In Conversation with Hunna & Kat of TØTUM Naturopathy

A gentle note that this interview discusses experiences of early birth and loss. If this is a sensitive or painful topic for you, please prioritize your well-being and feel free to skip this post. To those navigating this experience or supporting someone who is, you are not alone & support is available at Pink Elephant.

On your journey with TØTUM…

For a little background can you tell us a little bit about the inception of TØTUM, your journey and what it looks like today?

K: Hunna and I met in a herbal and botany class at university and became friends instantly, but it wasn’t until the end of our studies that we decided we wanted to work together. We really bonded over our shared passion of education, as well as the intention behind who we wanted to be as naturopaths and business owners. Totum Naturopathy has had many metamorphoses over the years, from therapeutic products, to different online educational offerings, as well as seeing clients in our Naturopathy practice. Right now Totum is just ticking along, as both our energy is pulled towards mothering (Hunna has an almost 5 month old and I’m chasing after a very spirited toddler). We both trust in ourselves and our practice and know when the time is right we come back to this space with a new and inspired outlook. 

H:I remember it was my birthday and Kat and I were sitting in a spa bath talking about our frustration towards the health industry because of the lack of education about our bodies. We really wanted to change that and share what we had learnt with others to connect women especially back to their bodies. We both don’t really have a business bone in our bodies so it’s been a journey of ups and downs. We’ve always come back to our intention and right now that is being mothers. I will return to consulting when I feel ready and can navigate being a mum and business owner.

What initially drew you both to naturopathy and have you seen your areas of interest evolve overtime?

K: Initially I wanted to study naturopathy to have the knowledge to support myself and my future families health. My mum was always very ahead of her time when it came to looking after our health, and complementary medicine was a big part of my childhood, so it felt like a really natural transition to move into the space of Naturopathy. Before having my son I loved working with gut health, in particular the link between psychological stress and gut related issues. Now I feel such a strong pull towards working in the postpartum space and supporting mothers through their first year of matresence. 

H: Going through my own health challenges as a teenager lead me to Naturopathy and alternative therapies. I experienced depression and anxiety as well as acne and hormonal issues. Naturopathy really helped me connect back to my body and kinesiology allowed me to heal emotional wounds that were catalyst for many of my health issues. I really understood the mind/ body connection through my own self discovery. I’ve definitely felt a pull towards working in the energetic space - mainly kinesiology and it’s something I’d love to further my education in.

Kat, your journey into motherhood involved the early birth & loss of your little girl at twelve weeks, what did you personally find most nurturing during this time?

The best piece of advice I received during that time was to acknowledge my miscarriage as a birth and treat my body the same way I would if I was recovering from a birth of a full term baby. I spent a lot of time on the couch resting (and watching sex and the city), ate warm nourishing foods, and drank tonifying herbal teas with nettle, hibiscus and raspberry leaf. What we went through really threw me off my centre. I felt like I couldn’t trust my body after we lost our baby girl and I was really focused on doing whatever I could that was in my power to heal and rebuild my body, heart and soul again. 

From your experience what role did community & connection to self play a role in your journey?

The most important role. I would say that it was only through community that I was able to connect back to myself again. A few months after our loss I started That’s My Jam dance classes and found the most supportive, fun, and accepting community of women. These dance classes and the women in them helped me find my joy, and through weekly movement I was able to love and trust my body again. I have danced through loss, pregnancy and postpartum with That’s My Jam and I feel so grateful to have found this community.

What practices or tools supported you in connecting with your body in preparation for conceiving and pregnancy again?

I think after a pregnancy loss you feel either compelled to try again as soon as possible or have some space from it. For me it was the latter, I just really needed some time away from it all, so I decided to prioritise the other areas of my life to find my joy again. My partner and I also got married and went on our honeymoon and I felt this time really helped us connect back to each other and our relationship, which inevitably changes after loss. I also read the Pink Elephant resources on pregnancy after loss, and listened to loads of podcast episodes on this topic to hear stories from other women who were navigating the same emotions and fears. To be honest I definitely found the process of mentally preparing for another birth a lot more challenging than the physical preparation of eating well and taking the right supplements. 

