Ride Or Die Baby Essentials

Hi guys.

I'm back with the baby products I couldn't be without and a few things I wish I had bought pre-Winnie.

I love knowing what other mums find useful and what was completely useless.

1) Ewan The Dream Sheep. £29.99. We had the original purple one (why was he purple?!) for Matilda and we still use it every night when we put her to bed. He was an essential purchase for Winnie too and so much better now he comes in grey (my favourite colour by the way)! I bought him from John Lewis with a gift voucher we were kindly given at my baby shower. He plays soothing womb sounds, white noise and there is a very sweet little tune which is my personal favourite for both of the girls. I'd really recommend any new mum getting one. 

2) Babymoov Cosydream. A friend of mine had this for her little one last autumn and I'd seen the Sleepyhead (so expensive!) all over Instagram but not exactly budget friendly (sidenote - can you really put a price on a baby's sleep? NO!) so went for the Cosydream. It is a sleep positioner ensuring optimal sleep safety for baby. We've used this every night with Winnie, I am sure she feels secure and cosy with this too as it is more snuggly that laying on a boring flat mattress. We first had this in her Moses basket but have now transferred it into her crib. The grey sausage looking bit at the bottom sits under her knees and is adjustable for that growing little bundle. £39.99 and worth every penny!

3) Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer. OMG at this. Just amazing. It has saved my life through some 2am screaming sessions. We were bought this as a gift from some lovely friends of mine, it is £64.99 and available at John Lewis. You have 2 rocking speeds, 8 melodies and 3 nature sounds, toys to entertain baby and an adjustable head support. 

4) Fisher Price rainforest play gym. This is the version we have, it has since been updated as ours is recycled from Matilda. I use this for tummy time, teaching Winnie to look side to side, lift her head, practicing rolling over etc etc. It is so interesting to little ones because of all the colours and sounds. It plays rainforest sounds and music and also has flashing lights. You can get the updated version online for about £45, buy here.

So onto things I wish I'd purchased and what was useless:

Image: Google

1) A Snuzpod crib. This lovely looking crib attaches to your bed so you can safely co-sleep and feed easily. It has won a load of awards and I really wish I'd bought it! We just used Matilda's old Moses basket for the first 10 weeks and it was a bloody pain in the arse. Having to get out of bed to pick up Winnie for night feeds, then getting up to lay her back down again. So annoying. The Snuzpod saves all of that aggravation. It is also detachable from the stand so you can carry baby downstairs if they are sleeping. About £180 and is available in different colours, I would say this is a must have.

2) Mama Designs Cellular Blanket. Given, this is more an aesthetic wishful purchase, but any cellular blankets are a total essential for Mums. It is all I use it because they are much safer than other blankets. The open cellular construction allows airflow. And they're so pretty! Available in different colour ways and sizes too.

3) Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine. These get a bit of stick but I wish I had one now that Winnie is on formula. They save so much time. Anything that saves you time and keeps baby happy is essential in my eyes. But, I breastfed Winnie for the first 10 weeks, then she started sleeping through so I had to weigh it all up (as we aren't made of money unfortunately!) I just have to be very organised. Around £60.

I think a Moses basket is useless - go for a crib and then put baby in a bouncer or on a sleep positioner on the sofa during the day. They creak when you move them (if its a wicker one like mine!) they don't last long (Matilda was in it for 8 weeks, Winnie for 10)!

You don't need hundreds of teddy bears, have a few cute ones and that is it. I like Jellycat for their cute bunnies and comforters. 

Let me know what you've found to be essential items or things that were downright useless!

Chloe x

Winnie's Birth Story

Hello guys.

Sorry for the radio silence for the last 10 weeks. I've been busy adapting to being a mum of two.

I wanted to blog Winnie's birth story, as I love reading these and thought someone, somewhere, might like to read mine. Be warned, it is long...

So...Winnie's due date (14th May) came and went. I had a check up with the midwife booked in for Tuesday 16th. I had discussed with her that I really wanted to avoid being induced, because I was induced with Matilda. She said the two things known to actually work to bring on labour are nipple stimulation (an hour 3 x a day - ain't nobody got time for that!) and sex. So if anyone reading this is overdue - go try these things!

Wednesday morning, around 1:30am, I felt a gush and instantly knew my waters had just gone. I nudged a snoring Andrew and told him I was going to go downstairs, call the birth place and have some toast. The midwife on the phone at the birth place advised me to call back at 8am to see if my contractions had started. 8am came, nothing had started so I called anyway and I was advised to call back at midday, again to see if anything had begun. Needless to say, absolutely nothing. Just constant waters leaking and no twinges. When I called at 12, she asked if I could come in to be examined, as I was now at a higher risk of infection.

