Back In Business... My Labour & Delivery Story!

Hellooooooo strangers! I realise I’ve been absent for a crazy amount of time, not sure whether to say sorry in case no one noticed/ cared ha ha! But I haven’t lost the blogging bug so I’m going to try my hardest to make a comeback… woop woop.

I’m currently writing this one-handed while I feed the poop machine with my other hand, so it’s crazy to me that the last time I blogged was my 27 week pregnancy update! Oops ha ha. I now have a 13 week old little bubba called Eva…

…so although I have loads of blog ideas I should probably start with my labour and delivery story? I always love reading these anyway!

(another cheeky Eva pic because... why not?)

My Labour & Delivery Story

So it was the 26^th November and my last day at work before maternity leave, as although I wasn’t due until the 16^th December and only 37 weeks pregnant I decided to use my leftover holiday days and go early-ish to get some much needed rest and relaxation before bubba arrived… ha ha ha… it didn’t happen!

I got home from work all emosh from saying bye to my work buddies and being given lots of lovely gifts, and cooked a sweet and sour chicken meal for Sam and I (exciting stuff I know ha ha) and as I was cooking it I was getting some Braxton Hicks (fake contractions that don’t hurt too much). I didn’t think anything of it but decided to take my make-up off, tie up my hair in a gross bun and get in my PJs. As I was doing this I literally thought to myself “imagine if I went into labour just after doing this and I’ve gone from looking moderately OK to disgusting at a time when I definitely won’t be bothered to make myself look nice again but definitely will have loads of photos that will be looked at forever… ha ha ha just imagine!” STUPID ELLEN.

So about 10 minutes later at around 9pm the Braxton Hicks turned into more period-like pains and actually started to hurt quite a bit. Sam half-joked about me being in labour and I told him “obviously not - I’m only 37 weeks” as I had convinced myself bubba was going to be late and make me be in hospital over Christmas. STUPID ELLEN.

The period pains quickly became worse and I was switching between lying in bed making cow noises while Sam secretly timed how far apart the pains were (5-6 minutes) and sitting on the loo convinced I needed a wee every 2 minutes. This went on for around an hour I think until Sam informed me (while relaxing watching the football, the cheeky poo brain) that Google reckons I’m in in the VERY early stages of labour as I could talk through the contractions and that these pains could last up to 2 weeks. To which I replied “2 weeks?! I’m not doing this for 2 farting weeks!!!” Or something along those lines ha ha. So I forced him to ring the midwifes, who basically said that because my waters hadn’t broke, I hadn’t had a bloody show – lovely, or any other labour signs, that there was nothing they could do yet. So I then forced Sam to ring my mum who said to go in as it sounded like it could be labour, so I forced him to ring the midwifes again and basically tell them I’m coming in. I managed to put on some leggings, tie my hair in a plait and hop in a taxi. I also somehow managed to keep the cow noises at bay in the taxi and to not release my wrath on Sam when he told the driver he didn’t think I was in labour ha ha! (He claims he did this so Mr taxi man wouldn’t be worried about blood and guts going on his nice taxi..pssshhhh.)

So a mere 2 hours after the pain started, at 11pm, we got to the hospital where it all kicked off. As the midwife examined me through my cries of “I can’t do this! Please help me!” …cringe… my waters broke among the other lovely labour signs that happen. But praise the Lord I was 4cm dilated and allowed the drugs – wahoo! I had Diamorphine injected in my leg which was AMAZING and was taken to the delivery room.

This is where it gets a bit blurry due to the lovely drugs, but I think I pretty much slept/ felt like I was sleeping in between contractions, which still really frikking hurt, until not long later when the midwife came back in the room and I declared “I feel like I need to poo!” … oh the cringe, the cringe… so she examined me and I was somehow 10cm dilated and ready to push – so crazy! Sam was amazing the whole time watching everything and obeying my demands of “don’t touch me” and “I need water” to which he panicked and brought 4 bottles ha ha which I had one whole sip of! Oops.

I started pushing and was totally crap, it really stung so I kept stopping before I did a good amount and I was doing really embarrassing screaming! Haaa. So the midwife suggested that I put my screaming energy towards pushing instead, to which I weirdly replied “I’m sorry I know I’m not doing very well, I’ll try better next time” ha ha ha!

