The little things in life...

 This time around I knew that they were the only thing I wanted touching my bambinos bum in those first few weeks after being born. 

 

Being made with just water and an incy bit of fruit extract you can't find much that would beat them in being so pure and gentle on those cute little bottoms. As an FYI they are suitable from birth, all that is found in them is 99.9% purified water and Citrus Grandis seed extract, aka grapefruit seed extract.

So I had a couple of packs and popped a mini pack in my hospital bag and a few more in the changing basket ready to tackle those first nappys! With Daisy I used cotton wool and water before moving straight on to ordinary Johnsons wipes just a few days later, no one wants to wait for cooled boiling water when you don't even have time to boil a kettle some days with a newborn!! 

I used them with Alex until just last week, so a little over 3 weeks. I found them to clean him up nicely and leave him with a fresh bottom, much as any other wipe would but this time I knew nothing nasty had been put on him. 

Sadly I haven't restocked yet and that purely comes down to price at the moment. On a measily maternity wage you really do have to watch your pennies and I just can't seem to part with the money for wipes. Especially as with a toddler who is still using about a trillion a day it just didn't make financial sense this week. 

But I'm keeping my eye on them to come on to promotion and then I'll stock up again, probably saving them for those times when Alex needs that little more TLC, after an explosion when you want to be as gentle as you can! 

My only other observation after using them is that they are much wetter than other brands I have used which is a bit of a double edged sword really, it's easy to wipe mess away or lift the mess but it can also make the job a bit more messy by adding additional wetness to the area making a bit more tricky to handle! 

All in all they got an 8/10 from us and lived up to expectations! Not the most exciting review but seriously, I can't get too excited about a baby wipe can I? 

Hayley xxx

*PR sample but all opinions are my own

 

They are pretty much like a pull up nappy, elasticated sides that can be torn off if it's a nasty nappy after, or pulled up and down for feeling like a "grown up" or potty training. Although I always thought I'd go straight to little girl knickers so Daisy would feel the sensation of having an accident, to hopefully encourage her to potty train naturally. 

However I do think these are a great transition from nappy to underwear, they feel slightly different to wear and are obviously different to put on and off! 

I should talk about absorbency really and I'm happy to say even though they don't look as if they will hold as much as a usual nappy they really do. And I am happy to report there is no sag! 

For me the design of these is a winner, anything with Peppa on will be accepted in this household by the little boss lady! Along with them being soft and easy to use this is the reason I will definitely be using them until we make the transition into big girls pants. 

Hayley xxx

*PR sample but all our own views 

I tried to capture some snippets of our day to look back on. I've not captured much of Alex's first few weeks on camera, and well that's down to enjoying him and revelling in the snuggles that come with a newborn and when he is allows me to I do the same with his sister . So I'll have to rely on my brain to keep these memories for me! 

It was such a lovely day with my babies, fingers crossed for some good days this week!! Xxx

I have filmed an update and popped it down below for you and I talk about squishy tummys and how I aim to get back some level of firmness but how there is no hurry at all, I'm in no rush or panic... For now! 

Breastfeeding has been a little more tricky this last week, Alex has picked his game up but become chompy too which is causing some discomfort so I talk about how I'm trying to overcome this. 

Hope you enjoy it! 

Hayley xxx

Since then you've had some big changes that will stay with you forever, you are now a sister, you have a brother and a sibling you can hopefully love, play and grow up with. And it really wasn't long ago, just a few months. Alex has been part of your life for just 3 little weeks but will be sticking around for some time, I'm not quite sure you realise he is a permanent fixture just yet. 

 

You have adapted well, better than I ever imagined you would. You are after all only two years old and have had mummy and daddy to yourselves for two whole years and as clever as you are I'm not convinced you understand it all. Not perhaps as much as we may expect you to anyway, it's tricky because you communicate so well now and I think we can get caught up in that and expect you to just get everything. Where as in reality you can get a little muddled and confused at times, leading to frustration which could be mistaken for attitude! 

I'm not saying you don't have an attitude because that is something you aren't short of! But I'm learning that when you have a little moment sometimes that it may not always be what it seems, you aren't naughty! Testing maybe, learning the boundaries and pushing them. Our little tiny temper! I've tried to ignore the paints being thrown up my patio doors, Elsa chucked in my lunch and even the little foot that has made its way into my shin for no apparent reason! This isn't a regular thing thankfully but these actions tend to come from nowhere and then pass us by pretty rapidly. It's all about distraction!

