Top Ten Tuesday - Excuses Excuses

Getting into the swing of my Top Ten Tuesdays now, got plenty of things I can write ten things about be it tips or otherwise.  This week I’m keeping it light hearted with top ten pregnancy excuses!  Pregnancy is a big excuse in itself but the top ten things I’ve used it for follow:

1.       I’m eating for two – OK so we all know that this isn’t true, you don’t eat for two and your calorie intake doesn’t need doubling when you’re pregnant but hey it’s a damn good excuse to have that cheeky desert after dinner!

2.       I need to go shopping – Not something you can get away with every day but when you’re pregnant you need to shop for clothes for yourself and your expanding waistline and for things for bubba – and if you treat yourself to a new handbag, it’s just a reward for all that waddling around the shops you’ve done!

3.       I can’t clean up - OK so medically you’re not ill but bloody hell it’s hard work carrying a baby around in your tummy, you don’t need to be on your feet any more than you have to.  Plus, loads of women get the nesting instinct in the last few weeks of pregnancy…hubby can do it ‘til then!

4.       I need a massage – Professional or a lovely back/foot rub from hubby is good.  You might not be aching but how can he argue with the woman carrying his child?!

5.       I need new shoes – I threw out most of my shoes before I got pregnant with Alfie because they’d seen better days but when my feet swelled at the end of pregnancy I got to replace a fair few pairs because the shoes I did have weren’t suitable for swollen feet.  Hello sexy sandals and cute shoe-pumps.

6.       I want to choose the film/what we watch on TV – when hubby is at work and you’re at home with bubba – you won’t have time to watch anything or you’ll be too tired to so you should get to do it before bubba arrives!  So what if you do get to watch TV whilst bubba is sleeping and you’re not tired/can’t sleep – hubby will be at work, how will he know!

7.       “Not tonight love” – Before if you weren’t in the mood for some cheeky between the sheets you’d have to feign a migraine but now you have a bump in the way – the laws of physics just won’t allow it.

8.       Let’s go out – Before bubba is born tell hubby you want to spend “quality time” together because it’ll be hard once your little one appears…it just so happens that the “quality time” is spent at the cinema watching a film of your choice followed by dinner at your favourite restaurant…

9.       Can you paint my toe nails, I can’t reach! This is a legitimate excuse; I really couldn’t reach my feet to paint my toe nails.  I didn’t need them doing but I was pregnant so hubby was putty in my hands – it only lasts for 9 months ladies make the most of it!

10.   I’m too tired to visit your mother – Best excuse ever if you’re not bothered about visiting your in laws – you’re growing a baby in there, it’s tiring work the last thing you want to do is go to your mother in laws house to hear about her latest cake creation and who’s having it off with who in the local pub.

These are just some of the excuses I used whilst I was pregnant, or at least thought about using.  Being pregnant is the most wonderful thing in the world but it can also be tiring and stressful, an excuse to get what you want now and then is innocent enough, I’m sure if men went through pregnancy and birth they’d be a LOT worse!

Top Ten Tuesday - Before Baby Arrives

Following on from last week with my Top Ten Tuesday – BabyBuys, this week I have decided to concentrate on ten things to do whilst you’re pregnant/ before baby comes.  These are the things that I did/ wish I'd done before Alfie came:

1.       Date nights and dinners with friends.  A few hours before my waters broke, I was sat in a pub restaurant having lunch with my husband – we went out at least 3 times a week, if you can’t afford to go out a DVD and a cheeky pizza is just as good.  This is what we were doing the very moment my waters broke!  We also had lots of dinner plans with friends, we went for dinner and to see a movie on my due date!

2.       Soak in the bath for HOURS.  If you’re like me and you love a good soak in the bath, get them in while you can because they will be few and far between these luscious soaks in the tub!  You get to have time to bathe when you have a baby but usually it’s short or with baby.

3.       Buy yourself something nice – not something you need, it has to be something you WANT that isn’t baby or pregnancy related.  It will be a long time before you treat yourself after baby arrives, you’ll find your clothes interest shifts to baby clothes etc!

4.       Read a book if you love to read because when baby is here, you’ll spend your spare time doing everything you don’t enjoy.  If you’re not a book worm, watch a few DVD’s get your feet up and enjoy a good weepy, apparently good for bringing on labour (old wives tale!)