And I did, wahoo. I silently pushed and it only took a few of these great pushes before her head was out – OUCH by the way – and I had to do the small pushes to get bubba totally out. And at 12:50am on Wednesday 27^th November, only 4 hours after the labour pains had begun, my little munchkin Eva entered the world at 6 pounds 11 ounces! N’awwww. She was so cute and lovely and all perfect. But I decided to continue to cringe myself and asked “Is she small?” “Does she have 5 fingers and 5 toes?” … why do I do these things? Ha ha.

After all the excitement was over it dawned on Sam and I that because we hadn’t expected to be in real life labour, and once we had realised we assumed it would take many hours so Sam would be able to pop home at some point… we hadn’t brought the hospital bag(s). I’m a heavy packer!

So while I lay naked, covered in blood, holding my new baby and staring thirst-strickenly at the 4 bottles of water that were JUST out of my reach for an hour and a half, Sam went back and got everything. He came back with his Dad who tried to come in before I shouted “Don’t let Eddie in, I’m naked!” Haaaa. And then I hobbled into the shower, introduced Eva to her Grandad, drank some water and was wheeled through to the maternity ward where I stayed for the next few days.

Sam was forced to leave really quickly so I was all alone with a new baby which was pretty scary, and although I don’t remember much because of the lovely drugs my texts to Sam indicate that I had a pretty bad first night with a crying baby and no clue what I was doing ha ha. And I do remember waking up like “where the hell am I?!” then rolling over and seeing my lovely little monkey and remembering!

This is mega long so I won’t jibber on about the stay in hospital, but I will say that the midwifes – one in particular – were AMAZING and despite dreading staying there beforehand, I have really good memories and they helped me and Sam (and of course Eva) out soooo much.

If you managed to get this far I hope it wasn’t too long and weird to read ha ha, and I definitely consider myself lucky to have had a 4 hour labour! It definitely hasn’t put me off doing labour again and I actually think being pregnant was worse ha ha.

I’m going to try and blog once or twice a week – we’ll see how that works out – so I WILL see you soon!!

xx

My Surprise Baby Shower

 On Tuesday me and Sam went shopping in Southampton to get bubba some bits and were then planning on going to the cinema. Or so I thought ha ha. When we came back from shopping my friends were all hiding in my conservatory to throw me a surprise baby shower! It was amazing!

I literally had NO idea it was going to happen and can't believe that Sam, my Mum, Dad and brother were all in on it too ha ha. It was such a nice surprise and I'm so happy I got to have a baby shower, as I was worried I wouldn't as I was only home for a short time.

The girls planned it sooo well and got me such lovely presents.

They were so generous and there was a lot to open, including lots of lovely baby clothes, some cute baby booties, a very handy bag of goodies (mainly nipple pads and cream ha ha - sexy) to take to the hospital with me, an amazing little bracelet for baby to wear, a clay mould to imprint baby's handprints and footprints which is so cool, a book of messages to baby from all the girls, a babygrow that the girls all signed with messages which is so lovely, and a cake made out of nappies and scratch mittens which is so impressive!

Everyone put so much thought and effort into the gifts and I can't thank them enough :-) love my babes!

They also got me a lovely necklace and some socks that say "Bestest Mummy Ever" ha ha, love it! So I didn't feel left out he he.

We played the BEST party games - pass the parcel, guess the baby (where everyone brought a baby photo and we had to guess who was who), a celebrity baby name quiz and my favourite - pin the sperm on the egg! Ha ha. And I'm pleased to say I lost them all - standard! I'm no wiser in almost motherhood ha ha.

It was SUCH a good evening and I feel so lucky to have such lovely friends :-) and I'll make sure bubba knows what amazing aunties she has when she pops out!

See you soon!!

xx

My Must-Have Maternity Trousers

(This is me, Sam and my dog, Bonnie at a dog show ha ha - it's the only photo I have of me in these trousers!)

