About my book

 
 

Nurturing Your New Life

My book, Nurturing Your New Life - Words and Recipes for the New Mother - was published by HarperCollins Australia on September 24th, 2019. In its pages you’ll find tips on caring for yourself and your little one(s) in the pre and postnatal period, as well as personal stories from my transition to motherhood and 20 of my favourite, everyday recipes to nourish yourself and your family postnatally and beyond.

You can find it at major bookstores and some independent sellers, or online via the links below.

 
 

Buying my book

Personalised copies

From time to time, I have limited stock of books that I would be delighted to sign, and post to you directly (on a first-in basis). At the moment, I am temporarily out of stock.

Book retailers

You can find my book at major bookstores and some independent sellers, or online via the links below.

Reviews & interviews

Reviews

‘It’s not often that the word ‘lovely’ is the most accurate word to describe anything, let alone a book about pregnancy and parenting, but my overwhelming impression of Nurturing Your New Life by Heidi Sze is of a genuinely lovely book, one that has been thoughtfully brought into the world with the kindest of intentions.

Mornington Peninsula local Heidi Sze is a dietitian and the author of the popular parenting and food blog Apples Under My Bed. Nurturing Your New Life is her first book and the kind you can enjoy reading from start to finish, as Sze writes about her own parenting journey throughout with a wonderful, unassuming honesty, but it is also easy to jump in and read from any chapter. I, as the parent of a toddler who still finds certain aspects of sleep challenging, turned first to the section on sleep!

The sleep section immediately put me at ease and made me confident that this is a book I could give to any parent or caregiver without fear of offending them. Crucially, while Sze had her own expectations and preferences for parenting before she had her first child, she is open about the things that went to plan, the things that did not, and the fact that her preferences and experiences will not be identical to anyone else’s. She is also clear about the influence of her circumstances on her experience of parenthood, and I found her compassionate reflections on heartbreaking and joyful aspects of becoming a parent quite touching. Sze’s experiences and advice will be most relevant to new and expecting mothers, but this is an inclusive, non-prescriptive book that would also be a reassuring read for anyone involved in the full round-the-clock care of a baby.’

– Elke Power, Readings Bookstores

‘For me, 2019 has been the year of pregnant friends. While it’s all very exciting to see people entering a new stage of life in this way, it can be difficult to see the pressure they are put under by society to be the most perfect pregnant person ever. Heidi Sze’s book is gentle and non-judgemental, and includes sections on self-care during and following pregnancy, tapping into your intuition, recipes for post-baby life, and of course looking after a new baby. Sze is a dietician, and has a really great outlook on food and how to embrace body changes, rather than fearing them. This is the book I’ll be buying for all of the new parents in my life!’

– Ellen Cregan, Readings Bookstores

Continue reading by following the link below.

Interviews

Follow the link below to see a list of podcast interviews.

 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness Exercise for New Mothers

New motherhood can be wonderful. At the same time it can be immensely challenging. Mindfulness practices such as the one below can be extremely beneficial to our wellbeing, particularly in this season of life when we are especially vulnerable to self-doubt, anxious thoughts and mood disorders.

 

Book events

I don’t have any events planned at present.

However, you can listen to me talking about my book on various podcasts listed here.

 
Looking back, I had quite a few expectations about new motherhood. I expected my baby would simply fall asleep when she was tired - on her own, without any help, in her cot, peacefully; I didn’t expect she would want to sleep close to me, nor t
A drizzly day today with two irritable kiddos. This morning, while they were busy playing with playdough, I raced around the house hiding a random assortment of items - an orange, some toasted seaweed snacks from the back of the cupboard, two new too
Showing him her new doll, which arrived while he was napping. Joan used her own money (which was gifted to her on her birthday), and has been obsessively checking the doorstop for days. Walt is smitten. He was permitted only one hug, though she did v
My latest recipe for @abclife is a one-pot quinoa and sweet potato dish with green beans, sautéed shallots and a tahini + lemon sauce. Sautéed shallots are so very delicious, I like to make them as a topping for salad, pasta, soup, buttered sourdou
From Wednesday, when we got takeaway pasta from @shopatecafeandstore and ate at the kids’ play table while our oven was being installed in the next room. I’d been saving this bottle of Pétillant naturel from @thewinefarm for a coup
GIVEAWAY 💛Yesterday was my birthday and today it’s my book’s birthday! Nurturing Your New Life was released in Australia one year ago today. Thank you to everyone who has purchased my book this past year. I’ve received the most bea
Yesterday morning, eating birthday cake for breakfast. I made a no-bake cake this year, as our new oven wasn’t yet installed. As a complete sucker for those rich, raw, chocolatey cashew cakes I knew I wanted to make one for my birthday. I got i
I’ve made something for you. I’ll tell you about it at the end of this post but first some context. When I began writing my book I knew I wanted to include a chapter on paying attention to yourself. There is so much noise out there telli
Our weekly @promcoastfoodcollective order arrived just in time for lunch, so we sliced into some @oakandswan_sourdough spelt sourdough, spread it with mayonnaise and avocado, then added fresh salad leaves, grated carrot, thinly sliced onion, cheese &
Picnic lunch outside, featuring leaves from our garden, @marysgonecrackers and curried chickpea mash, the recipe for which is in @jessica_prescott_’s new book, Veg One-Pot Wonders. This is the first recipe I bookmarked when Jessica kindly sent
The weather has warmed up and yet I’m still making hot chocolate every afternoon. If need be I let it cool down before drinking. To make it I warm some oat milk on the stove with a date, softening it. I let this mixture cool a little then pour
Crafting is not my love language. Honestly, I’d rather read the back of a glue label than use it. Joan loves it, though; she lights up when playing with sequins and pipe-cleaners. Recently I stocked up on crafting supplies so she can get her fi