Mummy Haul

I love doing "haul" posts, I think it is a lot of fun to share the things I have recently bought and am loving.

I have now done a few baby hauls but I now fancy doing one for myself. I have had to buy a few things for myself lately, just for practical reasons.

The first 2 things I wanted to share are my new jeans. Unfortunately I am not one of the lucky few whose post pregnancy tummy shrank back down immediately after giving birth. I am getting there but slowly... My old jeans fit but come with a muffin top that make me look like a home baked loaf of bread, and sadly my maternity jeans (which I have been wearing a lot) have now got a hole in them.

Salted Wash Skinny Jeans

So I had a nosey on the online Next clearance section and found a couple of jeans I purchased. They are still maternity jeans but instead of the large over the bump panel they have a smaller panel or adjustable side panels (like the shorts I got for my holiday, link to my blog about them is here).

I got some light blue jeans with the adjustable side panel in the "pocket area". I love these because I can make them tighter as I lose the pregnancy weight. I am 5 foot 3 inches so bought them in the short size. When I tried them on I did think I could have gotten away with the regular length size but I really like that they aren't really long skinny jeans. They remind me a bit of Capri pants, but not that short. These are going to be perfect for wearing with boots in autumn and winter. They are also very comfortable. They are only £12 on the Next website too.

Blue/Black Narrow Band Boot Cut Jeans

Link to the Next website here. Pictures are from the Next website.

In addition to these jeans I also treated myself to another pair. These are in regular size and were a perfect fit, length wise. Again they feel so comfortable and they are going to be great for wearing over boots.

The design says boot cut but they do flare ever so slightly. The band across the belly means it is stretchy but it is quite tight. So I will be able to use them even when my tummy goes back to pre-pregnancy size (fingers crossed!). They are only £14 as well.

I highly recommend the Next jeans for maternity wear. These designs would be great for the earlier stages of pregnancy. I find the in later stages, when your tummy is bigger that the large over the tummy band is better. But the great thing about getting these, if you get them while pregnant, is that they will also be handy for after pregnancy while you get your tummy/figure back. Or, like me, they are just great for post pregnancy.

Sorry they are only website pictures, but I have neither the legs or tummy to be modelling them and do them justice. :)

I also had to buy myself some black, flat shoes as I go back to work this week. :(
I am going to miss being on maternity leave so much but I am lucky that I am only going back to work part time and will still get lots of cuddle time with my little boy!

Black, flat shoes may be a pretty boring purchase but I have to share these as they are a great buy/tip. I always, always buy black Crocs for work. My job involves standing and walking around for 8 hours a day so comfortable shoes are an absolute must. My shoes must be smart though, so I buy the Crocs shoes that look like work shoes.. Like these which I recently bought...

Me modelling the shoes... Future foot model? Maybe not...

They are the Women’s Adrina III Flat. They are currently £19 on the Cloggs website.

They do have a pattern on them which is cut out but when I wear these with tights they aren't noticeable and look smart. What makes me love using Crocs for my work shoes is that they are so comfortable. As they are made of that "jelly style" material they mold to your feet instantly so I never get any blisters from wearing them in. They feel very supportive and are washable. They also last for ages. I have a pair of black, flat Crocs that I have had for years and they are still going strong.
Now on an indulgent level, I have started selling Avon and decided to buy some of their products for myself. It was nice to treat myself to some beauty products after 3 months! I bought some items because they are good products and well priced, but I also feel that if I sell the products then I should have tried them myself and be happy to recommend them.

My first order is yet to arrive but I really wanted to share it on the blog as I am really excited about what I have ordered.

Firstly I got some Argan Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave in Treatment. Argan Oil seems to be really popular at the moment so I thought I would give it a try, and my hair is always in need of a good nourishing hair care set!

When I looked up the benefits of Argan Oil I discovered it is meant to be very moisturising, so great for skin and hair. It is also good for a styling agent (it helps reduce frizz... which I definitely need with the damp days of autumn approaching!).

In addition to this I also bought a few nail products. Including 2 new nail varnishes. Their Desire and Tender colours from their Nailwear Pro+ collection. These are 2 of the 3 new colours they are currently promoting which are only £3.00. I love these colours because they are really autumnal and will be great to wear with so many things!

