Abi was a really easy baby- she was really easy infact up until about a year ago. The stereotypical baby/toddler issues never happened to us and my god, did we take it for granted.
As we approached the terrible 2's we started to experience the little angry tantrums that everyone will warn you about.... Thankfully they didn't mount to much and were easy to over come. Fast forward a year to the approach of her 3rd birthday and it was a different story.... Other parents and family members will shout from the rooftops when it comes to telling you about the different stages of a child and the different leaps and 9 times out of 10 they won't hold back on using the phrase- it's just a phase. Well, it's been a year and a half and guess what- ITS NOT A PHASE!!!! Abi has turned into a mini angry teenager. She is a pint sized angry little human who refuses to listen and has more sass than Jlo and Jennifer Hudson combined. She's also the queen of procrastination and knows exactly how to get what she wants when she wants it. That's obviously a pretty rare thing at home with myself and Chris- we know every trick in her book and manage to control her sassiness 9 times out of 10. When it comes to her trips to Nannie and grandads though she of course knows how to win every situation! She bats her eyelashes and puts on the tears and anyone who doesn't live with her and know her like mummy and daddy falls sucker to her puppy dog ways. Our biggest struggle is her refusal to listen and determination to undermine what you're asking her to do. She will stop at nothing to avoid tidying her toys or finishing her dinner. Frequent loo breaks in both instances are her main go to procrastination tactic. About a month ago we started up a reward star chart in the hope it would help encourage her to behave a bit better. Don't get me wrong- Abi is actually really good. She's loving, affectionate and loves helping with anything from cooking to cleaning! But when she's naughty she is horrific. And it comes from no where with no warning. The star chart started out well, the first two days she was a dream. But the novelty wore off pretty quick for her and she eventually didn't care about her star stickers what so ever. Opting for being the naughtiest she could possibly be over the special stickers that would result in pocket money and treats. Needless to say after a week we gave up and surprise suprise. She didn't even notice. Like I said above, she's good 9 times out of 10. She makes her bed, brushes her teeth, gets herself dressed and is always eager to help with "jobs" as she likes to call them. She's become quite the bathroom cleaning pro (fear not, she has her own clean cloth and only uses water- no cleaning products!) But when she's naughty she is like a different child. Like a little pint sized stranger who's broken into our house and switched bodies with our usually delightful child. Our new telling off tactics have taken a turn for the extreme. 'Throwing' toys away (they aren't in the bin, they are hidden!) The cliche naughty step- does nothing of great effect but she does kind of react. Bed stupidly early- again- no effect, she appears to love going to bed when it's still light and sleeping for 13 hours! And despite saying I'd never smack my child (by smack I mean a tap on the bum!) we have had to resort to that too- again, She doesn't care and laughs in the face of our attempt at telling her off. I know we are lucky, but it's so hard to remember this when she's throwing a paw patroller at your head with such force it leaves a bruise! I guess the point of this post is to show all other threenager mums out there that your child is not the only little turd out there. The erratic and dramatic mood swings are apparently normal and 'just a phase'. A really long pissing phase that never seems to end!! I have been been told that girls are worse, so if you have a boy you have hope. I guess hormones really do start early! I'm taking her shocking attitude as a sign that hopefully her actual teenager years won't be to horrific. Apparently I was an awful toddler and an easy teenager so we can only hope it's that way for Abi... Being a parent is hard. A constant up hill struggle. Children are smart and funny and even when they are at their worst sometimes you can't help but laugh at them making their bad behaviour that much worse. As I write this, and while visiting the bathroom for the 100th time, I've just checked in on our little demon who is now, currently, the dreamiest most beautiful little sleeping angel. And it's hard to believe that in less than 9 hours she'll awake and no doubt do something that destroys that angelic image from my mind within minutes. Being a mum is the gift that 100% keeps on giving! And for every bad moment there are a million great moments that you will never forget. **UPDATE** Abi woke up at 5.30am... 45 minutes after waking up, She then came up to me with pj bottoms round her ankles, parted her bum cheeks and farted on my leg... See what I mean? Naughty but kind of funny in a disgusting kind of way!! Jess X
