Mothersphere: Intention + Intuition with Erin Wilkins
Grab a warm Saffron Latte and get cozy as we interview mama and RN Erin Wilkins. Passionate about birth, motherhood, homesteading, preparedness, and natural remedies, Erin shares tidbits about her motherhood journey, finding presence in the everyday, and how to balance the chaos. There is beauty in giving life, and all the challenges of motherhood are well worth it. Read on for everyday empowerment and intuitive living…
Q: Firstly, can you share with us a little bit about your family? How many members in your tribe? What are their ages and names?
A: Of course! We are a family of seven! Together my husband and I have five children — one from his previous marriage, Allie (14), and we’ve had four together — Brielle (9), Capri (7), Benny (5), and Rafe (2).
Q: Did you know you always wanted to be a mother?
A: I feel like I was one who just knew I’d become a Mother one day. It felt very much like a calling — something that was buried deep within.
Q: Did you consciously conceive or was it an unexpected blessing?
A: Ben and I were married 11/11/11, and decided to start trying for our first baby after we’d been married about nine months. We got pregnant right away.
Q: We’d love to learn about your pregnancy. How was your experience carrying? What were some of the exciting moments and some of the challenges?
A: I LOVED being pregnant for about a month, lol. Pregnancy was really hard for me, which was surprising. I expected to feel great and love it — but I was incredibly sick with hyperemesis with each pregnancy; I lost a ton of weight in the beginning and just overall felt pretty miserable. It was debilitating. It seemed that by the time I could keep food down, I had a short period of time where I felt pretty good, and then I’d be huge and miserable again. That being said, I always recognized what a blessing and a gift it was.
I always loved feeling my babies wiggle inside of me — and I knew that every hard moment of pain or discomfort was worth it to participate in the gift of giving life. I’d do it again and again.
Q: Did you feel any major shifts during this period of your life — whether they were physical, social or spiritual?
A: Pregnancy, birth, and Motherhood have been some of my life's most significant refiners. So many lessons on selflessness and surrender in that journey — and it’s one I’m still walking. The transition from working as an RN and being newly married into Motherhood — after 26 years of living primarily for me — was HARD. I struggled initially, but once I learned to let go and fully embrace the role of Motherhood, it made a world of difference. It was a major transition from focusing on myself to pouring my heart and soul into this tiny baby I loved so much — willingly putting all of her needs before my own—constant lessons on that in Motherhood.
Q: What supportive practices and tools did you use to nourish yourself and your growing baby during pregnancy?
A: The world has changed so much from the time I got pregnant with my first baby to now with social media and awareness of health in general. There are things I’ve done differently with each pregnancy, but what’s stayed consistent — aside from trying to nourish my body with proper foods and supplements — is trying to mentally stay in a good head space. I call it protecting my birth bubble. I’ve had all of my babies at home, and people have lots of opinions on that. I have had to be mindful about protecting myself and only allowing positive talk around me regarding birth.
When you’re about to give birth, it’s just as much about mental fortitude as the physical. Keeping things positive and staying in a good head space — learning to trust the body and its innate wisdom is so important.
Q: Birth is incredibly individual. Each mother’s journey will be unique. However, sharing our stories can provide universal insights for other mothers to be. What is one thing you loved about your experience and one thing you’d do differently?
A: I love this question. I hold each of my birth experiences so tightly to me — they’ve each been incredibly empowering and transformative in their own way. I loved the environment — at home, low lights and comfortable in my own space, surrounded by people I love, trusting the process and birthing my baby all on my own. There’s nothing like that moment your baby is born. It’s pure magic. I’m honestly not sure what I’d change. I think I did everything I could to take ownership of the experience. If I could go back, I’d remind myself over and over again — there is purpose in the pain and in every sensation. It’s only temporary.
Q: Over the first 40 days of your little one being earthside, how did you feel? Did you have a supportive network around you or did you remain fairly private?
A: The first few days, I’m always on such a birth high — and then, day three it hits — the hormones, the exhaustion. Overall I give myself lots of grace and don’t push myself during the first 40 days. My husband is very supportive, and I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by family and a supportive network. I’m tired and sore, but I love the immediate postpartum period — even with all of its challenges, it’s such a sweet, memorable time.
Q: Since becoming a mother how has your self care changed?
A: With each baby, I’ve had to become more and more intentional about taking time for and caring for myself. With five littles, it isn’t easy — I have to ask for help. Find a sitter, ask your mom, or swap babysitting with a friend. Having just a few hours to myself each week makes a huge difference. Also, finding little times throughout the day, such as after kids go to bed or during nap time. Make sure to balance work and play — usually, most things we think we “have” to do can wait.
Q: What are some of the resources — be they books, nutrition, practitioners or rituals that you’d recommend to other expecting moms or mothers in the parenting years.
A: Good question! There are so many good resources out there. My midwife (@naturalchildbirth101) has put together an amazing course that I’d recommend to anyone — also, I will be launching a course of my own soon. There are many great accounts on Instagram — @painfreebirth, @birthuprising, @downtobirthshow to name a few. I also strongly recommend two books — The Gift of Giving Life by Felice Austin and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.
Q: What rituals or routines do you implement to foster a deeper connection with your little ones? If you are a mom of multiples, do you set time aside to be with each of them individually?
A: Homeschooling my children has given us the gift of time with them, and I consider it one of our biggest blessings. We get to spend 24/7 together, learning and growing alongside one another. Because of this, I get plenty of time with each child most days. I heard once that just 7 minutes a day of uninterrupted one on one time with each child can make a huge difference in how connected they feel to you as a parent — so I’d say make sure you’re getting at least that each day.
Q: Motherhood often means finding peace within the chaos. We are big believers in managing our mood in order to show up consistently as the mother we know we are and want to be. What are your favorite products from THE FULLEST Shop that support your mood and help you stay centered?
A: Happy mom = happy home. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into figuring out how to manage my mood in the day-to-day chaos of the home. The Warm Feelings™ saffron latte is one of my favorite products for this. I love mine in some warm raw milk with a bit of maple syrup — an instant mood booster!Erin Wilkins is a wife, mother to five children, and a registered nurse. Her and her family moved from CA to TN in 2020 to start a new life on a 40-acre farm. Erin is passionate about helping others feel empowered and inspired on her Instagram and website. She loves to talk about birth, motherhood, homesteading, preparedness, natural remedies, health and wellness, among many other things. Come find her and say hello!
