Exercise is a wonderful thing to fit into your day, it can be something as simple as a leisurely walk in the evening or as challenging as a good long run. I love it purely to unwind after a day spent meeting the demands of four small children. I find it’s a great way to process my thoughts and give me some much needed headspace which in turn leads to a better night’s sleep. Regardless of the type of exercise you go back to after having a baby there are a few things you should check before you whip out the runners and stretchy pants. After my fourth baby I went back running a few months after she was born but my whole body was weak. I ended up damaging my knee in just one run which took a frustratingly long time to sort out. Continue reading
infants
Stocking fillers and Secret Santa gift ideas for everyone in your life
(AD – This post is sponsored by Marks and Spencer) There are some gifts that are easy to buy and there are some that aren’t and honestly I find Secret Santa ones the hardest, you often find yourself having to buy a little gift for someone you may not know that well, maybe it’s the colleague at work you got in Kris Kindle, it could be for someone you just want to thank like the nurse who looked after you in the maternity ward or the childminder. Or is could be your brother in law or your aunt you want to get something nice for but you’re plain out of ideas – that’s why I am here and I have a huge selection
10 easy DIY decor ideas for a girls bedroom
Probably one of the most enjoyable things I have done in the house is decorating the girls bedrooms. I literally went mad in there with my imagination and it was the only place my husband didn’t really argue with what I did, maybe it felt decorating in pink was just out of his comfort zone! Anyway, he left me to my own devices and I really poured my DIY heart and soul into these rooms. I didn’t do it all at once and in fact they are always a work in progress especially as they get older or, more importantly, as I get bored and need something new to channel my creative Continue reading
Pregnancy after miscarriage – 5 tips on how to worry less and enjoy it more
This is one of those posts I’ve had in the back of my mind for, quite literally, years now but October is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month so it feels right to publish this now. I haven’t really spoken much about what we went through because I’m not a total oversharer despite having a blog! That said, if you know me personally I am more than open about it. Miscarriage is a strange one, it happens for most very early on, before the 12 weeks when you’ve had a chance to tell anyone about it. And then if it happens it is so utterly shocking. I couldn’t even say the actual word, miscarriage, until long after Lucy was born. So it’s hard to just bring it up, hard to talk about it with friends when you need to. I think sometimes people feel then that it’s a taboo subject, like it shouldn’t be talked about but for me personally it wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about it, I just couldn’t. Continue reading
What to expect before, during and after an elective c-section in Ireland
This is a post I feel I had better write before all the info is gone from my head, lost in the blur or sleepless nights and school runs and preparing food! I have had four sections now, one emergency and the subsequent three were elective, all in Cork University Maternity Hospital so obviously the info I give here may differ from hospital to hospital. The second which is the pivotal one really, once you have two sections for the most part you have set your future birthing options in stone you can’t go vaginal after that (in the vast majority of cases). The main reason I had an elective section second time round was based on the consultants opinion. At 36 weeks the baby was measuring around 8lbs (in fact she was closer to 9lbs at that stage!) and given the previous history of my first birthing experience it was decided to go for an elective section at 39 weeks (standard elective sections are always done one week before due date).
Wise words for the new mother I was from the mother I am now
When WaterWipes approached me to get involved with their latest campaign I was, firstly, more than delighted because I use the wipes anyway on the small ladies behind and, secondly, because the campaign really struck a chord wth me. They want to take a different approach, so much of what we see online features picture perfect mothers with glossy hair and a serene expression on their faces holding an equally serene newborn in their arms as they gaze into each other’s eyes…no dirty muslin cloths hanging around in the background, no reminints Continue reading
Cows Milk Protein Allergy – our experience
I’ll kick off this blog post by saying that this is going to be purely about our experience with Lucy and her allergy to cows milk protein. I’m not a dietitian, we haven’t even been to one yet with her so I’m mainly going to talk about how we came about figuring out Lucy’s problem and what we are doing based purely on advice I have picked up Continue reading
The wonderful world of weaning
Three kids in it’s fair to say I have a good bit of experience with the world of weaning. I remember back on my first lady the whole idea of weaning being so daunting, it felt like the first time as a mother I was left to my own devices, the advice of the midwives or public health nurse was long gone and I felt there was so much out there saying ‘oh if you give too much sweet food they’ll be fat’ and I was petrified of giving the wrong food. Continue reading
5 easy DIY kids bedroom decor ideas
If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen some of the DIY’s I’ve done around the house now for the girls rooms. I have been in my element channelling my creative ideas that have bubbling away for years now but only just coming to fruition now that we have our own home. These are obviously primarily pink but it would be so easy to change up the colours to make these ideas just perfect for a little boys room. These are all DIY’s that I have done at home, mostly with the girls around so they are easy, quick, clean and best of all Continue reading
Nappies nappies everywhere!
I would almost consider myself a nappy aficionado at this stage, three kids in and so far I’ve been changing nappies for four and a half years solid, and that is obviously set to continue for another couple of years now that Lucy has landed! I’ve tried every size, shape and brand of nappy over the years and one thing is always for sure, when gravity takes hold these nappies are bulky in the middle. So when Pampers approached me and appealed the scientist within me I took on the challenge of testing this nappy to see just how much water it could hold (thankfully they didn’t ask me to test it with the real deal!). Continue reading