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The final 2 weeks of pregnancy are by far the longest weeks of anyone's life. Especially when you can't drive and you spend the majority of your time in your pyjamas! Friday's are my mums day off and this Friday just gone we decided to make the most of the nice weather and head off on a sort of Jurassic coast adventure. We packed up mums car with a picnic (mums usual over catering took affect!) and stopped off at the shops for some sweet treats! Our first destination was Kimmeridge- it's a beautiful nature reserve where you can rock pool and search for fossils. The drive to Kimmeridge is beautiful and is hidden away down a road full of beautiful views and amazing houses!! I actually did my work experience at the nature reserve 10 years ago and it was best 2 weeks spent on the shoreline and enjoying so much fresh air. It was only 6degrees but with the sun shining on you it felt a lot warmer... That being said the sea breeze was quite cold especially up on the cliff top! The walk down to the bay is quite a tricky one (even trickier when you can't see your feet) but it felt good to be out and about and I kept telling myself it's all helping baby B come on her way. We walked along the shore and I decided to sit out the rock pooling as it got a bit slippery and really didn't want to risk any slips or trips! It was really relaxing sitting in the sun though with the sea breeze and salty air smell and it was nice being able to sit and enjoy watching Mum and Abi negotiate the rocks! Abi returned with a pocketful of shells and stones and all the walking had made her hungry! So we headed back up to the car (the old stone steps were a lot bigger on the way up!) and headed off to find a nice spot to Indulge in our picnic. We drove towards swanage where we did just resort to sitting in the car in the warm eating all our treats! The wind would of definitely made our picnic a nightmare. After our picnic we hopped onto the swanage to sandbanks ferry and had a quick drive by of Compton acres so I could get my excited butterflies for our wedding! Then we headed to branksome beach for some more sea air and shell finding. Abi also wanted an ice cream! The feel of spring was definitely in the air and the beach was actually quite busy. Abi ended up with the worlds most expensive ice lolly but she was happy and really enjoyed crawling around the sand searching for the prettiest shells she could find.
On our drive home, we went the coastal route drive along the cliff tops and enjoyed the blue summer skys as opposed to the horrible clouds we have become so used too. Of course a labour inducing walk day wouldn't be complete without a drive down matchams... Needless to say there is still a baby in my belly. We are so lucky to live where we do, where we can enjoy the forest and the coast with a 45 minutes drive between both. I would always recommend Kimmeridge Bay as an amazing family day trip, there are so many rock pools and you can guarantee you'll find some fossils if you search hard enough. There are also a few beautiful coastal walks you can do while there and when the weathers as nice as it was on Friday it's the perfect blow away the cobwebs day trip. Abi slept like a dream after all that fresh air!! Its such an odd feeling knowing that our adventure could of been our last day out with my mum without a new baby! I love days out with my mum and I'll definitely always need my days out with her- with children in tow or not. Nothing beats a mother daughter day and I hope that when our girls are the same age as me, we are as close as I am to my mum! Jess X If Baby B is anything like her big sister she will make an entrance into this world any day now... I was dead on 37 weeks and 6 days when my waters broke with Abi and 38 weeks to the day when she was born.
