What Mama Wore - Tiffany Rose

I have got to the point in pregnancy where the most important aspect of an outfit is comfort.  I can still wiggle into my maternity jeans and put on some socks, but all I want to wear are dresses and slip on shoes with no waist bands and no reason to struggle and reach my feet.  The weather isn't quite warm enough to live in summer dresses yet, but we are well into Spring now so I am holding on to it warming up soon.

Luxury British designers Tiffany Rose sent me a couple of their maternity dresses and they are by far the most comfortable things in my wardrobe right now.  They specialise in occassionwear, but with nothing to dress up for on the horizon I opted for a couple of dresses that I could dress down enough to get away with as day wear.

Maxi dresses are the ultimate summer maternity item and this one is just beautiful.  It is lined which helps it hang well (and stops the white becoming see through), comfortable and amazing quality.  The cut is flattering throughout pregnancy and would last from a tiny bump until after baby arrives - I don't think I will be packing this away just because my bump has gone.  I often find that this style of dress comes up short as I am 5 foot 9, but this one is a great length that I am not tripping up over it, but it still is nice and long.  

I love how this dress can work for so many different occassions, on its own it would look wonderful for a summer wedding or Christening, but paired with a denim jacket and flipflops it is casual enough for everyday wear.

The second dress was a shorter length but a similar style with the same crossed over top and empire line cut.  As the weather wasn't as nice I wore it with tights and flat shoes but my plan is to wear this with just sandals and a cardigan or jacket to dress it down in the summer, but maybe put on some low heels if I want to wear it out too.  It felt wonderful to wear and I had so many compliments.  The rich blue colour is really stunning and I found it incredibly flattering on my changing figure.

 Tiffany rose are proud to be designed and manufactured in the UK and their dresses are made to the highest quality and come beautifully packaged too.  These dresses are currently £84 and £89 which I think is great value considering the outstanding quality.

Thank you to Tiffany Rose for sending over these beautiful dresses.

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When Pregnancy is Tough

I have spent three pregnancies feeling overwhelmingly happy.  I skipped the morning sickness, the heartburn and the strange cravings, I grew a bump perfectly round and all out front and managed to enjoy pretty much every moment.  Of course there were bits that were tough, I lost sight of my feet pretty early on, I got out of breath walking up hills and I got really tired.  Overall though, I sailed through those first three pregnancies, I loved the whole experience and couldn't wait to do it all again.

This fourth one though, it isn't the same at all.  From the beginning this pregnancy has been tough, there have been more tears and more pain than the other three combined.

I still don't have it bad, somehow I managed to skip the nausea and morning sickness for the fourth time and for that I am ever grateful, but the first trimester tiredness was just debilitating.  I could barely function as a human let alone a parent and our house descended into chaos as I thanked the TV gods that Blaze and the Monster Machines was on pretty much constantly on Nikolodeon.  Toys piled up, washing overflowed, dishes were left dirty for far too long and bed sheets were rarely washed.

I felt like I should be enjoying our little secret, this fourth and very much final baby I was growing, but instead I just felt tired, overwhelmingly tired.  The first trimester problems seemed to clear up slightly at around 16 weeks and I had a few weeks of respite, but way before I reached the final trimester, things started to get tough again.  I am not getting any younger, my body has carried four babies in four years, my pelvic floor muscles may not be as strong as they once were and this little madam I am growing is already rather large.  My back started to struggle first, and rather than taking it easy, I chose to power through, something I am now regretting.

Somedays I am fine, others I can barely walk by the evening, the bottom of my back aches, I feel bruised and heavy and this baby is nestled (breech) very low in my pelvis.  My body is struggling this time and things that I am so used to doing throughout pregnancy are getting harder.  My pace is slowing, my ability to lift my children comes with a sacrifice of an evening of pain, because quite frankly they are pretty heavy boys.

And on top of this, I really understand what people mean by pregnancy hormones.  I cry more than ever, but I also feel overwhelming love more often.  I need time to myself every day to be a tolerant person and that doesn't come easily with three small people who need me.  My moods can dip unexpectedly and nothing can pull me out and my patience wears thin very quickly.

