My 5 favourite places to buy baby clothes

1) H&M 

As much as I want Isla to look like a girl, I'm really not a fan of lots of pink or characters. But at the same time I don't want her to be dressed all in white or yellow! I find H&M are the best place to buy greys, blacks and purples etc. And a lot of their pinks weren't TOO pink either! 

I also love the long sleeved vests from h&m that cross over the front rather than going over the head! 

2) Next 

I find that next are also good for finding things that aren't covered in characters, a lot of nexts baby girls clothes are floral, polka dot, striped etc. rather than covered in characters which I really like! Next is my favourite place to buy sleepsuits for Isla! 

I also love the next 3 months+ clothes which are like tiny adults clothes and can't wait to be buying them for Isla! 

3) Primark 

I personally think Primark is great value for money for baby items, why pay £20+ for an outfit for baby (for example for river island!) when they're going to grow out of it in a couple months if they haven't already stained it with poo or sick? I also think a lot of primarks baby clothes are really stylish and again it isn't over run with baby pinks and characters. I found some lovely cream/white top with Jeggings outfits from Primark, bought a few dresses and some lovey knitted leggings too. 

4) Sainsburys 

Sainsburys baby clothes are lovely, I even swooned over the baby boys clothes. Again they're great value for money and they aren't all baby pink or covered in characters. I find that a lot of sainsburys baby girls clothes are red, burgundy and blue or floral which I love! 

5) TK Maxx

Although it's very hit and miss you can find some lovely bits from TK Maxx if you look often enough and the outfits start from £7.99 which I think is amazingly cheap!   

DIARY: 2 weeks postpartum update

Week 1 (8/12/15-15/12/15):

I mentioned in my labour story that I had an episiotomy and stitches in my labour so at 1 week postpartum I was still trying to heal and recover, I found the first week hard because I was VERY sore, couldn't move about because I was sore (couldn't even lift my arms without my stitches pulling and being painful!) so I was doing very little because everything was so painful. 

My milk came in at day 4 and my boobs were SO tender it was unbelievable so trying to get comfy and not be in pain with my boobs or stitches in between being up with Isla was very difficult and I was just exhausted, physically and emotionally. 

Becoming a mum is a massive shock to the system and baby blues hit me very hard because I was already struggling emotionally to come to terms with the labour when the baby blues hit I was inexplicably emotional and cried almost constantly for 2 or 3 days! Obviously being tired doesn't help you stay calm and think rationally! 

I spent the majority of the first week in my pyjamas and changed them every day after a shower into a clean pair.  

Week 2 (15/12/15-22/12/15):

1 week after delivery I was rushed back into hospital by ambulance after I became unconscious with agonising stomach pain, they suspected an infection in my womb and wanted me to stay in hospital but I refused and so I was discharged with a course of antibiotics. 

My stitches were feeling a little better by now but I was still incredibly sore. I could now lift my arms and wash myself and I'd finally been to the toilet but I still couldn't separate my legs far, sit completely comfortably or go to the toilet with ease yet. 

My milk was slowly going, my boobs were still leaking but they weren't half as tender as they were before! Sleeping with a tight non underwired bra on worked miracles! 

I was up and about this week and going out but would get extremely tired out very quickly and my stitches would start to rub after being on my feet for too long so I had to just take it easy when I went out and try and accept I couldn't do as much as I'd like - frustrating when you're trying to do Christmas shopping! 

I wasn't as emotional in week 2 as I was but I was still feeling very emotionally drained and struggling to keep positive, I was really anxious about Christmas and Carl going back to work too and about being on my own with Isla for the first time in the day and about there being increased pressure for me to do the nights on my own. 

Islas first Christmas

We didn't buy much for Islas first Christmas because money is tight now that I'm off work and we wanted to use some money to buy a Christmas tree so we could feel Christmassy, but for Christmas Isla had:

- Chad Valley deluxe play gym 

- Munchkin door bouncer 

- Chad Valley baby 10 piece gift set

- Baby inflatable ring play seat 

- Mini laser projector disco light 

- LED crystal magic ball disco light 

- some clothes 

- a section of teething toys 

- some books 

We'd also like to say thank you to everyone who bought Isla presents for Christmas! 