Of course its looking like this little one is going to enjoy messing us around as yet again, we ended up in hospital yesterday with reduced movements and some quite uncomfortable tightenings. We were only in the day assessment unit for 2 hours to just make sure Baby was ok- which thankfully she is. She's just run out of room so her movmements don't feel like much anymore. And when I do feel them they physically hurt me! As for the tightenings there's not much to do other than wait till I'm finally in established, proper labour. I never felt on tender hooks with Abi in the final weeks like I have this time. Which is probably not only down to all the little problems we have had but also because every time I think it could be happening, I instantly have an over whelming panic about Abi. The last thought on my mind is giving birth or getting to hospital. All I think is that I just want one last little cuddle where it's just us without a baby taking all my attention. Then it's let's get Abi to nannies and have this baby! Im also struggling with some pretty horrific anxiety when it comes to the thought of actually giving birth. It's true what they say- you forget the pain as soon as you hold your baby but when it comes to the thought of actually doing it again, I find myself remembering it. I'm secretly hoping I'm remembering it worse than it really is but I'm fairly certain I'm remembering it less worse than what it is and I'll be in for a massive shock... God help me. Jess X The last week I have definitely hit that end of pregnancy wall. I never hit it with Abi, probably because I could walk without a waddle and I wasn't that big so getting up wasn't an issue! But this time I've hit it. And my god, I have hit it hard.
Despite all the problems we have had through out the last 9 months, I have enjoyed being pregnant. It doesn't matter how much pain I'm in, feeling Baby B move is incredible. BUT like I said, I am beyond fed up now... Why you ask? Well... I am now that stereotypical women who needs help to get up, or I heavily grunt like an angry warthog as I heave myself up. I never thought it would be possible, but I pee ALL THE TIME. More than I have throughout this entire pregnancy, on average 3 times during a 45 minute program... Sleep is non existent- which I know when baby is here will be the case but it's completely different when your sleep is so disturbed (if any) because of such pain. The above being said I haven't had a great nights sleep since Abi was born so it's nothing to new! (Word to the wise to expectant first time mummas- its true what they say, you will never sleep again through either children keeping you up or just being super alert to every sound. A solid sleep doesn't happen for us mums!) None of my clothes fit and I'm either sporting my pj bottoms as ankle swingers or flashing my stretch mark covered belly. There's no winning outfit combination. Cankles. Need I say more? I'm continuously hungry- but full at the sight of food because little miss Baby B is taking up my entire stomach! This means heartburn and indigestion is at an all time high. Finally, there's no room in there for Baby B anymore meaning her movements hurt. Sick inducing, bladder pushing hurt. She's also so cramped in there she's pushing down on my cervix and it causes ALOT of pain. I am by no means moaning- being pregnant is something I do love, despite all the issues I encounter during the 9 months. I am so incredibly greatful and feel more than blessed that I can have children but ask any pregnant women at this stage and they will say the same. The last month of pregnancy is not 31 days. I am 100% certain it's 3195 days- that's how it feels anyway. The last month wall of anger has been officially hit. The hormones, anxiety about child birth, and feeling of being fed up all gets to much too often and I find myself crying, being snappy or just in a general angry grump of a mood all to often. That being said, I also find myself more often than not get over come with an over whelming urge of excitement about our new arrival that I also cry with happiness... HORMONES!!! Abi was born at 38 weeks and 3 days... And I am praying this little one takes after her sister and comes at a similar time. But I am also preparing myself for her being late... But I am taking some serious labour inducing methods this time which I didn't do with Abi. Raspberry leaf tea every day has been a staple since 35 weeks! I'm adding spice to all my meals- even opting for a chicken pathia and chilli rice from the curry house on Saturday. Which for a korma lover was a challenge. Pineapple has been eaten in copious amounts! And I'm cleaning a lot. I plan on spending between now and when baby is here continuing my constant cleaning mission. As well as walking a lot and being as active as possible. I am desperate to make the most of the last couple of weeks of being pregnant. Especially eating what I want without much guilt- as soon as this baby is out I have to start my 1 year wedding countdown diet!! Jess