Dr. Gillian Sawyer

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Dr. Gillian Sawyer Navigating Motherhood • Pre/postnatal & Pediatric Chiropractic Simplifying Pregnancy & Postpartum

I do a lot of fixing. Fixing snacks mostly and peoples pelvic joints. Lately though, I’ve been trying to grow my holding...
24/02/2021

I do a lot of fixing. Fixing snacks mostly and peoples pelvic joints. Lately though, I’ve been trying to grow my holding space muscles and not jump on the ‘fix it’ freight train immediately. Mostly because I know when space is held for me, I feel seen. I get annoyed sometimes when people try to fix things for me, when all I want is for them to listen. My “job” is a sweet dance between ‘fixing’ in the mechanical sense and listening. I heart both aspects and so much the human connection.
I’ve been hanging on to a lesson from for the last while... she’s all about the connection. And sometimes in really difficult situations (aka life right now) I’m at a loss for words. I fumble and go into fixer mode and then remind myself how annoying that can be 🙃.
I’ve been going back to this lesson over and over with the stories that come into my office... everyone is living very different experiences ... there’s a story behind each face we encounter.
One of the greatest tools from Dr. Jody Ive learnt is this... Connecting by asking “what’s the hardest part?”.
So friends, my question to you is: “what’s the hardest part?”.
Feel free to fill these comments 👇🏻👇🏾with whatever you are living right now. It will make others feel less alone. I promise.
Thanks for the ongoing support in this wild ride. Right here with you mama 🤍.
Photo cred:

My rock.I love this life we are building together, nail by nail, idea after idea, through the muck, the sleepless nights...
15/02/2021

My rock.
I love this life we are building together, nail by nail, idea after idea, through the muck, the sleepless nights and the stress you continue to show up for me and for our family.
Thank you for bringing the light, muscles 💪🏻, the power tools and the everlasting laughter.
I love you so damn much 🤍

👋🏻 I’m Dr. Gillian. I don’t know if I’ve ever formal introduced myself on here, lol.Here’s some random facts about me th...
12/02/2021

👋🏻 I’m Dr. Gillian. I don’t know if I’ve ever formal introduced myself on here, lol.
Here’s some random facts about me that you may not know....
I grew up on Vancouver island. We had a sailboat ⛵️ growing up and my dad would take us on weekend adventures. The most significant memory I have of the boat was being caught in a rip tide off the coast of somewhere and bailing water out of the boat as the ocean poured in over the side. My heart calls be back to the ocean often.
I don’t know how to swim 🤷🏻‍♀️
I took my first ski lesson at 37 years old last week and my hip is still black and blue from my yard sale crash on my first green run. *Pro Tip - learn this ‘life skill’ (according to my husband) earlier in life.
I like the opposite of adrenaline 💯 of the time.
I had a cats named Blueberry Muffin 🫐 and Garfield as a kid when we lived on a farm.
I’ve lived in 9 different homes and finally feel home.
It’s my 10 year wedding anniversary today.
I live for change and get bored easily.
One of the things that feels like bliss to me is being home with nobody else in the house. Even for just an hour. The silence grounds me like nothing else.
I think we have the most incredible knowing deep inside of us that gets muted as we navigate life. The moments of being tapped into this give me life.
Being a girl mom is the most significant thing I’ve ‘done’. It’s only been 7 years and it’s changed me on levels I didn’t even fathom before.
Tell me something that I may not know about you 👇🏻 I’m so happy that you’re here 🤍.
📷:

I mean... whatever floats your boat I guess. @ Redwood Meadows
04/02/2021

I mean... whatever floats your boat I guess.
@ Redwood Meadows

At some point in our journey we come to understand, although overpowered for years with feelings of guilt, that our need...
03/02/2021

At some point in our journey we come to understand, although overpowered for years with feelings of guilt, that our needs also need to be met. (Note - here’s me 7 years into motherhood, really just coming to this realization).... That the needs of our children, families, friends are no more important than our own.

I’ve fought with this for years, long before I was a mom. And only now am I seeing that my internal environment seeps into everyone around me.

There’s a buzz word that I don’t love called self-care. I haven’t loved it or bought into it because it felt impossible tbh. How can I care for myself when the hum of everyone else’s needs is so loud and overpowers my own. To the point where I couldn’t even fathom how self-care would look as a mom.

I’m re-teaching myself slowly and painfully, the importance of “me first”. Seriously, we have to look out for ourselves because literally no one else is going to. I tend to my body physically sometimes but when I tend to my thoughts, and my feelings, like actually listen to them instead of stuffing them down or pushing them aside so that I can push through my day, I then feel cared for. Because I feel seen, even when it’s through my own eyes. My biggest need in motherhood is to been seen and I’m realizing I’m happy to see myself.

I’m here to see you too in your motherhood journey. Welcome. I hope you’re here for the long haul 🤍.

Sometimes we have the courage to speak up but often we suffer for a long time in silence. I know I did. Anxiety, panic a...
28/01/2021

Sometimes we have the courage to speak up but often we suffer for a long time in silence. I know I did. Anxiety, panic attacks, being paralyzed with fear.