When I found out I was pregnant my aim was to buy as little maternity clothing as possible so that I wasn't wasting money on clothes I would only use for a few months. Buying tops, dresses and jumpers in a bigger size than normal has worked really well for me so far, and as I'm a fan of the baggy-look I know I'll still be able to get use out of most of them after I've birthed my bubba ha ha. The jumper I'm wearing in the photo above is from Asos and isn't maternity, just a size L ha ha, and it fits me and bump fine.

However buying maternity trousers and leggings seems unavoidable, so it's key to invest in some good 'uns!

I have two pairs of maternity jeans that I've mentioned in previous posts, both from Asos, which I would highly recommend, and owning maternity trousers that are versatile and can be worn with a variety of tops and jackets is very useful. However I'm a fan of mixing things up a bit, so my 'must have' maternity trousers are neither of those ha ha.

The ones in the photo above are amazing! They're not your average trousers, and if you've read my blog before you'll know how much of a fan I am of tartan and check. So it's no wonder these are up there for me.

They're from Topshop and cost £28, so not the cheapest. But they're so comfortable and a really nice material!

I plan on wearing these with a variety of knitted jumpers and baggy t-shirts, and they'll look great with boots, t-bar shoes, sandals or loafers. I paired them with these shoes from Asos when I wore them the other day, and I love how they look together. So they're easier to work with than you might think. And I just think they make me feel less frumpy and written off as a baby-carrying machine, and more young, fashionable and still worthy of good clothes ha ha!

My other favourite maternity trousers are these Wet Look leggings from New Look, although you can't tell they're Wet Look in this picture - sorry about that!

Again I've worn a non-maternity jumper, this time from Primarni. Otherwise known as Primark :-) and I'm really loving it. I bought it in a size 12 (I'm an 8-10 pre-pregnancy) and it fits like a dream - it covers my bump nicely and the sleeves aren't too long. Can you tell I like check? Ha ha.

But back to the leggings ;-)

These are great because being black, they go with almost everything. But the Wet Look spruces them up a bit and again makes me feel like I'm still worthy of nice clothes :-)

On New Look's website they describe these as Leather Look but personally I would say they're Wet Look. They're not as thick or matte as some pre-pregnancy Leather Look trousers I own, so don't expect something leathery if that's what you're hoping for with these, but I still love them.

I can already tell I'm going to get loads of use out of them, and although they're not AS comfy as the check trousers they're still really comfortable as well as being tight and flattering :-)

So if you're after some maternity trousers that are less run-of-the-mill than your average ones but still comfortable and wearable, I would highly recommend these two! And I'm going to try and resist the urge to buy any more and just wear these, along with my maternity jeans, until bubba arrives. But I'll let you know how that works out for me ha ha. I seem to have a bit of a spending addiction!

See you soon!!

xx

Baby Haul!

As promised here is my first ever BABY HAUL post :-)

I came back to sooo much stuff from my Mum, so I've just chosen a selection of clothes to feature on here so that I don't bore you with hundreds of things ha ha. 

These are my personal faves, but they're all immense and soooo cute!

This babygrow from Mamas & Papas could well be my number one favourite. The matching pattern on the sleeves and feet is so cute, and this picture doesn't do it enough justice. It's so adorable :-)

It's in size 0-3 months so I don't have to wait to use it which makes me happy ha ha, and I'm already thinking it could be bubba's Coming Home outfit!

This babygrow is also from Mamas & Papas and makes me crease so much! Love it! It came in a set of five (or my Mum bought loads of similar ones ha ha) including this spotty one...

...and I love them all. But the '50% mama 50% papa' one is too good :-D

These are also in size 0-3 months so no waiting to use them either! Woop woop.

Another AMAZING set of babygrows! Who knew Converse did baby clothes?! Genius!

This one came in a set of five as well, all with a different design and in a different colour, from Very. She's literally going to be the coolest baby ever! 

These ones are in size 3-6 months which is perfect because Gibraltar should be quite hot in March - June when she's 3-6 months old, so I won't have to cover up the coolness!

This babygrow also came from Very and in a set, with another babygrow and a hat, and I love it so much because I just love elephants ha ha! And the "I Love My Mum" doesn't hurt either :-D

I can just imagine how cute bubba will look in it. This is in size 0-3 months and they'll be perfect for the winter months when she's first born (she's due December 16th).

This one didn't actually come from my Mum, but I did come home to it ha ha.