X We first told Abi that she was going to be a big sister when I was 11 weeks pregnant. She is far from stupid and could definitely sense something was wrong because suddenly mummy was always sick and couldn't pick her up etc. She has always been pretty obsessed with babies too and has asked for a baby of her own since she was about 2. Despite my initial worry of how she would react she was super excited and has continued to get even more excited as the time has gotten closer. The first thing we did as soon as we reached the 12 week mark and had our official scan is went out and purchased the 'There's a house inside my mummy' book. As well as a 'Big sister' t-shirt from Next. Abi took it up on herself to share our news with everyone she could and every night she would enjoy reading the book. I will be 100% honest when I say that after reading 1 article on the 'best' way to prepare your first born for a new sibling- I quickly slammed the laptop shut and decided that no one can tell you how to prepare your little person for such a big change. Every child is different. Abi is a child who likes to get involved and has helped me constantly when I have had my nesting days. She's also probably the only child who enjoyed a day walking around Ikea and buying the new cot! Without any hesitation she threw herself into helping Daddy put the cot together too and despite it being a bit stressful, it was amazing to see her want to help get ready for baby. She also helped put the new pram together and really enjoyed testing out the new car seat with one of her dolly's. The best thing we did in regards to making sure Abi felt involved was taking her to our 20 week scan. We made the day into an adventure and she thought that going into the hospital and the scan room was the best thing ever. It also really helped her to understand that there was a baby in mummy's belly when she saw her sister bouncing around on the screen. So, what would my personal top tips be for preparing a little one for siblinghood? 1- Get them involved!! Don't be scared to take them to scans, or baby shopping. Let them help prepare everything- from bag packing to cot building. It really helps them understand what's coming. 2- Buy the cliche books and cliche clothes. Having a book- and Abi loves books- really helped her understand there's a baby in mummy's belly better than we could ever explain to her. These books are specifically written in a way to help little ones understand after all. 3- Don't over think everything. And this is coming from the worlds worst over thinker. I have spent this entire pregnancy thinking every attitude change or bad behaviour from Abi has been down to the impending arrival of her new sister when truth is- it's not. It's because she's 3. But, Even if it was down to the baby, who can blame her- it's a massive change to everyone, especially a 3 year old and I think all children are aloud a few wobbles for whatever reason. 4- Don't show upset/ fear/ anxiety. Coming from someone who's had a pregnancy with several times of worry etc. It's been so important to make sure Abi doesn't pick up on any stress etc I have felt. The couple of times I've shown my worry her attitude towards baby has completely changed because she feels that baby is upsetting mummy. These little ones aren't as stupid as we sometimes think and will pick up on the slightest emotion. 5- Finally- Let them be excited. Abi has been the worst for getting a little too excited when she's seen my belly moving and sometimes knocking me a bit to hard! But I would rather that than her being angry and hating it all. It's been amazing to watch her excitement grow with each passing day and now that we are at the stage where it could be any day, she's uncontrollably excited. I've been the worst for worrying about how Abi will react when this baby arrives- sometimes suffering some quite bad anxiety. Despite the fact she's been positive and excited throughout the pregnancy, I am fully prepared for her to be a bit testing once the novelty and excitement of a new baby sister has warn off and the reality sets in.
I wasn't a great advert for a new big sister when my brother arrived home- hitting him with his changing bag and asking when he was being taken back being the finest moment, but once I'd had my wobble I settled (well, so I've been told). When baby is here we are planning on making Chris's paternity leave like any other time off we've had with a few day trips as a treat for Abi- something she's asked to do because she'd like show to baby B her favourite places! And lots of relaxing and playing. We are also planning on sticking to Abi's routine as much as possible and hopefully that will help with our adjustment to a new arrival as a family! I am obviously fully prepared for all this to go out the window and like I said, I am prepared for however Abi reacts to such a big change! Wish us luck! Jess X We have finally made it to 'term' and my god it feels great! Especially after the last few weeks of tightenings and pains.
