Nappy Niggles

One of the questions I am asked most at the moment is whether it is much different having a girl after three boys.  Honestly, it really isn't.  At the moment Cora is just a baby and babies are all pretty similar, they feed, sleep, cuddle and chew things.  I get to dress her in pretty dresses sometimes of course - I don't think the boys could pull them off quite so well - but the biggest difference is when it comes to nappy changing.

According to new research from Waterwipes, a third of new parents fell totally unprepared for and overwhelmed by the realities of changing nappies on a real baby and I don't think anything quite prepares you for how much of your life you will spend changing nappies, especially  with two little ones.  

Their research also found that half of new dads thought they did half of the nappy changes whilst 6 out of 10 mums think it is mostly them.  Nappy changing is definitely split here at the weekend but I think I did nearly all the nappies in the very early weeks.

The big question is who is easier to change - boys or girls?  Apparently 40% consider girls easier whilst only 21% think boys are.  Probably due to the amount of practice I have had changing boy nappies I would have to fall into the 21%!

Water wipes spoke to parent expert Lisa Clegg, author of The Blissful Baby Expert who gave these tips:

"The most important thing to remember is that you’ve got this. To help you feel more at ease with even the most challenging change, here are my five tips to get you in the nappy zapping zone;

1. Prepare and have everything out and ready before you begin – a fresh nappy, a disposal bag and a few wipes. Using a chemical free wipe such as WaterWipes means you don’t have to worry about irritating your baby’s sensitive skin

2. Keep making eye contact and talking to baby, your voice can be soothing even if they become restless,

3. Don’t stop if baby cries, the quickest way of soothing them properly is to keep going until the job is done

4. Use the distraction of a favourite toy for a slightly older baby

5. Always finish with a cuddle -  it’s reassuring for them and for you!”

Collaborative Post

Read more ⇨

Pure Love

This is a paid advertorial for WaterWipes

Every morning since Cora was born, we have done the first feed of the day in the same way. After a long night of feeds and nappy changes and restless sleep, I take off my pyjama top and her sleepsuit and we snuggle up together, her skin against mine. On the chillier mornings we pull the duvet around us, on the warmer ones we just lie there together, enjoying the slow pace, the quiet of just us two and the feeling of skin to skin. It is one of my favourite parts of the day, a way of connecting before the madness of the school runs and a noisy house.

There is no better way to wind down after a busy weekend than with those same special skin to skin cuddles and Sunday night is hairwash night for the boys and bath night for my baby girl and I. Her first baths are always with me, so that we can have skin to skin, relax and unwind together. We cuddle and feed and enjoy the calm of her brothers being in bed. She would probably fall asleep on my chest in the water if we stayed in any longer.

I read about the wonders of it during pregnancy and all of my birth plans have stipulated immediate skin to skin. I can only imagine how cold and scary the world is after nine months in the womb and the familiar sound of my heart beating, the reassurance of my warmth and smell and the closeness to milk has offered them comfort, and continues to for weeks and months. With Cora we stayed together for hours having our first skin to skin cuddle, there was no rush as we were at home for either of us to get dressed and it felt natural and perfect.


Skin to skin can regulate baby's biology and is evidence of how our bodies continue to care for and nurture our children long past the nine months we spend growing them. In this wonderful video 'Pure Love' from WaterWipes  they show how being on their mama's chest can regulate baby's heart rate, body temperature and oxygen levels as well as keeping them Calm.




Us mama's have super powers and alongside the fact we give birth, can sustain a baby for months with milk our bodies make and of course those magic kisses that heal any wound, we can also regulate our baby's biology purely through the power of skin to skin contact.


Our mornings will continue to start with skin to skin cuddles and our weeks will continue to end with them.

Read more ⇨