Thursday 2 October 2014

What to Wear?

Everyone says it, and I don't think you fully understand until it happens to you, but finding time to put together an outfit when you're a new Mum is actually really hard!

After spending my pregnancy in leggings and oversized tshirts I couldn't WAIT to be able to wear my normal clothes again. However, one week after giving birth and I realise I am still grabbing a pair of leggings and a tshirt, as I simply do not have the time to think about what I'm going to wear.

This is when I decided I really needed to pick up some basics that would refresh my wardrobe and make me feel pulled together without having to give it too much thought. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), none of my pre pregnancy clothes quite fit me anymore. This gave me the perfect excuse to go and do a bit of shopping, online of course! Much easier when you have a new baby at home to contend with.

These are some of the things I have picked up recently and have found are perfect wearing for my life as a new Mum.






1. Oversized Cardi Topshop 

I love oversized stuff, I just do, but it needs to be paired with something skinny on the bottom. I'm still breastfeeding at the moment and probably will be throughout winter so I've decided that for easy access, sweaters are out and cardies are in this season. Slouchy and with the sleeves rolled up...perfect.

2. Sheepskin Boots Isabel Marant 

Ok, these are basically my treat to myself for not being able to buy any nice clothing while I was pregnant, plus my feet are a size bigger now (I think). Regardless I always like to buy one item per season that is a little bit pricier providing I know I will get the wear out of it. These boots are sooo comfy and with her trademark hidden wedge inside are much more flattering than a flat UGG (sorry I really hate UGGS). Lucky for me I still get my discount at work while on maternity leave :D

3. Cashmere Beanie Cos

I love a good beanie for when it gets cold, the slouchier the better. This one from Cos is super super soft and not at all tight and clingy, so no itchy foreheads! It's also lightweight and comes in loads of different colours.

4. Loose V-Neck Tee American Vintage

I am always on the hunt for the perfect loose tee. It needs to feel lived in, while having a good shape and preferably skimming over my hips and bum. With my ginormous boobs at the moment I find a V-neck most flattering. Best to keep it simple with no logos, in colours white, charcoal, burgundy or khaki.

5. Oversized Checked Shirt Topshop

Again, love a good old oversized shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I would normally button all the way to the top but this isn't so flattering with my new busty figure, so best just to the neckline or open with a tee underneath. I've also realised that checks are great for disguising any baby stains ie. milk, sick, poo...

6. Ripped Skinny Jeans Topshop

I used to hate buying "distressed" denim (why buy something new that's damaged?) but now I LOVE it. I feel like a pair of ripped jeans adds just a little more interest to an otherwise, lets face it, fairly dull outfit. They also make me feel like I'm that little bit cooler and not so 'Mumsy'. Also, they still look great with a pair of heels and a blazer if you want dress them up a bit. Rock on!


Speaking of heels, I love these ones from Office. They are basically a Valentino Rockstud rip off but who cares when they do the job for £59. The heel is also super low so still Mummy practical.

Thanks for reading xxx

Wednesday 1 October 2014

My Super Easy "Amazing Grass" Green Smoothie


I don't know if I'm the only one who's noticed, but EVERYONE seems to be obsessed with 'green' smoothies at the moment. Combining ingredients such as apple, cucumber, spinach, celery, kale, wheat grass, spirulina, avocado, etcetera etcetera. If it's green you can put it in a green smoothie and they are meant to be super amazing for your health.

Personally, since becoming a Mum, I've found I really don't have time to shop for or decide which green ingredients I should be putting in my smoothie. Luckily I have found this amazingly quick and easy way to get all my greens in one hit, and all I need is 3 simple ingredients.

  1. 250 ml Almond Milk
  2. Banana x1
  3. (And the secret ingredient) Amazing Grass Green Superfood x 1 scoop

Chuck it all in a blender and Voila! A delicious and nutritious green smoothie.

This stuff is amazing. I used to drink it before I was pregnant but stopped as it contained wheat grass, which I believe should be avoided during pregnancy. I'm happy to say that I am back on the stuff and thank god because the rest of my diet these days is absolutely atrocious. Since Sebi was born I struggle to get dressed most days let alone prepare myself a nutritious meal. So I am thankful to know that this gives me everything I need for the day, plus it does wonders for your digestive system.
Look at all the good stuff it has!!
If you want to try Amazing Grass Green Superfood, I recommend you buy from Amazon as it is a LOT cheaper. 