DIARY: 2 weeks old

How old? 

2 weeks. 

How big is Isla? 

7 lb 1 oz.

Total weight gain? 

+ 9 oz 

Clothes size? 

Tiny baby/small baby. 

How is Isla sleeping?

Same as last week, lots. She wakes every 4-5 hours for a feed and stays awake for about 30 mins after a feed. Isla slept 12 (midnight) - 7am for the first time this week.  

How is Isla feeding?

Islas has 3 oz every 4-5 hours. 

Favourite toy?

No toys, but she likes lying on her back and watching the tv or looking around so we're wanting to buy her a activity mat instead of her lying on the sofa, carpet, bed or changing mat. 

Best moment this week? 

Going Christmas shopping and having people stop us to complement us on how small and beautiful she is. Making the most of family time before Carl goes back to work. 

Any concerns? 

Still her nose, but I'm also nervous about Carl going back to work and my first full days looking after Isla on my own.

What I'm looking forward to? 

Carl being off for Christmas and Islas first Christmas in general! 

Physical milestones? 

She's already trying to hold her head up and managing it for quite a good length of time. She's a lot more aware when she's awake, looking around to see what's going on. 

Mental milestones?

The awareness, she looks likes she's mentally processing her surroundings now rather than just seeing.

Any first?  

First trip out on the bus, first time sleeping through (if you could 12-7 - I do!). 

Photo:

WHATS IN MY: changing bag - newborn edition.

I really struggled to chose a changing bag because I don't like anything that has words on. or pictures. I also wanted something that was relatively unisex so Carl could use it. 

Price was also a big thing for me because I didn't want to spend a fortune because I don't want to be one of those mums who use their changing bag as a handbag forever - the minute she needs less than a suitcase of supplies I'll be using a big handbag instead! It just seemed silly to spend loads on something I want to use for the shortest time possible. 

In the end I found vertbaudet the best value for money with something I still didn't mind and I chose this one: 

Most people would probably think it's a bit boring and bland but really that's exactly what I wanted. 

It's quite spacious - I can fit everything I need to for Isla plus a bottle of water for me, my purse, keys, painkillers etc. The front "pocket" on the picture above is actually a fold down changing mat and it comes with a bottle warmer and little pouch that matches the lining of the bag. 

The thing that impressed me most was that it comes with removable little straps that you can clip to the handles which allow you to attach it to a pushchair and inside the bag it has plenty of pockets and elastic straps which help you organise it - I know these sound petty but I was really impressed by the quality and detail for the price. 

Although this is a different colour bag the lining and mat is the same. 

Anyway what I have in my changing bag for a newborn: 

- 4 size 1 nappies

- 1 pack of baby wipes 

- 1 pack of nappy sacks 

- 1 disposable changing mat 

- 1 Muslin cloth 

- 2 bibs 

- 2 spare sets of clothes including vests 

- 1 spare dummy 

- Milton travel dummy steriliser 

- 1 pack of tissues 

- 1 small bottle of anti bacterial hand gel 

- small bottle of ready made formula (I'd also pack a freshly sterilised bottle)

- bottle warmer (I'd have a bottle made using the perfect prep just before I leave the house incase she wants a feed within 2 hours) 

- boots nappy rash spray

- mini pot of sudocrem  

And as mentioned above, my belongings: 

- bottle of water 

- keys 

- phone 

- purse 

- paracetamol 

- umbrella

 

DIARY: 1 week old

How old? 

One week

How big is Isla? 

Isla now weighs 6 lb 3.5 oz

Total weight gain/loss? 

-3.5 oz 

Clothes size? 

Prem baby - up to 5 lb.

We had to rush out to buy clothes because she was small. She was predicted to be 8 and a half pounds so I bought a few bits of new born but mainly all 0-3. We know she won't fit in the clothes for long so we just went to the local asda where we bought some prem baby - up to 5 lb and then some tiny baby clothes too but tiny baby is still a little big. 

How is Isla sleeping?

