Kate Dalton is a naturopath and founder of Mayde Tea - a beautiful brand that harnesses the power of plants to create beautiful, nourishing and healing tea blends. She lives in Byron Bay with her husband, 7-month old daughter Alfie, and their black labrador Molly. We caught up with Kate to chat about life as a new mother and the self-care rituals that keep her well on the journey.
What three words would you use to describe your family?
Active, adventurous & loving.
What has becoming a mother taught you about yourself?
I’ve always been very career-driven and would get frustrated if I didn't get to tick many things off my to-do list. Since having Alfie, some days all I get around to doing is simply being Alfie’s mum. I actually didn't think I'd find as much joy and feel so fulfilled in the basic (or not so basic) task of being a mum. It's also taught me I could love a human on a level I didn't think was possible!
Do you have any great daily practices or habits in place as a family?
Both my partner and I meditate every morning and afternoon. We usually have to take turns with Alfie but it’s a non-negotiable for us to look after our mental health. We both surf so we spend most weekends looking for small waves for me and giant waves for him! It’s so nice that we have these similar hobbies and get to do everything as a family.
Alfie has just started solids so we are loving having her at the table with us eating her food too, we've made sure that we all sit together for meals as a family. We also have started to have a few screen-free nights and instead read our books with a cup of tea.
What self-care practices do you have in place to nourish yourself as a mother?
Meditation, exercising, time out for myself and eating well. Since being in isolation I've enjoyed having the time to make everything from scratch. I think that’s had such a healing effect on me holistically, as it's so important that I know where all of our food comes from and exactly what’s in it!
I also go into the office one day a week to nurture my other baby (my business Mayde Tea) and this makes such a difference to my mental health. Sometimes I use the day to get my hair done or go for a swim. It’s my free time to do whatever I feel that I need in that moment.
I also have a ritual to make a cup of our nursing tea to drink while I'm feeding Alfie. I love using this time to be present with her so i’m not tempted to pick up my phone or do emails.
What’s your favourite self-care tip that others can do right away?
Cook big batches of nourishing meals and freeze it in portions, and have healthy snacks ready to go in the fridge (as well as yummy treats of course!) I’ve personally found breastfeeding to be pretty depleting and exhausting! So it goes to show how high our caloric and nutrient intake is during this time.
Also utilise plant medicine! Adding dandelion greens to a salad for liver support, rosemary from the garden in a tea to support immunity, or if you're a breastfeeding mother - fennel and fenugreek to support breast milk production.
Any final words of wisdom for new mammas out there?
My girl Alfie is only 7 months old...so to newer mums or soon to be mums - when they say it goes fast, it goes even faster than fast! Your intuition is more valuable than anything you will ever read.