Also please note that I have not been paid to endorse this product in any way. I just love it and thought I would share x


Monday 29 September 2014

Learning to Live with Baby

4 days old

On the 3rd of August 2014 at 16.01 I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy Sebastian Noah Ian Francis. I waited in excitement for 9 long months just desperate to meet him and now that he is here he is simply more amazing than I could ever have imagined and I love him to pieces with all my heart.

This is however, one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I have been on for a long time. It's almost like being a teenager again!

2 weeks BEFORE giving birth I started to panic. What have I done? This is such a huge responsibility, am I ready for this? My life is going to change completely, will I like my new life? And I felt guilty for having these doubts and began to hate myself for having them. It became a vicious cycle, but one that I knew was all down to my crazy hormones rushing through my body. Luckily for me, my mum was always on the end of a phone to calm me down and knock some sense into me.

2 weeks AFTER giving birth was a completely different story. I was (am) utterly in love with this tiny person and literally just spent hours watching him sleep to see what kind of cute little face he would pull next. The lack of MY sleep did get to me though, and if anything I felt like that was one of the main causes for randomly bursting into tears when my husband would arrive home after a long day of work.

The thing that upset me the most was the way I gave birth. My husband and I had decided to try for a home birth, but in the end I was taken in for an emergency C-Section (that's another story)! I suppose I felt slightly cheated after reading Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. These womens' birth stories sounded amazing and I visualised my own amazing birth. Little did I know you can never EVER plan a birth no matter how hard you try. In the end I knew that all that REALLY mattered was that my little one was here safe and sound.
7 weeks old
And how grateful I am that he is! After 8 weeks together we have settled into a nice little routine. We have been out and about meeting friends for coffee, going for walks, taking the train into London to visit Granny and do some shopping. He is an absolute dream and I couldn't ask for more, but lately I find myself wondering...where am I? WHO am I? I am scared to loose my identity and I can see myself focusing all my attention on him. I can't help it I love him so! But I also need to love me, and I love the life my husband and I have built for ourselves. I don't want to live my life vicariously through my family. I want to add something to it and feel like a whole person who can inspire my son to want to do things for himself and be creative.

This is why I have come back to my blog. After 3 months or so away I can see why it is so important for so many to have that outlet. And although it is nice to have readers and receive comments, it is essentially about pleasing me and not about pleasing others. So my aim is to write about whatever I feel like in this space and to see what it turns into, if anything.

Thanks for reading x

Thursday 3 July 2014

Week 35 Pregnancy Update

35 Weeks @ Aerosmith in Clapham Common
Once again I'm a little slow with the updates but to be honest I've actually just been really busy the last few days visiting friends and family and making the most of my maternity leave whilst I can!

Although it felt a little strange last week to suddenly have all this time on my hands I have been easing myself slowly into my soon to be new role of a stay at home mum. My exhaustion has definitely returned so I am so glad I can just take things easy without having to worry about going to work. The problem is I wake up about 4.30 every morning and then am unable to fall asleep again until about 7. For someone who used to be unable to sleep at all during the day I am now a pro napper and love having a little sleep after lunch just to refresh myself.

I've been keeping myself busy by organising the house and making sure everything is nice and tidy. I've also taken up antenatal yoga classes which I'm attending Mondays and Thursdays. They're a really nice way for me to get out of the house in the afternoon and de-stress my body. You don't realise how much tension you end up holding onto carrying around all the extra weight, which I imagine is around 2 - 2.5 stone by now (oh well!)

The weekend was spent attending our last antenatal class at the hospital on Saturday morning. We were shown around the birthing suites and told about what to expect after the birth. Even though we are deciding on a home birth we felt it was still important to check out the facilities at the hospital as you never quite know what's going to happen!

My idol Steven Tyler :)
With my Sister & the one watery beer I consumed.

Saturday afternoon we went to Clapham Common to see my favourite band of all time, Aerosmith! I have literally been in love with Steven Tyler since I was about 12 when the Cryin' video came out with Alicia Silverstone and inspired me to get my belly button pierced (yep that'll show my age!) I've seen them before and they were absolutely amazing although I have to say it's a completely different vibe going to a festival when you're pregnant and unable to get off your face! :O 

Sunday we spent meeting friends for brunch in Brixton Village and then more friends for dinner to meet their new little boy who is now 8 months old. He is so adorable and just making me so excited to meet our own little boy now!
Brothers, so cute!