What are three words to describe this season of motherhood?

K: Funny, chaotic, and full of wonder. 

H: Surrender, becoming, heartbreaking love

Where do you turn when seeking joy?

K: Music, there is nothing more cup filling to me than watching live music, listening to music loudly in the car on a solo car trip, or connecting with a song during a dance class. 

H: My evening shower is where I debrief and have a moment without my little barnacle on me. On the rare moments I get a solo drive to the grocery store in the car, I have a bit of a yell sing which is always a good release.

Hunna, as your freshly postpartum, what are some words of advice for someone preparing for this season?

Surrender. Coming from a person who loves to plan and prepare - the best thing you can do is let go and do your best whatever that looks like on the day. You’re allowed to breakdown, it’s ok to cry frequently, no you’re not going crazy and everything passes.

Seek support and advice when you need to but always trust your own mother instincts - you innately know.

Prepare food before birth as much as you can

Ask your community to help with some meals and gather your village pre birth. They want to help so don’t be afraid to ask for the support.

What tools or knowledge did you lean on from your naturopathy background through your fourth trimester?
H: Food as medicine and specific nutrients to support my energy and mental well-being. Making sure my baseline foundations are supported as much as they can be within this season - mental health, nourishment, sleep, community, gentle movement, water. I’m currently waking every hour at night so my partner takes Marlon in the morning so I can sleep and I try to rest in the day where I can get it.

On daily rhythms and rituals…

The first thing you do when you wake up?

K: The first thing I do is boil the kettle to make myself a coffee, and then sit on the couch to read books with my son. He is still sleepy at that point so I try to make the most of his willingness to stay in one place. He always runs to grab his water bottle to cheers my cup of coffee, it’s a little ritual I think we both really love. 

H: Cuddle Marlon, breastfeed and then give him to my partner so I can either nap or make a smoothie. I always make sure I get ready for the day because I feel it helps with motivation and my mental health.

The last thing you do before bed?

K: I wish I had a lovely bedtime ritual to talk about but most of the time I look at the baby monitor to see my son awake and calling out to me. The last thing I do before bed right now is usually breastfeed and climb into bed with him for the night. 

H:Have a mini catch up with my partner and a shower. It doesn’t really feel like I have a bedtime at the moment as the night waking are so frequent so what’s helping me is reminding myself that this phase will pass and I am his everything right now but that won’t be forever. He is in a rapid developmental phase and I’m so lucky to witness it and watch him grow.

Rituals that ground you?

K: At the moment I feel like my days are so consumed with mothering that it’s really hard to implement rituals that are just for me, so I try to squeeze little moments into my day that allow me to pause and check in with myself. Even if that just looks like taking my son to the park, drinking my coffee, taking a few deep breaths and feeling the sun on my skin for the first time that day.  Someone once said to me that it’s important to create little holidays in your day if you are feeling overwhelmed, so for a few minutes in the park I like to consider that mine.

H: I’m currently trying to work on developing rituals. I guess my shower is a form of ritual and making my smoothie or cacao in the morning.

Three things we can always find in your fridge/pantry?

K: We have a weird hoarding attitude in our house towards tinned tomato’s, stock, and tinned coconut milk. It doesn’t matter what we are at the shops for we will always end up bring them home with us as well. So although not that fun, I’m going to have to say those items. 

H: Cacao, the good fish canned sardines for a quick lunch protein and pasta.

An album or artist you often turn to?

K: Angie McMahon - light, dark, light again. The soundtrack to my first year of motherhood.  

H: At the moment on my Spotify it’s been the wiggles haha but otherwise Warpaint is a forever favourite and currently been loving Sun kil Moon.