I love pregnancy, and I still do, despite everything.  I am not ready for this little one to arrive, I want to grow bigger, to feel her kicking from the inside a little longer, to embrace my changing shape and watch this miracle happening.  I am still amazed every time I look down, I still smile and rest my hands on my tummy everytime she kicks and I want to savour each moment, each final week with her safely inside, and my three boys just the way they are.

But this pregnancy is tough both physically and emotionally.  I feel stressed and tired and achey and moody and I never expected it to be this difficult, especially not with 10 weeks still to go.

I wouldn't give up the chance to carry this baby for anything, I know how lucky we are to be adding another member to our team, I really do know how lucky I am, but it doesn't mean that pregnancy isn't tough sometimes.

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My Boys

With only ten weeks to go (ish) until we add a sixth member to our team, that feeling of the end that is so familiar now has arrived.  I remember during my first pregnancy trying to get my head around the fact that things would change beyond anything I could possibly imagine and I spent those final weeks with my friends, going out in the evenings (and treating myself to an orange juice), going for long walks, going out for dinner and enjoying my social life.

When I was pregnant with baby number two, I couldn't possibly comprehend how I could fit a second little baby in my life and those 10 weeks were spent enjoying everything about my first born, living life at his pace, letting my newly mobile toddler walk, as we had nowhere to be, there was no rush and nobody but us.

During my third pregnancy, I wanted to make the most of me-time, and I went to the cinema at least once a week as I remembered all to well how little personal space you get with a baby around.  I went for walks on my own along the sea front in the evenings, sat in the hairdressers and just enjoyed peace whenever I could find it, as three was set to be loud, chaotic and always busy.

This time I have realised that the weeks with 'my boys' are soon to be over, there will be a little girl on our team, and everything will change all over again.  These boys have been a three for 14 months, they have such beautiful bonds, they are learning and growing together and they are just wonderful to watch.  My focus will shift, I will be more outnumbered than ever, and I will have to stop saying 'my boys' and start saying 'my children' or 'my family' when I refer to them all.

It seemed to hit as I turned 30 weeks, it is a milestone week and these photos make me a bit emotional.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have three amazing little boys in my life.  To be the one that gets to wake up to their smiles each morning, and tuck them up in bed with a story and a song each night.  I get to watch them grow into the men they will become, nurture friendships with each other, learn alongside one another and be a little team.

These next ten weeks are about them, about making memories, about getting out together, exploring and observing, because I love to just watch them.  I want to have adventures that are easier without a new baby in tow,  I want to capture them as they are now, whilst it is just the three of them, I want to prepare them for a sister without making them wish away the present, because the present is pretty awesome right now.  

These photos are from the weekend and they may be my favourite ever, they capture so much of who they all are, they capture them together, they were in their element, outdoors, exploring, having adventures and you can see that in their smiles, in the way they are so relaxed.  I took my camera out only a couple of times, I wanted some special photos of  'my boys' as they are now, but the rest of the time I got stuck in with them all, I searched for the Gruffalo and got excited when we found the snake's log pile house.  I squelched in the mud, marveled at sticks, and came home with muddy feet.

It feels so strange that my time with just these boys is numbered, that things are going to change all over again, the dynamic, the pace of life, the size of my heart, and whilst I am confident we will adapt and find space and it will soon become our new normal, I am excited for the final 10 weeks, our final adventures just as we are and that I get to watch them just as a three for a little longer.

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10 Weeks to go (ish)

Well I guess it could be anything up to 12 weeks really, but 30 weeks pregnant means I have approximately 10 weeks left to go until we meet our baby Pretzel.

I am not known for being organised, and with two boys already, we have nearly everything we need, but I am not prepared in the slightest for the arrival of our third baby boy.  Whilst other mums seem to be packing hospital bags and writing birth plans, I am living in denial that our little guy could be here soon.  I am so excited to have him in my arms, to meet the person I have been carrying for so long, but I am in no rush to give up my bump, or the hand to child ratio which works so well for us.