5.       Dress up.  I’m not talking fancy dress, although if that’s what floats your boat do it!  I wanted to be heavily pregnant at Halloween so I could paint my bump up as a pumpkin!  Seriously though, go out and get dolled up because for the next few months and even years your clothes will be covered in baby sick/poo/wee/milk/food/spit.  Dressing up also makes you feel good about yourself so do it yummy mummy J

6.       Pregnancy massage – I can’t recommend this enough!  Whether you suffer with a bad back or not it’s fabulous for helping you to relax.  Pregnancy massage is safe from 12weeks + by a trained professional – some essential oils aren’t suitable during pregnancy but if you go to a reputable beauty spa that offers pre/post natal massage they will advise accordingly.

7.       Cook meals and freeze them in advance – I wish I’d taken this advice myself because for the first few weeks of Alfie’s life we lived on takeaways, not great especially if you’re breastfeeding.  Make up big batches of meals that can be frozen and it’s a life saver for a quick meal because you need to keep your strength up mummy!

8.       Have a heart to heart with your partner.  Pregnancy can be stressful on relationships but having a new baby to look after can put even more strain on a relationship.  Work out how you plan on getting time together, tell each other how you feel, let each other know that if things get tough you’re going through it together.  This was a life saver for me and my hubby as I knew I’d be irate at times if I was tired.

9.       Have a baby shower/ get together with friends baby related – I wish I’d done this because it’s something nice for you to enjoy with friends before baby comes that gets you and them even more excited for your new arrival.  Friends can often become a little distant after you have a baby especially if they don’t have them themselves because they can’t relate/you don’t have time etc…spending time with friends now especially at a baby shower helps them realise they are still important to you and your baby.  It also helps friends feel involved.

10.   Blog it!  Do it how I have or in a personal diary but either way I really recommend blogging from pregnancy.  Writing things down helps you work your thoughts out, it helps you get things off your chest and it records all those magical and not so magical moments for you to tell baby when he/she is here.  I also started a personal diary for Alfie that’s handwritten.

Top Ten Tuesday: Baby Buys

I had a brain wave this morning whilst trying to think of tips…I thought rather than have a “Top Ten Tips Tuesday” why not just have a “Top Ten Tuesday”, it’s far less restrictive for me to write and you to read.  Last week I had ten tips, this week I’m going to have my ten buys, so here it goes:

1.       Swing – we bought this one – obviously a luxury buy but when he suffered with colic it was a life saver and even now with his reflux it’s ideal.  We alternate between his bouncer chair and his swing.

2.       Electric breast pump – we bought this one – if you can’t afford to buy one, speak to your health visitor or midwife they can put you in touch with breastfeeding support/link workers who can hire them out to you.  Some places ask for a refundable deposit and others don’t, this depends on your area.  We have a manual pump, an electric pump AND we hired a double pump from my breastfeeding link worker to help encourage my milk supply.  A must if you’re breastfeeding.

3.       Sling – we bought ours from Victoria the SlingLady – it’s a wrap which is much nicer for me to wear and Alfie to sit in.  They’re great for bonding, breastfeeding and giving you your freedom back.  I reviewed our sling here and also put this in my top ten tips here

4.       Reusable nappies – we bought these and are waiting to try these there are a few reasons for our choice in going cloth, firstly they’re nicer on babies bum (no nasty chemicals), they’re kinder to the environment and most importantly kinder to your pocket – the initial outlay can be expensive but once you’ve got them, there’s no need to buy more (one size’s only).  Most you can put in with your normal wash (remember those colour catchers!) meaning it isn’t more washing as you might think it would be.

5.       Olive oil – we use an organic one and no not for my cooking, (we do use it for cooking we have a separate bottle) it’s for baby massage and baby’s dry skin.  It’s not only cheaper than expensive branded baby oils/moisturisers but it is far more effective and kinder to baby’s skin, even health professionals recommend it!

6.      Travel play mat – we have this one but it was given to us by my sister, we didn’t buy it.  Great for keeping in the boot of the car when you’re out visiting family and friends.  A lot of people have laminate floor these days which isn’t ideal for baby to lay on – plus you know where your mats been and that it’s clean, their floor might not be!

