MOTHERHOOD: Easing Back Pain in Pregnancy & whilst Breastfeeding with Deep Freeze

It's only been 3 months, but already I miss being pregnant; lovingly stroking my bump, wandering what she'll look like and how our family will adapt to life as a four. There are a few things I certainly don't miss though, heartburn being one and back pain being the other. Throughout both my pregnancies I've struggled with back pain, trapped nerves and muscular pain, probably due to my rather large baby bumps! Isabella weighed 8lb 3ozs and Poppy weighed 8lb 13ozs, so both of my girls were on the larger size, not to mention the incredible size of my placenta both times (who knew a placenta was that big?!). All of this contributed to me struggling with back pain, especially in my lower back, as I was carrying around all that extra weight. According to Deep Freeze I'm not alone, they conducted a poll back in March 2013 and found that as many as 98% of pregnant ladies suffered muscular back pain at some stage in their pregnancy.

FOOTWEAR: The Pure Comfort and Support of Vionic Nala Sandals

As adults we can be pretty bad at keeping our feet appropriately supported, despite spending so much time/money on ensuring our children's feet are fully supported. As someone who suffers from flat feet and increased swelling both during and post pregnancy I know all too well how uncomfortable it can be. During my recent pregnancy I had such swollen feet from around 30 weeks, no matter how much time I spent with my legs raised they just wouldn't go down. The top of my feet became extremely sensitive as the skin was so tight and my soles were therefore put under a lot of pressure. The fact that my feet were already flat meant that standing for any length of time became pretty painful, especially when I hadn't ensured my feet were supported appropriately.

BABY #2: My Birth Story

I can't believe I'm finally getting to write my birth story after spending so many days in the world of being overdue and wandering what was about to unfold. To rewind to my 41 week midwife appointment, I had been booked in for a stretch and sweep at that appointment to try and get things started. However, when the midwife felt my bump and where the baby's head was she decided that her head wasn't engaged so they wouldn't be able to do the stretch and sweep. This was pretty disappointing, as I had worked myself up and mentally prepared myself to have one. I was also hoping to get things going before our baby grew into an even bigger baby in my tummy! As a result of not having the stretch and sweep I was booked in for an induction at 8.30am on Wednesday 14th June 2017, at 12 days overdue.

PREGNANCY #2: My Experience of the Induction Process

Being induced isn't on many pregnant ladies wishlist, yet so many find themselves heading down that route. When I was pregnant with Isabella my waters broke at 39+3 and I didn't go into established labour quick enough, so I went through the induction process due to the increased risk of infection. I started by have a pessary, then another and finally was put on the hormone drip. So I experienced most of the induction methods and it was an incredibly painful journey. Though I have nothing to compare it to, it is common knowledge that induced labour can be more painful than labour that starts naturally. I was actually still having to be induced on the hormone drip once in established labour; Isabella just didn't want to come out!

PREGNANCY #2: My Reality of Being Overdue

I honestly can't believe I'm writing this post or that I even have the time to write it; I really thought our second baby would have arrived by now. But despite all the bouncing on the ball, eating spicy food, pineapple and drinking raspberry leaf tea this baby hasn't made an appearance yet. On the whole I feel okay about this, after all life right now is surely a lot easier than life with two children? But it's not all relaxing baths, breakfast in bed and full nights sleep.

#LittleLoves: Love Island, Babys Position and Voting

Yet another week I really thought I wouldn't be able to write this #LittleLoves post, yet I am. Despite having pains throughout most nights and her feeling extremely low labour hasn't started and we still haven't met our baby girl! I'm booked in for an induction next week, so I definitely won't be publishing next Friday and that feels all a bit surreal. I really don't want to go down the induction route again, but if that's the way it has to be then so be it. I'm just so eager to get the pain of labour out of the way!