I need you to know that if you are reading this....

It’s not a silly question.

You are not the only one feeling this way.

You are not a bother to your family, your friends.

The world needs your light.

Be an ‘annoying’ active participant Your health care. Ask again, get a second opinion, explain your symptoms over and over until you feel good about the path you are on.

You and your health matter more than anything in this world.

Take up more space, forgive yourself and move forward knowing you’re taking the hardest step right now. I know you can do this. You are not alone and you are loved.

*Health resources & emergency numbers on the next screen.

Yours in health,

Dr. Gillian
@ Calgary, Alberta

And then, one day, your teacher arrives... how could you anticipate it, expect it, until you hold them for the first tim...
27/01/2021

And then, one day, your teacher arrives... how could you anticipate it, expect it, until you hold them for the first time and realize your being has changed forever.
The teacher you never knew you needed.
The mirror that reflects the rawness you thought nobody could see.
The breath that leaves your body as she takes her first.
The guide who brings me back home over and over again. Who knew where my home was before I knew I was looking.
Audrey my love, you took my breath away and held it for me through all of those days I needed you to. You are my teacher, my guide, my home. You’ve brought me to my knees and held me up more times than I could ever count. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for knowing that I needed you to walk through motherhood with. Happiest birthday my dear.

And just like that my wee one is all registered for Kindergarten.If I’m honest I’ve wished away the difficulty that come...
19/01/2021

And just like that my wee one is all registered for Kindergarten.
If I’m honest I’ve wished away the difficulty that comes with babies & small kids so many times over the past few years. Wished it was easier, faster. Wished I was ‘better’ at it. I steeped in the guilt of wishing it away because there are so many that would do anything to experience that difficulty. Paralyzed by the fear that it can all be taken in the blink of an eye.
The emotions that slosh through motherhood for me are intense and needed. They keep me on my toes as much a this one does ... the self proclaimed “fastest one in the family”.
The lessons, the letting go, the surrender, the gut aches. I’m here for it all. They continue to peel back the layers of me and I’m in awe of it always.

If you see this post today, remember you made it through what might have been one of the most challenging years of your ...
31/12/2020

If you see this post today, remember you made it through what might have been one of the most challenging years of your life. Good. For. You 🤍
I just wanted to take a minute to give you a heartfelt thank you for sharing this space with me. AND if I’ve been lucky enough to care for you in person, thank you for trusting me with your health, your pregnant & postpartum bodies and with your sweet bundles of joy. I look forward to continuing to hold space for you, to carry the load in intermittent bursts, and to fixing up those sore spots in 2021... it’s probably going to be better than last.
Nothing is ever guaranteed so I hope you are able to make today matter for you and your loved ones.
Sending you all the love and so much light transitioning into this new year. We can do hard things and we’ve proven this to ourselves over and over again 🤍🤍🤍.
As my dad always says, “I’m on your team”. ~Xo Dr. Gillian

I need to rest.To unplug, to let go, to allow, to be. Just be.Mama, it’s okay to rest. You’ve been keeping everyone goin...
22/12/2020

I need to rest.
To unplug, to let go, to allow, to be. Just be.
Mama, it’s okay to rest. You’ve been keeping everyone going, all the balls up ( likely in a tangled mess lots of days, just like me), you’ve worried more this year than probably many combined. You’ve been on alert, in protective mode. Your nervous system has been running from that damn bear day after day.
I’m tired, I bet you’re tired. And it’s okay to rest.
I’m signing off for a while to rest. To conserve energy for myself and for my babes. I’m going to let my guard down and just be. I hope with all of me that you are able to do what you need for you.
With love,
Dr. G 🤍

Honest post.This. Is. Fu***ng. Hard.If you are like every single mama that comes into my office day after day. You, we, ...
29/11/2020

Honest post.
This. Is. Fu***ng. Hard.
If you are like every single mama that comes into my office day after day. You, we, all, are juuuust keeping our heads above the water. Some of us just barely or hardy. Some of us doing okay today in this moment...
When you sit and wonder if there’s another that shares your grief, your guilt, your pain. I assure you, there is....
If you wonder how this extra time at home turned from “eye opening” “gratitude filled” to “just hard”, “just a lot”, “just too much” ... you are not alone.
If you are feeling like you didn’t sign up for this, like something has been robbed from you, from your kids, like all those small things you took for granted are gone AND at the same time feel lost in it all... you are not alone.
8 months in... we will *hopefully/ maybe look back at this time on the realizations, the moments, forced or not with our people, we will share these stories... and what will come of it? Likely, we may learn more about who we are, who the people we love are, we will have proven resilience, embodied pause, and forced to let go. We will have grown, shrunk and expanded all in the same breath.
You, we, all are doing the best we can in this moment with what we have. I see you and you are in good company 🤍.
The honest truth is I shy away from writing, from sharing because the dominating factor in this season *feels like judgement. No matter what we say, share, think, it gets tangled up in the recipient, in the heaviness, in the mess. There’s a lot of angry noise out there... but shoot we only get right now.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but... KEEP GOING.The best might be on the other side of this discomfort, this strug...
13/11/2020