When I arrived, I was assessed and told my options. Either go over to the delivery suite and be induced immediately, or go home and wait until 9pm to see if I could go into labour naturally.
I decided to go home, I would have kicked myself had I not given myself the extra chance.
We went for a nice long stroll along the beach with Matilda in the sunshine, soaking up the last few hours of being a family of 3. By this point I was pretty tired too, having been up since 1am.

As you can probably guess, no contractions so off we headed in the pouring rain to Medway hospital to be induced. We were put on a ward to wait for a midwife to come and chat to us. Along she came and gave me a choice - be induced now or try and get some sleep and be induced in the morning. I jumped at the chance for some rest! Poor Andrew though had to sleep on a chair and we were sharing the ward with a serious snorer!

Now it's Thursday morning, 18th May. A midwife came round to us, at about 7am to take us to the delivery suite to be induced. I was so calm. 10:30am and Shani, our midwife, started with the drugs. We had the radio on, I was walking around (as much as I could given that I was attached to two monitors). At 2:30, my contractions started but they were mild and spread apart so I carried on eating wine gums and playing games with Andrew to pass the time.

Fast forward to around 5pm, with the contractions having built slowly over the last few hours, they were getting strong enough for me to not be able to talk through them anymore, but I just continued to breathe through it and use the birthing ball. I hadn't been examined at all as I was at a higher risk of infection. However, I knew deep down something was happening so I asked if I could be examined, and was happily told I'd made it to 8cms with absolutely no pain relief. I cannot tell you how amazing that felt!

At that point I knew I needed gas and air, and instantly felt that weird woozy head rush from the first inhale of that stuff! I love it. The back of the bed was fully upright and I leant against that on my knees, it just felt like the most natural position to be in. I told the midwife I needed to push and aside from the gas and air, visualising the baby made it so much easier to manage. I'd read about this in my hypnobirthing book which you can buy here.

At 6:02 Winnie's head was born, I felt her head and demanded Andrew look - God knows why I did that, poor bloke is probably tortured for all eternity now! Then at 6:06 she was out!

The rest of the story is just gross birthing of the placenta etc, which no one needs to read about!

WINNIE BLUEBELL STEPHENSON - 18TH MAY 2017 6:06PM 8LB

I didn't fully go for the whole hypnobirthing thing, I am too cynical. But I found some of the techniques so useful, I really recommend Sophie's book for any pregnant women. There are some excellent tips on dealing with late pregnancy and what to expect in labour. I want to tell my story as it is so positive. Some people are hell bent on sharing nightmares and scaring women, but it doesn't have to be that way. It is an absolutely remarkable and extraordinary experience.

Why I've Been Dreading Due Date

Evening everybody.

So today is due date for our second baby girl. And I've got a problem with this date and due dates in general. It seems to then give people an excuse to start telling you how you should be spending your time trying to expel this baby from your body. Let me start by saying, for my first pregnancy I was the girl drinking raspberry leaf tea from 36 weeks and consuming a pineapple a day, hoping to no longer be pregnant. I ended up going 12 days over and being induced so none of it worked anyway.

I've had such a wonderful pregnancy this time, I feel so lucky. Why would I want that to end? Yes, I desperately want to meet our little girl, to see who she looks like, how much she weighs. But, I'm not going to force it. My body has done something incredible and I'm pretty proud of it right now.

So why do people think they can tell me I should be eating a hot curry for dinner tonight? No thanks, I'm quite alright with spag bol. Why are they saying 'Oh you need to go for a long old walk, get things going!' Um, no actually I don't. My baby will come when she is good and ready.

Speaking of which, when writing my birth preferences with my midwife a few weeks ago, I have declined induction. If baby and I are perfectly healthy, I do not want any drugs to force labour. I had an induction the first time round and it was not fun. I want to know how it feels to go in to labour naturally if possible. This could be the last time I do this! I want the excitement of things starting at home. This is the trouble with due dates, if you go 12 days over said date, or less depending on where you live, you'll be booked in to be induced. After having a few sweeps first of course. I've declined those too. No sweeps, no inductions thank you.

Now I am well aware that not everything goes according to plan, hence why I have called them preferences. If I am told that the health of our baby, or me, is at risk then of course I will consider the options given to me.

But I think it is important for women to understand that there actually is a choice, you don't have to be told what to do.

Hopefully she will be here in the next few days anyway!

Chloe x

Giveaway Goodies

I love a good giveaway on Instagram and seem to enter so many, does anyone else?

