Xmas Gift Guide for Mums and Mums to Be

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night have passed, we can finally start thinking of the dreaded C word! There's nothing worse than buying Christmas gifts last minute or having no idea what to get for your loved ones. 

With this in mind, I have compiled some Gift Guides which I hope will help a few of you. The first is for any Mums or Mums to Be in your life; a few of these would actually work for any lady!

The Facebook Birth Groups

When I found out that I was pregnant with Aoife, I downloaded a pregnancy app where I could chat to other women who were due in the same month that I was.

This led to a secret Facebook group being created to ensure that everyone was who they said they were. We had everyone you could think of; the nervous first time mums to those who were on their eighth child.

What's in a Name?

When I first found out I was pregnant in 2014, I already knew what I would call the baby had it been a girl. I've never had any favourite boys names but I always fell in love quite easily with girls names, particularly the one I had in mind for my eldest.

The Perfect Parent Brigade

From the moment you are born, you are set out to be judged; from when you are a newborn and people ask your parents if you are a "good" baby to your choice of hairstyle in high school.

ToddleBike 2 Review

I'm not too sure about anyone else, but it seems that our toddler has a slight obsession with trikes; we currently have approximately five stored away in our shed. Now I have nothing against trikes, but Aoife is now of an age where I want her to progress to a two wheeler.

Water Confidence

When I was younger I was a real little water baby; I was obsessed with swimming and the best part of a holiday for me was the swimming pool.

As I got older, my love of swimming lingered, however I sadly pushed it aside due to body confidence issues. It is one of those things that I truly regret and I vowed to make sure that my children were never scared of the water.

Part Time Prejudice

Before Aoife was born, I worked full time in a twenty four hour contact centre for an airline. My shifts would range from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week. I enjoyed my job and had a tight knit team of whom I had developed friendships with over the three and a half years that I had been working there for.

Nursery Nightmares

I have previously touched on Aoife's nursery experience on my blog; she started attending a day nursery when she was only five months old and has always loved her time there. That is, until recently. Over the last six months we have had tears during ninety per cent of her drop offs.

You're Going To Be A Big Sister!

I'm sat here writing this as you sleep next to me; I would like to say peacefully but that would be a lie. Even when you are sleeping, you still create so much noise with your snoring, grunting and thrashing around - I've ended up with quite a few bruises from you kicking out in your sleep over the last couple of years.

Fed is Best.

I'm pro breastfeeding, I'm pro bottlefeeding, I'm pro SNS feeding; long story short, I am pro feeding. I believe that fed is always best, regardless of how it is established.

What I don't believe in is women being belittled for their feeding choices; it is something of which I have been seeing more and more of recently and it disheartens me.

Pregnancy and the Terrible Twos.

Within three weeks of having Aoife I was broody all over again; the new series of One Born Every Minute had started and we already had an extra addition to the family too. 

I always knew that I wanted more than one child, preferably with a small age gap too. I genuinely think that if I had been give the green light, I would have tried for another baby before Aoife was six months old; it's so true what they say, pregnancy and being a mum is like nothing else.

Is My Child An Introvert?

'Solitude matters, and for some people, it's the air they breathe'

Susan Cain

Something has been playing on my mind for a while now; something that I never thought I would question, especially this soon on into my daughter's life. Is Aoife an introvert, a loner (don't shoot me for using that word!)?

This Time Around.

It's common knowledge that all pregnancies are different; I am definitely aware of this! My biggest hurdle this time round has definitely been sickness and nausea - something of which I didn't experience during my pregnancy with Aoife.

The Silence Of A Loss

Loss: noun

The feeling of grief after losing someone or something of value.

An Open Letter to my Almost Two Year Old.

Two years old. When on earth did that happen?

This time last year I was planning what to do for your First birthday and the year before that I was 29 weeks pregnant and getting more and more impatient by the day.

The Baby Blues - My Experience

We have all heard of the phrase 'the baby blues' at some point in time.

What a lot of people don't realise is just how many mothers, and even fathers, can be affected by Post Natal Depression (PND). This can range from mild, feeling low days to suffering from psychosis.

Studies have found that between ten and fifteen in every one hundred women are affected by this illness, along with one in ten fathers. When looking at these figures, it is clear that PND is just as common in men as it is in women. (nct.org.uk)

A Letter to the Pregnant Me.

To Pregnant Me.

Firstly, let's get one thing straight. You are not fat, you are pregnant - there's a big difference. Your body is carrying and growing a human being. Don't worry about the weight you put on. I'll let you in on a secret - you will actually only gain just under a stone and a half in weight.

Then there were four?

This is not a pregnancy announcement, I repeat, this is not a pregnancy announcement. I most certainly do not have a bun in the oven. But I will admit that I cannot wait for a second baby. Despite a few horrible weeks during my pregnancy; horrific back pain and heartburn so bad that I was throwing up most nights (and no, the old wives tale isn't true - my daughter was born bald and over a year later she is still waiting on hair!), I cannot wait to have a bump again. I certainly didn't appreciate being pregnant the first time round and I do regret that.

Back to work I go.

The inevitable has arrived - I'm heading back to work.

I've managed to have a lovely, almost, fourteen months off work, with the odd KIT day and overtime thrown in for good measure to keep me fresh and sane. I tell a lie, I've actually been in work on training for the last five or so weeks, but have yet to do a "real" shift.

Nursery: My experience.

After writing about how to choose a nursery, I thought I would discuss my own personal experience, along with the stigma and worries attached to leaving your child with someone you don't know.

I always knew that my daughter would need to go to nursery eventually. Leaving my job was never an option for me, despite being able to live on my husband's then salary. I actually enjoyed my job; the perks, the people and having my own income.