Symptoms wise apart from the tiredness returning I have to say the heat is getting to me a little. I can no longer remove my wedding rings from the swelling - still wearing them though, and I just find I get hot and sweaty so easily, so although I'd love more than anything to be out sunbathing in my garden now I just cant bear it to be honest. 

My stomach has also been contorted into some of the most bizarre shapes this week by baby moving about. I do wonder what he's doing in there some times!

xxx

Friday 27 June 2014

Baby Boy Haul!

So, I thought I would do a haul post on some of the things we've bought for our little boy. I haven't really gone too crazy and have just tried to get things I think will be useful and that I really like. Although I did have a little designer splurge...the only things I bought in the sale!
M&S
My mum picked up this cardigan and trousers from M&S. They have some really nice good quality things and I want to get the trousers in the beige colour as well.
M&S

M&S
Some multi pack items from M&S. Really good value. I think we got a mixture of up to 1 month and 0-3 months. I love the long sleeved vests and figure they'll be great in Summer when he is born so he can stay warm but keep his little legs free!
John Lewis
I love this chambray denim onesie from John Lewis. It's so soft and lightweight and you can roll the legs and arms down which is great with the different weather we get here sometimes. Also got these socks in the sale. I love the colours and the seaside theme. Dad bought the sleepsuit when he went shopping on his own which I thought was super cute :)
George @ Asda
Sun hats and leggings from George @ Asda. Cheap and cheerful, I mainly love the camper van on the bum of the grey leggings which says "surf'" :P
Kenzo
And last but definitely not least...my Kenzo goodies!!! My mum treated us to the blue romper ages ago but I waited till the sale to get the shirt and the jumper from Liberty's. I know it's ridiculous but I absolutely love them and I know he's gonna look ridiculously cute in them. The jumper is for 6 months so hopefully he'll get lots of wear out of it going into winter.

So that's pretty much it. I still need to grab a few basic vests and some tshirts but otherwise I'm done. I have no idea how big or small he's going to be so I didn't want to get too much to start off with.

I haven't bought any shoes...seems like a non essential, although I do like the converse booties so I may order them once he's here!

Monday 23 June 2014

Week 34 Pregnancy Update

34 weeks 

Well it's safe to say I have been a rubbish blogger.

I think when I got to 20 weeks and had my scan and everything was ok, I just finally relaxed and began to enjoy my pregnancy. I must say I did find work stressful and after a scare during week 22 when I woke up in the middle of the night with the most painful cramps and had to call the hospital to calm me down, I decided I was just going to try and take it easy and do as little as possible that would stress me out. This meant listening to my body and trying to relax on my days off and not force myself to do things if I wasn't in the mood. I did however finish work on Friday so I have plenty of time to do things like blog now. As well as get everything ready for baby's arrival!

How far along?
34 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain?
No idea, I imagine I've hit the 2 stone mark by now but not really sure and not really that bothered any more.

Maternity clothes?
None. I've lived in XL American Apparel leggings and long stretchy tops from H&M. I did get an amazing dress from The White Company which although is not maternity wear is great for now and will be great for after the birth.

Stretch marks?
Not yet, and I've been really lazy about applying lotions and potions to my bump.  Hopefully I wont live to regret that.

Sleep?
I wake up about 2-3 times a night to pee but usually fall back to sleep. I do however keep waking up about 4am and then not being able to drop off again although I put that partly down to the sunlight in the morning. We will definitely be investing in some black out curtains!

Best moment this week?
Finishing work is definitely a relief as it has been quite difficult being on my feet all day in the heat, however I do think it's helped loads to be active. Our cot also arrived from John Lewis this morning and I can't wait to get it set up!

Worst moment this week?
I honestly can't complain although it is annoying me that my feet seem to have gone up a size and none of my shoes are comfortable :( I also hate feeling like a hot sweaty mess in this sunshine as I'm usually the first to be out there sunbathing in the garden. A little too much to cope with at the moment.

Miss anything?
My summer wardrobe.

Movement?
He is definitely hanging out more on my right side than my left. He tends to squirm about more with a few gentle kicks in the ribs, but nothing too painful like I've heard some people report.

Food cravings?
Nope, just trying to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Anything making you feel sick or queazy?
No!

Gender?
Baby boy!

Symptoms?
I've honestly been so lucky. I have felt a little down at times this week but sure that is just down to hormones. I have been suffering from a bit of swelling but I wouldn't say it has been that horrendous - certainly not Kim Kardashian style! Although I can't take my wedding ring off now most of the time and I would say my legs look fatter in the evening than they do in the morning????

