Mindfully Nursed

10/14/2026

Today is Global FPIES Awareness Day.

Almost 10 years ago, I had never heard of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). It’s a type of food allergy that can cause severe gastrointestinal reactions, often hours after eating, without the typical signs people associate with allergies.

I certainly never imagined how much those four letters would change our lives.

When my middle daughter was a baby, I couldn’t figure out what was happening.

Why did she hate eating? Why did she cry so much? Why was she always in pain? Why couldn’t she gain weight? Why didn’t she sleep? (OMG, the not sleeping almost killed me.)

And why did seemingly everything I ate while breastfeeding make her miserable too?

We spent eight months searching for answers. Most healthcare professionals we encountered had never heard of FPIES. I was a nurse, and I still found myself spending countless hours down internet rabbit holes until I came across a diagnosis that sounded like what we were living. Something I could finally ask about.

I became obsessed with understanding every ingredient in every food that entered our home. I still have information saved about defoamers used in maple syrup production. DEFOAMERS. Who even thinks about that?! Well, apparently an FPIES mom does.

Breastfeeding came with elimination diets, constantly questioning what I’d eaten, and the awful guilt when something seemed to make her symptoms worse. I know so many mothers who have lived some version of this. Trying desperately to nourish your baby while worrying that something you’re eating might be causing them pain.

And it wasn’t just about feeding her. Our entire family was affected. Meals, sleep, outings, relationships, the ability to make plans without thinking about food first. There was very little that FPIES didn’t touch.

I’ve written before about mourning the baby days I never really got to enjoy. I loved my daughter fiercely, but so much of those early years was spent trying to figure out how to help her that I missed the experience of simply enjoying her.

I still grieve some of that time.

When my youngest was born, I knew the signs almost immediately. By then I knew more about FPIES than I ever wanted to. And yet, I found myself being dismissed by healthcare providers who had been part of our first journey.

His FPIES was far more severe, and those first 18 months were another rollercoaster.

So yes, I’ve lived this twice. And I know firsthand that FPIES affects far more than the child experiencing the reactions.

There’s the impact on siblings, partners, family relationships, finances, work, and the emotional wellbeing of everyone trying to navigate it. There are decisions and experiences that most families will never have to think about.

And even when the foods have been passed, when your child is growing and thriving and FPIES is no longer part of their medical history, that doesn’t mean the experience disappears.

I can still remember the fear. The exhaustion. The constant calculations around food. The relief of finding someone who actually understood what we were going through.

Those other FPIES moms were invaluable to me. They answered questions, shared resources, and helped me navigate things that I couldn’t find answers to anywhere else.

And somewhere along the way, I became one of those moms for other families.

I’ve been supporting families navigating FPIES for years, long before Mindfully Nursed existed. In fact, Mindfully Nursed began as a passion project, a way to create something that could support my own family while allowing me to continue supporting others.

It’s something I’m incredibly grateful to have built.

But almost a decade later, I’m still frustrated by how little support many families receive after diagnosis.

Having a name for what’s happening is important, of course. But then what?

What do you feed your child? How do you safely move forward with new foods? What about breastfeeding, daycare, school, family gatherings, or trying to make sure your child is getting enough nutrition? Who helps you navigate all the uncertainty, the anxiety, the practical decisions that don’t magically disappear because you finally have a diagnosis?

Too many families are still left to figure so much of this out themselves.

I want better recognition of FPIES within healthcare. I want parents to be listened to when something doesn’t seem right. And I want families to have access to meaningful support that considers the whole family, not just the list of foods their child can or cannot eat.

Because FPIES leaves its mark long after the foods have been passed.

And that’s why I’ll keep talking about it.

10/12/2026

❤️

10/10/2026

Still important to talk about 2 years later.
For my CO’s
For my nurses
For the first responders who show up shift after shift.
I see you.

10/08/2026

**For some families, getting together for Thanksgiving involves a little more than deciding what to bring for dinner.**

When your child has FPIES, food allergies, intolerances, or other dietary restrictions, there's often an entire layer of planning happening before you even leave the house.

Checking ingredients, preparing safe foods, thinking about shared utensils, and figuring out how to respond when someone insists that "just one bite" won't hurt.

And somewhere in all of that, you're also hoping to enjoy the gathering, spend time with family, and help your child feel included.

As a Registered Nurse and a mom of two children with FPIES, I know some of these moments personally. I've packed the containers, brought the backup utensils, navigated the conversations, and spent the hours afterward watching for symptoms.

It's part of why I created **At the Table with FPIES**, a free guide for families navigating gatherings and meals outside their usual routines.

Inside, you'll find practical ideas for preparing ahead, packing foods that work for your family, communicating with hosts, managing tricky conversations, and navigating the time after the meal. I've also included guidance for nursing parents following elimination diets.

While the guide was created with FPIES families in mind, some of these strategies may also be helpful for families navigating other food allergies and dietary restrictions. Your own medical guidance and safety plans always come first.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I wanted to make this available to families who might find it helpful.

You can get your free copy at www.mindfullynursed.com/services. Scroll down to the FPIES section and select **Download the Free Guide**.

I hope it helps make one part of your holiday gathering a little easier. ❤️

10/08/2026

Ever feel like you and your partner keep having the same argument, just on a different day?

Maybe it’s about who’s doing more around the house. Who’s remembering the appointments, managing the schedules, noticing what needs to get done. Or maybe it’s something entirely different, but somehow you keep ending up in the same place. One person feels unheard, the other feels criticized, and before you know it, you’re both frustrated and wondering how you got here again.

Something I think we sometimes overlook when talking about relationships is just how much the rest of our lives comes into the room with us. The exhaustion from another night of interrupted sleep, stress at work, the mental load of keeping a household running, changes in our health, parenting demands, or trying to find enough hours in the day. All of that can influence our patience, how we respond to one another, and what happens when a conversation starts getting difficult.