PHOTOGRAPHY: How to Edit DIY Maternity Silhouette Photos using PS Express

On Monday I published the photos from a mini DIY maternity silhouette photoshoot and today I'm going to be taking you through step-by-step how I edited the photos. It's a really quick and simple process and completely free too! I can upload photos straight from my camera onto my phone/tablet via wifi, which makes life so easy and editing pictures really quick. I prefer to edit on my tablet because it has a bigger screen, but this could be done on either.

PREGNANCY #2: DIY Maternity Silhouette Photoshoot

If you follow me over on my social media channels then you'll probably know how tough I found last week. I had gone into labour early with Isabella, so we fully expecting that to happen again but it didn't. I felt like I was entering the unknown, which just made me feel out of sorts and unsettled. I became so emotional and wasn't sure what to do with each day, too scared to leave the house in case my waters broke yet wanting to make the most of the time. So to try and make the most of still being pregnant I decided to do a mini DIY Maternity Silhouette Photoshoot. It took a good few hours, though it didn't feel like that! It's nice to have captured my 39 week bump 'properly' if you will, as I didn't do anything like this when pregnant with Isabella.

#LITTLELOVES: Due Date, Silhouettes and Labour Stories

Well I'm now into my fourth week of maternity leave and still no baby! I honestly can't believe it, after having Isabella early I was convinced I'd be early again. This baby is clearly far to happy in there to make an appearance on time! I've had pains on and off during the week, but they've not turned into anything significant and so goes on the 'is this it?' guessing game! I keep going between getting really impatient to meet our second daughter and trying to enjoy the peace before the all consuming life with a newborn. It's a funny one. Other than waiting around for baby to appear I've not done much else, mainly through fear my waters will break if I leave the house alone! They did last time and I don't really want to experience that alone in public, but if it happens it happens.

FAMILY: 6 Ways to prepare a toddler for having a little sibling

One of the biggest concerns when we decided to start trying for baby number two was how Isabella would deal with it. She has been lucky enough to have our sole attention for just over two years now and having that change is something I anticipate being hard for her. When the health visitor came a few weeks ago she said that if Isabella didn't play up after the initial excitement of having a newborn around then she wouldn't be a 'normal' toddler. So, I'm fully expecting some challenging behaviour and to be honest I wouldn't blame her. Her life will change and it is something she has no control over.

#LITTLELOVES: Setting up the Babybay, Cool It Mama! and Baby Names

There goes my third week of maternity leave and it has honestly flown by in a whirlwind of pampering, hot weather and tiny baby clothes. It's amazing what one commitment each day can do for my productivity levels and positivity, whether it be the dentist, hair cut or meeting friends. It's been a good week for ticking things off my to-do list too, with registering our latest Cosatto purchase being one of the only key things left before baby arrives. I actually spent two days of this week with pretty bad period like pains and was convinced labour was imminent. However, for the past few days it has disappeared and I no longer feel on the edge of popping. It's the double guessing everything that is becoming quite exhausting, in an exciting way. I love this 'not knowing' stage, but also find it pretty draining. Either way I'm 39 weeks today, so certainly not too long left!

PREGNANCY #2: My Hopes and Wishes for Second Labour

My labour with Isabella wasn't the most straightforward; it was long and ended in needing assistance (not something any pregnant lady wants to hear!). You can read Birth Story: Part 1 here and Part 2 here if you're like me and love a good birth story. Despite that those experiences haven't left me dreading labour round two by any means, in fact there are certain aspects I'm quite looking forward to. Crazy I know. Obviously the end part, when they hand you your squishy (and often pretty slimy) bundle of joy, but also the being looked after part too. I know that probably sounds really selfish or self-centred and I'm really not that kind of person, but I am looking forward to someone caring about me for a bit. That hasn't happened since giving birth last time, as a parent you are constantly giving/looking after others so for the tables to turn for a few hours will be a real treat.