Belly button in or out?
So out!!!!!

Happy or moody?
I can switch pretty quickly from one mood to the next but I generally just try to laugh about it. My husband certainly does.

Looking forward to?
Getting the cot set up. Also I start my antenatal yoga classes this evening which I'll be doing twice a week up until the birth.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope to be doing a lot more posts now that I have the time. We are also considering a homebirth and have the midwife coming round to discuss on Thursday so I will definitly be doing a post on that.

Bye for now xxx



Monday 17 March 2014

Week 20 Pregnancy Update + Gender Reveal


20 weeks 1 day

How far along?
20 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain?
Still don't know. I'm guessing about 1 stone but I really should weigh myself. I thought the midwife might do it today when I went for my appointment but she didn't. I might force myself to find out when I go to the gym tomorrow morning.

Maternity clothes?
No more at the moment. Doing fine with what I have. On the look out for some comfy shoes though.

Stretch marks?
Only on my boobs :( not on my belly :).....yet!

Sleep?
I've been quite stressed out with work recently so haven't ben sleeping all that well. I seem to spend the entire night dreaming about work...not fun really.

Best moment this week?
Going for a walk in the sunshine on Sunday with my hubby in Epping Forest. Why can't the weather be this nice all the time!

Worst moment this week?
Being stressed at work and bursting into tears because of it. I then fell over in the street on my way home and burst into tears so spent the whole journey home on the tube wiping my eyes and feeling like a right idiot. It's like when I start I just can't stop. Anyone else have this problem? 

Miss anything?
Kind of miss being able to have a few drinks with my friends when we go out in the evening. Especially after a stressful day sometimes you just want to kick back with a couple of glasses of wine.

Movement?
Starting to feel it a lot more regularly now. When I'm feeling down a little kick from my baby always cheers me up.

Food cravings?
Loving a good Hamburger at the moment! Tommi's Burger on Marylebone Highstreet is great and my hubby had an amazing looking one at the The Diner in Spitalfields Market the other night.

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?
No

Gender?
We had our scan today and are super happy to announce that we are having a little BOY! Everyone seemed to think it would be a girl but I had a feeling... :)

Symptoms?
None really, I've been feeling more or less like myself. However I have started to notice that when I sit down my coccyx (tail bone) feels slightly painful. This only bothers me when I sit down but is absolutely fine when standing up. 

Belly button in or out?
Half in half out!

Happy or moody?
Generally really happy. Although my recent stresses at work have caused me to have a couple of emotional outbursts

Looking forward to?
Meeting my baby boy! and to more sunshine. Clocks go forward soon...always love the lighter evenings!

Sunday 16 March 2014

"Working" or "Stay at Home" Mum?


When my good client and friend called me at the store near the beginning of the week to say she wanted me to call in a load of pieces for her to try on I was super happy.  She is absolutely lovely, and the last time I saw her was about about a year ago when she was nearing the end of her pregnancy and waiting to give birth to a baby girl. 

As she is a successful fashion journalist and therefore working mother, I couldn't wait to find out how she was doing and also pick her brain about the subject of having a career and bringing up children at the same time.

The question has been put to me often recently,  will I return to work when my maternity leave finishes? 

My answer? I have no idea. I think the question I find me asking myself more is will I return to my current job? 

I know there is a hell of a lot more I would love to do with my career but I've been feeling a little stuck in the past year. Right now I see having a child as the perfect opportunity to take some time out and  decide what the next step should be. My ideal situation would be to have my own business so I can still spend time with my child as I need to, and earn money doing something I love.

After talking to my client this is what I learned. She admits that she is a major workaholic, example...she just did 26 days in a row for Fashion Week travelling from London to New York to Paris! She obviously missed her girls terribly but she also see's it as important that she still holds true to who she is. Thankfully Fashion Week only happens twice a year and the rest of the time she is home by six and manages to get some time in with her girls before bedtime and then obviously the weekends.

She said even after just 9 months at home with a baby, when you go back to work it is scary and you can really lack confidence. She advised me that even if I go back and do just 2 days a week it will be worth it for my own self esteem. This I have to agree with. 

I really can't tell how I am going to feel this time next year, but at the moment I think I will definitely go back part time. I already love what I do but I am thinking after 6 months at home I will do a short further training course in an area that I love that might allow me to start my own business on the side while I do my current job 2 days a week. Whatever I do though will be what is best for me and of course best for my child. 

