Men & Boob's....

I am nearing a year on my journey of breastfeeding Lydia! I can hardly believe it.
Our journey began on the 21st January 2010, birth day!

Here's my breastfeeding-magazine article about the start of it all.
I've had mastitis, nipple thrush, Lydia on food strikes (accepting nothing but milk), self doubts, nipple eczema and been so run-down that i doubted my self and my supply.

I titled the post men & boob's as I'd like to thank Justin for being so great :) I doubt i would've been able continue at certain points without his encouragement and support.

Most people give up within the first few weeks or by 6mths. I think you need a good support team of friends, family, partner to have the confidence to continue.
I was worried what people will think of me, if my boob was showing to much, if was going to get nasty comments or looks. I think it was when we reached 6mths that i realised Lydia was no way near ready to wean, and she's still a baby. Nothing has changed since then, apart from now she says ''mum-nums'' when she wants her milk :)

The W.H.O (world health organisation) recommend a minimum of 2yrs. I really can't say how far we will make it, as we've gone from 0-11mths within the blink of an eye!

Justin has been great. When we talk of weaning he says ''Why? Why would you need to/want to? Lydia is still a baby and needs her milk, if your still happy to continue then whats the point of stopping? Just ignore what others says, the ill-educated comments of people. They don't know what's best for your child!''
As you can see, he is happy for us to continue, and he continues to offer his support and encouragement. A few of my friends are still nursing their baby's of the same age, some a little older. This really helps to spur me on as i never thought i would make it this far already! :)

I need some answers to give to people when they ask the dreaded question's....''So,when are you weaning her?'' , ''Why don't you just give her a bottle?'' etc.... Lydia never has accepted a bottle or dummy, and she is to old to start introducing a bottle now!?! Silly people.
I really feel like i shouldn't have to explain my parenting choice's to anyone and everyone. At the moment i have to keep justifying myself to others. I think my new years resolution relating to breastfeeding should be to respond with ''We'll wean when she's ready''.

Or maybe i should just moo???
Mumma's milk has all the vitamins and nutrients that she'd get from cow's milk, but it free!!!!!!!!!



Another great blog i follow The Leaky Boob, daddy's love milk! Lol ;p xx

Because she's worth it...

No not the stupid woman in the Lorreal advert, my Lydia!

We had a good first christmas with Lydia. Lots of food and presents :) And she took her first step(s). She did it right infront of me, amazing! And she's finally getting more hair!!!
This time last year i was sat on the sofa like a beached whale, scared of going into early labour with the snow and frost outside!

Now a little moan.....

The last 2days have not been fun :( Lydia is getting 3 more teeth, in unison! The top right 3 in a row, the bunny rabbits and a fang.
Screaming, non-stop through the night. She won't open her mouth for anything to help (teething gels,toys,calpol etc...)
All i can do is hold her, but she pushes away and makes it really hard, i'm going to hold her against her will. No sleep for anyone in my flat, or next door, or upstairs! Lol. Upstairs seem to think if they bang hard enough on the floor and put their washing machine on at 11.30pm, that'll help make Lydia quiet and go to sleep!?! Think again, idiots!

They say that when you become a mother you forget about your friends who arn't mums. This is not true, infact its the opposite....

I recently heard that the reason one of my life-long friends has not been in touch with me, for about 6mths, is because the last few times we arranged to meet i had cancelled or asked to re-arrange the time/date. How pathetic is that? When you have kids that are teething/not sleeping/have flu/breastfeed through the night etc... And you feel like shit in the morning, let me know if you want to meet up and go shopping. No?
You think you have a brilliant mate who cares about you, understands and wants to help. How wrong can you be?

On the up....

I've made some excellent new friends this year. And yes, shock horror, they are ''mummy'' friends.
Made one great friend in the randomist of ways, free-cycle! Lol, she offered me some re-usable nappies and we just got talking. I feel like i've known her forever :)
Got some lovely neighbours who are always trying to help me out whenever they can. Meet for coffee or tea in each others flats, checking on me to see if i'm ok on a down day, build snowmen on the balcony, make me cakes and cookies!!! I will really miss having them around when they emigrate to Auz :(

Breathe...

Ok, i've stopped moaning now. Come out from behind the sofa :)
New years is next, then my baby will be one! Where did this year go? I'm now 25 and a mother! Crazy.