I ordered a few things in the Zara sale and this is my absolute favourite! It's too amazing for words :-D

A LITTLE SHIRT BABYGROW! 

How cute will this be paired with some funky trousers or a little skirt? She's going to be the most fashionable baby ever. Ahhh it's too much! Ha ha.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll definitely do a lot more like this if you did. This is the first of many HUGE baby shops I'm sure!

See you soon!!

xx

Overcoming Pregnancy Problems: Surviving The First Trimester

It's Monday which means one thing... time to banish a pregnancy problem! Seeing as I'm off work for two weeks now I thought I'd go crazy and attempt to tackle a whole trimester ha ha.

The first trimester was definitely the worst for me. It was not a sexy time! I had horrible "morning" sickness, no energy at all and evil hormones taking over my brain! But I promise if you're currently experiencing all that it does get better. Although I still suffer from sickness every now and again it's nowhere near as often (difficult to write that when today is one of the days I am suffering ha ha, feels like it is VERY often right this second!) and I finally feel like myself again! Wahoooo. So here's how I survived the dreaded first 12 weeks, I hope it helps!

Morning Sickness

Sickness or nausea (or a combination of the two if you're really lucky) is one of the worst parts of pregnancy. It's exhausting, disgusting and makes life so difficult. I suffered from it every day for about the first 15 - 16 weeks of pregnancy, and then it started to ease off a bit!

I found that because I was so tired I needed to eat all the time to get some energy, but so many things made me sick it was such a battle. I'd advise eating six small meals a day, which are easy and boring! Ha ha. Think cereal for breakfast, a cheese sandwich for lunch, some toast in the afternoon, beans on toast (or something similar) for dinner and a yoghurt for pudding! Very varied ha ha.

Don't feel guilty about not getting a "balanced" diet if you're suffering from sickness, because in the first trimester your baby doesn't need any extra calories, and if you're taking folic acid tablets then a lot of them have added vitamins in that you and baby need!

I would also advise drinking plenty of water to keep you hydrated, carrying around a travel toothbrush and toothpaste (no explanation needed for that one) and also sour sweets are great for stopping sickness!

I've also read that ginger can also help but I never tried it, because anything with flavour was a no for me ha ha.

AND ICE LOLLIES. They're the best! Especially the Fruit Pastil Sour Lollies or whatever they're properly called, I can get through about ten of them on the trot. Don't judge me :-)

Energy Loss

This is another killer all the way through pregnancy (I've been told ha ha, and can confirm up to 25 weeks) but in the first trimester it's crazy! It would take me and Sam four attempts to watch any film because I'd fall asleep at the opening credits every time ha ha.

If you're battling a complete loss of energy with a job as well then it's a nightmare! I found that regularly eating helped, and the boring things like going to bed early. And I basically had no life during the first 12 weeks because of pure exhaustion!

Try forcing your family friends to come to yours, rather than you having to venture out the house, and do chilled out things like film and pamper nights if you do want to attempt having a life ha ha.

Make a lot of notes, because you're brain doesn't function when it's tired (mine struggles even when I'm wide awake ha ha) and NAP! Napping is the best. I even contemplated trying to make a pillow out of a hoody and napping in the disabled toilets at work once, but I resisted the urge.

Hormones

Ahhh the evil little monsters that take over your brain in the first 12 weeks. How I don't miss them one single bit.

I literally turned into a freak! I even cried watching Run Fatboy Run because I was so happy for him when he crossed the finishing line. IT'S A MADE-UP FILM.

The other ridiculous times I cried were after a "night out" (two hours after work) when everyone else was drinking, breaking down saying "I'm... just... so... tired" at least once a day, and when I found out I couldn't eat dippy eggs. HA. But this is coming from the girl who once made "Tripple Egg Delight" with Sam, otherwise known as scrambled, fried and dippy eggs, served with chips:

I think the only way to combat hormones is to try and see the funny side. After I'd had my moments I'd (usually) be able to laugh at myself, and sometimes I'd literally be laughing and crying at the same time ha ha.

Crying it out really does help as well, rather than keeping it bottled inside! Put a sad film on or have a little cuddle cry with someone lovely and understanding. And then pick yourself up and watch Knocked Up :-) - you're not alone!!!