At the moment I can't even decide how early I should leave work! Being in retail and on my feet all day running up and down stairs collecting garments for clients is harder than imagined, and I reckon it will only be made harder carrying a big bump around in the summer months.

If you worked in retail how early did you take your maternity leave?
How do you feel about returning to work?
As a mother, how do you feel about leaving your child in other peoples care while you work?

I would love to hear your comments and advice :)

Thursday 6 March 2014

Week 18 Pregnancy Update

18 Weeks + 4 days :)

How far along?
18 weeks, 2 days :)

Total weight gain?
Not sure at the moment. Will probably find out in 2 weeks when I see the Midwife after our scan. I'm trying to chill out about the whole weight gain thing...

Maternity clothes?
None! I went shopping for some with my mum the other day, we went into Seraphine and I have to say there was nothing I really liked and it was all far too pricey for something I'm never gonna wear after 5 months. A Tshirt for £45??? errr....no. In the end I got some printed tops from H&M £12 each and some basic vests £4/5, Leggings from American Apparel because they're my fav. Everything just in bigger sizes, at least my choices don't feel so restricted anymore and I'm actually looking forward to doing more shopping for my bump when the weather gets nicer.

Stretch marks?
Nope

Sleep?
Sleep is still good although my dreams have gotten progressively weirder and I even had a nightmare the other night which wasn't too pleasant :(

Best moment this week?
Just enjoying feeling more like myself at the moment. I had a lovely day out with my mum and even picked up a few baby things (unisex as we still don't know the gender). Also spending time with my hubby has been lovely and trying to do up the house a bit more before August. I'm very excited to have ordered our new sofa, no more being cramped on our dingy old two seater.

Worst moment this week?
Nothing its all been lovely!

Miss anything?
I was missing my runny eggs...but then I discovered that as long as they have the British Lion stamp on them then they are perfectly safe to eat runny, Win!

Movement?
Loads of movement on Sunday. It still feels like gentle flutters but it's definitely baby. I feel it most in the evenings or when I'm sitting down after eating.

Food cravings?
I've definitely got my craving for chocolate back! Other than that I could just eat anything. This week I felt like whatever I ate I just constantly felt hungry...annoying.

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?
No

Gender?
2 weeks!

Symptoms?
Weird dreams and constant hunger. Stuffy nose hasn't been as bad though recently. Oh and I constantly seem to have a few spots on my chin. They're not noticeable really but still there all the same.

Belly button in or out?
In. Actually looking forward to it popping out although my husband thinks it will look gross. Ha!

Happy or moody?
Super happy!!!!! Long may it continue!!!

Looking forward to?
Buying more things for peanut when we know the sex. It probably shouldn't matter but it does to me :)

Sunday 2 March 2014

Sunday Funday - Lunch at the Clapton Hart

Since I found out I was pregnant I have taken little pleasure in spending time at pubs and bars with people drinking. Downing endless pints of juice or water somehow isn't as fun. So my most favourite thing to do now when I venture out the house to be sociable is to go and have a lovely meal somewhere.

Today me and the hubby decided to go for a nice Sunday roast at the Clapton Hart pub in Hackney, only a short bus ride away from us.

This place is huge and although there were tables when we arrived at 1 PM it filled up super fast. There were lots of yummy mummies with their cute little babies and it made me so excited for our peanut to arrive, who incidently seemed to be moving around a lot today! I think he/she must have approved of the delicious lunch we had.

I had a "virgin" mary, roast beef, and rhubarb crumble and custard for dessert. Yum! I'm definitely looking forward to going back there in the summer when peanut is born as they also have a huge beer garden to relax in.


How do you enjoy spending your Sunday's? and can you recommend any interesting none alcoholic drinks?

Sunday 23 February 2014

16 & 17 Week Pregnancy Update

So...I have been a really rubbish blogger these last 2 weeks. Last week my mood was kind of all over the place and I felt like hiding from the world. So this is more like a 16 and 17 week update I suppose. I'd also like to do some more posts on other things but I have been struggling to find the time as I am always so exhausted when I get home from work. Must try harder! Anyway, for those who have been reading so far...a big thank you! x


17 week bump selfie

How far along?
17 weeks today.

Total weight gain?
I don't know, and I sort of don't want to. It's been putting me in a bit of a panic sometimes which I feel dreadfully guilty about because I know I'm supposed to put on weight but it feels like it's all going on my bum which is big enough as it is. If I didn't know better I'd swear the baby was growing in there and not in my belly.

