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Dr. Gillian is a mom of two and a chiropractor who has focused her career caring for moms and their children. She lost her own mother as she entered motherhood. This void, disconnection and loss has perpetually fuelled her passion to create an authentic safe space for women to be seen, heard and feel well taken care of in their motherhood journey. To reconnect to themselves and their body. The opportunity to walk with women through this sometimes horribly lonely, often joy filled, and always exhausting season has been a blessing. Each time another says, ‘same’, offers an assuring nod or let’s their shoulders down, her cup gets filled, the void gets smaller, and her drive strengthens. 

Listen in as we talk about:

• Knowing our limits. As a mom and working full-time, Gillian shares that the biggest resource she has tapped into has been learning her limits.
• Building a practice that’s in alignment. Gillian worked in many different settings, and when she became a mom, her purpose felt even more clear – working with moms and kids.
• Tips to transition from work to home life. Gillian shares that this has been one of the hardest transitions in her day to day, and gives listeners tips on how to navigate it from her perspective.
• How to feel better in our bodies. There are a few core techniques Gillian recommends for moms to drop back into their bodies and the present moment.
  

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Book: She Grieves 

Connect with Gillian:

• Instagram: 
  • @drgilliansawyer https://www.instagram.com/drgilliansawyer/
  • @mamaandmechiropractic https://www.instagram.com/mamaandmechiropractic/
• Facebook:
  • @drgilliansawyer https://www.facebook.com/drgilliansawyer
  • @mamaandmechiropractic https://www.facebook.com/mamaandmechiropractic
• Website: http://www.gilliansawyer.com

Connect with Tiana and The Part-Time Jungle:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parttimejungle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parttimejungle/
• Website: https://theparttimejungle.com

THE PERINATAL PHASE 

The perinatal phase is anywhere from pregnancy to after you have had your baby. You could classify it as the four trimesters. There are the three trimesters of pregnancy and the fourth trimester is those few months after you have delivered your baby. 

What Gillian tells moms, though, is that “postpartum is forever”. “Going through pregnancies, deliveries and stepping into motherhood changes us forever.” So, perinatal is focused around the pregnancy time but really applies to women even long after they have had a baby.

Gillian finds that the perinatal phase tends to be a time when women are quite tuned into their bodies because of all the changes that are happening. When things feel off in their bodies, women recognize this. Gillian is able to help them with this through treatments, information as to why it is happening, resources, and in letting them know that they are not alone. 

KNOWING OUR LIMITS

While working full-time and having a very busy practice, Gillian learned early on that in order to “do it all”, she had to prioritize her limits and pay attention to her energy levels. The biggest strategy that has helped her is trying to listen to where she’s at, so that she doesn’t push herself too far in either direction. While boundaries are important, Gillian shares how she prioritizes finding ‘flow’ over setting hard limits.

BUILDING A PRACTICE THAT’S IN ALIGNMENT

Becoming a new mom changed the way Gillian operated within her practice, and the clarity she received throughout this time helped her build a business that was in alignment with her true purpose.

Gillian was clear on her purpose from the beginning, working with moms and kids, and she helps them in every step of their journey together. She also shifted her practice to a group-style environment, which creates the supportive community that she was always craving.

TIPS TO TRANSITION FROM WORK TO HOME LIFE

Gillian shares that moving from work to home life has been one of the hardest transitions in her day to day, and gives listeners tips on how to navigate it from her perspective.

Actionable tips you can do starting today, recommended by Gillian, are:

• Time to decompress on your commute home
• Empowering self-talk
• Speaking words of affirmation and encouragement
• Taking mindful, deep breaths while walking into the house

HOW TO FEEL BETTER IN OUR BODIES

There are a few core techniques Gillian recommends for moms to drop back into their bodies and the present moment. One of them is taking mindful, deep, and connected breaths. She suggests putting one hand on your heart and one on your stomach and feeling where the breath is coming from. Is it shallow? Is it deep? Do you have any emotions coming up? Or do you feel stress melting away? We can gather so much from simply tuning into our breath and paying attention to our bodies in the process. 

IT’S GOING TO FEEL MESSY

“If we could normalize that messiness is the norm and not just you failing, it would be really helpful. The way that your journey looks is probably not going to follow suit with anyone around you.” Gillian says to lean into friends and family or whoever you have for support when things aren’t feeling good or going well. When you are doing well, reach out a hand and support someone else. It’s okay to not have it all together. We are all just struggling though. You don’t need to feel alone. “It is a dynamic dance of craziness.”

BEG, BORROW, & STEAL FROM GILLIAN

• Go-to meal on a busy night: Smoothie
• Favourite family activity: Jenga
• Favourite family show: Great Canadian Baking Show
• Favourite book: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

MAMAS FOR MAMAS – CALGARY

The Part-Time Jungle Podcast is proudly supporting the Calgary branch of the national charitable organization Mamas for Mamas with a “Buy Me a Coffee” initiative. All funds raised will go directly to Mamas for Mamas – Calgary: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thePTJpodcast. A purchase of “one (digital) coffee” is equivalent to a $5 donation to Mamas for Mamas – Calgary.

Mamas for Mamas supports mothers and caregivers in crisis by providing ongoing support to individuals and families facing various poverty-related struggles. Their mission is to change the landscape of poverty through innovative approaches to financial barriers faced by struggling families.

Thank you for listening, for being a part of The Part-Time Jungle community, and for your support of Mamas for Mamas. To learn more about Mamas for Mamas, head to: https://www.mamasformamas.org

Wishing you all the best with your motherhood and work juggle!

~Tiana