The Avon website also showed this great way of using them...








I definitely want to try something similar with the colours! The full details and tutorial is here.

I also treated myself to some press on nails, for the days I am feeling too lazy to paint my nails but still want to make some effort. I bought the pink set and the floral set on the pictures below. They are currently only £5!

I really liked the smell of their new fragrance Attraction as well. It also comes with a free gift this month. For only £15. I am a sucker for a free gift so bought the fragrance and free gift. I really like that in the brochures they have a lot of rub and smell tabs so you can smell them before you buy!

And speaking of free gifts I am going to buy the new mascara they have out in the current brochure. It is waterproof and is only £8.50 and comes with 4 free items: 2 eyeliners, 1 brow brush and a eyeshadow pen. Told you... a sucker for a free gift! :)

All Avon product pictures are from their brochure/website. If you want to view the current brochure you can do here: http://www.avon.uk.com/PRSuite/custonlineOrderEBrochure.page?acNo=Mzc2NDUwMzE=&source=RFlNQ1VSTA==&custRepOrdr=1

I hope you enjoyed the blog post. Have a lovely day! :)

My holiday clothing must have!

http://www.next.co.uk

I know I have mentioned a few times about my post pregnancy recovery... Sorry to harp on about it but it is such a big part of postpartum and being a new Mum!

I am still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight and body... I am a realist though and am going to do it in my own time.

So when it came to packing clothes for myself for France I realised a lot of things didn't fit me. My pre-pregnancy clothes were that bit too tight still and my maternity wear was too big... I managed to scramble together a mixture of clothes but I did treat myself to some new shorts for those hotter holiday days...

I really struggled to find a pair of non maternity shorts that would look good on my postpartum tummy and hips and that I was happy with... in the end I gave up and bought a pair of maternity shorts from Next. I wanted to share them on here because they were perfect!

Any other postpartum Mums might be interested in them for holidays and those last few days of British summer.

These shorts look like "normal" (not maternity) shorts but they have these expandable panels on the side. Perfect if your tummy is still not completely flat after giving birth!

They are adjustable too, so you can tighten them as your tummy goes down and the jean fabric was so comfortable!

I really felt good in these shorts and they went with lots of different shoes and tops! I wore them for hiking as well. They were a must for my holiday!

Here is a link to the shorts on the Next website: http://www.next.co.uk/g73410s6#674376g62

This is not a sponsored post.

Things I wish I had known before having a C Section! 10 Top Tips & Advice!

One of the hardest parts of having a baby has been having to have a C section during the birth of my son. I was in labour for 35 hours and that was a walk in the park compared to how I felt the first couple of weeks after having a C section!

If anyone is having or has had to have a C section I wanted to share some tips because I could have really used a few when recovering.

One: Get extra DVT socks!
If you have had a C section you will have to wear DVT socks for 6 weeks after the operation. This is important for your health of course but they are a real pain. They were only going to give me one pair when I was leaving, ask for another pair! You will have to wear them day and night for 6 weeks so a spare pair is essential!

Two: Injections!
In addition to wearing DVT socks you will also be given injections to take home (and administer at home) to thin your blood and avoid DVT. Be prepared for this. If you don't like needles be aware you will have to get someone else to inject you for about 5-6 days after the C section.

Three: Be careful walking downstairs!
I slipped down the stairs 3 times within 3 weeks because of the DVT socks. Be very, very careful!

Four: Accept help and don't push yourself!
This may sound obvious but I pushed myself too hard after the C section and my scar didn't heal as quickly as it should have done. Accept your limitations and accept help! In fact, if you need help just ask. We got family to stay with us after my son's birth because I really needed all the help I could get. If your partner can take the full 2 weeks paternity leave I would encourage you to make sure he does. I wouldn't have been able to cope without that help for the few couple of weeks.

Five: Delayed Milk
If you have a C section your milk can be delayed coming in. In case you aren't aware your milk takes a few days to come through usually, in the meantime you produce colostrum which is excellent for babies. However, your milk can be delayed coming in, mine took 7 days (instead of the usual 3 or 4). Bare in mind that this may cause your breasts to hurt even more, as your baby is sucking but not getting much in the way of colostrum (it is thick and doesn't flow as freely as milk, there isn't as much of it as milk either). I had complications with breastfeeding due to this, which I wrote about here. If this happens to you, try not to stress about it as stress makes things worse (when it comes to breastfeeding).