Maternity clothes?
I've ordered a black maternity vest from Topshop...very exciting I know! It hasn't arrived yet though so don't know if it will be any good. I must admit I hate getting dressed at the moment as I find it so frustrating that none of my normal clothes fit like they used to and just look terrible now. I'm just getting bored of wearing the same old things day after day now especially when you want to dress up for a night out. Boo!

Stretch marks?
Non yet.

Sleep?
Sleep is fine at the moment. I actually managed to sleep all the way through the other night without getting up to pee! Haven't had any weird dreams yet but they are starting to get a little more vivid.

Best moment this week?
I've had a couple of evenings out with my husband and friends this week which has been really nice as previously I had no energy to do this so it's nice to start feeling like my normal self again. I even allowed myself to have a glass of red wine which I loved because it just made me feel a bit more socially part of the group if that makes sense? One glass was plenty :)

Worst moment this week?
Realising that dressing up for a night out is no fun when none of your clothes fit you properly anymore. It's sad to say but it actually made me feel like crying. Pathetic I know...but it's not like I have the money to go out and buy myself a whole new wardrobe either. I'm quite jealous of those people who manage to go through most of their pregnancy wearing their normal clothes. Sadly this is not working for me.

Miss anything?
Again...my clothes. Sorry this is making me sound so shallow!!! Argh!!! It really is a small price to pay for the amazing life we are bringing into the world and I do feel greatly blessed in reality.

Movement?
I keep feeling slight flutters, particularly in the evening.

Food cravings?
I'm craving poached eggs but I can't have them!!! Torture!!

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?
Not so much at the moment.

Gender?
Find out in 3 weeks time! Cannot wait!

Symptoms?
Still with the runny nose. I did buy some salt water spay which does actually help though, surprisingly.

Belly button in or out?
Inny

Happy or moody?
Happier lately, although I was in a mega strange mood the week before. I think the realisation of how our lives are going to change actually began to hit home and I started to panic a bit about how our relationship is going to change. My hubby took me out for a lovely meal though and we talked things through and I felt much better after that.

Looking forward to?
Our scan in 3 weeks time. I absolutely cannot wait to find out the gender and to know that everything is going ok in there. I also can't wait to feel my first proper kicks. So excited!

Sunday 9 February 2014

15 Week Pregnancy Update

Not sure how much is baby and how much is the roast chicken dinner i just ate.

How far along?
Exactly 15 weeks today. I think I got a little confused when I went for my first scan and they changed my due date by 5 days. Last weeks update should have been 14 not 13. Duh...

Total weight gain?
Not sure, really trying to be healthy most of the time but I think my body just wants to put on weight. Ideally I only want to put on 1 1/2 stone but I reckon it will be more like 2. Hopefully no more!

Maternity clothes?
Nothing new. Still looking for the perfect black long vest. Any ideas?

Stretch marks?
Not yet. I switched from the Bio Oil to Mama Mio Tummy rub oil and Boob Tube which I love. They are doing a deal at Harrods where you get the oil free when you buy the boob cream which worked out at £29 for both. Seemed like a good deal to me!

Sleep?
Sleep has been fine really although at the beginning of the night I always need to get up to pee about 3 times before I properly drop off. Annoying as I have to go all the way downstairs to use the bathroom. Not looking forward to that when I get bigger!

Best moment this week?
Had a lovely day with my mum looking at baby stuff in Harrods department. I saw so many lovely things but trying to hold off till we at least know the sex. My favourites were Petit Bateau and The Little White Company. We did have a look at the "designer gear" which although is quite cute I would frankly find it rather ridiculous as they would grow out of it so quickly.

Worst moment this week?
I also had this week off from work and although I have been resting I have still found myself getting ridiculously exhausted at times. It's actually starting to get annoying now.

Miss anything?
Having energy to go out in the evenings. Would like to go out more and see my friends but always so tired.

Movement?
Nothing this week :(

Food cravings?
Not really. I have been waking up in the middle of the night starving but have not given in yet to going down to the kitchen to stuff my face. Watch this space!

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?
No. Although I find I can smell people's bad breath really strongly at times. I find it particularly sickening when I'm on the tube sitting next to them and I can smell their icky breath. Really gets up my nose and makes me feel ill.

Gender?
Don't know. 5 weeks time!! eeeeeee!!!!

Symptoms?
Still really tired. I do have the whole itchy runny nose thing going on which is a bit annoying. It's ok though...apparently it will go away once the baby is born. YAY!

Belly button in or out?
Still in. Took my belly ring out though - first time in 18 years.