And you're not crazy, I promise!

I really hope this was useful, even if it's just to show you're not the only one suffering. I found it really hard at first because I didn't know anyone in Gibraltar who was/ had been pregnant (I do now though, yay), and I was all far away from my friends who had been and my Mum! So hopefully if you're feeling the same then reading this might help a little!

See you soon!!
xx

Surviving A Full Time Job Whilst Pregnant

There are no two ways about it, being pregnant is hard work. Combine that will a full-time job and it’s exhausting! But I have found a few things that help me make it to 5 o'clock alive (sometimes half 8 in the evening, boo-hoo. Just having a moment of self pity).

An easy hairstyle

This might sound weird ha ha, but it’s the first thing I thought of, as an easy hairstyle means longer in bed in the mornings! And I will do literally ANYTHING to avoid waking up in the morning ha ha. I've even mastered a leg lock to trap Sam in bed so he doesn't wake me up by getting up ha ha ha. My make-up takes me ages and there’s no getting around that because I'm obsessed with it being just right. But there are quick hair-dos that still look smart for work.

My favourite has got to be having my hair down and wavy, as it literally takes five minutes. I wash my hair every other day, but since I've been pregnant I've changed it to every other night – it’s all about the longer sleep ha ha. Once it’s washed and lovely and clean I put it into two plaits (still wet) and sleep on it overnight.

I'm blessed with a natural frizz to my hair – thanks Dad – so when I first wake up I do look a mess ha ha. But after a quick rub of Frizz Ease hair oil and a blast of salt spray my waves are tamed and shiny! DONE. I also have to quickly straighten my weird, grown-out fringe if it’s playing up as well, but that’s only another 20 seconds. I can handle that.

Some more of my favourites are a fishtail plait, low ponytail and half-up-half-down (very technical name) if I'm having a bad hair day!

Post-it notes

I can’t explain to you the number of post-it notes I get through a day ha ha. My memory was pretty horrendous before I got pregnant, but since I've started growing a baby inside my belly my brain has disappeared! So if anyone tells me ANYTHING, it goes on a post-it note and is plastered to my computer screen.

Until the air con comes on and blows them all down. Ha ha.

I also write it down in my notebook (loser) and sometimes on my hand as well for good measure.

P.s if you have bad morning sickness don’t do what I did and get scented ones ha ha. What a mistake to make.

Snacks, snacks and even more snacks

If there’s one thing I love more than sleep, it’s snacking! Especially now I'm suffering from energy loss. During my first trimester I was soooo tired all the time that I needed regular food just for energy purposes even if I wasn't hungry, and if I hadn't eaten for two hours I suddenly transformed into an ogre with anger issues. I once ripped open a Nutri-Grain bar with my teeth rather than my hands like a normal person would, because I couldn't get it open quick enough. While grunting and grrr-ing like a crazed lunatic. SEXY!

So it’s safer for everyone in the office if I keep a stash of snacks nearby at all times ha ha.

My favourite ones to keep handy are Oat So Simple porridge sachets, because they’re so easy to carry around and so easy to make! You just empty the sachet into a bowl, fill up the sachet with milk and pour that into the bowl, and then put the mixture into the microwave for two minutes. (And then add sugar if you have a sweet tooth like me ha ha).

If you don’t have access to bowls, microwaves or milk, another of my favourites are Kellog's Nutri-Grain bars, if you hadn’t already guessed! They’re really filling compared to a chocolate bar or crisps and much healthier, so I feel less guilty eating 20 a day :-)

Nap time

There’s a bit of a theme forming here – I love sleep and food ha ha. But naps are AMAZING. I don’t always have time for an after-work nap but when I do I feel a THOUSAND times better.

If you’re one of those who claim they can’t physically nap, even just lying down with my eyes shut listening to music or lying on the sofa reading a book after work does wanders. It helps my mind relax and I feel so much better afterwards, and then I can get on with my evening and not spend it feeling tired and miserable after a stressful day in the office!

Take beauty products to work

This might be another one that sounds random, but when I feel like I look tired (does that make sense?) I feel even worse! I might be tired on the inside but I don’t want everyone commentating on how tired I look on the outside as well!

