Thanks to lockdown I ended up having a beautiful home birth
TV DOCTOR SARA KAYAT TALKS TO ABI JACKSON ABOUT BECOMING A MUM, ECO-CONSCIOUS PARENTING AND HER FOUR PILLARS OF WELLBEING
IT’S been quite an eventful 12 months for This Morning’s GP, Dr Sara Kayat. She and husband Rupert Walker welcomed their son, Harris, during lockdown last May.
Here, Sara tells us more about becoming a mum for the first-time and her eco-friendly approach to parenting.
You became a mum in lockdown – how have you found it all?
Sometimes I think it’s a blessing, and other times I think it’s horrendous! I changed my birth plan and ended up having a beautiful home birth; that was a lovely little plus side.
[Lockdown] also gave me that opportunity to find my space after the birth and get to know my baby so much more, I think, than if I’d been entertaining lots of people coming over.
Obviously, on the negative side, there’s a lot of peer support that’s lacking, a lot of engagement with friends and family that I would have loved.
So it’s about trying to pick out the positives, but I think it’s also important to recognise and accept that it’s not perfect, and you are allowed to be sad about it and lament over this lost year, and grieve for the things you weren’t able to do.
What was your life like before, juggling TV work and being a GP?
Goodness, my week was jampacked before. I had all those studio days, writing days, I was a full-time GP as well, then weekends trying to fit in family, friends, husband – everything!
It was probably too much, but I didn’t know any better because that’s how it’s always been. I’ve always enjoyed nature – always gone for a run outside – but I’ve never really stopped to take it in as much as I have now.
How did you manage to stay balanced with such a full plate?
It’s always about the four pillars of lifestyle and health for me, making sure your foundations are OK.
So you’ve got diet and nutrition – I’m careful to make sure I’m getting those, eating the rainbow, trying to balance my diet. I’m not vegan, but I’ve started being more plant-based and only eat meat maybe once a week.
Then exercise – I’m very keen on running and yoga. Then sleep – I always prioritise sleep.
I’m that annoying person that even if you’re having the best night out, I’m like, ‘Ah, it’s 10 o’clock, I’ve got to sleep!’.
My final pillar is all about stress management. For me, these all fit here, because physical activity is stress management, but I’ve also always done a bit of mindfulness and carved out time every day to do that.
It doesn’t have to be long, probably only five or 10 minutes. I think because I’ve always had the foundations, it’s easier to build on, and when there are added stresses, you know you’re able to go back to feeling OK.
Have you always been a good sleeper, or is that something you’ve had to work on?
Pre-Harris, I was! Now my mind is blown by the fact I can apparently get 30 minutes of sleep and still do an interview! It’s impressive how your body adjusts. If you’d said a year ago, I’d only be getting an hour or two a night, I’d say not possible, I won’t function.
I don’t really take naps during the day, but at 6am, I pass Harris over to Rupert and he takes responsibility from 6-9am. So those hours are completely mine, to sleep or get things done for me.
I’m very keen on running and yoga. Then sleep – I always prioritise sleep
Dr Sara Kayat
You’ve teamed up with WaterWipes on an eco campaign. Is being eco-conscious something that’s important for you?
Definitely. I haven’t bought new clothes for Harris, only used handme-downs. Same for myself, I haven’t bought new clothes for over a year now, because I don’t necessarily believe in fast fashion.
And there are toys that can just be re-used, rather than having to buy a whole load of new plastic toys for your baby. There are lots of things we can be doing.
Of course, there are times when you slip up and it’s not always possible, but I try to do the best I can.
■ To find out more, visit waterwipes.com/uk/en