Moms are great at taking care of everyone else. Here’s why prioritizing your own nutrition, energy, hormones, and health matters too and how to start small.
NOVEMBER 3 , 2026
I was having a convo with a patient the other day.
She's dealing with some digestion issues, and her gut test showed some inflammation and microbiome imbalance. So we're chatting about antioxidant and flavonoid intake to help both.
I go on to recommend eating berries regularly (pro tip: frozen are totally fine if you can't swing February berry prices).
And she says:
"I actually buy berries every week for the family. But I can't remember the last time I ate one."
Why moms save the good stuff for everyone else
You see, she was saving the berries for the kids. The good, tasty, pricey fruit for the angel babies she brought into this world.
Mom eats the apples instead.
We had a nice lively discussion about berries, antioxidants (yes, there's some in apples too!), frozen vs. fresh, etc.
But mostly we talked about allowing herself to enjoy what feels like something indulgent.
In this case, berries.
How putting yourself last can affect your health
I've heard some version of this story over and over.
Saving all the good stuff for the kids, with none left over for Mom.
Sometimes it's berries or other food that feels "fancy."
Sometimes it's clothes. New for the kids each season, Mom still wearing nursing bras well past weaning.
Other times it's our energy. Taking the kids all sorts of fun places, and then never having a night out solo or with your friends or partner.
Or carving out time in the workday to take the kids to doctor and dentist appointments, but it's been four years since your last physical and you've been meaning to see that dietitian or physical therapist since your first was in diapers.
These are all different ways we push our needs completely off the list and pour our cups completely out so our kids' cups can flow over.
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Put yourself back on your priority list
If this resonates, I encourage you to put yourself back on your priority list.
Because I know that somewhere between the diapers, the childcare drama, the preschool applications, and the soccer practices, you fell right off the list of things that need attention.
But for the sake of your energy, your hormones, and yes your gut health, I encourage you to add yourself back to that list.
Start on the bottom.
Then move yourself slowly up.
Start by eating the damn berries.
When to get support for postpartum depletion and burnout
If taking care of yourself has somehow become the thing you'll get to eventually, come join us inside The Motherlode.
You don't need another giant self-care project or 47 things to add to your to-do list.
You need practical support for feeding yourself, rebuilding your body, supporting your hormones, and actually feeling like a human again while still living your very real mom life.
And if pregnancy and postpartum left you feeling particularly depleted, you can start with the Mother Recover pathway inside The Motherlode.
Because the kids don't need every single berry.
Eat the damn berries.
👉 Learn more about The Motherlode here.
xo
Alison
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