I don’t know who needs to hear this but... KEEP GOING.
The best might be on the other side of this discomfort, this struggle, this season, this unknown, this uncertainty...
Hit send, press publish, make the call, say the things. Tomorrow is never promised. That thing you’re holding close to your heart... maybe it needs to be said, heard, let go of.
You deserve to be seen.
You deserve to be heard.
You’re story matters.
You need to be on the other side. Because you see, your lesson, your experience, your growth, it could impact, heal, inspire the people who see you. And then what... ?!? Then they are seen.
We need you to keep going 🤍

My grandad Wilfred and grandma Fran. They met in Halifax during the war. Wilf was a WWII naval veteran and Fran worked t...
11/11/2020

My grandad Wilfred and grandma Fran. They met in Halifax during the war. Wilf was a WWII naval veteran and Fran worked the switchboard. My grandad was a member of the army reserve after he finished high school and in 1940 he interrupted his apprenticeship and enlisted for duty in the Navy rather than the Army. He served 5 years on destroyer es**rt vessels on the Pacific Coast and in the Atlantic. Apparently his decision to join the Navy was not a popular one as his father was a veteran who served during WWI.
I spent the morning today on the phone with my dad. He recounted tales from his father Wilf and grandfather. We each pulled out this huge book that his cousin put together of their entire family tree 👉🏻 I got lost in it for hours after we got off the phone. There’s a diary with daily entry’s from Wilf’s brother from his experiences on the HMCS Prince Robert for 440 days 1943-1944. It’s unimaginable how their lives were different from ours. I read on to discover that my great grandad was married to his war bride in a church that still stands in SE Calgary. So damn interesting.
Today we remember. @ Calgary, Alberta

This is my “I’m super put together” filtered selfie look.....my typical “look” is featured on my stories often. It’s cal...
22/10/2020

This is my “I’m super put together” filtered selfie look.....my typical “look” is featured on my stories often. It’s called: this s**t is difficult and mostly I just try to laugh through it all. Then I cry, then I collect myself and move on.
Here’s the thing. It’s kinda hard to tell how a person is doing by a photo 👆🏻We all have a story behind our eyes. Sometimes I hold my story close and lots of the time I share it proudly. This photo doesn’t look like a super anxious mom, who’s struggling daily to keep her head above water, who’s trying not to let the overwhelm and worry paralyze her. Who’s motherless in motherhood and just wants so badly to pick up the phone to ask for advice, comfort, knowing.
The honest truth is I felt so good in that moment.
The flip side for me is, the story I’m telling/allowing myself....
I can be anxious and joyful.
I can be stressed and put together.
I can be lonely and loved dearly.
This is being human... there’s no one way to be. It’s too much to uphold. Life is too dynamic.
I feel like often if we share our struggles then it feels hard to show our shining moments. You’ll find both here and I won’t apologize for it 🤍.
Anyways, if you’d like to spit out your coffee this morning head to my stories, and also it’s fully winter here so there’s that.
Xo Gillian

“I think this is just life....”THIS 👆🏻conversation has been on repeat for weeks.When it feels like the rug keeps getting...
18/10/2020

“I think this is just life....”
THIS 👆🏻conversation has been on repeat for weeks.
When it feels like the rug keeps getting yanked.
When it feels like you’ve just got it sorted.
When you feel like it can’t get much harder.
When the unknown and what if’s are keeping you up all night.
When you feel like you are doing all the right things for your family, your babes and it still doesn’t feel like remotely enough.
When your kiddo is just not settling into school.
When you just have nothing left at the end of a day and you hope the “love you babe” is enough until tomorrow.

Here’s my thoughts....
Life thus far... (check back when we are all 70 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻), I feel like it’s (life) just designed to constantly keep you in check, to keep you humble, to test your strength day in and day out. To remind you that tomorrow is never promised. To show you your weaknesses and prove to you how strong you really are. To bring out these moments of pure joy, hope, just to keep you on course enough to get past the next hurdle.
I feel like... if we all felt that we were “doing just fine” right now, it would NOT be normal. There’s A LOT going on at the moment. Our experiences through life are so drastically different. The things that are weighing on each of us are so different.... devastatingly so.
I was listening to the other night. I cried through the whole thing. Mostly because I was feeling so seen. We are living through something that we’ve not navigated before. The weight of all of this is heavy. For moms, so much so. We wear the weight of our babies, our parents, our friendships, or relationships... but at the end of the day... what do we need right now? As the brilliant Dr. J says... “connection”. Like true connection. Like holding space. Like seeing the people around us... to just walk through this life together.
Mamas, thank you for seeing me, for holding space and for walking through this life with me ❤️

Happiest Birthday to our mountain man. 37 looks real good on you 😉. We heart you beyond measure. 🤍🤍🤍
13/10/2020

Happiest Birthday to our mountain man. 37 looks real good on you 😉. We heart you beyond measure. 🤍🤍🤍

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Navigating Motherhood @thepostpartumpilot • Pre/postnatal & Pediatric Chiropractic @mamaandmechiropractic • Cochrane/Redwood Meadows AB • YYC • Workshops/Retreats @movementandmotherhood