Hypnobirthing - My Experience

I hadn't heard of the term Hypnobirthing until after Dylan was born, and I wasn't convinced enough to try it until after Archie.  I was lucky enough to have two relatively quick and simple labours and when I found out I was pregnant with Finn, I knew it was something I wanted to try.  I have never felt quite as powerful as those moments after giving birth, and with both births  I had been utterly amazed at what my body had accomplished.  I wanted to trust in it even more this third time, be more in touch and have a third fantastic labour.

I was offered the opportunity to try out The Calm Birth School's online program and it seemed perfect for us.  It comprised of a series of videos delivered straight to your inbox along with podcasts and a facebook group where we could chat to other mums and the two ladies behind the idea, Suzy and Holly.  Being a busy mum of two already, being able to take the course at my own pace was ideal and the facebook group means you can ask questions whenever they pop into your head, even if that is 3am.

Read more ⇨

The Milestones

When Finn arrived, we had no idea that we had such an ordeal ahead.  He cried and he cuddled, he fed and he cuddled some more and he was our perfect baby boy.  When he was 12 hours old, he was found to have jaundice and when he was 24 hours old, the doctors decided there was an underlying problem.  It was discovered that he had been born with a virus, and suddenly there was a lot of unknown.

The virus can manifest in many ways, and there is so much uncertainty ahead.  Our baby boy is a fighter and is doing so well, but we were left with so many questions and so much that we would need to  'wait and see'.  

One thing we were told is to keep a close eye on his milestones in the first year, as it will be a good indicator of his future development.  I found myself worrying daily about what he should be doing, despite having had two newborn babies before and knowing that not much is expected in the first weeks.

This week marks six weeks since the dinky one arrived, and today he smiled at me.  He smiled in the morning, and cooed away, he smiled in the afternoon, despite being rather grumpy all day and he smiled before bed as we lay on the floor having tummy time.  He watched me, alert and interested, his eyes lit up first and finally his mouth curled up into that goofy toothless smile.  I couldn't capture it on camera, I was too busy enjoying that little face, but today Finn smiled.

Read more ⇨

The Cosatto Ooba Review

We were sent the Cosatto Ooba in Charleston to use with our newest arrival and I am really impressed with it.  Not only does the Ooba look bright and fun, but it comes with some great features and extras that make it stand out.

The monochrome design of the Ooba is eye-catching without being too bright and completely unisex too in my opinion.  The frame is really easy to fold, using two simple mechanisms (which are handily labelled too) and folds pretty small, although the carrycot does need to be removed first.  Because of the way the frame crosses over the basket, I was worried it would be hard to use, but we have had no problems putting a changing bag underneath or using it with shopping bags.  

Read more ⇨

Alternatives to Baby Blue for Baby Boys

With Finn being my third boy, I have to admit that I am done with pale blue.  When we were expecting Dylan, we stocked up on the traditional baby blue and he suited it completely but I have discovered over the last three years how great a variety of boys clothes there can be, and Finn has a wardobe full of white, grey and colour.  His clothes are fun, comfy and perfect for a baby boy without being overly blue.  

I love colourful baby clothes, playful styles and pictures that remind me of childhood.  Dylan has loved choosing clothes for his little brother, and he always goes for bright (and usually covered in dinosaurs too).  I have found some great independent stores, scandinavian brands and even places on the high street that have great colourful boys clothes.  This sleepsuit is from Melijoe and I love the colour scheme. 

Blue doesn't have to be pale, Finn looks lovely in blue, but we have chosen darker or brighter shades.  No matter how you dress a baby, you will get asked repeatedly whether it is a boy or girl, and dressing him in blue helps other people to recognise them. It also makes it a lot easier to shop!

There is something so precious about babies in white, and I can't resist that angelic look, especially in the first couple of months.  There isn't long where white works as weaning and crawling soon eliminate it from their wardrobe, so I love white on my babys, although with two big brothers who love playing with him, Finn won't be keeping white clean for long either!

These gorgeous babygrows can all be found on the Melijoe website

Disclaimer: Featured Post

Read more ⇨

Our Easter Weekend

With everything that has been going on, I completely forgot that Easter was coming, so when the long weekend crept up on us I was pretty happy.  Having the bloke at home for 4 days, seeing family and the best excuse I can think of to eat too much chocolate and not feel guilty.

On Friday, I was treated to a much needed lie in, although it feels more like a series of long naps as I still have to feed little Finn every two or three hours.  Friday afternoon the bloke went out, and I managed my first solo bedtime with all three quite successfully.  Mastering something new with all three always makes me feel good, so it was a pretty great start to the weekend. 

Read more ⇨

Three Under Four - The First 5 Weeks

No change is ever as big as having your first child.  Your life is turned upside down, there is always another person to think of before yourself and you experience a love you never knew existed.  Moving from one child to two is a challenge, there are now two mouths to feed, two bodies to dress and there is learning to balance two different sets of needs, giving both children attention.  I have found going from two to three the hardest change so far though.

Read more ⇨

Me and Mine March

March has been manic, but it has seen us bringing home the newest member of the family, Finn.  The first half was spent apart as Finn and I were in special care and the bigger boys at home and since we have been reunited, it has been about adjusting to three small boys and life as a family of five.

We weren't going to attempt anything too ambitious this month, and this photo sums up March pretty well.  There have been lots of cuddles, more time than usual spent on the sofa, and I have looked exhausted throughout.  We have been together though, learning about one another and we have done it smiling (especially Archie!)

This month Mummy is loving having all her family together under one roof, managing to get all three boys to nap at the same time, cuddles on the sofa with all three of her babies and eating proper food again after 3 weeks of hospsital cuisine.

Daddy is loving Peppa Pig cake for his birthday, having Mummy back home to share the childcare, building Dinosaurland out of cardboard boxes with Dylan and the warmer weather.

Dylan is loving gardening with Daddy, watching Blaze on Nikolodeon, having cake in the hospital cafe and proudly showing off our new baby.

Archie is loving having Mummy home again, taking his lunchbox to nursery, singing Twinkle Twinkle to Finn and telling people to come here 'RIGHT NOW'.

Finn is loving having mummy's milk again, snoozing on Mummy's chest, the chatter of his brothers and being out of the hospital.

Read more ⇨