18 New Familes & Family Health How to heal


Former Love Island star Olivia Bowen shares the difficulty she faced becoming a mum and offers her tips on protecting your mental health. Words: Anna Evdokimou


After falling in love with her now husband, Alex Bowen, on ITV’s Love Island in 2016, Olivia Bowen’s life was propelled into social media stardom. From brand deals and influencer content to everything in between, Olivia’s trajectory since leaving the show has been hailed to great acclaim. But eight years on, Olivia now seems to sit outside of the bubble, acknowledging that the career of a social influencer and former Love Islander does nothing to prepare you for motherhood. “Te way Alex and I lived our


lives prior to having our son, Abel, was very selfish,” she admits. “I was never really sure that I wanted kids initially, and then you go from that to having a baby relying on you — it was a huge shock to the system.” As well as having to mentally


prepare for the lifestyle shift that she was about to face, Olivia also suffered a traumatic birth, which took her months to process. “I now look back at those


new-born moments with fondness, but at the time I remember crying so much and feeling so alone — feeling like my body wasn’t mine.”


Recovering from birth trauma Now reflecting on her experience two years post-partum, Olivia advises others healing from a traumatic childbirth to vent their feelings as much as possible. “Tere are going to be moments


when you’re lying awake at night thinking about what you went through. I’d advise writing down as many of your thoughts as possible.” Te Love Islander explains that this helped her to process her emotions, as well as better explain how she was feeling to others. “Another thing I didn’t initially


realise is that you can request your birth notes!” she exclaims. “Reading what you went through and being able to comprehend how much strength that took helps provide some closure.”


Protecting your mental health Any mum will agree the first few months are the hardest when it comes to your mental health. A lack of sleep combined with


days spent indoors forgoing any concern for yourself is a recipe for trouble. While spending some


10TH SEPTEMBER 2024 FAMILY VALUES DISTRIBUTED WITH


time away from your baby can be difficult and guilt-inducing, Olivia emphasises the importance of doing so if you can. “You’re going to feel guilty, but


even having just half an hour to yourself to do something entirely for you will make you a better mum,” she explains. “You can’t take care of anyone else if you’re not taking care of yourself.”


How to practise self-care For Olivia, self-care and horse- riding are synonymous. “I love being around animals and riding. After having Abel, I couldn’t exercise at all due to the nature of my birthing experience, so I had to find something different.” Painting, pottery, a short walk


or a long bath — these are all great ways to practise self-care while only taking a short time away from your newborn. Other tasks, like reading or maybe getting your steps in, can also give you some time to yourself — which, for mums of young children, is crucial.


NEW MUM SUPPORT APPS


Peanut Join a like-minded community of mums, make friends and receive support. peanut-app.io


Baby Connect Monitor your newborn’s sleep, feeding, nappy changes and medicines. babyconnect.com


Carol Connect with other mothers close by, arrange meet-ups and share advice. carol-app.com


OLIVIA AND ALEX BOWEN/JAMES RUDLAND


Let’s get swimming!


your little one


Water confi dence builds life confi dence. That’s why introducing your little one to the water can give them the best start in life.


Our highly trained teachers and expertly developed swim programmes for babies and


young children will teach your child key water safety skills as they learn to swim. Track their


progress online as they complete each stage and celebrate their achievements with badges and certifi cates.


Scan to start


your swimming journey today!


waterbabies.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28