Emma of Earth

We did it! This weekend, I (hopefully) got the all clear from the infection that has complicated my c-section recovery. It feels like a huge milestone after a year of hyperemesis, an emergency c-section, complications and a recovery that seemed never-ending. For so long, even simple things felt difficult. Pain, exhaustion and daily survival became my normal but on Saturday, I did my first proper walk in months. It wasn’t fast or graceful but I did it. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t measuring success by another hospital appointment but by what my body could do.

I’m starting from scratch and I’ve changed in so many ways through this journey. Maybe recovery isn’t about getting back to who I was before- it’s about becoming someone new. The dressings are off. The nurses can stop visiting every day. I have a little more freedom, independence and hope. I still have a long way to go but for the first time in a long time, it feels like I’m moving forward instead of just surviving. One slow step at a time 🩷

😩🩷

What an absolute cutie 🩷

I just can’t believe I’m a mum x

This past month has not looked like the “newborn bubble” people talk about. We’ve spent time in and out of hospital with complications from my c-section and there have been moments where it’s felt impossible to catch our breath. My mental health has taken a huge hit. The sleepless nights, the trauma, the pressure it places on your relationship, the guilt, the comparison, the difficulty bonding when everything started in survival mode- it’s been harder than I ever imagined. I’m being honest because I know so many women quietly sit in this space, terrified to admit they’re struggling.

Thank you to everyone who has checked in, visited, cried with us, brought meals, messaged and supported. We have felt so loved through the darkest few weeks of our lives. A tiny PSA from two very overwhelmed new parents- if you come to visit, please offer practical help too. Fold washing, wash bottles, bring groceries, make a cup of tea, help us tidy the house while we cuddle our girl. We are drowning a little over here and support means so much more than newborn snuggles right now. The hardest and most beautiful month of our lives 🩷

One whole month of you, Willow Mae Elwood 🌳

We named you Willow because it symbolises grace, resilience and the ability to bend without breaking. Mae for warmth, gentleness and motherly love. Elwood, meaning “elder tree forest,” which is deeply connected to us- to nature and grounding- the heart behind Emma of Earth. Even more special, the business existed long before I ever met Craig and I never realised just how deeply his surname would one day intertwine with the brand and life we would build together. Our girl arrived two weeks late after a pregnancy that tested me in every possible way.

Months of hyperemesis, hospital visits, IV drips and medications just to survive the days. We planned and dreamed of a peaceful home birth but your arrival became a category 1 emergency c section that changed everything in an instant. You were born and then taken from us almost immediately. We were separated at birth while you spent your first day and a half in NICU. While you recovered beautifully and made everyone fall in love with you instantly, I began a recovery journey I never expected. From the very beginning, there have been moments that felt bigger than coincidence.

When I signed the consent form for my emergency c-section, the clock read 2:22am. Then after everything- the trauma, NICU, surgeries and hospital walls, we finally left the hospital in a random taxi and Taylor Swift’s Willow started playing from the driver’s playlist. Not the radio. Not prompted. Just your name filling the silence as we brought you home. There has been something deeply spiritual about you from the start, like little reminders that even in the chaos, you were always meant to find your way to us 🩷

4 weeks postpartum tomorrow 🥹✨

What a journey it’s been already. Today felt like a little milestone- mammy & daddy got out together and I even had my first alcoholic drink in about a year 🍸😂 (I rarely drink but today definitely called for a celebration). A huge thank you to my mum for helping us these past couple of days- we really needed it 🤍 Slowly finding our feet and soaking up every moment x