I always make sure I have the following on me at work, which I slip up my sleeve or into my pocket and take to the toilets with me when I’m feeling like I need a beauty boost:

I just feel more awake once I’ve touched up my lips and eyes, and I feel like I can carry on kicking work in the butt.

Travel toothbrush and toothpaste

Morning sickness is the absolute worst, but when you’re suffering from it at work it’s beyond horrendous! I really feel for you if you’re suffering with this at the moment. I had super bad sickness which lasted up until around 18 weeks (don’t believe the lies people tell you that it ends at 12 weeks) and I still occasionally suffer now. And I was always so paranoid that I stunk of sick after I came out the loos! Delicious.

But if you keep a travel toothbrush and toothpaste on you, you can slip that up your sleeve and make a dash for the toilets, and come out smelling fresher than ever!

Last but not least…

Make sure you know where the nearest available toilet is at all times! Ha ha.

Even if you’re not suffering from “morning” sickness, you’re bladder is only going to get weaker I'm afraid, and when you gotta go you gotta go. Enough said :-)

Sorry this was a HUGE post, but as you can see I feel very strongly about trying to survive work at the moment ha ha. Thank God for holiday days :-)

See you soon!!

xx

Overcoming Pregnancy Problems: My Battle For The Perfect Changing Bag

I've been on the hunt for the perfect changing bag pretty much since I found out I was pregnant. I'm borderline obsessed with bags and I get bored VERY EASILY, and let's face it, the changing bag is basically going to be my handbag for the foreseeable future... so I've gotta be in love with it.

And that's proving difficult.

The problems I face are that I want to invest in a good quality, practical and definitely fashionable bag, that is also suitable for Winter/Spring/Summer/Autumn, as I don't want to keep spending a fortune on new ones...

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

When I first started looking for changing bags that weren't disgusting (lots are ha) I literally didn't have a clue where to start. But I have found a couple of good websites after many moons of searching:

Storksak

Pink Lining

Baby Beau

PacaPod

To start with I was really loving the Pink Lining Yummy Mummy changing bags, but to be honest I think I want one that looks more like a regular handbag than a changing bag. And I also feel like they're more summery, but I can definitely see why people like them. 

I've now warmed a bit more towards the Not So Plain Jane collection by Pink Lining, but again I'm not sure if it looks a bit too 'changing bag-y' for me ha.

My favourite website to stalk changing bags on at the minute is Storksak, which is amazing... but pricey ha ha. But I did find one bag I really liked for £70, which is cheap for them - the Ashley bag in Coral. 

I couldn't decide whether to wait in case I found another one I liked better, or to just go for it and part with my mulla, and I finally decided to take the plunge and get it... to find it gone from the website ha!! So now I'm back to square one.

 Arghhhh it's just so difficult ha ha. I keep seeing ones I would love right now, but I worry that I'll go off the pattern/style/print by the time Winter properly comes around and I'll never use it ha ha. 

I think sticking to a plainer print is probably wise, and I really love some of the leather Storksak changing bags but they're just so expensive. Do I invest? With the risk that I won't love it in a years time?

PLEASE SOMEONE WISE HELP ME.

These are the few I'm loving at the moment, but they're all pricey! So I'm just not sure what to do. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Please let me know in the comments which one (if any) you think is best, or if you have any other suggestions!

This is one pregnancy problem I haven't overcome yet, but I'm determined to do so soon!

See you soon!!

xx

Shoe Shopping: Topshop & Mothercare

So me and bump went shopping today :-D ha ha

I managed to persuade Sam to go to town after work to see if there was anything new in the shops for bump, and me and bubba ended up both getting some new shoes! It's like we're besties already ;-)

I absolutely love the little baby booties!! They were from Mothercare and cost £8, but I can't find them on the Mothercare website to link for you guys for some reason. I think £8 is a bit expensive, but I just love them!

They're so cosy and they're all fluffy inside for extra warmth :-) and the little pink cheeks and ears are so cute! Because she'll be born in December these should keep her tootsies nice and warm! Totally worth £8!

(Until she kicks them off the first time she ever wears them and they're lost forever ha ha)

(little 'n' large!)