15 WAYS: To prepare for baby number two

Life is about to get pretty busy, as we prepare to welcome our second baby into our family. I've written about how this change makes me incredibly scared (read that post here), but there is a lot of excitement bubbling too. What will she look like? How will Isabella react to seeing her little sister for the first time? I'm excited for some aspects of the newborn days and less excited about others, which is to be expected I'm sure. Whatever is going on in my head doesn't stop that fact that in a matter of weeks we will be a family of four and preparation is key!

#LITTLELOVES: Mum to Be Pampering, All the Craft Projects and Loneliness

Happy Friday everyone! Thank goodness it's Friday is all I can say. It's been my first week of maternity leave and in all honesty I've felt pretty lonely at times. I'm rubbish at being by myself for long days and with Isabella still going to nursery three days a week I'm spending most of the week alone. It's been great for a 'getting things done' point of view, but in reality it's been hard at times to stay positive. I know I need to make the most of it and I was filling my diary up with various appointments, seeing friends etc. but then my car broke one day into maternity leave. This has left me stranded in our village with the scary prospect of having to buy a new car at the weekend (if you're interested as to why this is such a scary prospect for me then feel free to read my FAMILY: When life (quite literally) flips upside down blog post). Anyway it's almost the weekend and we have the Mums & Tots group in our village today, so yay to adult conversation!

PREGNANCY #2: Trying to Conceive using Clearblue Ovulation Prediction Kit

Trying for a baby can be both an exciting and difficult time, with some going with the flow while others plan it with military precision. It's not always an easy journey, in fact it can be quite the opposite, so I thought I'd share my experience of trying to conceive. On the whole we have been extremely lucky with both of our journey's into pregnancy, they haven't been too complicated or lengthy. I know this isn't always the case and we certainly don't take that for granted.

MOTHERHOOD: I am scared.

I'm scared. At 35 weeks pregnant I am well and truly consumed with what life is about to become. In a mere 2 weeks I'll be considered 'full term' and in 7 weeks our little baby girl will certainly have entered the world. That scares me. A lot. Don't get me wrong there are so many things I'm excited about, from the moment we meet her to when Isabella sees her baby sister for the first time. But this is about my fears, worries and capturing these emotions before our family becomes four.

PREGNANCY #2: 28-32 Week Update

I haven't done a pregnancy update in quite a while, so I thought I'd write about what's been happening over the last 6 weeks. Life has been extremely busy recently and getting time to write the weekly updates became too much, however I have continued to take weekly bump photos.

PREGNANCY #2: 27 Week Update

This week has been spent celebrating my 27th birthday, which was a funny one really. I find it both exciting and scary that I'm now the age I'll be when we become a family of four. I don't really know why it's such a big deal in my head, but I was the same when I turned 25 just before having Isabella. Maybe it's because it's an age I'll look back on in years to come, poignant ages when the most exciting life changing events happened.

PREGNANCY #2: 26 Week Update

This week has certainly been the most uncomfortable week I've had bump wise this pregnancy. There have been sharp pains that have made me gasp in pain, while other times it's just been an incredibly stretched feeling. I presume little one is doing lots of growing and it's suddenly making my bump stretch a lot, but boy it's been uncomfortable. I suffered at the start of my first pregnancy with hip pain as my bump grew and I've been so lucky not to have that so far this time. I guess my body has been stretched once and lets be honest it never 'popped back'. However this week I've really struggled to cope with the pain/uncomfortable feeling. There's been a lot of doubling over, rubbing my bump/lower back and hugging my Theraline Plushy Moon pregnancy pillow like you wouldn't believe. That thing is the only reason I've slept this week, I'm sure of it.

6 WAYS: To prepare for trying to conceive baby number two

Making the big decision to start trying for a baby is exciting, it's life changing too. Not only during pregnancy, but of course once your baby arrives. Having been blessed with our first daughter back in 2015 and lucky enough to now being pregnant again I thought I'd share a few ways to prepare for trying for a baby.