And a few weeks ago I actually won one! One of my favourite InstaMums and bloggers, Ainsley from Life with Oaks and Olive had teamed up with online retailer ScandiPlay to give away a £50 voucher to spend on their site. I know, amazing prize right? So, I thought I would share with you guys the bits I chose.

All the items I got are by a brand called Done by Deer and feature this really sweet elephant print. These muslins are super soft and are going to come in really handy when our new arrival comes soon. I remember getting through so many muslin cloths when Matilda was tiny.

Next up is this silicone placemat for the table, I thought it might make mealtimes more exciting for Matilda and it comes as part of a wider range of products. It is great because it is big, so any mess stays on the mat and doesn't spread over the table, making my life easier - less cleaning!

Also in the range was this cute cutlery set with easy grip silicone handles perfect for little hands. 

The anti-slip silicone bowl is perfect for breakfast. Oh, and ice-cream! 

I also ordered the matching cup, it is the ideal size for a toddler. I'm still trying to get her used to drinking from a normal cup, it is taking some time but this cup is easy to hold, non-slip and not too big.

Here are all the items together.

I would really recommend ScandiPlay, their website has some amazing pieces, I'm particularly keen on this wooden baby gym, how adorable! 

Once I had chosen the items, they arrived so quickly, I was really impressed with the service and will definitely be using them again.

Have you found any new retailers or brands recently?

Chloe x

What's In My Hospital Bag

With due date looming ever closer, I wanted to do a post on the things that I have packed in my hospital bag. Well I say bag, what I really mean is suitcase!

Hopefully this post will help anyone else due to give birth soon that may be wondering on what to pack. There are lists available online, places like Mothercare etc, but this one will be more personalised and about the items that'll make you feel like you.

It is no joke when I say during my last pregnancy I was one walking tower of misery. Ashamed to say it, I've mentioned it before I'm sure but I did not enjoy it! This led to me not feeling like, well, me. My skin was dull, my hair was frizzy, I wore crap maternity clothes and lost all my confidence. I told myself this was not happening second time round! And this will carry on during labour and after birth.

What to give birth in? Well, last time I wore the frumpiest, ugliest nightdress I'd found in Peacocks! Labour isn't pretty and clothes are likely to get ruined, but I've opted for something much prettier. I still want to feel like me afterall. I found some really lovely pieces from George at Asda at fantastic prices.

I ordered the satin-esque robe above, it is lightweight but still luxurious and perfect for before and after labour. I also bought the soft feel nightdress in the same print, along with the satin two piece pyjama cami and short set. I sized up in all three items, to make room for feeding and skin-to-skin. You can find all of the items here. The nightdress will be the item I'll wear for birthing in, shorts just aren't practical!

Comfortable slippers are a must for walking around in, staying upright and keeping active is a great tool during labour, so I've ordered these slippers from Next.

I already have these in the chestnut colour currently, but wanted some new ones to take with me.

I've been using this face mist every day recently, it is so hydrating and has a beautiful scent to it. I'm taking it with me to keep my face feeling moisturised and cool, It is also multifunctional - I use it to spray my beauty sponge to help apply my makeup and it also great for giving life to products about to die. For example, my liquid eyeliner is on it's last legs, but a spray of this on the applicator helps bring the product back to life. Also great for using on any dried out cream eyeshadows!

I will be taking my makeup bag with me. This might sound stupid to some, but once you've given birth, there'll be lots of photos being taken and I want to feel my best. I'm at my best (I think anyway!) with a full face on. It's what makes me feel good and that is exactly what I'll want after labour. 

The first shower after labour is the best shower of your life! So I'll be making mine even more heavenly with this shower oil from Rituals. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing this smells and it makes my skin feel divine after using it. It goes without saying you won't be needing any products to use below the waist and above the thigh - warm water will be enough. But why not use something lovely everywhere else to start making you feel more human!

Other things that are coming with me include breastfeeding essentials such as Lansinoh lanolin nipple cream. I believe this product came from God and is what got me through the first few painful weeks of feeding Matilda. Also the disposable Lansinoh breast pads were the best I'd come across. I ordered both of those products from John Lewis as they had the best prices. I've got a feeding pillow from Mothercare and a pregnancy pillow from, wait for it, Aldi! Both will help keep me and baby comfy during feeds.

I've got a birthing playlist on Spotify to help get me through, I'm a huge music lover so I'm counting on this to help me deliver our little girl. Other essential items include wine gums, lucozade sport isotonic drinks and lipbalm. You'll need some big comfy pants for afterwards, I found some at George at Asda again and they weren't expensive so can be discarded of if need be. Don't forget maternity towels too, oh it is just so glamourous! 