Night Nappie review 5: Cheeks&Cherries ~ Issy Bear-V2-''Minky Baby'' Dalmation

After contacting J at Cheeks&Cherrie's i was sent two gorgeous nappies to test out for night time usage. This review is for the Issy Bear-V2-''Minky Baby'' Dalmation.

When i opened this i was so excited! It is GORGEOUS! I fell in love with it, Justin told me off for stroking it like a cat. Hahaha. Lydia was also excited and grabbed it off of me, she played with it for ages. I managed to get it off her to give it the pre-washes as per instruction.

The sizing is birth to potty, you adjust it by tightening/loosening the popper fastenings as to baby's needs.

It comes with two bamboo and microfibre inserts, one day and one night. They say on them which is which, very helpful. These also have poppers on, yellow ones to pop them together for night-time usage and white ones to make them smaller for smaller baby's. The inserts are quite thick and take longer than 'regular' ones to dry, but you can buy more of these separately if can't you wait to use the nappie. They washed really well with no smells or shrinkage. The inside of the nappie has a fold down and velcro seal to help keep the inserts in place.

The outer nappie is 'Minky' with Polyurethane Laminate (a waterproof layer), and this washed and dried really quickly. It has a stay-dry fleece like layer next to the skin, this is suedecloth. So no need for a liner, but we used one as i didn't want to risk staining this beautiful nappie!

The elasticated panels on the legs and back were very soft next to Lydia's skin, this helped in giving a comfortable fit. It fitted Lydia really well with lots of room to grow, so great value as it will last her ages!
The only extra feature that I'd like to see, would be to add one or two more poppers either side in a second row. This would give an even better fit as it won't allow the panels/flaps to slip out of place if your baby is a wriggler (as is mine). Lydia's bum did seem rather firm and large once she was fully clothed for bed. I could see this nappie being rather bulky on smaller babies, but so are most onesize nappies.

Lydia is quite a heavy night-time wetter, so i was hoping this nappie was upto it. In the morning Lydia was dry! I was amazed, no soggy clothes and no sore bottom. The nappie became quiet heavy as it was 'pee-soaked', but this is to be expected as with most inserts. And she was changed as soon as she woke anyway :)
I found this nappie to be very versatile. A great day nappie with just the main insert, add the extra 'night insert' for night-times, longer naps, car journeys, or for bigger babies and heavier wetters. Excellent!

Although these nappies are a bit more expensive than some other brands/styles (from £18.99), if you consider all of the above i think this nappie is well worth the price. They last ''forever'' (until potty training) and then can be handed down to another baby.

So if your looking for something extra special, long lasting, heavy wetter suited, then i recommend this nappie to you! You can buy yours, and other gorgeous stuff here; http://www.cheeksandcherries.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2echeeksandcherries%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=issy&PN=Onesize_pocket%2ehtml%23a1_2112505#a1_2112505

                                                              
                                                                     ~~~ Thankyou J ~~~

Night nappie review 4 ~ Cheeks&Cherrie's: Bambooty Easy nights

After contacting J at Cheeks&Cherrie's i was sent two gorgeous nappies to test out for night time usage. This review is for the Bambooty Easy Nights.

Available in six colours and the following sizes; 

Small: up to 7kg

Medium: 6-11.5kg

Large: 10kg+

XL: 13kg+

 

We were originally sent a medium in pink, it seemed far to small to fit Lydia so i swapped it for a large. These nappies are designed to be low rise and a trim fit. However they do have a new XL night nappie that's designed as a high rise nappy for older toddlers and children at night time. I'd love to see this version available in the L size also.

The nappie came beautifully wrapped with some useful information about washing and care instructions, a free post returns policy and very helpful/friendly service.

I washed the nappie as per instruction, it dried really quickly (1 day) compared to other all-in-ones. I'm sure this was because of the flap-out boosters, 4x flap-out Bamboo Fleece (70%) and Organic Cotton (30%) boosters with hidden micro fibre. (12 layers of absorbency altogether). 2 extra layers compared to the 'Easy Dry' nappies for daytime use.

These fold in snugly to fit the outer nappie, made from polyester covered PUL. With suede cloth (stay-dry, like fleece) or Bamboo fleece (depends which flap you put on top) you don't have to add your own liner.

