story carries on as I started to feel that I was noticing little signs and traits that my son may be on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum. After the terrible care I’d experienced in the hospital during the birth and the refusal to be taken seriously over his silent reflux I was very anxious about pursuing my concerns. I was Anxious because I KNEW that there was something there and so I was worried that it may be brushed aside by a professional. Luckily I went to the GP with a lot of evidence, notes, a diary, information from his preschool and before she had even got halfway through my documents she referred us for assessment. We were told that this was going to take 3 years!! So we opted for a private assessment which is already helping his new Nursery School to take steps to ensure he settles into his new class in September.
So now I am pregnant with his little surprise sister, we are all excited to meet her very soon. As a mother, I am currently busy trying to prepare the family for the new adventure we are about to encounter. Hoping so much that we are able to cope with the changes that are to come and to support Ren with an abundance of love as he gets used to life with a baby sister.
I am just at the start of my Motherhood journey and already so much has happened. My life has changed, my career has changed and I believe I have changed and all for the better.
How did you feel about yourself and your job before you became a mum?
I was working very loooooong hours for a Head Teacher who was a bully. I loved my pupils but I felt stifled by ‘the system’ and the constant number-crunching that lead to children just seeming to be statistics rather than individuals with unique backgrounds, personalities and learning pathways.
What was the biggest lesson you learnt from becoming a mum?
I feel it has reminded me of who I truly am and has allowed me to open up further to Love and to have strength in making this the centre to all that I do.
Why did you want to teach baby massage and yoga?
I was interested in exploring Baby Yoga with Ren when I was pregnant. Then when I started going to classes with him I was totally spellbound by Baby Yoga. It helped us immensely and I wanted to share this with families, to support them when they needed it the most, at the beginning of their journey together.
My vision and dream started to become clearer. If parents were able to really relax, engage and communicate with their children from the very start of their lives surely this would impact in the most positive way.
As I studied and taught Baby Massage & Yoga my theory began to filter into reality. It was evident that by practising these holistic activities with your baby/child their physical, mental and social skills were all being encouraged. If fact it was nourishing the whole family and mothers were reporting the classes even helping with PND & PNA.
Baby Yoga lit a fire in my belly and a vision of how I could take a new route in helping others. My son is growing up fast and our journey continues to inspire me as Little Lotus Baby grows alongside him.
What do you love about teaching?
Soooooo much! The journey to where I am has been so interesting. Constantly updating, improving and moulding class contents to suite what my parents and babies, toddlers & children need and the vibe that I want to offer. It takes time to find your own teaching groove, what suits you and your dream client but once you find that vibe it’s amazing and you can build, build, build without limits.
One of the most wonderful parts of teaching (and I am sure all the other teachers will have this on their list) is that you are making a positive ripple, you are helping to create positivity and love within a family! Knowing that you are offering a service that is so worthwhile and so rich in ‘goodness’ is truly magnificent.
What has been the biggest surprise?
Baby Massage & Yoga have totally opened me up to my true self. Lots of professions want you to be a certain person…….but I have found that I can just be me, I can teach from the heart and I treat my clients as beautiful individuals rather than numbers on a chart. Baby Massage & Yoga are not just my profession they are part of my family and ingrained in our family values.
Do you have any regrets?
NO!
What are your plans for the future?
BALANCE……..I am going to need to strike a balance between work and home as we will soon be welcoming our new addition to the family. My eldest will be starting Nursery at School and will need a lot of love and support with this transition especially as he may need reduced hours and extra, extra love to help him to cope with his ASD during this period of change. Baby Massage & Yoga will help us through this I know!
Once we are all a little settled I can focus some attention on my ambitions and dreams for LIttle Lotus Baby. I am hoping to give the website an overhaul, the book I have been working on with DK Books is scheduled to launch globally in Jan 2020 which is really exciting. I have a new book and project that I want to pursue AND I want to get back in the studio teaching!!!
What’s your favourite song to play in classes?
I play calming music similar to this in the background…..parents can use this free Youtube link at home to help create a yoga vibe at home!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwobzUc3z-0PrFpoRxNszXQ
Thank you to Colette for sharing with us her spirit filled journey of motherhood and reinvention, we are super proud of you! Love from the Blossom and Berry Team xx