She sleeps almost constantly, she wakes every 3-5 hours for feeds but isn't awake for long before sleeping again. 

How is Isla feeding?

Isla is having 2-3 oz ever 3-5 hours. 

Favourite toy? 

None at the minute, unless you can count our phones for playing baby white noise. 

Best moment this week? 

Coming home and spending time as a family while Carl is on paternity leave. 

Any concerns? 

Her nasal congestion, because she breathed in meconium during her birth she had some blockage in her nose making it hard to breathe which can affect her feeding. 

What I'm looking forward to? 

Her first Christmas.

Physical milestones? 

She's grasping things more, looking around when she's awake and looking and Carl and I when she hears our voices. 

Mental milestones?

Just recognising mine and Carl's voice. 

Any firsts? 

Lots. First moments in the world, first feed, first night at home, first night sleeping in her crib, first bath. 

 

Photo:

10 things you should know about childbirth.

1) every labour is different. 

No one can tell you what to expect from labour because everyone is different. I was told that my labour pains would be in my back because baby was back to back but all of my pains were in my stomach. 

2) it hurts. 

Everyone told me that contractions don't hurt but the "ring of fire" when you're pushing does. I never felt the ring of fire because I was so focused on getting Isla out but my contractions honestly felt like I was dying. 

3) you don't always get labour signs. 

I had no idea I was going to go into labour the day I did, it was actually one of the only days I hadn't had "labour signs". 

4) it's scary. 

You've never experienced anything like it and it hurts like hell, you'll honestly for a minute think you're going to die. 

5) you CAN do it. 

Leading on from my last point, there will be times (probably mid contraction) that you think "can I just have a c section?!" Because you don't think you can take anymore pain, but you're stronger than you think and you CAN do it. 

6) you aren't a failure if you need help. 

Some people need a c section, some people need assisted delivery and some people push the baby out in the car on the way to hospital. However you do it, you did it all the same. You haven't failed a baby or anyone else by needing help sometimes your body just doesn't work how it should, sometimes your baby just needs to come quicker than you body can go and sometimes it's safer if you have help. 

7) you will forget the pain once your baby is here. 

I always thought people were lying when they said it but they weren't. You forget the pain of labour after baby comes because you're so consumed with emotions about the new arrival and your lady bits will be so tender that you forget contractions and the ring of fire - especially if you tear or having an episiotomy! And then after a few weeks you'll even forget the pain in your lady bits (even tear/episiotomy pain!) after a few weeks when you've healed. 

8) you don't always feel that rush of love that they show on TV. 

Labour is tiring whether it's 50 minutes long or 5 days long. Once that baby is out you don't have to feel a rush of love, it's ok to feel tired and be a little pre occupied by what you've just experienced. 

9) you can't tell your birth partner what sort of support you'll want before the big event. 

I expected to want hugs and massages but in reality I wanted to be left alone I didn't want anyone to touch me at all. I was consumed by the pain and wanted to focus on "surviving". 

10) you'll know what to do. 

Try and keep a clear head and not panic, your body knows what to do - just go with it. I never went to antenatal classes, I never practiced breathing techniques or birthing positions but I was actually complemented on how good my breathing technique was and they said "you obviously listened in your antenatal classes" (awkward!). When I was having contractions at home my body knew what position it wanted to be in (bending over if any of you are wondering) and when I was strapped down to be monitored and couldn't work the pain was more intense but my body took over and made me breathe the pain away and it worked. The gas and air was taken off me almost as soon as I got to delivery and then in theatre they wouldn't give it to me because I needed to focus on pushing, that means I did almost my entire labour without pain relief - I promise you the breathing techniques must have worked!

DIARY: my birth story

I went into labour at 8 days overdue, I'd been having what people told me were labour "signs" since about 36 weeks pregnant and even my midwife had told me she'd put money on me not reaching my due date so by 8 days overdue fed up was an understatement (sorry to anyone that annoys I know babies come when they're ready). 