Lydia just fitted into the nappie, with the low rise style only just covering her bum. I like the fact that it use's popper fastenings as they give a 'safer' fit, especially seeing as Lydia's worked out how to un-do velcro nappies!!! She did seem a bit 'bottom heavy', with the bulk concentrated in a small area and giving her a wide gap between her legs. I feel this style of nappie would best fit a newborn (as in picture). I think the older/larger sizes should have thinner/longer flip-outs to make it more comfortable and less bulky.
The leg elastic was not as soft as some others, but it held in the flaps well and gave a good fit around chunk's thighs.

Then it was off to bed...

I woke to find a pee soaked baby :( Oh dear! Soggy through all the nappie and three layers of bed clothes. However it had safely contained her morning poo explosion!?! You can buy extra boosters for this nappies if your baby's a heavy wetter, i think we need some! But then she really will be weighed down with a huge bottom!

So in conclusion i think this style of nappie would best suit a slimmer/smaller baby, that's not a heavy wetter :)
If you are parent to the afore mentioned baby then great! You can get the nappies here; http://www.cheeksandcherries.co.uk/acatalog/info_12838.html along with lots of other gorgeous stuff!

Night nappie review 3 ~ Baba & Boo

In my quest for the perfect night nappie we found Baba & Boo, Eve wanted to help and kindly sent us one of theirs to try. We recieved the gorgeous purple pocket nappie with popper system which allows the nappie to grow with your baby - a onesize nappie. (they fit from birth to potty-training (usually 35lb)).

I found the nappie to be very soft, inside and out. The inside is microfibre lined, this draws wetness away from baby's skin, keeping them dry and soft. It came with two microfibre inserts, one big, one booster. The outer layer is waterproof (made from PUL), which keeps all the soggyness inside the nappie! Also making it very hard wearing and durable.
I was greatfull of reciving the handy hints, tips and washing guide that they send out with each purchase. They include it to help you get the best out of your nappies! I followed the simple and clear instructions to wash the nappie, then waited for it to dry. It impressed me by drying within the day! Great if you are running short of nappies or have a few little nippa's!

The fit was really good on Lydia, the only slight amendment i'd make would be to add an extra popper or two on the side tabs. This would stop the tabs/flaps from slipping down/out if you have a wriggley baby, as i do! I have spoken to Eve and she has mentioned that they're working on new and improved nappies with some different features right now, these will include a few extra poppers. She also offered to send me one when they're ready so i can compare the two for her :)

I was sent this to use as a night-time nappie, however i woke to find Lydia had leaked! I think for night-time use you deffinatly need to add more inserts. Bamboo inserts would be great as they tend to absorb more. However this same nappie has recieved other rave reviews about it as a night nappie. I think this is dependant on how a 'heavy wetter' your baby is, rather than a sizing issue. Lydia wets quite alot over night and always has her 'morning poo'! This i feel was to much for the cute little nappie.
We also tried this nappie in the daytime and it was fab! So i'd say its great for a 2-3hr wear, and it contained a runny poop very well! With no explosions or leaks :)
 
At only £6 a nappie including two inserts and excellent service, i feel this is great value for money. It also come in a variety of other gorgeous colours and designs at Baba & Boo's website. There you can find other adorable items for your wee'ones, and fabulous gift ideas.

Show me your's and i'll show you mine....

Resolutions that is! (How dirty is your mind!?! hehehe)

So do you ever make them? If you do, do you stick by them or do they frazzle out after a few days/weeks. I have never really been one to bother with them, until now...So mine are;

1. Re-cycle more ~ I've always been lazy in the fact that we have no recycling facility's outside/inside the flat. So I'm going to make more of an effort. I'm going to designate a small space and a strong re-usable bag and once a week walk it down to the local re-cycling point. Lydia can help me, we will use her buggy to wheel it down there! hahaha
2. Tidy up more ~ i find it so easy to just leave something that needs doing as i know Lydia will just make it a mess again in under 5mins! I think i need a schedule to stick by.
3. Be nicer to others ~ its so easy to get wound up by silly little things in life, with a teething/tantrum throwing and sleepless baby, it doesn't help! I need to take more ''moments of calm'' and think before i snap!!!
4. Get out more ~ Not necessarily to drink etc... Just to get more time by myself,with friends & Justin. Since Lydia's birth the longest away from her (i think) has been 3hrs!!! 3hrs peace in 11months is NOT much!
5. Stop thinking so much ~ i seem to think about everything far to much. Hence my lack of sleep and snappy tendency's. Maybe i should go to bed earlier also? But there's so much to do in a day and i need my ''wind down time'' at the end of the day.
6. Remember to write things down ~ Since Lydia my brain has gone to pot! Justin got me a gorgeous Irregular choice notebook/diary for my birthday, so now i have no excuse!
7. Stay positive ~ its so easy to get little things niggle away at me (hence no:3) i need to let the little things,and people pass.