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30 Weeks Pregnant

I am now 30 weeks, which means I am three quarters of the way through this journey and I am starting to get asked very often if I am getting fed up with being pregnant.  I am quite honestly one of those people that enjoys pregnancy though, and as much as I cannot wait to meet my little baby, I am in no rush to do so!  Every morning I wake up and admire my bump and I love feeling the little wriggler kicking away.

Here is the 30 week bump:

On the Inside

Things may be getting more cramped and sometimes Squish's movements are getting quite strong now.  It can feel like he is trying to break out at times but luckily this is mostly in the evenings when I can just lie down and give him the space to wriggle.  During the day the movements are much more muted, but getting harder to mistake.  I still have no cravings or heartburn but after a long day on my feet and a little rest, I do struggle to get back up again and sometimes have tummy pains.  I think this may be a sign of overdoing it but I am so used to my active lifestyle I am struggling to slow down at all.

I am starting to feel much more connected to the baby and spending more time with my hands on my tummy just feeling him kick away.  I have also started planning his room and looking for the perfect material to make his crib bumper.  I am still nowhere near ready for his arrival, but entering the thirties means I am thinking about it more.  Once Christmas is out the way, hopefully I will be a bit more organised!

On the Outside

I feel like bump has not really grown much recently, and it is slightly smaller than when I was pregnant the first time around.  I have the midwife next week, so I can find out just how the little one is measuring.  The bump is definitely a different shape to last time as Squish is still lying across and so pushing out at the sides.  This means that my bump is not as neat as last time, but I still think it looks like a typical 'boy bump'.  I do think it looks very low already though so let's hope baby is not getting ready for an early appearance!

I still don't think Dylan understands much but he is starting to show an interest in my bump, and has been giving it a few cuddles recently too.  I know it is going to be a complete shock to him when the little one arrives, so if I can help him understand any part of it then I will keep trying.

Next update will be after Christmas now and I can only imagine bump will be twice the size with all the Christmas dinner and yule log I plan on munching! 

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Maternity Wear in the Third Trimester

The first trimester was about loose tops and hiding the slowly expanding tummy.  The second Trimester was about adapting normal clothes to fit your new figure, but the third trimester is well and truly about maternity wear and comfort for me.  I am running out of things to stretch and other than my trusty leggings and cardigans I am mostly in maternity to accomodate my growing bump.  I thought I would share with you a few of the things I have been wearing.

Nothing is more important than comfort at the moment and I am not one to wear tops with leggings so I am loving oversized jumpers that keep me covered up.  I team them with leggings and boots and feel snug and warm and still comfortable enough to crawl around on the floor brumming cars with the toddler.  I love this oversized maternity jumper from Mamas and Papas and it brightens up my winter wardrobe.

I love to show off my bump in fitted tops and I love this one from Yummy Mummy Maternity as it is just about long enough to wear with leggings and also goes great with jeans.  I wear it with a big knitted cardigan to keep me warm and covered

It is not long until baby Squish will make an appearance so anything that will take me through the nursing stage is a great buy now too.  I love this breastfeeding top as it is suitable for maternity and afterwards as there are openings for discreet feeding.  The top is nice and stretchy and a great investment at any point in pregnancy and is from More4Mums

On the rare occasion I leave the house without child, I like to dress up a bit more and I love wearing a plain black vest with my skinny jeans and jazzing it up with some fun jewellery.  I have a few maternity vests now as they are so much more flattering and comfortable and don't rise up as I move around.  I think I may save them for after baby too as they have plenty of growing room for when I eat a huge sunday roast!

I put off getting a winter coat for as long as I could but there is no escaping the fact it is getting pretty damn cold out there!  I am so happy with my lovely black maternity coat as it is flattering, comfortable and most importantly warm and will last until the little guy arrives.  I usually avoid black coats and have quite a selection of colourful ones but as I cannot justify more than one maternity coat, black is the best option as it really does match everything!

There are a few of my maternity outfits that I am wearing in the third trimester.  I am trying my hardest not to buy anything else now as there is only 10 weeks until baby arrives but there are some lovely bits out there!

Disclaimer:  Some of the clothes mentioned were sent to me free of charge, but some were also paid for.  All views and opinions are my own and I only endorse products that I am happy with and honestly wear.

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