 

Muma doesn't have all the patience in the world sometimes but I'm trying I promise! I'm trying to put myself into your pretty little blonde head and think about why you do certain things and how we can turn that frown upside down when it pops up to say hello.  

I've made it sound like you're awful, you're really not, in fact you're the opposite! Such a good little girl who really does make me laugh every single day and makes my heart melt when you smother Alex with all your kisses and cuddles, even if it does make me a little nervous! You really do love him and you love nothing more than trying to hold him and show him off, he is Daisy's baby Alex. 

You've turned into quite the helper, always sssshhhhing Alex and rocking his basket, picking his dummy up and stroking him if he is upset. You are a lovely big sister.  

He really loves you in return too. When muma had her big tummy baby would stir when you came bounding into the room and this hasn't changed. His little blue eyes follow you around and become quite focused on you, you're definetly his favourite! 

I've yabbered on a bit and all I really wanted to say was thank you. Thank you for adapting and taking it all in your stride, I know it's not easy sharing but I promise one day he's going to be your bestest friend and you'll have so much fun together. Just know that even when muma is a little busy or has an annoyed look on her face that I love you more than the world and always will. I promise xxx

Muma xxx

 

 

Basically I set out to grin and bear it for as short a time as possible. It's not that I was against breastfeeding, I actually am a real advocate of it, it was just that I am a bit of a prude when it comes to my boobs and I just couldn't see how I would possibly feel comfortable feeling from them! Yes, I know it's why we have them but still.

 

I've got to say I completely forgot what it was like after you had given birth, how does your mind let you forget these things? To con you into having more babies that's why. 

I should say that actually this recovery has been easier than with Daisy. I felt like I could barely walk for fear of hurting my stitches and "grazes" (yeah, the glamour!), as if I was dragging my bottom half around with me and as if my boobs had their own heartbeats for what felt like weeks. This time there was not much of this. Yes my stitches hurt when I did too much and yeah every muscle ached for a few days but it wasn't as dramatic as last time! The most awful thing has been trying to wee without wincing! 

I was up and home within a few hours of having Alex and up and out of the front door pretty much the day after. I just made sure I took it steady and didn't put myself back. 

The one thing I had erased from my mind was how horrible going to the toilet was for the first few days after, and I'm not talking about the thing everyone warns you about. I simply mean having a wee!! It actually sent me to tears a few times, it is like a form of torture! All I would recommend is to drink as much as you possibly can so when you do go your urine is as weak as possible and therefore less stingy! Use moist toilet wipes and dab and sit in the bath as often as you can too! 

Breastfeeding doesn't seem to be too much of an issue again, I think I've fallen lucky. My nipples have been a little dry and when baby first latches it does hurt for a few seconds but I do remember with Daisy having to count to ten through gritted teeth!! His latch seems good I think it's just the toughening up process taking place, I've probably not been as religious with the nipple cream as I could have been. 

The other thing I had no idea about was the after pains, my god they should warn you about those things! I thought I was going into labour all over again and then every time I fed Alex they'd start again, apparently on your 2nd baby they're much worse and get worse with each child! Something to do with scar tissue when your uterus is contracting and shrinking back. Luckily they didn't last too long, just a few days. I was recommended to take paracetamol and ibuprofen together and it seemed to help. 

Overall I am feeling pretty good, I get the odd cramps sensation more often than not when I'm feeding and I'm still losing but that is all normal. I have been amazed yet again how quickly the human body shrinks back to normal, well I say normal lightly! A more squishy version of my normal! My tummy has shrunk, all signs of a bump have almost gone and I am now back in my jeans. I do still have a sticky out belly that's a little wobbly but it really does amaze me how a baby lived in there for so long and then ta- da the baby is out and the bumps gone. 

I'm not changing my diet over the next few weeks, I still believe that the body needs the calories to continue recovery and more importantly feed my baby. There is plenty of time to start thinking about toning up and losing any excess weight yet! (I may not be saying that in a few weeks when the newborn haze has worn off a bit!)

Lots of love,

Hayley xx

This delivery couldn't have been any more different than Daisy's, this could be a long post so I apologise in advance! 

It's Sunday the 29th and I'm 38+4 days pregnant and super fed up, hormones are super charged, I'm round and achy, feel nauseas and just generally had enough of being pregnant so demanded we did something for the day that would either get this baby moving or at least distract me from my mood! We went off for the day to a local animal park place with our friends and then out for a lovely lunch in the sun, it was such a lovely day but as I was going off to bed that night I felt no different, no pains, nothing! 