Happy or moody?
Happy, not crying what so ever this week :)

Looking forward to?
Gender gender gender!!! and buying cute baby stuff! I have started to clear a space in our room so I have somewhere to store it all when we start buying.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

My 1st Trimester Tips

As a first time mum to be I found the 1st trimester pretty difficult. As well as getting used to the fact that you are going to be a parent, your body is going through a mountain of changes. For me the main ones were feeling exhausted, emotional, nauseous, and I found that my body was changing rapidly. My breasts grew immediately and felt so painful and my stomach felt so bloated which is something I'm not normally used to. These changes are hard because although you are so excited about becoming a mum you just do not feel like yourself. Plus the added pressure of not being able to tell anyone why you are feeling so out of sorts (I found this particularly hard at the work place).

So I thought I would do a little list of things that I did to help myself feel better and hopefully they will help anyone else going through the same situation who reads this.

Invest in some new bras - like I mentioned before my boobs grew fast and were super painful. They hurt so much they actually prevented me from having a good nights sleep! (not great when you are already exhausted). The moment I felt relief and felt better about myself was when I went to get a better fitting bra, one that supported me better and that I wasn't spilling out of. As someone who has never worn a bra at night time, I found that wearing a soft non wired one to bed really helped with my sleep and stopped them swinging around too much  when I'd be tossing and turning at night.

Treat yourself to some new makeup - this has also really helped to make me feel better. Quite early on I haven't felt great about my changing body, which I mainly put down to the lack of control I have over it now. Working in fashion and feeling like non of my clothes look good on me anymore has given my confidence a bit of a hit. Paying a bit more attention to my makeup routine has given me that extra boost and allowed me to fake that pregnancy glow even though I haven't got to that stage yet. Below are some of the products I have been using.

Posie Tint - Benefit
Perfection Lumiere - Chanel
Copacabana Illuminator - Nars
Skinny Felt tip Liquid Eyeliner - Eyeko
Mineralise Concealer - Mac
They're Real Mascara - Benefit

Take time out for yourself - if you are feeling exhausted then probably like me, you find that those pesky hormones effect you most of all when you're tired. Que emotional breakdown in front of work colleagues nightmare! Don't feel guilty about spending your day off in bed or cancelling that meeting with friends for drinks (it's not quite the same without the alcohol). Have a warm bath, put on some fresh pjs and curl up on the sofa with a blanket and movie. Pamper yourself and get your nails did and a foot massage. It's hard work creating another life even at these early stages.

Tell someone you trust about your pregnancy - I am lucky enough to have an amazing Mum who I of course told immediately, and she has been super supportive. I give a her a ring whenever I need someone to talk to and she always calms me down and makes me feel better. I also found it really important to have someone to talk to at work as this was what I found most difficult feeling tired and emotional all the time and trying to supervise my team. Everyone was wondering what was wrong with me and it was nice to have a work colleague I trusted to get things off my chest. I also felt a weight was lifted off my shoulders the day I told my Manager, it actually solved a lot of my problems and I started to enjoy my pregnancy more even though it was still a secret.

Download some pregnancy apps - this was one of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant. I pretty much just picked the first ones I found but they worked for me. Download some different ones to see which you prefer. I use...

Pregnancy by Health & Parenting - tells you how far along you are and gives you tips every day. It shows you how your baby is growing each week and the changes you will notice in your body. It also has a section on foods you can and cannot eat and allows you to track your weight. I loved making lists with the baby names they have.

Pregnancy by Babycentre - Similar idea, however they have links back to their website for info and videos of how your baby is growing. It also has a chat room for you to connect with other mums.

Carry some healthy snacks with you - depending on whether you are suffering from extreme morning sickness or not, you will know what makes you want to heave and what you can stomach. I have been fairly lucky and only suffered mild nausea now and again. I have really been craving fruit so found it useful and easy to carry some around with me for when I'm at work or just out and about. Once you discover what little healthy snacks you like make sure you carry some with you.

Anyway, these are just some of the things that have helped to get me through. I'm still waiting to get my energy back though!

If you have any tips for dealing with pregnancy at any stage please let me know - I would love to hear them!

Sunday 2 February 2014

Week 13 Pregnancy Update

Little bump! (can't wait for it to grow)

How far along?
Exactly 14 weeks today.

Total weight gain?
Last time I was weighed was about 1.5 weeks ago, that was 3.5kg gain so far, 1/2 a stone! oops... most of the weight seems to have gone on my hips and butt so far, and boobs!

