Ale (short for Alessandra) is a mother-to-be from Milan, but she has been living around the world for years. Her international lifestyle brought her to the new wellness movement.

Tell us about the choices that brought you here today

Alex: my nature is true Italian but I travelled the world in search of myself, my soul, my mind. I have always been inspired by a natural healthy lifestyle that includes yoga and meditation, and good food as well. I am also curious about the spiritual side but I am not a true believer. I believe in self- help though and all the techniques you can adopt to develop positivity.

Now that I am pregnant my interest and passion around this world increased.

How did you discover The Beddha?

I follow and attend events related to this industry, and I happened to surf your IG account. I think it was because of one of the collabs you were promoting. I wasn't following you at the time, but something caught my attention.

I like perfumes, and candles, and sage. I use them but not at this time. I can't stand fragrances right now. But I liked some of the brand products, and I promised myself to get some once I deliver my baby...

What type of events do you attend? And how things have changed since you became pregnant?

Before pregnancy yoga and meditation classes along with other women related events.
Now, during my pregnancy I follow a similar path but focused on this special moment of my life.
I join sharing circles and practice some light stretching to release tension that help me to restore and ground. I learned breathing techniques as well.

Any ritual you can share with pregnant mamas?

I practice pregnancy yoga and incorporate some meditation techniques. Yoga helps me to alleviate backache. Meditation gets me grounded and focused.

I am following my nature and see with astonishment all the changes that are happening to me, physically and mentally. I am adapting to my growing baby.
I discovered that bump massage is a sweet way to send good vibes to my child.
So everyday I massage my belly and apply a rich cream at the same time, to prevent stretch marks and talk to my baby indulging in some prenatal bonding.

How do you relax?

I practice specific exercises. There are things I learned that help to relax and decrease fatigue and insomnia for pregnant mamas. There is a pressure point in the forehead that aides stress relief. Just massaging my forehead and applying gentle pressure can help produce feel good hormones. It's a form of acupressure.

I learned child pose can have a similar response. When you rest your forehead on the floor...

Good to know, I practice child pose sometimes but I wasn't aware of this specific benefit...

Amazing the things we do without knowing all the outcomes.

I am more aware of the things I do now, because of my pregnancy. I find ways to relax and look after myself and I am always after the next thing...

With my husband I have also investigated the idea of hypnobirthing. They say it helps you to be more confident about the last few weeks of pregnancy and approaching labour.

We don't know if we do it. But the idea to share with other couples at similar stages I think will be powerful and helpful. We'll see...

I want to be prepared and knowledgeable, I am a kind of control freak!

You seem really knowledgeable! That is great, you are taking care of yourself in a very nice way. It's important at any life stages, self-love and self-care are really at The Beddha core philosophy, because as women we tend to neglect ourselves. I read somewhere that still 78% of women neglect taking care of themselves and often because they are too busy looking after their families.

It breaks my heart hearing news like this one. I think self-care for mums should be and integral part of childcare. Our mental and physical stability is everything!

There isn't enough support for mothers, and women in general, but it is increasingly growing and I think this is thanks to all the women who are developing their own businesses, including The Beddha, that are addressed to women. And it makes sense, only us, women, can design what is right for us. We just waited too long but we are catching up quickly!

✒ BY MARGHERITA ANTINORI