So seven is all i have, for now! What have you got? Please share :)

Night nappie review ~ 2: Little Lambs Bamboo

On my quest to find the best night nappie, i found Little lamb and Vicky sent me out one of their trail packs.

Trial packs contain; 1 nappie (bamboo,organic cotton or microfibre), 1 wrap (various colours available), 1 washable fleecey liner, 1 booster insert and a gorgeous green wetbag! The booster is sewn into size 2&3, loose for size 1 so its less bulky for a newborn.
We recieved a size2 nappie and a white wrap. Size 3 nappies are only available with white wraps.
Sizing as follows; size 1 - 7lbs-20lbs, size 2 - 20lbs-38lbs, size 3 - from 30lbs.
At £12 this pack saves you £8.50, if compared to buying all the items individually. And you really do need them all so it fantastic!

My first impression of the nappie was ''Oh no,it has a wrap'', as i've had bad expieriences with 2 parter nappies of another brand. But my view was dramatically changed after we used it!

The nappie is SO soft, its unbelievable how soft until you've acctually held one yourself! As is the fleecey liner. The wetbag is a good size to keep a few (2-3) night nappies in unitl your ready to put a wash on. We were sent a white wrap but there seven available colours to choose from, one for each day of the week?

We washed the nappie as per instruction (inclded in the trail pack) and waited for it to dry. It did take almost 2days to dry, but it is bamboo! On the website they mention that its ok to pop them onto the radiator to speed up the drying time. The wrap and liner however, dried almost instantly!

So i opened the wrap and the nappie out as the instructions state and added the liner. Popped Lydia in and found it so easy to fit! I was very impressed with how snug, comfortable and 'non-bulky' it was. I have always thought two parter nappies make babies look huge, but this looked no different size wise to a normal pocket nappie. The wrap is soft and silky feeling, made with a breathable waterproof knitted polyester layer. It also has the cross-over velcro fastening, making it perfect for the nappie.

The velcro fastenings are shaped with the Little Lamb cross-over tab that ensures a perfect fit every time. A close fit for skinny/small babys, going right up to a wider fit on a larger child/chubba bubba! With closable tabs to prevent the pick-up of fluff in the washing machine.
The leg and back elastic have been gently shaped for a better fit and are tight enough to stop leaks but are also soft enough not to hurt or chaff baby's skin.
The thousands of loops that make up the nappie are knitted rather than woven, hence to super softness to it.

The morning came and i was silently dreading waking up to a wee ridden cotbed, I was totally wrong! Not a drip/dribble or mark out of place! I was so pleased. I took her to be changed, still expecting her sleepsuit to be wet through. Nothing was wet!!! Everything (inc.a poop!) was happily contained inside the nappie, it hadn't even slipped out into the wrap :) The super soft fleece liner kept the pee away from Lydia so she wasn't sore, and was really easy to 'flick' off the poop in the loo, and along with my old view of two parters it got flushed down the loo!!!

At only £12 for this kit, it is a great way to test the fantastic fit and amazing absorbency of their shaped nappies.  And they offer a money back guarantee, so it's risk free if you don't think you've bought the best nappie. If you're not completely satisfied just return it and they'll give you a 100% refund.

''Possibly the best selling bamboo nappy on the market today'' - quote from their website, and i agree with it!


To get your trail kit and other lovely stuff from them, just click this link; Little Lamb

Night nappie review 1: Real Easy by HipHip Baby!

Our desperate search for a night-time cloth nappie that works!

I got in touch with Zoe over at Babykind and she was keen to help us end our search. Zoe was very helpful, kind and polite, excellent customer service was recieved. Zoe sent us three of their Real Easy Nappies to test and review. These nappie's can also be used for day time, and as they come for a 'light' bedtime wetter, or just add one of your regular inserts into their roomy pockets for night-time use.

