PREGNANCY #3: Let's Talk About...How Announcing Pregnancy Changes After Your First

Announcing you're pregnant for the third time is a funny one really; the excitement of announcing for the first time has certainly reduced, yet it can come at an unexpected time so has that shock/surprised factor. Pregnancy and trying to conceive is a very personal journey for each couple and this is my experience of announcing we were pregnant for the third time. When we announced we were pregnant with our first baby everyone was beyond excited; baby showers were thrown, NCT classes attended and I was well and truly looked after by all those around me. If I could have the experience of being pregnant for the first time again I think I'd have endless children because it was honestly one of the most special times to look back on. The excitement, love and anticipation that we shared with everyone around us was just incredible and those moments I'll cherish forever.

PREGNANCY #3: The First Trimester - The Guilt, Mental Struggle and all of the Sickness

I can barely believe it, but here we are again...pregnancy announcement number THREE! Where to begin? Time really is flying this time and I'm now 16 weeks pregnant, which means I'm officially into my second trimester all ready. But lets go back to February when we found out that I was pregnant and all of those emotions that come with such a moment. Now before I begin I have to say that we are feeling extremely lucky to be pregnant again, but I also want to be honest. There is a lot of pressure to feel nothing but happiness when you find out your pregnant, but it isn't always like that. 

SUMMER DRINK: Non-Alcoholic Pimms

Yet another summer...yet another one I can't really drink alcohol. For the past three summers I've either been pregnant or breastfeeding, meaning I've either avoided alcohol completely or only been able to have half a glass. To be honest this doesn't have that much of an impact because I barely drink even when not pregnant/breastfeeding. I just prefer not to, paired with the fact that I don't like a lot of alcohol anyway.

#LITTLELOVES: Birthday Celebrations, French Toast and Spring Vibes

This week hasn't been the best if I'm honest, we've had some very sad news from my husband's side of the family and its meant we've been a bit all over the place. Sad news aside I had my 28 week midwife appointment, which included a length 2 hour wait as I turned up to my appointment to find the hospital had completely shut down and that all appointments were at a new hospital on the other side of town. Eventually I had my appointment with one of the nicest  midwives I've ever encountered, it was just a shame I was trying to rush as I needed to get back to work! Everything was measuring ok, baby's heartbeat was strong and off I went with a new pee pot (oh the glamour).

PREGNANCY: Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

Two Christmas' ago I was pregnant with Isabella, the next I was breastfeeding and now I'm pregnant again. As this is my third Christmas in a row that I've not been able to drink mulled wine I've taken the matter into my own hands. This is such a simple way of creating the next best thing to alcoholic mulled wine, so whether you're also pregnant, choose not to drink or just want an alternative then why not make a batch to take to all of those Christmas social events?

LIFE: I have some news!

So you have probably realised that I've been pretty absent from my blog over the past month or so, for that I'm sorry but there are a couple of very good reasons why. Firstly, we obviously got married and then went away on our honeymoon. It was a magical time and one that I will treasure forever. If you want to read more about our honeymoon, see here. When we got back we were both straight back to work, a busy time as always. Just getting back into the routine took a while and we still have a long list of post wedding jobs we neXed to do - get thank you cards out, have my dress dry cleaned, put away all of our lovely  wedding gifts, go through the photos, make a photo album etc etc. 

When we got back from our honeymoon we knew we wanted to start looking at buying a house again, we had started looking a couple of years previously but just couldn't find anything that suited us and was in our price range. Well the first house we looked at we loved and have since been starting the process of buying that house. For anyone that has been lucky enough to buy a house, you'll know how much time/effort it entails. Luckily for me, Tom is being fantastic, as all that complicated jargon confuses me! The house is a bit of a project, so we've been spending time looking for bathrooms and kitchens in readiness. Busy times. 

But the biggest news of all and this has been going on during all over this madness, is that we are expecting our first baby together!! We are completely over the moon excited and now that I'm way passed the three month mark we are starting to relax into the pregnancy and not worry so much. As a natural worrier pregnancy did definitely bring out that side of me again, Google is a dangerous place for pregnany women. Avoid it! (I didn't which created more worry!) However, after a pretty horrible 3 months we had out first scan and saw our baby dancing around for the first time. Such an incredible and emotional experience. I can't stop looking at the scan photo, how can something so small be so perfect? 

So there you have it, now I'm sure you can understand why I've been a bit quiet recently but now I'm feeling less sick I'm certainly hoping to get back into posting blog posts regularly :) 

Helen x

Blended Therapies - Aromatherapy Products

Blended Therapies is an online store that offers a wide range of luxurious, natural and aromatherapy products at reasonable prices. The range is vast, from products designed for gardeners, Dad's and Baby's to treat's for yourself! Mother's Day is fast approaching and there are some lovely gift sets that would make a perfect present.

