It's the last of our Bonds Mama Search features with our friends at Wonderful Mama magazine and we're chatting with the lovely Lauren Patterson, the refreshingly honest blogger behind Mad Max Mum, fitness expert and Bonds lover. Check it out below...

Tell us a little about yourself..

I’m nearly 27 years old and a mum of two children, Maddie and Max. I am currently studying to be a personal trainer and I run a blog called Mad Max Mum. I also do a few ambassadorships for a few gyms at the moment. I like being very busy so that’s my life. I’m either at home with the kids, working or I’m out drinking coffee. I tend to do that quite a lot.

Have you always been into health and fitness?

No! I was when I was in high school but when I learnt what alcohol was I started to party and I did that for quite a long time until I found out I was pregnant with Maddie. So I had to stop that of course. Then once I had Maddie, I wanted to lose the weight and I’d only known bad ways of doing it so I joined a gym. I started to learn what eating good food was, how to exercise. I found it was a great way of keeping me energised with Mads and being happy really. So it only formed a couple of years ago. Before that, I didn’t really care about it. I don’t think I had been to a gym in over 12 years.

We love following your Mad Max Mum blog. What inspired you to start writing?

Drew, my boyfriend, told me to start blogging when I found out I was pregnant with Max because he isn’t very good at dealing with my emotions. So for someone who was bursting out with all the emotions, it was a good way of having a good moan and putting all the hormones onto paper instead of lashing out on him. So it was his idea. My dad’s always wanted me to write because it’s always been something that I enjoy doing.

What can readers of Mad Max Mum expect to read about?

I cover everything. Originally it was just about my pregnancy and that’s why I called it the Preggo Diaries. I never intended on it ever going anywhere and then thought, I’m not going to be pregnant forever so I changed the name. It actually came to me as I was getting a pregnancy massage. Mad Max Mum. It was a light bulb moment in this really relaxing massage. I had people asking about how I was going to lose the baby weight, how I maintained my health and fitness during my pregnancy so I thought I’d incorporate all areas and I’ve just had opportunities where I can just expand into lifestyle topics, at home exercises, recipes and travel with the family etc.

You’ve been really open about your struggle with Post Natal Depression, could you tell us a little about that? 

I realised that I had developed PND after I stopped being excited and couldn't be positive about anything - I felt like a zombie. Here I was with two beautiful and amazing children and I could hardly put a smile on my face. So I went to my doctor where I was immediately diagnosed. I share my struggles and my story with my followers because there are so many women out there feeling as if they're alone and like their struggle may be a burden to others - well it's not. I want to help other women gain the courage to stand up and help themselves so they can regain their lives and their happiness back. Being a mother (or parent) is not easy, but it's so much harder when you're battling a mental demon at the same time!

What does your family mean to you?

Everything. I grew up with a very good family in a country home in Victoria. We were never a really affectionate family but I was daddy’s little girl. My parents would do anything for me. We weren’t spoiled but we had everything we needed. Now that I’ve got my own little family, I’d kill for them. You don’t mess with my kids. Haha.. They are my no.1!

How would describe Maddie and Max’s personalities?

Maddie is very creative and has a very good imagination. She plays power rangers in her head all the time.. It’s hilarious. Max is a mummy’s boy. He loves attention, loves the girls looking at him. We go to café’s and he’ll captivate the whole café. It’s ridiculous. I get stuck there for an extra 20 mins because people want to cuddle him. He’s beautiful, he’s very different to Maddie. Maddie was independent from the get go where as Max is still clingy.

What’s your daily morning routine?

I get up about an hour before everyone else. So I can shower, do all the things that most mums don’t do for themselves like moisturise, chuck half a face on. Max will normally wake up at around 5.30am. I always have these intentions to go to the gym at 4/4.30am. I only wash my hair on the weekends. Protein shake for breakie. Normally it’s a scramble to get Mads ready cause she doesn’t want to wear what I give her, she wants to wear a tutu. It’s a daily struggle ;) Then daycare drop off and coffee for Max and I. Always going out for coffee with Max. I don’t like staying in the house.

What would be your top three tips for getting healthy post baby?

Being patient and to not expect your body to bounce back after having a baby. There’s no such thing as bouncing back. I worked very hard for my body after having Max. Another one would be to look at one meal at a time. Sort out breakie, make it a healthy one and then look at lunch. Don’t stress about food because that causes eating disorders and that’s not fun. The last would be to accept the cellulite, the stretchmarks, the non existent boobs.. What else do I have? Its just about accepting your body after having a baby. Not everyone looks like a fitness model. Some people say that I do, that I’m unrealistic but I am just like every other mum. I don’t have a lot of money, I’ve just eaten the right foods, gone to the gym.

What do you love most about Bonds?

That they are Australian. They look so cute on kids. Its iconic. I just see Australia when I look at it. Every time I see that Bonds sale pop up in my email I’m like YESSS! Let’s just say goodbye to a couple of hundred ;) I love seeing Max in the little Wondersuits. They’re just gorgeous.

What’s your favourite Wondersuit for Max?

I love the new Disney designs that have just come out. He has one but it’s a little bit too big so I’m just waiting till he grows a little. I love the Disney ones, the kids love Disney so for them to collaborate is just awesome.

What would be your baby bag essentials?

Lots and lots and lots of wipes.. I always carry clip seal bags of formula. Lots of nappies and at the moment lots of bananas. Max just chomps on them like they’re going out of fashion. And then for me, tampons, cause you never know when that stuff’s going to happen!

Your family want to put Max in for the Bonds Baby Search and you obviously take a lot of photos of your kids for the blog, what would be your tip for mums entering their little cuties into the search?

Catch them at a natural moment. Don’t be one of those poser mums who makes them sit against a wall and cry for hours just to get one photo. The most gorgeous ones are when they’re just playing on a mat or crawling around the floor. The moments when they’re being themselves.

What’s the best thing about being a mum?

That they have to love you! Haha! You can be really lonely and sad and then you realise, wait, I’ve made two kids who have no choice, but to love me.

Finally, what can we expect to see from you and Mad Max Mum in the future?

When I get a little bit more time, most posts. I want to be able to post on a daily basis. Obviously going through Post Natal Depression at the moment, I want to be able to share more experiences that I go through to help the women who are going through the same thing. I do plan to work to bring awareness about PND because after posting about it on the blog, the emails came flooding in and the women who haven’t even told anyone, it’s just ridiculous. I really want to help women get out of that hole that they’re in, just like me. What makes me feel happy is helping others, which I never thought I could do. As long as I can make a difference through writing about my experiences then I’m happy.

Shop the latest in Bonds baby range here.

For more about Mad Max Mum, head here.

For more from Wonderful Mama Magazine, head here.