They have so many gorgeous colours/patterns/designs to choose from. So i was very excited when received three of them!!! My favorites from the stunning collection :)


Plum Red Minky

Citrus Spots Minky

Minky Summer Flowers designs

There are five sizes to choose from;

Extra-Small 4 - 12lb (1.8 - 4.5Kg)

Small 7 - 18lb (3.2 - 8.2Kg)

Medium 15 - 30lb (6.8 - 13.6Kg) *these are what we used

Large 30 - 45lb+ (13.6 - 20.5Kg+)

Extra-Large 45lb+ (20.5Kg+)

With the poppers giving a snug,secure and adjustable fit, most baby's would only ever need the small and medium until they're potty trained. That saves alot of money, rather than having to buy a whole new batch of nappy's every six months or so.

The super soft Minky outer is really luxurious to feel, doubled with a stretchy,anti-wicking waterproof layer that's silky and smooth. There are two built in inserts, one a super fluffy double layered micro terry and the other a triple layered organic cotton flip out. Combining the latest fabric technology for top performance, with the natural benefits of organic cotton. A super soft fleece lined inside, protective against staining, soft against baby and keeps them dry. No bulky seems around the legs or back, giving a comfortable 'bulk-less' fit.

They came with some very clear and helpful instructions for usage,washing and care (info) so i washed and dried them as per the instructions, anxiously waiting to get them on Lydia! I didn't have to wait to long as they dried in the same amount of time as a typical two parter nappy does.
Then the next test was for me to pick which one to use first! They're all gorgeous!
We finally decided to go with the Summer Flowers design. Lydia seemed pleased with the choice, smiling at the nappie and looking at the brightly coloured flowers.

I was very pleased with what a great fit they give, very snug,secure and comfortable for baby. An extra row of poppers on the side is an excellent idea as some other branded nappies pop together with only one row and the sides seem to slip down,poke out, the inserts move or bunch up. Not this one! I was very pleased at how generous, yet 'bulk-less' it was, some night nappies make baby look like the Michelin man once dressed! This was like any other normal sized pocket nappie :)

With lots of failed night-nappy trials, Lydia being little miss fidget bum and having a dodgy tummy bug, I was slightly dreading the whole night in a cloth nappie! I added one more small extra bamboo insert and a re-usable fleece liner, the liner is not needed but i didn't want to ruin the inside on the first go!

But in the morning i woke up to.....No leaks! No exploding poo all over everything, Nothing! Not even a dribble of pee escaped, this nappie stayed in the right position all night! I thought the flip-out insert would've needed a popper or two at the top to hold it in place, but it didn't. Thanks to the super absorbancy and excellent fit, not a slip, twist, lump or bump was out of place in the morning. I was so surprised and happy, i even did a little dance around the nappie! Hehehe :)

These ''new-generation'' are little miracles! I am definitely wanting more in the next size up, should Lydia grow out of them before potty training  :)

With prices starting at just £10.99 you need some in your nappie sack!
Get your hands on these great valued, super Eco-friendly, nappies that actually work!

They also sell other great Eco-friendly baby wear including bibs, clothing and shoes :) And do deals on purchases over certain amounts :)


For more info visit Babykind or to buy directly go here; http://www.babykind.co.uk/realeasynappies.htm

Snow Ja'Vu

This was me, ready to pop this time last year. I was hobbling around in the ice and snow in fear of giving birth early! But dettermind to have a snowy walk around my house! And now.......

One year on, and this is Lydia and I today!

Playing in the snow with my gorgeous girly

I wrapped us both up in preperation to walk around the outside of our house.

She was amazed at her first sight of snow, i don't think she blinked for a while. Hehe.

I love the crunch of fresh snow beneth your feet, its so christmasy and fresh out there now. Really made me all festive, so much so that i started putting up the decorations when we got in :)

I super wrapped Lydia up as i don't want her to catch a cold. She looked like a michellen baby in all her layers!

Lydia's outfit; sleepsuit, catsuit, fleece suit, cow coat, hat (and 2 hoods from suits) and 2 pairs of gloves! Also a buggy snuggle once i put her back down. All cosy and no room for me to get in :( lol

All i could find to wear was 2hoodys and some tracky bottoms! Nice.......

Lydia's favorite part about the snow was when it fell of the trees. She loves trees!

I found a big stick and kept tapping the leafs/branches to make 'mini-avalanches', i got covered in snow but it was priceless hearing her gorgeous little giggle each time i did it :)

All that fun tired her out and she napped for a good few hours when we returneed indoors, excellent! I wish it snowed everyday! Lol ;p xxxx