Pram Diet Extract

Extract from THE PRAM DIET by Rebecca Mugridge

(c)RebeccaMugridge


ISBN: 9781863256872
Imprint: Bantam
Publisher: Random House Australia
Avalable in bookshops

Introduction

The breathtaking bond that consumes a woman as she holds her newborn baby is simply beautiful. Feelings of joy, hope and awe race through her body, igniting adrenaline-fuelled surges of emotion that seem to create a timeless bubble of bliss.

For me, the first two precious months of motherhood became a blur of the purest and deepest happiness I have ever known. Holding my daughter asleep in my arms, I felt complete peace. My partner Damien and I were happier than we had ever been.
But the realisation that this tiny person depends on you, and will learn from you the values and life skills needed to successfully guide them to adulthood, brings with it a great feeling of responsibility.

As a new mother, I became painfully aware that my lifestyle was not an ideal model for a healthy, active and happy life.

By the time Lily was a couple of months old, stress, exhaustion and fatigue had combined with diminishing self esteem and feelings of unattractiveness and sluggishness to leave me feeling depressed. There was an overall sense of heaviness I could not seem to lift. Slowly but surely, this downward spiral began to affect my ability to truly enjoy the blessings of my new child.

One day, utterly sick of feeling frustrated, angry and depressed, I put Lily in the pram, packed it up with spare bottles, blankets, nappies, dummies, teddies, water, sunscreen, a blanket, toys – even a first aid kit – and we went for our first big walk together. This walk wasn’t a means to an end or a method of transportation – it was just a walk for walking’s sake.

It wasn’t a marathon, but it was a big walk for us. I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt, walking in that glorious fresh air, looking at the graceful, mighty trees, gazing at the endless horizon, hearing the wondrous sounds of nature all around us, smelling the wild, fresh scents, feeling the sun on my skin and the breeze in my hair. I could literally feel layers of stress and ill feelings peeling off me.

I had found a way to change my life for the better. A way to lift the dark feelings that had been draped around me and raise myself up to a new place where I was vibrant, healthy and, best of all, felt like a beautiful woman who was truly enjoying being a mother to my precious little daughter. I felt proud to be me and knew with confidence that I could and would, after all, be the great role model I wanted to be for my daughter. Above all, I felt a real sense of self achievement, knowing that the greatest gift we can pass on to our children is the ability to live a healthy and happy lifestyle.
The Pram Diet tells the story of how I achieved this positive transformation and how every mum, everywhere, can too.

Copyright © Rebecca Mugridge, 2009

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