At 40 weeks and 1 day I'd had a midwife appointment and they found my blood pressure was slightly raised, there were traces of blood, protein and leukocytes in my urine and baby had turned back to back making it hard to hear her heartbeat. I'd also mentioned that her movements had changed although not reduced so my midwife phone the hospital and told them they were sending me up and she wanted me induced. I didn't really believe it so after my appointment I called Carl, my partner, and said I'd call him if he needed to come to the hospital and then called his mum and asked her to drop me off at the hospital. She decided to stay with me while I was in the assessment unit and they put me on a monitor, although I'd not felt many movements they said baby's heart rate was fine but organised an emergency scan for me which also showed everything was fine. The consultant at the hospital then decided to go against my midwifes request and not induce me but offered me a sweep and booked my induction for 12 days over instead of 14. Again, the midwife who performed the sweep said she would put money on me being back that evening to give birth so Carl and I went to the cinema after the hospital to waste time but nothing happened (obviously!). 

By 40 weeks and 5 days I had headache and I felt so exhausted I wanted to cry, but I had tried every old wives tale for inducing labour by now and I had accepted that I wouldn't go into labour naturally and would need inducing so stopped trying - not that I could be bothered, I felt so ill. 

Feeling ill carried on over the weekend and I carried on complaining to Carl and crying lots, I also had some blurred vision and on the Sunday (41 weeks) I had slightly swollen feet which got worse on the Monday. Nonetheless, Carl and I walked 3 miles to the local garden centre on the Sunday to have some fresh air. 

On Monday I had a lie in (although all my sleep was broken so I felt like I hadn't slept in weeks!), walked to the local bakery and cleaned the kitchen. When Carl got home from work we needed to go food shopping but couldn't be bothered so we nipped to my mums house to borrow a pillow (an attempt to make sleeping a little easier!) and just got 1 meal for that evening rather than doing a weeks worth of shopping and we got home about 9pm. Carl made tea and I was watching the soaps and just as I was watching the last episode of Coronations street I had stomach ache and thought I needed to toilet but couldn't go but the stomach ache kept coming and going.  I text a friend and she said it could be labour so I started timing the pains and they were immediately lasting about 40 seconds and about 4 minutes apart so we decided to go to bed and try and get some sleep but by the time I had got ready for bed the pains were a lot more intense that I couldn't settle and Carl decided to call the hospital who said we should go in to be checked. I hadn't packed my hospital bag fully so we had to quickly finish before going.   

I went to the midwife led birth centre and they examined me and took my observations, they said I was only 1-2cm dilated and would probably have to go home but then my blood pressure showed to be high and my urine sample showed proteins so they sent me to the assessment unit to have my blood pressure monitored as they were struggling to get a reading between my contractions. 

At the assessment unit they put a monitor on my stomach to check baby's heart rate and hooked me up to a blood pressure cuff to keep checking that and my own heart rate but by now the pains were quite bad and my body was going into shock and I was shaking from the pain and kept going hot and cold. I asked for pain relief but the midwife in charge kept avoiding giving me any saying I could have codeine soon. By now I noticed that the monitor on my stomach was showing that the baby's heart rate was dropping with my contractions but the midwife was taking no notice saying she "thought" it was probably the monitor losing contact as my stomach contracted. They still couldn't get a proper blood pressure reading for me. 

Another midwife came and immediately took concern with the readings for baby's heart rate and called a consultant up immediately. The consultant decided to give me labetolol to try and get my blood pressure under control and decided to take me to delivery and requested a canula be put in. The first midwife (who'd not been concerned by the baby's heart rate reading) tried to put the canula in but did it wrong so they decided to try again in delivery and wheeled me down. 

At delivery they did another internal check and said I was 4cm and I could  have gas and air. My mum arrived at this point to support Carl and I. When they bought the gas and air in they decided to break my waters and put another canula in but when they broke my waters they saw that baby had opened her bowels inside me and so decided to rush me to theatre. I got put into a hospital gown and wheeled down to theatre where the new canula got caught in the door and ripped out of my hand but on my way I started pushing and when we got to theatre they decided to do a forceps delivery and they put another canula in (which hit my wrist bone), my labour had gone from 4cm to fully dilated in 28 minutes. 

