Student Midwife Life | Term One

I can't believe I am sat here discussing my first term of University; it has literally gone in a blink of an eye and I can't believe that I will soon be starting my second term and placement. It has been amazing, overwhelming, draining, and so much more all rolled into a space of just a few months, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

How to Transform Your Home into a Cosy Sanctuary this Winter

Are you feeling the chill this winter? Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the weather can leave you longing for the summer to hurry up and arrive. It's time to say goodbye to those daydreams of sunkissed beaches, and instead, embrace the season. 

[AD] Christmas Gift Guide - Kids

 It's that time of year again when everyone is on the look out for Christmas gifts for their little ones. I thought I would share with you some bits I have picked up for my two little ones; hopefully they will provide you with some inspiration.

[AD] Review and Giveaway | Jana Reinhardt Jewellery.

When it comes to jewellery I am very fussy and not that easy to buy for. It's the one thing that I like to be able to have some control over. With my current student role, most jewellery is off limits, however I do still like to find some nice dainty pieces to wear when I'm not on placement.

How To Help Your Child Find Their Passion

In this life, we need to have something to look forward to. We need to have goals and reasons to wake up in the morning. Bad days happen, but they’re usually survived because of particular goals that we’re motivated by. Negative times hit us pretty hard, but as long as we see a light at the end of the tunnel, we’ll continue.

Surrogacy | A year on

I can't believe that a whole year has now passed since I gave birth; since then so much has happened and I have had time to reflect on surrogacy and my own experience of it.

How To Build A Good Credit Score

When I first started at looking into buying my own property, I will admit that I panicked. My credit score has never been the best, mainly because I never had any credit to my name. The most I had were a couple of store cards; I never had a bank overdraft, a credit card, or even a loan.

AD| Is Engineered Hardwood Flooring For You?

When we first moved into our current home just over two years ago, the first thing we wanted to do was to change the flooring. However, realistically we knew that due to costs, this would have to wait a couple of years.

Your First Day

Today was your first day in your new nursery, the nursery you will now be going to five days a week. I'm not sure why I felt nervous about it; I still do. You have been going to nursery before now, but only for one day a week. Now you will be going every day, two of those days being full school hours.

Florrie | On Your Second Birthday

I still can't quite believe that two whole years have passed since you entered this world at lightening speed; in the two years since then, you haven't slowed down at all. This last year we have enjoyed a lot more one on one time than we usually would have due to me taking an extended maternity leave.

This time together has given me more of an insight into your developing personality and it has surprised me.

AD| Sandpit DIY Fun with Big Game Hunters

The sandy beaches of Wales have always been one of my favourite places; unfortunately for me, Florrie isn't too fond of having sand at her feet and will scream as though the world is ending whenever she is placed on a beach.

AD| Finding University Childcare with Childcare.co.uk

One of the first things that came into my head when receiving my University offer was childcare and how I would manage it. The way in which my university arranges their Midwifery degree is in integrated placements; I will have two full uni days a week and will also have to work on placement around this. The hours I work can range from 60 to over 90 hours per month.

An Open Letter to Aoife's Nursery Teacher

You may not have known at the time, but handing over my first born to you without having met you before was hard. When it came to childcare I had always met the providers first before entrusting them with my daughter. Yet, here I was, willingly waving my baby goodbye for a few hours that afternoon. 

Induced Lactation Protocol

Induced lactation is the practice of assisting a woman who has not been pregnant to produce milk; these women may have welcomed their child to the world via adoption or surrogacy. Induced lactation can also be utilised for women who have been pregnant but are not able to produce enough milk, if any at all. My cousin, who was also my IM, shared her story on my blog recently. However, how she followed the protocol was slightly different due to time constraints.

Bereavement Midwifery

Every day, approximately nine babies are born sleeping, an average of 3,400 a year. Keeping in mind that this only accounts for babies born after 24 weeks gestation and does not include neonatal deaths (a death during the first 28 days of life).

Malaysian Maze: Exploring The Cheras 9 Miles

Surrogacy Stories | Lisa's Story

A couple of weeks ago, I started my Surrogacy Stories series, and shared another surrogates journey. Today, Lisa has so kindly allowed me to share her story as an Intended Mother on my blog. There are many ways in which individuals are not able to carry their own child and I hope that this series will help to provide more knowledge to people.

Surrogacy | Can I Breastfeed My Child Born Through Surrogacy?

One question that I see asked constantly by intended mothers is "will I be able to breastfeed my baby once they are born?" ... the short answer is that yes, it is possible. The long answer is that you need to be prepared to fight to obtain the required medication, and that there is a chance that induced lactation may not be successful and if it is, then you may not have a full supply. Induced lactation takes perseverance, commitment, and a thick skin. You need to be prepared for the fact that it may not be successful, and that supplementing or combi feeding may have to be an option. Also, be prepared to smell of maple syrup for a while!

