Let’s meet Holly Shoebridge – mama to Zenny and 2 bulldogs on the NSW North Coast. She’s a functional breath teacher, holistic counsellor, small business accountant and all round lovely human.
Hey Holly, can you tell us a bit about who you are and what lights you up, how many kids/fur babies you have etc?
G’day! I’m Holly Shoebridge. I’m a wife, a mum of one beautiful 2.5 year old, another bub on the way, and we’ve got two hilarious and cheeky bulldogs. It’s an energetic household! What absolutely lights me up is all things bodymind health, solid chunks of time in nature, and with beautiful family & friends, reading books and preparing nutritious food.
I am a functional breath teacher, holistic counsellor and small business accountant – absolutely love to help others throughout the different types of work I do. We are based in Worimi Country on the NSW mid north coast.
Pre-conception & Pregnancy Journey
Would you like to share any details about your conception/pregnancy journey?
We had a bit of a ride for our pregnancy journey. We first started trying to conceive around 10 years ago. The path was a longer one, over the course of about 6 years or so, we navigated miscarriage, 3 rounds of IVF and then it all came to a grinding halt with a breast cancer diagnosis.
That really flipped everything on its head. Obviously, came as a shock at the time, but it was also the greatest evolutionary catalyst that brought about much positive change, absolutely for the better. I can say that in hindsight. During that phase, from the day of diagnosis, I dived deep into a path of holistic bodymind health, related studies, holistic nutrition, regenerative detoxification and so on. I was applying everything I was learning as I went along.
I underwent several surgeries and was recommended various treatment paths. I won’t go into too much detail here, but I leaned heavily into natural healing modalities, naturopathic practitioner guidance and steered away from what was recommended by the oncologists.
I spent a solid 2 years or so on that path of healing bodymind through conscious nutrition, daily movement, meditation, breathwork, plenty of inner work, trauma healing and so on (which is now just my regular lifestyle). In that time, we had let go of trying to conceive & having our own bub. We even undertook foster parent training in that period but went onto to let that go too. My main focus at that time was simply restoring natural health & vitality. Then, when we least expected it, we were blessed with the news of falling pregnant naturally, very unexpected.
So the entire journey of healing bodymind, of returning to wholeness, could be seen as “preconception”, perhaps? We did the Calmbirth course, self prepared meals at home in the weeks leading up, and that was about it.
Birth Experience
Would you like to share your birth experience?
Do you or your family honor any traditions around pregnancy or birth?
We had a really beautiful birth experience. It didn’t quite go the way I had hoped, however the birthing team were absolutely incredible and consulted us throughout which made the process an absolute dream.
I must admit, in the years since having our first bub, Zenny, there are beliefs I have come to hold close. We don’t have any family traditions that we honour, but I do hold a strong inner knowing that the female body (and baby) knows what to do, in their own time. While there may be a need and place for interventions at times, I do also think we could intervene less and alleviate the higher prevalence of birth trauma we see today.
Navigating Postpartum
How did you find navigating the early days of postpartum?
In all honesty, it was a real shock to the system, understandably given the magnitude of giving birth, sleepless nights, the post partum hormones, a new little human to care for – what a ride! It was fun & exciting at the start. It was probably about 2 months or so in that I started to experience post natal depression, that lasted for about 4-5 months. I’ve since come to learn, through sharing my own experience with others, that this is possibly more prevalent than many of us may be aware of.
Did you notice a big shift in yourself after becoming a mother?
Absolutely. I feel that becoming a mother is as much a birthing of this beautiful child into the world, as much as it is a rebirth of Self. We step into this new season of life as women. The years since having Zenny have been the most beautiful years of stripping back the proverbial onion layers, strengthening that connection with intuition, learning what is most important in life, savouring the little moments – birth & transitioning to motherhood does well to reflect the mirror of our shadows back at us. It’s a beautiful invitation to journey within, a portal of sorts. The entire process from illness to motherhood has been a deeply spiritual one.
Did you find that your village rallied to support you during early postpartum?
Oh gosh yes, the early post partum period was beautiful. We felt so loved and supported. It was during the lockdown period so people were dropping meals at our door, little care hampers and so on. My mates in particular, it really felt like this village of incredible women just stepped up and were with us – bloody love you girls.
Parenthood / life
How did you find the transition back to work after becoming a parent?
It wasn’t too bad. I am self employed and was grateful to be able to work from home while still being with Zenny. The real adjustment for me was learning that I couldn’t get as much done, everything moved a lot slower. I had come from a mentality of “get it done”, moving full throttle and doing everything very thoroughly. It was a very welcome lesson for me in slowing down, prioritising what’s most important (Self care, rest, bub & family).
Looking back, and I know for next time, that I won’t transition back to work quite so soon. Those early months are so sacred for Mother and bub.
Did you find any tools, books, or resources particularly useful during pregnancy or postpartum?
I really doubled down on daily walking, meditation and conscious breathing. The walking helped with physical recovery and mental health, to get outside into nature. The meditation helped to sink into short periods of deep rest when nights were sleepless. The conscious breathing helped in so many ways, particularly to down regulate a fairly activated nervous system & it helped immensely to get back to sleep after the night feeds. Both meditation & breath practices were a beautiful welcoming in of feelings and emotions during that time too.
How do you find balancing the demands of motherhood with your work and personal goals?
These days, I’ve found a beautiful balance. I think it’s healthy to maintain a sense of Self, to carve out time for things we love and want to work on, and striking that balance can be an iterative process to ensure everyone’s needs are met within the family unit.
I will be super honest though, striking this balance was not without a solid transition period where I was burning the candle at both ends, that’s obviously not sustainable and I eventually came to learn that. There was certainly a lengthy process of learning to surrender & to slow down. Zenny’s taught me so much in that respect, and I wouldn’t change it for quids – thank you, little buddy.
Looking back, is there something you wish you could go back to tell yourself about motherhood?
Absolutely! Trust your intuition & motherly instinct, let go of any guide books, comparisons or feelings like you “should do this or that”. Communicate honestly & openly, there is strength in vulnerability. Lean into your community & get comfortable asking for help. Slow down, savour every moment.
