Laurel Connell, MA, LMFT

19/10/2022

New mothers can click the link in my bio to learn more about my class, MotherWell, which is filled with education, body based practices, neuroscience and love.

10/10/2022

We all get overstimulated. We all need times in the day when we look away, close our eyes, get some quiet, pause- all ways of giving our senses a break and a reset. Babies and children have a natural way of doing this. One example is when babies are nursing or feeding, they will make eye contact and then look away. Children will come in for touch- a hug and some body contact, and then pull away. We as adults need to do this with stimulation, or sensory input, throughout the day. Our system is rhythmic and needs time to process. New mothers can be flooded with stimulation- visual, auditory and tactile. Often feelings of fatigue, feeling spacey, or overwhelm, can be signs we need a little reset.
Times when we reset can look like getting a few moments alone. Even if it's just going to the bathroom (for you new moms out there). Or it may look like closing your eyes, noticing quiet, lying down...

Find resources of support in the link of my bio...

27/09/2022

New mothers can click the link in my bio to learn more about my class, MotherWell, which is filled with education, body based practices, neuroscience and love.

19/09/2022

Co Regulation happens with our babies and children as well. This can happen through meaningful connection and touch. Eye contact and face to face play can also assist with building co regulation. Play is so good for us as adults, as play only can happen when we feel truly safe. When we feel in our bodies, it can be an incredibly impactful form of and presence, for both us and our children.

New mothers can click the link in my bio to learn more about my class, MotherWell, which is filled with education, body based practices, and love.

If these posts are helpful, or if you have questions, I'd love to hear from you...

05/09/2022

28/08/2022

MotherWell, a class for mothers based in science and created with love, the link in my bio...

22/08/2022

If this post speaks to a part of you, you may decide to practice this throughout your day. And notice how you feel before, during and after...

My online class for mothers is steeped in ideas and practices like this. It is called MotherWell and can be found in the link in my bio...
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19/08/2022

So often, we have a or an in our body and we automatically go up into our head to figure it out. It happens so fast! We live in a culture that values cognition, thinking and figuring things out in our head. I am offering a different way of being. One that supports connecting with our body and finding presence.
Sending love your way!
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17/08/2022

With my clients, I talk a lot about pockets. Finding pockets in the day, even if just for 30 seconds, to notice your breath, notice the face of someone you love, to notice your feet on the ground. Sometimes, I use red lights. Whenever there's a red light, I feel my body in the seat of the car. I notice my breathing.
These pockets serve as a time to notice how it feels for our body to settle. It may not stay like that, but just a moment or 2 can serve as a reminder that our body knows how to settle on its own, without our head having to get involved.
MotherWell, my class for mothers on nervous system regulation, mindfulness and compassion. See the link in my bio.
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15/08/2022

MotherWell, a class for mothers, based in science and created with love. Nervous system regulation, along with body based skills for coping with challenging emotions and the many changes of motherhood. Link in my bio...

13/08/2022

Lovely.
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12/08/2022

Coregulation: the process of our nervous system finding safety in the presence of another. Babies depend on this with their mothers, which helps them find regulation and soothing, which eventually leading to self soothing.

This is unconscious, automatic, and it is necessary for our survival. This happens through face to face contact, body language, eye contact and tone of voice, as well as breath. Notice how you feel after spending time with someone you love, trust, or someone who can really make you laugh.

MotherWell, my class on Nervous System health and regulation for mothers can be found in the link in my bio...
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08/08/2022

Exhaustion is real. In the first days, weeks, months of having a baby, it is exhausting. The days and nights may blend together, sleep is disrupted and hormones are trying to figure out what they are doing. Our bodies are working hard to heal after birth, our minds are working hard learning this new role of a mother, our hearts are learning how to connect, bond and nurture. We are also integrating the enormity of being responsible for another human being. The exhaustion can be so much harder when your baby is hard to soothe and cries a lot.
Focus on being. Not doing. Move slow. Sleep when you can, even if its just in pockets. Trade off with your partner, working towards getting a 4 hour chunk of sleep when you can. Sometimes this doesn't happen, but it can be good to work towards. This won't last forever, even though it may feel like it is...

MotherWell, my online course for mothers on nervous system regulation, coping with challenging emotions and self compassion. The link can be found in my bio.
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08/08/2022

Go easy on yourself. If you just had a baby, you are a baby parent. And, if you have a 3 month old, a 6 month old, a baby who is a year old or a seasoned parent of an older child... You are still a new parent. Yes, you are. You have never before been a parent of this particular child at this particular age. Our kids are constantly evolving and changing as they grow and so do we as mothers. So, again, go easy. Be gentle. Notice how you are talking to yourself. If you are talking to yourself in a way that you wouldn't speak to your child, then it's time to give yourself some love.
MotherWell, my class on nervous system regulation for new moms can be found in the link in my bio... A class blended with science and love, created for mothers by a mother.
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05/08/2022

Our body makes Oxytocin in times of rest. Any time that can offer our body restoration only builds on our capacity to handle stress.

See the link in my bio for my class, MotherWell, on nervous system regulation and Oxytocin cultivation for mothers.
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