[AD] Megahome Distiller Review

Since becoming a mum, I have become very conscious of what my daughters consume with their food and drinks. Neither of the girls have ever touched a fizzy drink, and hopefully never will, and only have juices when we are eating out. At home and at school they will only drink water; luckily they both love it so we have never had any issues.

Surrogacy Stories | Katie's* Journey

Whilst my surrogacy journey is over (for now), I still want to help create awareness. I have decided to share other surrogates stories, along with stories from Intended Parents about their journeys into surrogacy.

My first post is from Katie* who is a first time traditional surrogate and has been kind enough to allow me to post her story.

A New Path.

I have been itching to write this post for some time, but I held back. Mainly in fear of jinxing all of my hard work and letting everyone down, but finally I can make it public and document my new career journey.

[AD] Fathers Day Gift Guide

In ten days time it will be Father's Day! How quick has the year gone. If you are a last minute buyer like myself, this guide will be perfect for you.

Four Unique Ideas For Breaks Here In The UK

Holidays in the UK aren’t what they used to be. Or is it that recently our minds have been opened up to new experiences? Anyway, sometimes people would prefer to jump on a plane and head off somewhere. That might even mean you are heading to the UK for a holiday. So with that in mind, here are some of the different unique breaks you can have in the UK. Maybe it will inspire you to think outside the box for your next jaunt.

Surrogacy Update | The Final Chapter

As mentioned in my most recent surrogacy update, we were awaiting our final court date regarding the Parental Order. As predicted, this did get postponed; from what we gathered, CAFCASS were not made aware of the hearing in enough time to conduct their checks. 

Saving Money On The Big Expenses We All Face In Life

Everybody faces big costs in life. They're unavoidable, but that doesn't mean they can't be mitigated. Yes, you have to pay the mortgage, the bills, debts, and so on, but you might be spending more than is absolutely necessary. Depending on your living situation, you might even be granted state benefits in certain cases. It's important to do your research to make sure you're living a life which is as financially stable as possible. Let's talk about how you could start saving money on the big expenses we all face in life.

[AD|Gifted] Nordgreen Watch Review and Giveaway

*Disclaimer* - I was sent this Nordgreen watch in exchange for a review; all opinions are honest and my own.

[AD] Travel with Trunki

As you may have seen, we have previously worked with Trunki in the past and have used their case religiously for family holidays ever since.

Recently, we were asked if we would like to test out and review their new Una the Unicorn case; now if you know Aoife, then you will know that she is unicorn obsessed. We took them up on their offer and they also kindly allowed me to run a giveaway for one of my readers to be able to win their very own Trunki of their choice.

[AD] Bluestone Winter Lights

 We were recently contacted by Bluestone to see if we would like to head for a weeks break and experience their Winter Lights show. The last time we visited Bluestone I was pregnant with Florrie, so I jumped at the chance to be able to let her experience the amazing resort. My cousin decided to join us again like last time, along with her little girl.

[AD] Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is once again fast approaching and if you are struggling on gift ideas, definitely take a little look at these options! Items marked with an * were gifted for the purpose of this gift guide.

Surrogacy Update | What Happens Next?

A lot of people may think that once a surrogate baby is born, then that's it - the complete end of the journey. And whilst, in a sense, it can feel like that, legally it isn't.

"They're Mummy's Old Friends.."

Today I heard Aoife's voice say to me, "Mummy, who are they?" whilst pointing at a photograph of me and some friends from years ago. My response? "They're mummy's old friends", "Okay, I don't know them do I?" - it broke my heart. I mustered a response of "you used to" and quickly changed the subject. 

How to Turn a Simple Gift into Something Spectacular

If you’re keen on giving gifts to your friends and family members then you’ve probably heard of the saying “it’s the thought that counts”. However, most people will completely misinterpret this old piece of advice and often ignore it. But in this article, we’re going to revive that old saying by showing you how you can take a very simple gift, homemade or not, and turn it into a spectacular gift experience by ensuring that delivery is absolutely perfect.

2018 - My Year in Review

I'm going to start this post the same way in which I started my 2017 Reflection post; how quick has this year gone?!

So much has happened in 2018 that I don't quite know where to begin.

New Year, New Phone? iPhone X Review

I have pretty much been an iPhone person for the better part of a decade; almost ten years ago I traded in my Blackberry for an iPhone 3G and that was that, there was no going back.

You can only imagine my excitement when I was recently asked by Three if I would like to review the new iPhone X - I jumped at the chance straight away. I had only just upgraded to an iPhone 8 so wanted to see how it compared. When it comes to phones, I like something that is easy to use, good battery life and a good camera, so I was intrigued with the iPhone X.