What is your mum style?

The recent hot weather has got me thinking..OK panicking about what to wear. Last summer I was pregnant and had bought an array of maternity tops and was proudly showing off my growing bump. However, ever since having Layla-Rose I have been struggling to feel secure and happy in my new 'Mum bod'.

In my maternity top just days after giving birth. First time I was out of my pjs!

Throughout my pregnancy I hadn't put on any weight and in fact in my first trimester I had managed to lose 1/2 a stone just  through sickness. Throughout the rest of my pregnancy I had more food aversions rather than cravings so shortly after giving birth to Layla I was a whole stone and a half lighter than before I was pregnant. 

Before those Christmas pounds

Then came Christmas, the late nights, early mornings and the boredom of being at home. Before I knew it I was supporting a lot more weight around my middle and then came the nice weather so off I set up into the attic to retrieve my summer clothes. I am pleased to report they still fit but did they still suit me and my now new mum status? My partner didn't think so. 'you're showing to much skin, your're a mum now.' I don't think he meant it as an insult but I took it as one and so those nice summer clothes have been put back up in the attic. This led me to the question as a Mum what do you wear in the summer? I want to feel confident in my new skin but have no idea how to dress myself. I feel like I am 12 again in that awkward no longer in child clothes but to childish for adult clothes stage. 

Instead of style I have gone for comfort so my current Mum style is baggy tops, leggings and bottoms with an elasticated waist. I have however managed to build up a new collection of go to clothes and some tips and tricks of my own: 

Layering - With my new found mum tum I am so conscious of wanting to keep it covered so I tend to wear a long strappy top as my base layer and then one of my new baggy tops over it sometimes I add a scarf too. 

Kimonos- I adore kimonos so had built up quite a collection before I was pregnant. I love how they dress up any outfit as well as cover up my upper arms.




Batwing sleeves - I have always been concious of my upper arms and love the floaty feel they give an outfit. 

A fitted waist - If and when I am able to go a bit more dressed up (usually when I am headed into school for a meeting) I love to wear outfits that skim over my tummy but pull in at my waist. Sometimes I even add a belt. 

Anyone else got any good tips and tricks or a favourite 'mum' outfit? Anyone else as lost as I am when it comes to summer?

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Dummies, the good, the bad, the ugly

Before we had Layla-Rose we were dead against dummies I thought there was no need to have them. It stopped their teeth developing properly and their speech. Plus if you look after a baby properly they don't need a dummy. There is a lot of judgement, I feel, on dummies and parents that use them and I hate to admit it but before I Layla-Rose this is how I felt too. 

Even though we said no dummies a few friends still bought us them as gifts so by the time Layla was born she had a collection of about 4 dummies. 

When Layla came into our lives we weren't prepared for just how poorly she would be and just how much she would cry! It was on one of those crying episodes in the middle of the night 2/3am where the subject of dummies was brought up again. 

(while furiously jigging baba up and down around the bedroom)

Me: Some parents use dummies at  night you know
OH: We said we weren't doing dummies
Me: I read somewhere it could help her reflux
OH: We said we were against them

Cue another 30 minutes of screams

OH: Just go and get the dummy but don't tell anyone 
Me: It will be our little secret

Well almost 5 months have past since that night and we haven't looked back obviously everyone now knows we use a dummy and it has actually been such a life saver in so many ways. It calms her, helps her sleep and in my opinion, helps with her reflux. 

I don't know how long we will end up using a dummy for but I have defiantly changed my tune in regards to using a dummy like so many other things since becoming a mum. 






Linking this up with #PoCoLo!

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Wicked Wednesdays 11th May

This is why you don't put a baby with reflux on your shoulders.

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My Liebster award blog post

I have been tagged in the Liebster Award blogging meme by TinBoxTraveller. Thank you so much for the nomination and please go and have a nosey at her post here.

From what I understand the Liebster Award is for bloggers just starting out or with low followers on social media. 

Here are the Liebster rules:

1. Thank your nominator and link back to them from your post.
2. Answer the questions you’ve been set and tag your nominator when you share your post on social media.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers to answer some questions from you. Don’t forget to let them know!

So here are my nominations:

1. The reading mummy
2. babies, biscuits and booze
3. my sleeping bub
4. the toddler chef
5. porridge and parenting 
6. Detrice Matthews 
7. That wise lady
8. Top five mum
9. Beta Mummy
10. The ordinary Mum
11. Along came mummy

Here are the questions Tin Box Traveller asked me:

1. What’s your favourite foreign food?

Oh goodness I love Italian, Chinese, Indian and Mexican food but if I had to pick one I would go for a good old Indian curry. 

2.What’s your best memory from a holiday?

My best holiday memory would be when I was 9 years old my grandparents paid for the 4 grandchildren to go on holiday to Florida with them and it was truly amazing one to have the whole family there and two because it was where my parents got married. 

3.How many times have you moved house?

I think 10 times but this does include moving 4 times while studying at uni.

4.Where’s your favourite place in your home country?

A place that will always be special in my heart is where I grew up in the south west of the country in a little town called Westbury it's just so pretty and holds so many amazing memories. 

5. Camping or all inclusive?

All inclusive definitely I come on holiday to relax! 

6.Where were you this time last year?

This time last year I was in the very early days of my pregnancy with my now 5 month old and me and the OH were so excited about our little secret!

7.What’s your best tip for holidaying with kids?

We haven't been lucky enough to take our little bean on holiday yet!

8.What have you got planned for your next day out?