They asked if I wanted my mum in theatre as she was eager to come in to me but I'd heard them say that baby's heart rate was worryingly low so I refused as I was focused on getting her out. 

It took 20 minutes to get baby out with an episiotomy, an additional tear and forceps but I also lost more than a litre of blood but immediately after she was born I requested my mum came in. Baby had breathed in some meconium and had opened her bowels again on the way out so they took her immediately to be cleaned up and try and clear her airways which was successful. They asked me if I wanted to hold her while they stitched me up but I felt too weak, in the end I held her with my mum holding my arms for me so I didn't drop her but as they were stitching me the local anaesthetic was wearing off so my mum took baby and I had gas and air to get through the stitching process. 

I was then wheeled into recovery where Carl finally met his daughter. 

Introducing Isla Elizabeth, born 8th December 2015 weighing 6 lb 7 oz. 

HAUL: newborn and 0-3 clothes

Sorry for the appauling quality photos but these are a few of the newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes I bought. 

Red stripe tunic and leggings set - Next / Navy stripe tunic and leggings set - Next / Three pack sleep suit set - Next / Two pack sleep suit set - Next / Blue and red dress and leggings set - Kate Quinn Organics from TK Maxx / Check dress and leggings set - Kate Quinn Organics from TK Maxx / Deer outfit - H&M / Blue bird dress and leggings set - Boots / 2 piece footed leggings* - H&M / Grey heart print dress and tights - H&M / Bird print corduroy dress - Next / Five pack elephant and giraffe print short sleeved vests - M&S / snowsuit - TK Maxx / Quilted pinafore and vest set - Next / Brown dress and Peter Pan collar vest set - F+F at Tesco / pink dress and spotted vest set - F+F at tesco / Jeans, white tunic and pink cardigan set - Primark / Jeggings and peplum top set - Primark / Jeggings, floral top and fur waistcoat set - Primark 

* I also bought the long sleeved vest set to match the leggings. 

DIARY: overdue

How far along? 

Overdue  (40-41 weeks) 

How big is trimester peanut? 

I had a scan at 40 weeks and 1 day and they said she was currently 7 and a half pounds in weight and by 41 weeks she should be 8 and a half pounds.

Total weight gain/loss? 

I didn't weigh myself again since third trimester so let's stick with around 6kg. 

Maternity clothes? 

As I said in third trimester I lived in leggings and side-split tops. 

Sleep?

Same as third trimester with the added lack of sleep from wondering when it was all going to happen. 

Symptoms? 

Heartburn, backache, pelvic pressure (and lots of it), sickness still, leg cramps and trapped nerves, dry mouth, increased urination. 

I also had a lot of headaches, swollen feet and blurry vision. 

 
Food cravings? 

None, I lost my appetite slightly by this point. 

Food aversions? 

Chicken and fizzy pop. 

Gender? 

Girl!

Labor signs? 

Strong pressure in my pelvis. 

Belly button in or out? 

In.

What I miss?

Pâté still and being able to bend down without getting out of breath!

What I'm looking forward to? 

Her arrival! 

Milestones? 

At 40 weeks and 1 day I went for a midwife appointment and she said baby had moved to the back to back position, there was also traces of blood, protein and leukocytes in my water sample and my blood pressure was slightly raised.

Baby's position meant they couldn't get a steady heart rate reading for her so the midwife phones the hospital because with my symptoms and the results from the ob's she did she was worried about pre-eclampsia and thought i should be induced. The hospital asked me up for monitoring before they decided whether to induce me or not. I had a scan and baby's heart rate was fine so they sent me on my merry way - no induction!  

Bump? 

INSERT BUMP PHOTO

HAUL: nursery furniture

So Ive already mentioned the cotbed in my big buys haul but obviously it's nursery furniture so I thought I'd just do a quick mention of that again. It was from toys r us.

The wardrobe and changing unit were both from ikea part of the hensvik range (you can get a matching cot too!) we decided to change the knobs on the wardrobe as we just felt the ones it came with made it look a little cheap. The wardrobe was £80 and the changing unit £60. We particularly liked this because it looks girly and because the changing table can be removed from the unit and it'll be a shelving unit after!