Mothers Day Gift Boxes - from £12.00



Handbag Lavender Hand Cream £2.50

Dad Shaving Gift Set - £25.00

Teething Cream for Babies - £7.00

After writing the 'Lovely Gifts for Mum's To Be' blog post (see here) Blended Therapies kindly sent me one of their beautifully packaged products, their Stretch Mark Prevention Oil (£8.00). The key attribute of Blended Therapies products is that they are created using natural ingredients and based on aromatherapy. Pregnancy is one of the most natural thing a women's body goes through, so surely it only makes sense to treat it with natural products too. It's especially important when you have an unborn baby to consider too.

After talking to a couple of my friends and my sister in law that have been or are pregnant, a reoccurring worry for them was stretch marks! Stretch marks can happen at any time in your life, I have small stretch marks on my hips from when I gained and lost weight throughout my teenage years. So I can imagine if I get pregnant I will have loads of stretch marks. My view on stretch marks from being pregnant is that they should be embraced, those stretch marks are a sign that you carried your baby for 9 months and ultimately gave you your lovely newborn. Having said this I obviously don't know how I'll feel after having a baby. I know that a lot of women find stretch marks a real concern and they can really dent a women's confidence.

Blended Therapies have created a Stretch Mark Prevention Oil, which claims to 'prevent or lessen stretch marks'. The oil contains a mixture of apricot kernel and wheat germ, in their unique combination. These ingredients are 'known for their properties in improving elasticity and healthy skin condition'. It's easy to apply, just massage into the tummy area throughout the pregnancy. I have given this to my sister in law and she has used it a couple of times. She says it smells divine and is a very luxurious consistency, which isn't too greasy. The 100ml bottle is the perfect size for the length of pregnancy, as you only need such a small amount per application. She's looking forward to continue using it throughout her pregnancy!

Have you tried aromatherapy products before?

Please feel free to leave me a comment, I love hearing what you think :)

Lovely Gifts for Mum's To Be :)

If you read my blog on a regular basis you will know that I am a very excited Auntie to be! In May my little nephew or niece will be born and it will be the first baby in my partner's and my families. I have written a post about unique gifts for babies, because I was finding it hard to find interesting gifts that weren't your 'standard' baby presents. You can read this blog post here.

As you may have established I LOVE buying people presents, other than rent most my money goes on gifts! So finding out that my sister-in-law was pregnant prompted a desire to buy anything and everything for her. After giving her 5 bottles of Folic Acid (over a years supply!) to 'ger her through her pregnancy', I realised there's no point just showering her with pointless, aimless gifts. I set out to find high quality, interesting gifts for Mum's To Be and here they are to share with you. You never know when you may want to buy for a Mum To Be, I certainly wasn't expecting to be a couple of months ago! So enjoy, and always bear these gifts in mind anytime you find out someone you know is pregnant :)

Babes with Babies - Fristly, what a brilliant company name?! 'Babes with Babies London is a 100% British owned, deluxe e-boutique providing beautiful gifts, stylish clothes and accessories together with pampering treats for new Mums, Dads and their babies.' The founders of Babes with Babies believe that every pregnant women deserves to be pampered with luxurious products and I agree! I think that everyone wants, and deserves, a bit of luxury every now and again. There's no better time than on the run up to having a baby, making the Babes with Babies the perfect place to purchase gifts for Mum's to be. My personal favourite selection of gifts are for 'Mum and Baby'. The gift sets have luxurious pamper products for the Mother, as well as high quality gifts for baby, perfect all-in-one present! The lovely ladies at Babes with Babies have kindly offered my readers 10% off, just enter 'BLOGFRIEND' at the checkout. Why not browse their gorgeous range on their website?

Welcome and Relax Mum & Baby Gift - £55.00

Rejoice & Relax Luxury Bath Oil Set - £19.95

Only4Mummy - I was suprised when I started this search that there weren't more companies offering a range of gifts for pregnant women. This is one of the only companies I found that offer a wide range of lovely gifts for pregnant women and new Mum's! Only4Mummy offers 'unique and thoughtful mum to be gifts', including journals, photoframes, relax and indulge sets, candles, Labour bags etc. The range is outstanding, yet the quality isn't compromised with products containing natural, organic ingredients that are safe for both Mother and Baby. A great feature of Only4Mummy is that they cater for whatever your budget may be, starting with a selection of gifts for under £10!

Labour Bag £8.99

Pregnancy Gift Box - £13.99

Blended Therapies - 'Pregnancy usually means having to stop using essential oils but we have developed a blend that is totally safe in pregnancy so we have added it to your favourite bases… Bath Foam, Lotion, Shower Gel. It is a broad blend being great for general aches and pains, insomnia, relaxation and smells great.' Blended Therapies have a lovely range of aromatherapy products suitable for Mum's To Be, New Mum's and Babies, following new parent's throughout the exciting time! The packaging is contempary and stylish, making Blended Therapies products a useful, unique and practical gift for pregnant women. Check out their website here.



Labour Oil £8.00



Stretch Mark Prevention Oil £8.00



Delivery Gift Pack - £29.00

 Have you got a Mum To Be you want to buy a gift?

Please feel free to leave me a comment below :)