Mummy blog

12th November 2019

🤱🏻BREASTMILK JEWELLERY 🤱🏻

I breastfed Otis for 26 months. In fact, he only chose to stop when I got pregnant and all of a sudden he didn’t want my milk anymore.  I’m so proud of our journey together and how long I managed to breastfeed for. I’ve never hidden the fact that I struggled with breastfeeding at first. In fact I found the first 4 months really difficult and wanted to give up many times. Thankfully I had amazing support from my family as well as my new mum friends to keep going and I will always be grateful to them.

It’s true that breastfeeding can be hard: emotionally and physically. And so it’s nice to have a little trophy for yourself to celebrate such a fantastic accomplishment. For me, that trophy is this necklace from the amazing @milkiesdaily. Not only is it a very special reminder for me, but I also think it’s beautiful and elegant. In fact the whole of the @milkiesdaily collection is delicate and subtle and full of timeless elegance. They can provide you with necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings made by hand from your precious breastmilk. I have a couple of vouchers left for a 5% discount, please do message me if you want one.

11th November 2019

💜DEAR BUMP💜

I was recently very kindly gifted this mummy-to-be box from @dear.bump to review. I was so surprised by the huge amount of thought that had gone into this box. You can select between a monthly subscription service or you can select a gift box option for the perfect baby shower gift for a mummy-to-be. Each box is tailored with products and information for your stage of pregnancy and each box is valued at £50-80!

My box includes:

💜 @peakzuk crunchy orange squares that are full of iron, fibre and vitamin B12. Perfect for my labour snack bag!

💜 @naturalbirthingco “Pure Bliss” soothing postnatal compress solution. I’ve had my eye on this company’s postnatal products for a while. They look fab & this compress solution will soothe the sore and tender areas after birth.

💜 @betteryou_ltd daily vitamin D oral spray which is peppermint flavour and supports your immune system, aids muscle function and maintains bones and teeth

💜 @freyalunarituals Calendula & Sweet Violet seriously soothing salve which smells AMAZING had has a lovely smooth texture

💜 @motherlylove.uk Due Date pregnancy and labour massage oil which my husband will use to massage me during labour to reduce anxiety, make me feel revitalised, support natural childbirth and it’s a nice way to have him actively involved in labour

💜 @bankslyonbotanical Avocado, mint & Olive lip exfoliator which will give my lips a soft and healthy glow whilst feeling nourished after the dryness of the gas and air!

💜 @bubblesandbotanicals_ handmade goats milk soap which smells delicious with hints of honey, oats and coconut oil

💜 @first_days_maternity Instant Perineal Cold Pack which will provide me with much needed relief after labour

💜 @konjacspongecompany 100% natural vegetable fibre body sponge that has nourishing mineral rock pink clay for tired or devitalised skin

💜 amazing information cards for this stage of pregnancy including what’s happening to my body, how big baby is and also a useful “To Do” list.

💜 @sketchymuma “what it means to be a mother” book which has had me in giggles since it arrived!

9th November 2019

💙TREASURING MEMORIES 💙

As parents, we all say it: our little ones are growing up way too fast. Before we know it, they’ve learnt something new or have reached a new milestone and our babies turn into toddlers very quickly!

What I love about @memoriesofgrowingup.talltape is that their height charts encourage you to keep track of your little one’s growth. Not only are the designs absolutely beautiful, but the charts can also be rolled back up and stored away in their tube so that even when children are all grown up, you still have their chart to treasure, or you can even gift it to them!

We regularly have to measure Otis to update his model profile for his agency, so this is so useful for that purpose too! The height chart also comes with a Sharpie so you can get to using it straight away and keep a record of those moments before they are gone. They are very thick and durable, the quality is excellent.

4th November 2019

📚 STORY TIME 📚

Otis has always loved books so I was really excited to receive this book from @beansandsparks to review as a surprise. It was included in the goody bag we received from @mummymeetsuk When we met for a press trip at The Baby Show.