We also have a poäng rocking chair in there which I bought before we conceived to put in my dressing room but it was a bit too bulky for the small room so I decided to put it in the nursery but I'd got fake tan stains on the chair cover and we haven't been to ikea recently to replace it so we just have a throw on it for now. 

It's not furniture but wants to give it a mention with the cot being mentioned again - for the cot we got the neutral nursery bed linen from dunelm which is grey and white reversible polka dot and stripes. We chose this because I don't like character bedding and all the other pink bedding didn't really match the room. 

I'll upload a nursery your soon! 

WHATS IN MY: baby's hospital bag

I packed all of baby's stuff into the changing bag that I planned to use after. 

- 3 vests, 2 newborn and 1 sizes 0-3 months 

- 3 sleepsuits, again 2 newborn and 1 sized 0-3 months 

- coming home outfit 

- hat (part of coming home outfit)

- scratch mits 

- cardigan 

- blanket 

- socks 

- Muslin 

- bibs X 2 

- 1 pack of size 1 nappies 

- simple baby wipes/water wipes - my midwife recommended I didn't bother with cotton wool and water and used wipes because she said their first poo is a pain to get off with cotton wool. 

- formula starter pack - as I previously said I chose not to breastfeed.

- antibac hand gel - it was something I'd bought to keep in my changing bag for when I'm out and about with her and just didn't bother to take it out. 

- tissues - like the antibac it was something I'd bought to keep in there after and just didn't bother to take it out.

- nappy sacks 

Then obviously we took the car seat! 

WHATS IN MY: hospital bag

This is what's in my hospital bag for myself and my partner ready for labour. 

Clothes 

- oversized t-shirt/night dress for labour which is one id bought from primark in second trimester and is getting a little old now it's a charcoal grey colour so it won't show too much mess. 

- socks - 1 pair of slipper socks, 1 pair of fluffy socks, 2 pairs of normal socks

- slippers also bought from primark 

- 8 pairs knickers, I bought 3 packs of black briefs from primark ready. I bought 1 pack of "full briefs", 1 pack of "hi-leg briefs" and 1 pack of "mini briefs". I packed the full briefs and hi-leg briefs as they were the most high waisted ones and would give the most support for my stomach. 

- clothes for coming home (leggings and a loose top) 

- a thin dressing gown which I bought from matalan because they were really hard to find because I gave birth in winter! 

- maternity bra. I didn't actually buy proper maternity bras or nursing bras because I had no intention of breast feeding so I just bought some non-underwired bras from matalan which I actually love because they're so much prettier than maternity bras and they're still really supportive.  

- bikini top for if I wanted a bath at the hospital

- pjs - I bought a set from primark which had a top then two pairs of matching bottoms one being shorts and one being long trousers because I wanted spares incase I made a mess of one but I thought having a pair of shorts and a pair of trousers because I didn't know how hot I was going to be.  

Toiletries 

- travel sized shampoo 

- travel sized conditioner 

- toothbrush 

- travel sized toothpaste 

- travel sized dry shampoo 

- 1 pack of maternity pads 

- body wash 

- mini pack of simple face wipes 

- deodorant 

- mini aveeno cream 

- Andrex washlets 

- Vaseline  

- tissues 

- breast pads 

Others 

- hair brush

- hair bobbles and slides 

- hair straighteners and hair dryer 

- mirror 

- make up 

- towels - one hand towel, one bath towel and a face cloth

- phone charger 

- pillow 

- maternity notes

- puzzle book and pen

- straws

- snacks for both. 

For him

- t shirt

- pants 

- tooth brush

- after shave 

- spare change 

- phone charger 

DIARY: third trimester

How far along? 

Third  (27-40 weeks) 

How big is trimester peanut? 

They’re likely to be around 50cm now and weighing between 6 and 8lbs which is a healthy weight.*

I measure 1 week ahead in all my fundal height measurements done by the midwife and my growth scan at 28 weeks showed baby to be average/large average sized. 

