Tolmeia Gregory

📝 Some notes on being 5 months postpartum and how I see life with a newborn reflected in the world around me - full piece at the 🔗 in bio, where I tend to share writings from the heart. “Two months ago, deep in the midst of another relentless heatwave, I stood gazing upon the sandy, sun-scorched grass of my local park, just one still lit cigarette away from being set ablaze, my 3-month-old baby strapped to my chest. In that moment, I came to the decision that what we face as a collective is comparable to life with a newborn…” #motherhood #parenting #climatechange #postpartum #newborn While greenery shoots back up across our fields and lawns after some much-needed rain, I feel a bit like the land too; a little brighter but still prone to flooding. The sticky, sweaty heat. The red glow of the GroEgg in our bedroom, which didn’t drop below 25°c for months. The baby sleep-suits that were worn a handful of times before the heatwaves set in and now no longer fit. The oven we avoided turning on at all costs to keep the kitchen just a few degrees cooler. The duvet that now lives folded up on the floor. The never-ending white noise of the tower fans. The patch of golden straw that borders the road near our house, previously a plush green grass. The drought. Another hottest summer on record. Thousands of deaths across Europe. Fires. Smoke. Devastation. Glacier collapse. When I was pregnant, I dreaded what it would feel like to experience the climate crisis while raising a child and my anxiety suddenly shifted from something that felt distant and hypothetical, to something that felt very real. I now felt utterly and totally unprepared. I started to wonder if we’ll ever be prepared enough, if now was the time to start packing an emergency to-go bag and if we should start stockpiling food. How can we be responsible parents if we aren’t prepared for an emergency?

🛍️ Best thrift find in a while, thanks @totalenergies, I’ll be thinking of you while I crush your oil drum with my fist 👊 💥 #Thrifting #charityshop #totalenergies #collection

❤️‍🔥 Doing nothing is still doing something when our houses - are literally - on fire. These decisions, both political and individual, are the stories we will tell our children. I sit here with my baby experiencing the 5th heatwave of their very young life feeling sickened once again by our government that is acting like this is all just something we can control by having fewer picnics in the park. Our air quality level is in the red as surrounding counties battle more fires exacerbated by unprecedentedly dry conditions. Firefighters are sharing how desperate the situation is getting and how unprepared we really are, despite the warnings from scientists decades ago. You can make sure the story you tell is one to be proud of. Join the fight. Show up. Get uncomfortable. Don’t stay silent. Every single fraction of a degree of global warming we can avoid is lives saved - don’t let anyone (like @andy.burnham) make you ever forget it. ✊ Groups to join: @parentsforfuture_uk @mothersriseup @stopcambo @thegreenparty #heatwaves #parenting #motherhood #wildfires #postpartum

@ all parents: if you can endure birth or the newborn trenches, you can endure being the one to point out that this isn’t normal and that our house is on fire, on behalf of all our children 🔥 #motherhood #parenting #heatwave #wildfires

Found out I was going to be a mother 1 year ago today 🌸 The most mindblowing thing I’ve ever done. 👔 👖Charity shop 🕶️👩‍🍼 @vinted Trying my best to be a cool mum on a hot planet 🌍

👉 If there’s one thing we can all do in light of the world on fire, it’s to not allow ourselves to get used to it. These conditions are not normal, they were created by people with names and addresses who decided to ignore the warnings decades ago. Do not allow yourself to become complacent as we watch global leaders like @andy.burnham fall for fossil fuel lobbyists. Do not get used to it. Or - my thoughts on overhearing someone say “we’re lowkey acclimatised to it now” 🫠 #heatwave #wildfires

A reminder for those who need it 💛 We are nature - don’t you forget it. If we are nature and having a child is natural, then to deny ourselves the experience is to detach ourselves from who we really are. #climateanxiety #anxiety #parenting #motherhood

🛍️ Add these to your baby shower gift registry 😌😉 …because motherhood isn’t just about making sure your baby has the best nursery set-up. Motherhood is also about making sure your baby has a liveable future, too. Products mentioned which I bought second-hand: 🪑 @stokkebaby Tripp Trapp 🧽 @cheekywipes 👩‍🍼 @babytula Explore carrier Campaigns that make all the rest possible: ✊@parentsforfuture_uk @mothersriseup 💰 @polluterspay @makepolluterspay [ motherhood, things that are worth the money, baby products, nursery, wishlist ]