Six: Hearing Test
In hospital they will try and perform a hearing test on your newborn. Often babies born via C section still have mucus in their ears (from being in the womb) and it means they can't get a reading. Don't worry, they will give it a week to clear and ask you to come back to do the test again. This was the case with my son, he went back and his hearing test was all clear the next time.

Seven: Mucus
In addition to mucus in the hears babies can sometimes cough up or sick up mucus too (in the first couple of days) due to having been born via C section. Just be aware of this and if they sick it up make sure they aren't on their back so they can get it out.

Eight: Belly Flap
I really hate the term "belly flap" but I discovered it after having a C section. When you have a C section you often get a flabby, postpartum tummy that takes time to go down. It can sometimes cover your scar (as the skin below your scar is tighter than that above it), causing a "flap" over the scar. Your scar needs air to heal so this "belly flap" can be bad for recovery. One thing I found helped was having swabs to pack into the scar area... and of course encourage air to get the scar as much as possible. I know this isn't a subject that most people will like reading about but this is the reality of a C section. I want it to be helpful rather than gloss over a major part of the recovery of a C section.

Nine: Cabin Fever
Your recovery will be longer than normal and you will be very sore afterwards. But if you can, try and get out. Even for a coffee where you drive to the cafe. Getting a bit of sunlight and coffee a couple of days afterwards made me feel human again. Of course, my husband had to push the pram, carry the baby etc. But when we went out for coffee it was amazing to get out.

Ten: Be Realistic!
I am going to be honest, your body isn't going to look great after a C section and it will feel even worse. I felt a lot of pressure to get my postpartum tummy down quickly but in reality you are not able to exercise for a while (I am 11 weeks postpartum and I still have occasional aches around my scar when I push myself). It is going to take longer to recover your body shape after a C section. You are not going to look like the Duchess of Cambridge, who after just 3 weeks was skinny again! Be prepared that the recovery of a C section can be a longer process than normal birth. I have stopped fretting too much about my body shape and started focusing on being happy and healthy for my son. The rest will come with time.

If you have had or are going to have a C section then I hope you have a speedy recovery. If anyone has an questions please feel free to contact me.

Postpartum weight loss

Recovering from giving birth is a hard thing. Sometimes you are lucky and you recover quickly and get your pre-baby body back quickly but for many of us that isn't the case.
I am 9 weeks postpartum and my body is still recovering, my C section has meant that I am still not 100%.

My scar is healing well but can still be sore, I also have a bad back from over compensating for my tummy muscles being cut into! I find myself lifting with my back instead of my legs and straining my stomach muscles. I know this isn't good but it has been essential not to strain my tender stomach.

Along with still aching a bit I am desperate to get my tummy down but so many exercise options are off limits. I wasn't even allowed to hoover until I reached 6 weeks postpartum... Oh well... that isn't such a massive issue.

But I genuinely did want to work on getting my tummy down, not least because it was still a bit flabby and the C section caused me to have a slight overhang (over my scar). This has meant it hasn't got enough air and healing has taken longer. This delightful overhang is common as your tummy will take time to go down and also a C section often causes the skin below the scar to be tighter than the skin above it... Creating what is called a "belly flap"... Doesn't that sound attractive :-/ It looks as attractive as it sounds!

But because C section recovery has to be cautious, it is major surgery after all, it limits your exercise options. Swimming isn't a option until the scar is healed well and I can't imagine doing intensive cardio at the moment.

The best exercise advice I can offer is walking. It isn't exactly ground breaking but it is working for me. I am back in my pre-pregnancy jeans, granted I have a big muffin top going on, but I can do them up!

Walking with a friend or fellow mummy while pushing the pram is great. You can also use the time to have a good moan about midnight feeds and Mummy life while walking off calories. I am sure I talk enough to burn calories too.

But most importantly don't stress about your postpartum weight and tummy too much. It will take time. Don't forget, it took 9 months for your tummy to get that big (and grow your precious baby) so it will take a while to go back afterwards!