And sometimes, underneath another argument about the dishes or who forgot to do what, are two people who are overwhelmed, feeling disconnected, and struggling to understand each other.

As a Registered Nurse Psychotherapist, this is something I pay attention to. I’m interested in what’s happening between you, but also in what each of you is carrying into the relationship. Our physical health, emotional wellbeing, and everyday experiences are all part of that picture.

In couples psychotherapy, we can begin exploring those patterns together, with room for both people’s experiences and a better understanding of what’s happening along the way.

I offer couples psychotherapy at Mindfully Nursed, in person in Cornwall and virtually across Ontario and Nova Scotia. If this feels familiar and you’ve been thinking about reaching out, you’re welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation.

www.mindfullynursed.com

10/05/2026

10/05/2026

This should seem familiar to those who know I love ACT

Cognitive Defusion at its best

10/04/2026

“First responders are not okay.”

Those words were said this morning before we lined up for the 10K at Miles for Mental Health.

They stayed with me for the entire run.

This cause is close to me from more directions than I probably know how to explain in one post.

I spent years working in corrections. I’m a nurse. I’m a psychotherapist. I have friends who are dispatchers and people I care about across first responder professions. I’ve worked alongside people carrying things most of us will never know about. I’ve lost former colleagues to su***de.

So yeah. “First responders are not okay” hit hard.

We stood at the start line surrounded by ambulances, fire trucks, police officers, paramedics and firefighters. Then we headed out onto the Long Sault Parkway.

There were so many joyful moments in it too. Police cruisers moved up and down the Parkway while I ran, lights flashing, officers cheering us on as they passed. Members of the fire department walked the 5K in full gear.

Those moments were bright and fun and full of community.

They also exist alongside a much harder reality about what this work can ask of the people doing it.

The paramedic who arrives when someone is having the worst day of their life still has to carry what they saw afterward. So does the nurse. The dispatcher who heard it. The firefighter. The police officer.

There are jobs where repeated exposure to emergencies, violence, death, grief and fear can become part of an ordinary shift. You learn to function. You compartmentalize. You deal with what is in front of you and move on to the next call, the next patient, the next thing that needs you.

Sometimes you become incredibly good at carrying it.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy.

The reality is that this work can come at a high cost.

Almost 300 people showed up today and nearly $20,000 was raised for first responder mental health. That matters.

But we need to keep having these conversations after the race is over.

Before someone is in crisis. Before someone can’t keep carrying it. Before we lose another person.

Being able to carry something has never meant being unaffected by its weight.

10/04/2026

We cannot keep asking people to witness the worst days of other people’s lives and pretend it doesn’t cost them something.

Tomorrow I’m running 10K at Miles for Mental Health, in support of first responder mental health.

I spent years working in corrections. I’m a nurse. These days, as a psychotherapist, I spend a lot of time with people who are incredibly good at functioning through hard things.

First responders are often especially good at it. You show up, do the job, deal with what is in front of you, go home, and come back to do it again.

We praise that resilience, and the reality is that we also depend on it. We need people willing and able to walk into situations most of us will never experience.

We also need to stop confusing being able to carry something with being unaffected by its weight.

Had some help making bracelets tonight that I’ll wear during the race tomorrow and hand out along the way.

RUN YOUR RACE.
BREATHE.
COURAGE.
KEEP GOING.
YOU CAN.

10/02/2026

Sharing again as we enter the season of gatherings filled with food and the difficult journey some families are on when navigating food intolerances and allergies.

✨ It’s been 1037 days since I last ate from the Thai restaurant near our house.

The last time was the night I went into labour with my youngest. I didn’t even finish my meal, worried about how awful it might be if it came back up.

I didn’t know then that my third baby would be my second experience with FPIES. That I would recognize the signs early, only to be told by health professionals that I was imagining problems. That my fears were “just trauma” from my middle child’s journey.

Until the evidence was undeniable. Until there was no choice but to acknowledge it: we were on another FPIES journey.

💔 I didn’t know it would be 1037 days before I’d taste that meal again.

Those days were filled with food journals, diaper checks, panic at weigh-ins, and sleepless nights with a miserable baby in pain.
With the comments of well-meaning (and not so well-meaning) family and friends, whose opinions often added to the weight we were already carrying.
With the fear of every food your child might touch and the pressure of being the one to make every decision.

I know the heartbreak of losing foods you love just to protect your child.
I know the crushing reality when “just use formula” isn’t simple at all.
I know what it feels like to walk in the dark, unsure of which way to go.

And then, 1037 days later, I ate that meal again.
The restaurant staff had no idea how huge that moment was for me.
I held my breath, waiting. Hoping.
And this time… he tolerated it.

🌱 Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t have to walk this road alone.

✨ I offer two different forms of support for families:
1. FPIES & Food Allergy Consultations – Drawing on both my professional nursing expertise and my lived experience, I provide guidance, education, and strategies for families navigating FPIES and related conditions.
2. Nurse Psychotherapy – For those carrying the trauma, grief, fear, and isolation that often come with these journeys, I offer psychotherapy rooted in compassion and evidence-based care.

We are entering a season filled with food, family, and festivities, and I know how heavy that can feel. Soon I’ll be sharing FPIES support packages and a resource designed specifically for navigating the holidays.

Until then, if you need someone who truly gets it, I’m here to hold space, walk beside you, and help you find a way forward.

💛 You don’t have to do this alone.

👉 If this post resonates, please share it. Somewhere out there is a mom frantically searching for answers in the middle of the night, wondering if anyone understands. She deserves to know there is help, hope, and support waiting for her.

📌 You can book a consultation or therapy session with me here: mindfullynursed.janeapp.com