Our next day out is actually just a date day where we are going to play golf! As in a family day we love going out in our local area and going on lots of walks together as our new family especially when the weather is nice. 

9.What do you find most useful for planning your travels: guide books, Trip Advisor, blogs or something else?

I tend to use Trip Advisor ALOT but the more I read blogs and vlogs the more this is influencing days out and future holidays. 

10. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I'm so happy where I live now in Manchester but if I could have my cake and eat it I would also have a home down south where I grew up.

11.If you could be sat next to anyone on a plane for five hours, who would it be?

cheesefest but my OH he drives me crazy but he is my crazy.

and here are your questions:

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
2. Can you describe your blog?
3. Do you hope to gain anything from blogging? If so what?
4. Who are your blog idols?
5. What was life like before you became a mummy?
6. If you could give one bit of advice for a mum to be what would it be?
7. What is your favourite thing to do to unwind? 
8. What is your favourite thing to do with your children?
9. What have you learnt about yourself since you became a mother?
10. What has been your favourite mum moment so far?
11. What are your future hopes for your children?

Don’t forget to tag me when you share your post on Twitter so I can have a read and comment!

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Blood clots of all kinds

We were just over a week in with our new born and back out of hospital (read about our reflux experience here) when I was taking a shower and then all of a sudden heard a thud on the shower floor what I saw was a massive lump of blood. I felt faint and immediately begun to panic I knew that this was not normal. I rang the maternity assessment unit and was told to come in right away. The whole journey I felt faint and was terrified that it was a postpartum haemorrhage after all the blood clot was way bigger than a 50 pence piece. I was assessed and had a scan where they found lots of blood clots still in my womb. I was told they should pass naturally within a week, was giving antibiotics in case of infection and to come back to get another scan to see how I was getting on. A week passed by and I went in for my next scan, no change the blood clots were still there I was told I would have to be given a tablet that causes contractions in order to force the rest of the clots out. This was not happy news after all I had just gone through labour to push out a baby, I wasn't about to go through it again to push out a clot! I pleaded with them and they allowed me to give it one more week. The week came and went and I headed back for another scan and everything crossed. The blood clots had gotten smaller so I was allowed home for my body to sort itself out naturally. Thank god. 

After my delightful run in with womb blood clots I thought my after birth nightmares were over, that was until my right calf became sore. I ignored it for over a week but after lots of pleading from my OH I headed to the doctors. The doctors felt my calf and measured them as having one calf bigger than the other is a sign of a blood clot they were fine but I was sent marching back to hospital to get it checked out just in case. I got sent for a scan and they confirmed my OH's fears I had a blood clot in one of my major veins in my leg so was given tablets that I had to take everyday for 3 months. 

What amazed me is after I found out I had a blood clot in my leg I found out about so many preventative measures I could have taken that I didn't know about such as wearing the areoplane socks and not sitting cross legged (which I do all the time).

I would like to hear if anyone else experienced a blood clot after pregnancy? Did it come back?  Has anyone had another baby after a blood clot and what measures had to be taken in your follow up pregnancy? I heard you have to inject yourself?! Any information would be helpful. 

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Wicked Wednesdays - May the fourth

Wicked Wednesdays - May the fourth

In the spirit of May the fourth my OH thinks our little one looks like Admiral Akbar from Star Wars..... I would be lying if I said I couldn't see a resemblance. 

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Top tips for a reflux baby

After my last post all about how Layla-Rose got diagnosed with reflux I though mums who have reflux babies or suspected reflux babies might want some tips and tricks that we have learnt along the way. 




Dr Browns bottles
As soon as we decided to bottle feed our midwife recommend Dr Browns bottles which have an insert in the bottles which help stop the baby swallow to much air when feeding. I'm not sure how much difference they have made as we have used them since day one but I do like the numbers are etched on in plastic, rather than the tommie tippie bottles whose marks wash off. A word of warning though don't put boiling water in and then add the insert and lid straight away as the hot water then explodes out!




Burp your baby lots
To stop any trapped wind keep burping your baby throughout the feed we used to do it after every 20ml although Layla screams the house down if we stop the feed now! 




keep your baby upright
After each feed keep your baby upright for about half an hour to allow the milk to settle. This can be a pain especially during the night feeds when your baby falls fast asleep and you have to hold your baby upright its worth it though as the nights where we don't we end up having to change the sheets because she has vommed in her cot. 




Dribble bibs
Before I had Layla-Rose I wondered what the triangle shaped bibs were for and would I actually use these? Surely I would only need the round food bibs. However, those round food bibs do not look great with an outfit but having a reflux baby bibs are not optional unless you want to end up with about 10 outfit changes a day. We now own at least 20 different bibs of different colours that match different outfits but it's so much easier than having to constantly change a whole outfit. 






Muslin Cloths
Coming hand in hand with the dribble bibs no newborn essential list should be without muslin cloths and this is especially the case with reflux babies as much as a barrier for you as well as an extra barrier for the babies clothes. I make sure I have some close to hand in almost ever room in the house. 




Elevated sleeping
During our hospital stay we were advised to keep Layla on a slant when she slept to help keep her food down this was really difficult in her moses basket but once we got the chico next to me cot we were able to place it on a slant without have to stuff a pillow underneath the mattress.





Plenty of spares
This applies to you as well as your baby for those sick episodes I have now resorted in 3 spare outfits for Layla-Rose on trips out and at least one spare for me. It goes without saying the washing machine is always on too. 

Weaning early
It's too early to say whether or not weaning at 5 months doing puree foods instead of waiting and beginning BLW at 6 months is helping her reflux but I shall keep you all updated!

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