PARENTHOOD: Tips for Visiting Family or Friends with a Newborn Baby

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Travelling and staying over at family or friend's houses isn't always the easiest thing to do with a newborn baby. Despite being so small they somehow require a lot of equipment, have an intense feeding routine and the witching hour is never any fun! Over Christmas we spent a lot of time travelling around to visit different family members with our three children, who are 4 years old, 2 years old and 8 weeks old, which came with a number of challenges to overcome. When it came to coordinating travel times, planning ahead with regards to packing and fitting in with other people's plans it we became well practiced in the skill of travelling and visiting family with a newborn baby. There are many events throughout the year that may require travelling around to see family or friends, including Christmas, Easter, Holidays, Birthdays, Weddings, Christenings etc. I thought I might be helpful to share some of the ways which we found the whole experience a lot easier, calmer and generally more enjoyable.

PARENTHOOD: Travelling with the Ergobaby Metro Compact City Stroller

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The challenge so many of us parents face is getting around with our children in tow, especially if they are too young to walk longer distances. Pushchairs can be bulky and therefore not ideal for city use or for travelling. However Ergobaby, who are well known for their incredibly practical yet stylish baby carriers, have recently launched their first Compact City Stroller called Metro. It combines sleek design with ergonomic comfort for babies and the compact lightweight size so many parents look for. The Metro currently comes in three colours: Black, Grey and Blue; there is also a Newborn Kit available and a Carry Bag for the ultimate convenience.

BABY: What is the difference between the Ergobaby 360 and OMNI 360?

Ergobaby have recently launched a brand new baby carrier, which is really exciting because I love our Ergobaby 360. Back in August I posted all about my experience of babywearing with the 360 (which you can read here) and despite it being a brilliant carrier there were some things I wish were slightly different. So when I was given the opportunity to try out the Ergobaby OMNI 360* (£154.90) to compare the two carriers I jumped at the chance. I couldn't wait to see if the few things I would change with the 360 had been solved in the OMNI 360, as well as maintaining all the practical features I loved.

BABY #2: My Experience with the Ergobaby All Position 360 Baby Carrier

Babywearing is something that we did a bit when Isabella was a baby, after a very painful trip to Mothercare two days post birth. We didn't get a chance to look into the babywearing options and ended up buying a very simple baby carrier. However, this time around I really wanted to properly look into the babywearing options and what are the best positions/features for babies. Being a second time parent meant that I knew I'd need to have my hands free a lot more than when Isabella was born, after all there's a toddler to look after too! Babies are renowned for not liking being put down, so the option of babywearing seemed like the best route to go down.

BABY: Converted to Babywearing?

Babywearing - the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or in another form of carrier. It has been around for centuries, practised world wide and yet I hadn't really entered the world of babywearing. Two years ago when I had Isabella I was vaguely aware of baby carriers, slings and back carriers. However I didn't know much about it at all, it wasn't something I was particularly motivated to find out more about either. In the first week after Isabella was born I remember a very painful trip to Mothercare to buy a baby carrier when we realised it would be an easier option to the pram for walking around our local area. We picked up one of the cheapest options and to be honest we were happy with our choice. Having barely any knowledge on babywearing and what to look for meant our purchase wasn't a very informed one.

MOTHERHOOD: My Top 5 Summer Essentials for Life with a Baby and Toddler

As I'm now 6 weeks into life as a parent of two I'm starting to learn all the tricks, essentials and ways of coping. Parenting is a constant learning journey, but right now I've got enough tricks under my belt to get through a day with a baby and toddler and still have a smile on my face. As it's summer a lot of these essentials and tricks are based around surviving the hot weather, keeping cool and family days out in the sunshine. As well as being multi-purpose because there is no way I'm strong enough to carry out separate things for Poppy and Isabella; it's all about products being versatile. So I thought I'd share five of my top summer essentials because they've made my life easier and they could yours too.

#LITTLELOVES: Hard Parenting Week, Failed Baking and all the Babywearing

What a week. Poppy has entered the 'don't put me down' phase of newborn life and it has completely wiped me out. I feel mentally and physically exhausted. I'm also struggling with backache from the constant feeding/carrying, so I need to start looking after myself whenever possible. The week has flown by though and I can't believe we find ourselves with a month old baby. Isabella has been such a delight this week, with so many heart melting moments. She keep hugging Poppy and I and saying 'my best friends ever'...it's almost too much for my heart to handle in my exhausted state. I'm so lucky!

#LITTLELOVES: Introducing Poppy, the Easiest Strawberry Tart and Babywearing

This is my first LittleLoves blog post since giving birth to our second daughter, Poppy, on the 14th June 2017. You can read my birth story here if you missed it. It's been so incredible welcoming Poppy into our lives and adapting to life as a family of four. Isabella has become such a loving and fiercely protective older sister, always offering kisses and cuddles.

MOTHERHOOD: My First Day Alone with a Toddler and Newborn

As I write this it is a few days before my husband returns to work after two weeks paternity leave and I'm left alone with our two children for the first time. Simply writing that makes my tummy flip - how can I look after two children...by myself? I'm outnumbered. Their needs are so different. The guilt is already beginning to build. When paternity leave came to an end with our first baby it was a daunting concept, but I felt under control. If I didn't get dressed all day it didn't matter. If we didn't leave the house for days in a row our newborn baby wouldn't mind. I slept when she slept. I met friends for cake and tea. I lived the maternity leave dream and for that I was extremely lucky.