Oohhhh and the shoes for me are sooo beautiful!!! I can't stop staring at them ha ha. I first spotted these bad boys about a week ago but I resisted the urge to buy them, but I wasn't strong enough today!

They're from Topshop and cost £32, which I don't think is too bad for Topshop. I love the T-Bar and I actually ordered some similar black ones from Asos the other day (I'll do a blog on my many Asos purchases when I get them) so I'm kinda obsessed with the T-Bar at the moment!

I also LOVE the colour. I think red is going to be everywhere next season so I'm sure I'll want to wear them all the time :-D and I'm already planning my outfits! They'll look so great with a cute girly dress, or some leather leggings and a t-shirt! I think you can do a lot with them, even if they are bright red :-) ha ha.

I can't wait to do Mummy and daughter shopping for real now, it's going to be so fun!

Let me know what you think of the shoes, hope you like them!

See you soon!!

xx

Overcoming Pregnancy Problems: Weight Gain Worries

From Flat to Fat ;-)

Before I got pregnant I was never bigger than a size 8 or 10 (UK size), partly down to my Mamma's genes and partly down to not letting myself get any bigger than that. So going from caring a lot about having a flat stomach to the idea of having a massive stomach was pretty scary to me.

I know it's for a good reason and definitely all worth it, but I think going through such huge changes to your body is a pretty normal thing to worry about. However I didn't find that much helpful information out there. (Although I'm pretty bad at using Google ha ha, if that's even something you can be bad at!)

I went through a "too much McDonalds stage" (as I called it) to begin with, where I didn't look pregnant, just like I'd eaten three McDonalds on the trot ha ha, and that was pretty annoying.

But once I started to get a proper bump it did get easier :-)

I still find it hard sometimes and get so jealous looking at skinny clothes, like crop tops and high-waisted shorts!! I miss them!! But getting my little baby at the end of the nine long months will soooo be worth it. And I think girls are tough. We just put up with the extreme exhaustion, horrendous morning sickness, stomach pains, cramps, and hormones invading our brains, and just get on with it. But sometimes it's nice to have some advice or to know you're not suffering alone :-)

So here's some tips that helped me to rid my gaining weight worries (almost, anyway)!

Frame Of Mind

This is one of those easier-said-than-done things, especially when you have a loads of unwanted hormones making you cry just at the thought of not eating dippy eggs (it's a horrible thought OK, haha). But it really does help to remember why you're doing this, and focusing on the end result. It's only nine months of your life where you lose control of your stomach, and then you'll have a crazy little baby making you run around everywhere, which is bound to shift a few pounds!

And remember - curves are sexy! And your boobs get bigger :-)

Clothing

Back in the olden days (probably around 10 years ago, ha ha) the only maternity clothes around were big baggy tops and dresses, to try and hide your bump. However that only makes you look bigger, and figure-hugging clothing can be much more flattering, which are everywhere these days! Yay! There's so much more choice with maternity clothes now, and my favourites are Asos Maternity and Topshop Maternity :-) although just buying clothes in a bigger size is do-able for ages, and I've only bought about three maternity things so far.

Maxi dresses and bodycon midi-dresses are a personal favourite of mine, or a baggier dress with a middle belt above my tum, as they highlight your bump and don't make you look frumpy! By highlighting your bump it takes the focus away from other areas (my hips!!!) and shows that you still have skinny parts left ha ha. And it shows everyone what a sexy preggo you are :-)

Black and also striped clothes are good at giving the illusion that there's no extra fat there, which is amazing in the first stage of pregnancy when you don't have a nice bump to show off, just a bit of a gut ha ha.

Pamper Yourself

If you're feeling a bit down about your weight, then focus on other parts of yourself! Go to the hairdressers and get a new, flattering hairstyle, spend a bit of extra time on your make-up,  and go and get a manicure or pedicure.

Your state of mind is really important when you're pregnant so you shouldn't feel guilty spending extra time or money to make yourself feel better, and you'll be amazed at how much it can boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about your changing body!

A Healthy Diet

Not only is it important to eat healthy for the growing human in your stomach, it can also help control the amount of weight you gain. The old wives tale about eating for two is actually untrue, as you only need an extra 300 calories a day, and only in the last trimester. (But obviously check with your doctor, I'm not a qualified health professional ha ha).