I went to bed an hour before Ben and settled in for a night of restless sleep again! Ben came up to bed a while later and as he walked in the room it startled me and POP!! My waters went  gush just like they did with Daisy, this time without any warning! After cleaning myself up I said to Ben get some sleep, it'll take days again, so we both got back into bed and tried to sleep. I was there all of ten minutes before the contractions started, and my god they were fierce! I remember feeling like this on day 2 with Daisy not minute 2! I started to time them and they were coming 6 minutes apart, I thought this could go on for hours but I just couldn't stay lay in bed so I got up and went downstairs with the idea I may get on my ball and have a cup of tea to relax me a little! 

 

Well I got downstairs and gush my waters went bang again, they went with such force again that I actually heard a pop! I started to feel a bit panicky when every time I tried to move or walk another massive contraction took over my body leaving me paralysed and to the point of being breathless and shivering. I managed to make my way back up stairs (literally 10 minutes after I'd come down!) and say to Ben that we needed to go, that I couldn't cope and I was panicking! The look on his face was a bit of shock and confusion! He called his mum to come and have Daisy for us and I somehow shouted to my mum on the phone that I needed her NOW! 

They were both there in less than 15 minutes and by this point I had stumbled back down to the living room floor where I slumped over the sofa on my knees trying to breath and rock through the waves that were coming every 2 minutes! Damn those stairs they must have really let the baby force himself down! My mum took one look at me in surprise and agreed we needed to leave now!! By this point I couldn't talk or walk and was panicking I wouldn't be able to handle the car journey. 

 

After shouting and moaning my way to the hospital we made it to MLU where I gripped on to the nearest midwife who took me to a delivery room. I remember her trying to examine me whilst I was crying that I was only going to be 1cm and be there days and that I couldn't do it! My waters just kept going gush in a dramatic fashion and I was panicking about that, shouting MY WATERS!! but every time they went again it felt different, the pressure was crazy! Anyway after lots of shouting and wriggling around she told me I was 5-6cm which did please me but then I did wonder how the hell would I get to 10cm if I was feeling like this now? 

Contractions were still coming 1 minute apart and as I was just catching my breath another would start, it was so intense and I had no control over my body what so ever. I had gas and air whilst they run the birthing pool which would take half an hour to fill, at this time I was on my hands and knees over the back of the bed, gripping on for dear life and screaming my way through the pains like a possessed loon! I knew I was screaming but I just couldn't stop myself, it was the weirdest feeling! It was almost as if I was watching myself from a distance! 

 

Literally minutes later I started shouting how my body was pushing and I couldn't stop it! The midwife told me not to push if I could help it, I now know this was because she needed another midwife with her for delivery and she had to go call someone (or I think that's what she said to me after anyway!!)! Luckily she had a lovely HCA there who helped me scream my way through it! My body was doing things that I had no idea about, it was an out of body experience! I just kept shouting I need the toilet, why won't my body stop!! Finally the midwife told me to stop fighting it and let my body do what it wants, next thing my mum tells me the babies head is out! I was like whatttttttt! The baby?!? I had no idea that he was coming! Next thing they were demanding me to push and open my legs more and one push and I had the weirdest sensation of relief! Alex was here... Lay between my legs on the bed! 

I was in absolute shock, what had just happened! I'd not been at the hospital even an hour yet, I was only 5cm and so how could i possibly have a baby lay down there?! 

When I finally managed to turn around and look at my baby I was in awe, he was gorgeous, and my goodness he looked big! He was actually only 7lb 14 but that's a whopping 2lbs on Daisy! Alex was okay after a good rub, I think he was as shocked as I was! I couldn't stop shaking and kept asking if I was dreaming. It had been the most intense time of my life! My boy wanted out and wasn't waiting for anyone! 

From over a 40 hour labour with my girl to under 2 with Alex, the human body is an amazing but crazy thing! I never did make it into the pool which was my hope but hey at least he has his own little story for his arrival!

 

For those of you that follow me on social media this will come as no surprise, our gorgeous little boy was born on our wedding anniversary 30/05 in the early hours. 

It was a lovely surprise delivery that went well and he arrived nice and safely, all be it a little shocked! 

 

 

I am writing up my labour story and hope to have it up this week some time, it is a bit of a blur in places but I want to try and document it as well as I can, as I have loved looking back over my story with Daisy! This one is very different to the last! 

Stay tuned!!!