7.       Bath seat – we have this one.  We were given a baby bath but it’s been used a hand full of times.  Using a bath seat frees up your hands to bath a wriggly new born baby safely and easily.

8.       Bibs & muslin cloths and lots of them – I have a box full of bibs and lots of muslin cloths because whilst babies are beautiful they’re messy creatures!  You can never have too many bibs/cloths and they’ll last you years.

9.       Thermometer – you have to be extremely careful when it comes to babies and temperatures as they can have a fit if they over heat.  The best types of thermometers to have is the one that you put in baby’s ear or the one you put under their arm as they’re more accurate.  The forehead strips while they are easier to use, only tell you the temperature of baby’s skin.

10.   A baby box/book/scrap book (or all three like me!) – you probably already have one of these and are building it up.  I’ve been building Alfie’s up from pregnancy.  I bought a plain box and I’m decorating it for him to add that personal touch.  I have things like leaflets, parking tickets and attraction passes that will go in his scrap book – each page dedicated to another special day.  His baby book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar and has lots of things for us to fill in.

Top Ten Tips Tuesday

As a new mummy I am constantly learning new things about babies, being a mummy and family life.  I’ve made mistakes to learn from, I’ve searched for answers and I’ve used my imagination so I thought why not share with you?  Hopefully, at least one of my top ten tips will help you in some way!  I’m not clever enough to have a Top Ten Tips Tuesday every week so it’ll probably be every few weeks or so ;)

1.     Whether you use real or disposable nappies your nappy pail or bin can tend to get a little stinky.  Avoid this by adding a few drops of tea tree oil to the bottom of your nappy pail or bin.

2.       Don’t have a black-out blind?  Can’t afford one/fit one due to tenancy rules?  That’s OK – find an old bath/ beach towel, open your window, fit it over the top of the window opening and close the window.  Hey presto – a darkened room!

3.       Do you ever think you’re “just nipping out” so don’t take the changing bag?  That’s usually the time when you get caught out with a wet, dirty and uncomfortable baby!  Always keep a spare nappy (or two), nappy sack, packet of wipes, vest & baby grow in your car.  All this baby stuff may seem a lot but it’ll fit perfectly in your glove compartment!

4.       Do you want to practice co-sleeping but don’t have a big enough bed or scared of rolling over on to your baby?  Don’t purchase a co-sleeping cot, take the side off of the one you already have and fit it next to your bed.  Most cots have adjustable heights making it simple for you to attach to your bed! *warning – make sure there is NO gap between bed & cot.

5.       Is your baby fussy and need to be near you all the time?  Are you breastfeeding and want to encourage milk production & baby bonding?  Or perhaps you have other children who need your attention too?  Buy a baby sling/carrier so you can have your hands free to do the household chores, play with your other children/push pram, breastfeed etc.  I recommend Victoria the Sling Lady for slings.

6.       Even though your baby may go through a few outfits a day, it still takes a long time to build up a “full load” of washing if you separate colours, darks and white items.  Don’t bother separating them, wait until you have a full load of washing and pop a colour catcher in the load!

7.       At least once a day (we do 2-3 times if we’re at home), give your baby some “nappy off” time to help or prevent nappy rash.  Pop baby on the changing mat with a towel under the bottom – unless you have a boy then surround him with towels because it can be somewhat like a sprinkler!

8.       Does your baby have dry skin or do you want to practice baby massage at home?  Don’t spend loads of money on that all organic, baby friendly, posh, attractive labelled baby oil – simply use organic olive oil!  Comes in bigger bottles for a fraction of the cost of baby oil and you can’t get any more natural than olive oil! *note do not use oil on your baby during the day in sunny weather.

9.       Join baby forums, talk to other mums and take any help offered to you.  Other mummies know what you’re going through and can often offer practical advice.  Lots of forums and baby sites can inform you of sales, product reviews and advice. 

10.   Take time out for YOU.  When hubby comes home from work, pass him baby and go get yourself a nice long bath with a book, magazine or just your own me time thoughts.  Also, once a week make a “date night” once baby is in bed – put your phones on silent, turn off the laptop and just BE with each other, even if that means watching a TV programme or chatting about your day.  Once a month, try and have a “date night” outside your house, get a babysitter and treat yourselves to a meal at your favourite restaurant, a night at the movies or a romantic walk together.  Happy babies are born from happy mummies and daddies.