Maternity clothes?
I have been wearing black maternity Topshop jeans non stop because they are so comfy and the only thing that fits me properly at the moment. I went and bought another blue pair today just to change things up a bit, exciting exciting! and a black top that I can wear at work. I have to say I'm having real trouble finding anything that's particularly flattering top wise. All the tops I tried on in Topshop today looked like tents and made me look as big as a house.

Stretch marks?
Non yet, I've started to use Bio Oil but may switch to Elemis when this runs out. I'll try out a few and see which one I like best.

Sleep?
I have been off from work this week so have actually been sleeping pretty well as I'm feeling a lot less stressed. The one bad night I had was mainly because I got a little over excited about something...see next question...

Best moment this week?
Going out for dinner with friends and feeling the baby kick for the first time. I know people say that with your first you wont feel anything until about 18 weeks, but I'm sure it was the baby. Right above my pubic bone in my lower abdomen I felt a strong tapping sensation. It was quite random, some fast and then slow and went on for about 30 seconds. It certainly wasn't gas, trust me I've had enough of that in my life time to know what that feels like.

Worst moment this week?
I have been quite teary and sensitive and can basically start crying at the smallest thing if it upsets me. It's really hard to control and I think it stresses and worries my husband a bit as he doesn't like to see me that way and isn't used to it.

Miss anything?
Missing my poached eggs and was longingly eyeing up my sisters bloody mary at the pub today at lunch. Also miss my wardrobe and feeling good in my clothes.

Movement?
As mentioned above. I also felt a lot of prodding sensations around my belly button all evening that night but I'm not so sure about those. Haven't felt anything else since.

Food cravings?
No specific cravings really, but when I decide I'm in the mood for something I have to have it! Just been slightly more picky with my food in general.

Anything making you feel sick or queezy?
Strangely I've been finding chocolate, biscuits or anything overly sweet a bit sickly and off putting. Other than that nothing really.

Gender?
No idea yet, a whole 7weeks till our 20 week scan.

Symptoms?
Not really, mainly the hormones making me teary and my boobs started to get sore again yesterday. Also can still get quite exhausted if I try to do too much. My body finds it hard to get over a gym session at the moment. I went twice this week and both times the following day I felt absolutely drained.

Belly button in or out?
In

Happy or moody?
Generally happy, but a little bit sad and teary at times.

Looking forward to?
Finding out the gender, still seems like ages away. And getting some of my energy back now that I've hit the 2nd trimester.

Monday 27 January 2014

Hello There... (Introduction and Recap of 1st Trimester)

Hi, I'm Sam. I live in London and work for a luxury fashion boutique, I'm also expecting my first child with my amazing husband. As you can imagine we are both super excited and I thought writing my own blog would be a good way to keep a record of this pregnancy and also to help me deal with all the baby stuff which is going on in my head right now.

If you have ever been, or are currently pregnant, you probably know exactly where I'm coming from. The last three months have been a mixture of hormones, exhaustion, tears, happiness, googling, googling, googling. I don't think I have ever googled so much in my entire life.

The one thing that has really helped me though is reading other blogs, to help me realise it is completely normal to be an emotional, sometimes irrational, wreck - especially when you are pregnant!

I have to say I have found the last 12 weeks tougher than I imagined they would be. Finding out I was pregnant was the best news I could have hoped for before Christmas, I am literally so excited, however I cannot believe the levels of exhaustion I have felt. Morning sickness hasn't been bad at all, I would have a few mornings, mainly after not having slept very well, where I would suffer from nausea, but that would pass if I could manage to make myself eat some fruit, grapes and clementines have been my saviour.

Hormones wise, they seem to get the better of me when I am tired or haven't slept well. I had a massive emotional breakdown at work last week where I just couldn't stop crying and no amount of telling myself to stop behaving like a crazy person would do the trick. In the end my Manager decided it would be best if I just went home. I felt SO embarrassed, luckily I work with a lovely team who were all super understanding.

The last few annoying symptoms have been that my breasts have grown 3 whole cup sizes (I think) and my jeans are definitely a little (ok a lot) more snug on the hips by now. However I'm really not showing much at all yet. I tried to take a bump photo today but it was really pathetic so I will just have to wait for that.

Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you will continue to follow me throughout the next 6 months. I intend to do an update every week of how I'm doing and hopefully to do some fashion and lifestyle posts for preggos too.

We had our first scan last week. It was amazing! Here's a picture of our little peanut.