Total weight gain/loss? 

I was weighed at 38 weeks and I had gained 6 kg compared to my first trimester weight, which is 1 stone and my midwife said is a small and healthy weight gain. 

Maternity clothes? 

No more than in the second trimester. As I said in that post I resorted to wearing sainsburys leggings rather than maternity leggings and I was quite lucky with the trend where so many tops have splits at the sides which means I could buy my size or a size up and the split gave me the extra room I needed for my bump. 

Sleep?

Not so good, I had a lot of heartburn by third trimester which didn't even go with prescription strength medication or any home remedies and sometimes it got so bad in the night that I would wake up to vomit. I also had a lot of leg cramps in third trimester and trapped nerves which meant a really struggled to get comfortable in bed or anywhere for that matter! I also had a hugely increases appetite by third trimester where I'd wake up in the night hungry or craving chips and I used to then get up at 6am for breakfast before going back to bed at 7.30 am and waking up again at 10 am for another breakfast! 

Best moment this trimester? 

Movements still, having baby react to mine and her dads voice.  

Symptoms? 

Heartburn, backache, pelvic pressure (and lots of it), sickness still, leg cramps and trapped nerves, dry mouth, increased urination,  increased appetite. 

 
Food cravings? 

Vegetables and chocolate. 

Food aversions? 

Chicken and fizzy pop. 

Gender? 

Girl!

Labor signs? 

Strong pressure in my pelvis . 

Belly button in or out? 

In, I have the deepest belly button ever I don't think it would even pop out if I had 10 baby's squished in there!

What I miss?

Pâté still, being able to bend down without getting out of breath, unbroken sleep!

What I'm looking forward to? 

Her arrival! 

Milestones? 

Being told at 30 weeks she was head down and being told she was more and more engaged at each midwife appointment. 

Her movements become a lot more visible in third trimester and I could always tell where she was lying and I could poke her and get a reaction.

Finishing work for maternity leave and decorating her bedroom.

It was exciting to unpack her stuff, build everything etc. and pack our hospital bags ready for her arrival - it made everything feel very real!

Bump? 

INSERT BUMP PHOTO

*information from bounty.com

HAUL: big buys for baby.

Joie Gemm Car seat 

We chose this car seat because we like the hood on this and the maxi cosi car seat but what swayed us towards the Joie Gemm instead was that the head rest and car seat liner for the Joie Gemm was so much softer than the Maxi Cosi! We actually bought our travel system based on that fact that we wanted this car seat. 

There's an isofix base available for the Joie Gemm but we didn't buy it because it wasn't suitable for the car I had at the time of buying it. 

Joie chrome pushchair. 

We Sussed out that the Joie Gemm fits on any pushchair that's compatible with the maxi Cosi car seat with the maxi Cosi adaptors but we actually ended up buying the Joie chrome pushchair and having a whole travel system. We had a budget else we would have loved a stokke pushchair but that just wasn't in our price range unfortunately and we really liked the look of the Quinny pushchairs but we found them quite difficult to put down with them being Spring loaded and we thought when either of us is alone with a baby you want a pushchair you can put down easily! In the end we actually found the Joie chrome was really easy to put down (you simply pull up two releases on the handle and it folds over!) and it's not TOO bulky once folded. We also liked that the basket doesn't fold when you collapse the pushchair meaning anything that you've got in there can stay in there! It was on offer in mothercare at the time where you got the whole travel system so pushchair, carry cot and car seat for £299 which we thought was a great price. This was before we knew the gender so we chose a red chassis as although we both LOVED the purple we felt the red was very slightly more unisex although none a particularly gender specific! 

Perfect prep machine.

I knew from the minute we were pregnant that I didn't want to breastfeed (personal choice!) so we knew that we wanted to buy a perfect prep machine to help make night feeds easier and we managed to find it on offer for £70 for the black one which matches our kitchen better so we snapped that up and at the same time we managed to get our next purchase to match.. 

Tommee Tippee electric steam steriliser. 