So if you want to have some control over your weight gain, make sure you eat plenty of fruit and veg, lean protein (meat and fish), complex carbs (bread, pasta, brown rice, wholegrain cereal, broccoli, cauliflower etc), high-fibre foods (fruit, veg, grains, cereal, pasta etc) and drink plenty of water!

A healthy and balanced diet helps give your babba the best start in life, as well as making yourself feel better and healthier! Rather than feeling like an obese whale ha ha.

But don't feel guilty eating anything bad - I'm OBSESSED with mint chocolate icre-cream and orange chocolate ha ha.

I hope this was helpful to any fellow preggos out there, and didn't sound moany! I love my little bump but the idea of weight gain can be tough for girls, especially when all you see everywhere is flat tums and skinny pins! Ha ha.

See you soon!!

xx

Zara Baby Wishlist

As promised from yesterday here is my Zara baby wishlist!

And OH MY GOD I am going to need a stern talking to from someone to stop me buying absolutely EVERYTHING! 

As you'd probably expect from Zara their baby collection is not the cheapest, but with the amazing-ness of it all I think I might have to treat myself to a few things ha ha. 

I narrowed down my Newborn wishlist to the above four items, but I have to say I think I prefer Zara's 3-36month collection to their Newborn stuff. But I do love these four items - they look so vintage and cute!

Zara Newborn Wishlist: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

This is where it really got tough to narrow down my wishlist to only a few items... Zara's 3-36month collection! 

And Mum, if you're reading this - feel free to buy me the whole lot for Christmas... :-)

I trawled through their 11 different sections, including one called 'Jogging' which is too funny! I don't plan on forcing my baby to go jogging, I'd be happy with the classic toddler zombie walk to be honest ha ha. But ooooooh they have so many amazing things!

I became so blinded by the beauty of it all that I convinced myself £17.99 for the leather boots she'll probably grow out of after a week are totally worth the money? Can someone sane please tell me if they are or not? Ha ha. But I just LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I love that most of the 3-36month collection is stuff I would genuinely wear myself, and I'm dreaming up matching outfits for me and baby right now!

Zara 3-36month Wishlist: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

See you soon!!

xx

From Bridget Jones Pants to EVEN SCARIER Bridget Jones Pants

Back in my pre-pregnancy days (it seems so long ago!) I was OBBSESSED with my £4 Primark suck-in pants / Bridget Jones pants / fat pants – or whatever you wanna call them. They may not be the sexiest looking underwear in the world but they held in my hips like no other, and I really hate my hips!

Now that I’m pregnant my hips have only expanded in size, and whilst I don’t want to suck in my little bump, I do still want to smooth out the hip zone. So I purchased this scary looking naked dress:

It was £28 from Asos  for what they call a “Seamfree Dress With Support”, which I thought was a bit expensive. But I really have no other experience in naked dresses so this might be a bargain? When it arrived I bravely tried it on, but unfortunately my bump is too small at the moment so there was a load of saggy material hanging around my tummy ha ha. But it definitely made my hips look not exactly smaller, but smoother! Less lumpy.

At the same time I also purchased this “Belly Band With Support” for £12 from Asos, which is supposed to make the “Perfect Bump”. Not to brag but I think my bumps actually quite nice looking ha ha, it’s pretty small and nicely rounded. But there’s always room for improvement! :-) and I thought this would also help out the hips.

This one does fit me already – hurray! And it definitely makes my hips look smoother, like the naked dress did. However I can’t quite figure out how to do it? I think you're supposed to wear it over your jeans when you can no longer do the zip up ha ha, to cover that area, but Asos only sold this in nude and black which are more underwear colours?

It might be because my bump’s still quite small but it goes all the way down over my bum, and I don’t think that’s normal? But the nice lady in the Asos picture is wearing it on top of all of her clothes (even her top) so I’m definitely not trusting her.

My plan is to wear one of these bad boys when I’m wearing a tight dress, because I’m loving midi dresses at the moment! So you’ll be pleased to know my love affair with Bridget Jones style pants can continue, wahoo!

See you soon!!

xx