The story we were gifted is called “I’m a mighty moose” and focuses on the theme of creativity. It uses alliteration to engage young children and every page has a double-page illustration to draw their attention. I think it’s so lovely that the book is personalised so that one of the main characters not only looks like Otis, but has his name too. When he’s a bit bigger I’m sure he will think this is really special and spark his imagination even more. The text is written in different fonts, sizes and colours and includes sound effects to go along with the story. Otis enjoyed repeating this sounds after me and sometimes did actions to match.

This morning Otis really enjoyed looking through the book and pointing out things like the spider, mouse, bike and fireworks. I read the book to him for a little bit myself, but then he wanted to take the book and pretend to read it to his soft toy instead. At the end of the book there is a shadow puppet game/task for Otis to do that is encouraged throughout the book. I think it’s a great way of encouraging parents to use books to inspire play too instead of just using them for story time.

29th October 2019

Well this one has certainly been enjoying his holiday lie-ins! I don’t blame him, if I had a blanket from @thebamboobabycompany in my size, I wouldn’t want to get out of bed either!

we were lucky enough to meet the guys behind this awesome brand at @thebabyshow and were gifted this stunning blanket as a collaboration. I chose the neutral green as I intended it to be for Littlest Pea, but Otis has totally claimed it!

These blankets have so many fantastic features that I’ve been learning about – they’re not just the softest blankets you’ve ever felt! They are also temperature regulating which makes them great for taking on holidays too (like we did!) As well as this, they are 100% natural and antibacterial and most importantly they are breathable so safe for babies of all ages. I absolutely love it, so much so that I may have very guiltily stolen it from Otis on the flight to Dubai because it’s just so silky soft 🙊

22nd October 2019

Pool Day! 🏊‍♂️

Today we arrived at the hotel at about 9am, but we lucky enough to be able to check in super early. After an night flight, we all went to bed to catch up on the sleep we missed. We finally got up and about at 3pm and spent a couple of hours in one of the hotel’s rooftop pools.

Otis had so much fun in the pool, he just loves to swim! Today he wore his new @limmys_kids swim vest that he was kindly gifted as a collaboration. Usually I have to hold Otis in the pool constantly, even if he is wearing a float suit. However with this vest I was able to let go of him at times and encourage him kick his legs to help him maintain his balance. I feel assured that the vest is secure as it also has a crotch strap to stop it riding up too.

I’m excited to see him become more and more independent in the water with this float and hopefully with this new support he will!be confidently swimming on his own by the end of the holiday! 💧

21st October 2019

💜LANSINOH💜

I was lucky enough to be selected as a panel team member for the @lansinohfamily hospital bag campaign. This means I get to talk to you guys about their amazing breastfeeding products: nipple cream, disposable nursing pads, breast milk collector and breastfeeding pillow.

Most of you already know that I breastfed Otis for 26 months until he suddenly self-weaned as a result of my pregnancy. Because of this I am very keen to breastfeed Littlest Pea too. I feel confident we will have an equally long journey with the support of these fab products!

💜HPA Lanolin Nipple Cream:

This has been developed to soothe and protect sore and cracked nipples of breastfeeding mothers around the world! It was an absolute Godsend for me whilst breastfeeding, especially at the start. Top tip: it also makes a cheesy lip balm!

#savingnipplessince1984 .

💜Disposable Nursing Pads:

These breast pads are super absorbent with polymer that draws and locks milk leakage into the core of the pad, but still holds its shape, even with a heavy flow! They have 2 sticky tape strips so they don’t move whilst being worn and are discreet with their naturally contoured design.

💜Breastmilk collector:

This pump creates a natural suction to catch leaking milk whilst breastfeeding or pumping from the other breast. Perfect for ensuring your little one can enjoy every last drop and it’s not wasted!

💜Breastfeeding pillow:

This pillow is comfortable, portable and helps support proper breastfeeding positioning. It slides onto the arm rather than around the waist like most pillows which makes it perfect for c-section tummies and it means one size fits all! It allows the mum to naturally bring the baby to the breast instead of leaning over. Plus it has an adorable star design!