We saw this at the same time as we got the perfect prep machine and it was also on offer and it was a starter set which meant it included some bottles, formula pots, bottle bags, bottle brushes. We got it for £60 which we thought was a fair price when you calculated the price for buying the bottles, bottle bags, formula storage pots etc. Again it was black so it matches the kitchen and the perfect prep! 

Tuscany 3-in-1 Cot bed 

My mum bought this for us from toys r us and I absolutely love it! It's really sturdy and got a teething rail on. As the name say it's 3 in 1 so it's a cot, a bed and it also converts into a little day bed sort of thing which I think is amazing. I had a day bed when I was younger and I loved having loads of cushions across the back so it was like a little sofa so when my friends came over we had somewhere comfy to sit so I'm glad it has that option (I didn't realise until we actually built it!). It was £140 for the cotbed without the mattress so not the cheapest but certainly not the most expensive. It's really spacious too so it'll last for a while - Carl my partner fits in it himself (he's 5 ft 5). 

Joie Serina 2 in 1 swing. 

We paid £150 for this which is quite a lot of money really but we love it. We bought it before we knew the gender because we really liked it and our local toys r us only had 1 left in stock and because it's grey it's gender neutral meaning we could! It's a swing (obliviously) where you can turn the chair so I can swing side to side or back and forth - it has 5 speed settings for swinging too. The swing frame then has the option to play lullabies, bird song or no sounds at all and has a light on which can be turned off, turned on dim or on full brightness. 

What makes it 2 in 1 is that the swing seat can be removed from the frame to be a bouncer. The bouncer then had 2 small toys on which can be put back so they're not visible or at 2 different heights depending on the size of baby. It also has a vibrate setting which has 2 strengths along with a vibrating toy which is attached to the harness. 

I love it because it has everything in one meaning we don't need to go out and buy both or we don't have to choose to buy one which we could regret if for example we bought a bouncer and baby didn't like a bouncer or visa versa! 

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Being overweight and pregnant.

I've been over weight for 5 years now and when I fell pregnant I was actually attempting to lose some. 

Luckily I've never had any health problems related to my weight but it's always nice to lose some and know you're actually a healthy weight than be in the mind frame "I'm fat but not unhealthy". Anyway when I got pregnant i was going to the gym twice to three times a week with my mum and I'd joined slimming world online and I wasn't dieting but I was trying to make some healthier changes in my life to help me lose some weight. 

Once I was pregnant I started to worry about my weight and about whether it would stop me looking pregnant and because I'd got pregnant in the middle of trying to lose weight I was worried I'd poke loads on and set myself even further back. 

I was initially put under a consultant because of my BMI and weight making my pregnancy high risk as shoulder dystocia?!? is more common in the labours of over weight women and I was also put on aspirin therapy as being over weight also put me at higher risk of pre eclampsia. 

I actually ended up losing body fat through my pregnancy and I the consultant discharged me near the end of the second trimester as my pregnancy was healthy and my weight was 2kg down on my booking in weight putting my BMI just below the cut off to be deemed a high risk pregnancy.  Being taken off consultant care and no longer deemed high risk meant I could now go under midwife led care when in labour. 

Even though I lost some weight and wasn't considered high risk I most definitely was still over weight but fortunately I did get a bump. I found my flab went to the bottom of my bump and although it wasn't really noticeable when I was dressed I had a "saggy pouch" at the bottom of my bump. The best thing I did to round my bump a bit more and disguise my fat was to wear old oversized Spanx to round my stomach but being over sized they didn't squash my stomach or hurt baby.* 

When I look back I actually became a lot more conscious of my size when I was pregnant because I never really saw my bump as a bump more as a fat stomach and I was continuously worried people would think I was just fatter than before rather than pregnant. Luckily, people did notice my bump was a bump (I'll include a few photos at the end!) and used to ask how far gone I was which used to make my day! 

BUMP PHOTOS 

*for the record I'm not recommending wearing Spanx in pregnancy I chose to wear them but it doesn't mean they're risk free. My Spanx were oversized and old so the elastic had started go on them they're weren't at all restrictive. If you do wish to wear Spanx in pregnancy you might want to consider buying actual maternity Spanx.