The first 24 hours as a parent!

Congratulations, you have just given birth to the most precious thing you will ever make, own, love...

You have battled through 9 months pregnancy; morning sickness, backache and hormones. Then you laboured through birth so you could hold your baby for the first time... Its totally magical.

Thus begins parenthood and the first 24 hours are just as intense as everything that came before. I am going to be candid during this post as I think it is important. The first 24 hours as a parent are really intense!

My son just after he was born, in hospital.

This isn't meant to scare but to be honest about what it is like, so you can feel prepared going into this amazing, but crazy time.

Here are a few things that happen in those first 24 hours that I didn't expect...

Firstly, be aware that you are going to be emotional. Having just given birth your body is adjusting by releasing hormones and stopping other pregnancy hormones. This is like having PMS times 100. You will cry with joy when you meet your little miracle, but you will also cry for no reason. I found that I cried in the evening, once my husband had to leave (as visiting hours were over) and I was on my own. It felt like I was crying because I loved my son so much, not a bad reason to cry but not necessarily the reason of a sane person. This does continue too, for the first week. I found that I would cry about 7pm every night for no reason what so ever. This is normal, it is hormones but if it continues after a week do speak to your midwife or doctor about it.

You aren't going to sleep. Despite being in labour for 35 hours without sleep I still didn't sleep the night after my son was born. I just watched him all night. This is due to a mixture of love and genuine fear that something might happen. It is highly unlikely anything bad is going to happen but being a new Mum you are suddenly consumed with worry for your baby, this is natural. In fact, I didn't sleep the 2nd night either (after we came home), I just watched him to make sure he was breathing.

This all leads into that: oh my goodness moment! Usually when you get home and it really sinks in that you are now responsible for a life other than your own. Again, this is totally normal to feel a bit overwhelmed but don't forget you have your partner, family and friends to support you through this period of adjustment.

You will probably disagree with your partner, over something trivial like how to put on the nappy properly or where the poppers go. This is normal, you are both overwhelmed and trying to get a handle on things.

The mirror is not your friend! I would generally avoid looking in a full length mirror on the first day. Just keep it to your face upwards because your body can be like a stranger to you. I really expected my pregnancy tummy to go down a lot quicker than it did. Most women do look at least 6 months pregnant after the baby is no longer in the tummy. If you are one of the women that is instantly skinny again then you are very lucky!

They will do several checks on your baby. These include checking his reflexes, hearing, a full body examination and generally monitoring him. Don't be worried if they aren't able to get a clear read on some of the results of the tests, this can happen. There is plenty of midwives around for you to speak with if you have any concerns.
In the case of my son, they weren't able to get a positive result on the hearing test they do on your baby while they are in hospital. They said it was probably due to him being a C Section baby which can mean that the mucus in the ears, from being inside, hadn't cleared properly. This is normal and we just had to take him back a week or 2 later to have it checked again, we did and he was all fine.

Getting released out of the hospital can take time. I was ready to go (having had all my checks and my son having had all his) the morning after I gave birth, but because they are so busy I didn't get released until 8pm that evening. If you want to leave the hospital that day (feeling fit and well of course) then tell the midwives as soon as possible so they can start the process. Also, be aware that the wards are busy. You will go from a private room during birth to a ward (in most cases) were you will be sharing a room with a few other Mums and babies. However, don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. You are recovering from a big strain on your body, they don't call it labour for no reason.

The reality of taking them home and your first few hour at home is probably not what you will imagine. It wasn't for me anyway. I had visions of dressing him a cute outfit and booties for his journey home followed by a beautiful few hours at home relaxing. The reality was I didn't put him in his specially selected going home outfit as I was exhausted and just put him in the closest outfit to hand. Still cute but not what I had picked. You will probably be sore from giving birth (even more so if you had a C section or episiotomy) and just walking to the car to go home will be a bit painful. 
Also, when I got home neither me or my husband could face cooking so we got a take away, hardly the domesticated bliss I had expected.

Lastly, you will never know love like it. I know it is very soppy to say and such a cliche, but holding your baby in your arms for the first time is wonderful. No matter what happens during the first few hours, days and weeks you just need to cuddle with your baby and life is good.