If anyone else has recommendations on items to take please do let me know!

Chloe x

New In: Beauty

I'm the crappiest blogger going, I know.

I've got a mini beauty haul of products I am loving currently and which seem to be working wonders for my pregnant body!

First are two products from Garnier's SkinActive range - the tissue mask which I like to use once a week for a complete hydration injection to my face! I don't feel like my face has suffered this pregnancy, it can look dull at times but nothing a good mask can't sort! These were reduced to 99p a mask in Superdrug recently, so I stocked up. The night cream here is (I think anyway) a total wonder product! It was about £6, it has a wonderfully light texture so it is perfect for using every night. I wake up in the morning and can really tell the difference, my skin feels plump and looks dewy, it's a great drugstore night cream.

My hair is driving me mad at the moment! Ever since I made the terrible decision to have a full scalp bleach 18 months ago, my hair has never been the same. It breaks when I brush it, my scalp itself is much drier than it used to be and it looks as dull as bloody dishwater frankly! In comes this wonder mask, I'd seen Victoria from Inthefrow recommend this in one of her YouTube videos and Look Fantastic were offering Redken products at 20% off so I got this for £17.49 at the time. I use this once a week and I must say my hair feels a lot softer, doesn't break as much as it used to and has a nice smell to it. I think I probably need to use this for longer to get my hair back to it's old form!

Bit of a theme here now with all of these masks! This Body Shop mask is fab, has a lovely light fragrance perfect for sleeping in and is not greasy at all. When I wake, I have a slight residue which once washed off, makes my skin look radiant and feel so soft! I only use this once or twice a week, in between my other creams and masks! I've enjoyed a few products from the Vitamin E range so far as they aren't heavy on my skin. This isn't too thick, the pot says to apply a generous amount all over your face, rub in gently then leave it to sink in overnight - heaven.

Finally, a cult product some may say, the This Works pillow spray. Excuse the travel size spray! This has been helping me drift off to sleep throughout the final weeks of my pregnancy. I'm getting to the stage now where sleep is an issue, just because of the extra weight and the aching hips (I'm really not moaning here though, I've had the best pregnancy and will be sad for it to end!) 

A few sprays of this on my pillow before settling down for the night really helps me relax. So many people recommend this product, if you're someone that struggles to drift off at night why not give it a try?

Chloe x

Spring Zara Haul

Let me just start by saying I am fully aware that I have a problem. I am addicted to Zara Kids.
I've purchased lots recently for Matilda's wardrobe and also for the new baby, thinking that once I am on maternity leave and receiving the terrible statutory pay, I won't be able to treat my girls (so weird writing that!) as much as I would like.

Zara is killing it for me with their girls collection for spring/summer so I wanted to share the bits I've picked up in the last few weeks.

First up is this gorgeous embroidered striped blouse. Embroidery is huge for spring/summer and I like Matilda to be stylish, which may sound ridiculous to some but as I've said before I love fashion - even though my threads leave a lot to be desired! Part of being a mother is giving everything to the kids and I want my kids to look their best. 

The jeans! All the heart eyes for these mom-style ups which also feature cute embroidery. Unfortunately as I type they aren't online but try your local Zara to see if you can find them.

These raffia-esque skater shoes are the perfect Spring shoe, ideal for the transitional weather when boots are too much but a sandal isn't enough. They will go with everything too!

I love these items together but the beauty of a denim shirt is that it can go with everything, great if your'e trying to create a capsule wardrobe. This particular shirt is really lightweight, so is perfect for this time of year and is still available here in most sizes.

The leggings caught my eye because of the cute print, but it is really bothering me that in this photo it looks like one leg is longer than the other! Zara do these with a few different prints on, and are a bargain at £8.99, you can find them here.

Ok more grey from me with these jeans, a total steal at £9.99 and they come in 5 different colours. Again, I find they go with so much because of the pale tone and look cute turned up. 

The picture doesn't show the glitter on the jumper but that is probably what drew me to it as I love anything sparkly and I really liked it with these jeans. It comes in other colours and is still available in all sizes online.

This striped shirt isn't online but it's a recent purchase so could be picked up in store. I love blue, stripes and embroidery as well as grey if you couldn't already tell. Another shirt that is perfect for Spring, I love the casual vibe with these jeans and Converse.

Zara's mid-season sale has started today so of course I am eyeing up more items to buy! I've also been stocking up on newborn bits for baby number 2, so I will bring those to you in a separate post!

Chloe x