That being said, the tightenings had infact subsided for a couple of days over the weekend and I was just left with some occasional sharp stabbing pains- which didn't overly concern me- and just the general uncomfortable feeling. Valentine's Day it did all take a bit of a turn though. I woke up with a couple of tightenings 5 minutes apart. Then they stopped. Throughout the morning and into early afternoon I had a couple but nothing I hadn't already experienced. That was until my back started to cramp and my stomach was continually rock hard... If you've read my birth story with Abi then you'll know that this is how I laboured with her. I chose to ignore it for as long as possible before calling up the day assement unit to see what they suggested. After an hour and a half of a rock hard stomach and quite horrible back cramp I called up and the lovely midwife suggested I have a cup of tea and sit down for half and hour and if they don't subside then call the labour ward... If anything the sit down made it worse so half and hour later we were on the phone to the labour ward and the next midwife I spoke to explained that because I'm not actually 37 weeks yet (well for another 10 hours!) its best I just come in to be checked and monitored as if baby was born before I officially hit that 37 week mark, I would class as pre-term. It's all very silly- it was only 10 hours! Of course Chris got very excited and so did Abi and it was time to do a practice run of our labour routine! Parents were called and Abi was collected and we headed up to hospital with bags in hand. Sod's law, the journey up there my stomach softened and the back cramp subsided. We were hooked up to the monitor and her little heartbeat was perfectly happy- she started to move around all over the show as well which is Sod's law again after an afternoon of no movement. Half an hour later, the tightenings and cramps had completely stopped and despite baby B frequently kicking the monitor off she was perfectly happy. The doctor came in to see us and he didn't even want to check me. Why? Because I'm 37 weeks in several hours and if this happens again it's nothing to worry about. It's just normal happy labour with a baby enroute. So, from now on, any tightenings, cramps or any sign of labour are to be treated like normal labour as it would no longer be 'pre-term'. I would call up, express I think it's happening and they'll probably tell me to leave it for an hour and time etc and then call up again when I think it's time for me to head up to labour ward. Our midwife was really good and explained that the pains I had been feeling where probably from where baby B's head is pushing down on my pelvis and cervix... Lovely. Knowing this has made me relax a little more though. Our little hospital excursion did mean our Valentines plans of home made pizzas and Netflix was ruined but the meal we ended up having (chicken dippers and chips with hot sauce) wasn't all bad! Chris is a very lucky man! I don't remember feeling 'fed up' of being pregnant with Abi. Which I know sounds horrible, but compared to what we have had this time round, Abi's was a breeze. Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant and I feel very blessed, but it's hard work And I never fully appreciated how hard it was with Abi. One thing I'm really struggling with is just how uncomfortable I am- which again, I never had with Abi. I'm definitely at that stage where if I drop something, there's a strong chance it's staying there till Chris or Abi can pick it up because I'll be honest, it's really not worth me bending to get it as it takes me double the time to get back up. So our plans to help Baby B make her entrance into the world... Walks, raspberry leaf tea and spicey food. Although it is getting to the stage where we have so many birthdays and work things coming up we are torn between wanting her to stay put for a bit and making an entrance! We will have to see! Jess X As I write this, I can't quite believe that we have finally made it this far! I am never sure on the baby shower protocol... I had one when I was pregnant with Abi and when my mum said she wanted to throw one for our next little bundle I was greeted with mixed opinions. Admittedly most of those emotions were positive and excited abut the excuse for cake and baby gift buying. But a couple were pretty harsh, and from people who are meant to be friends as well as they just didn't believe that with any subsequent pregnancies you don't really deserve a shower. I will admit this did a put a downer on my excitement for the day but it was amazing and we made it a bit of a 'Big sister to be' shower for Abigail too! My mum is definitely the hostess with the mostess and really knows how to plan a party. She brought helium balloons, decorated the conservatory, made a beautiful selection of sandwiches and a great cream tea. But the best surprise was the fact that she had made an amazing nappy cake! Along with my mums incredible decorating and nappy cake making, my best friend Abby, makes the most amazing cake's and as soon as we told her we were expecting she instantly said that she cannot wait to make us a surprise cake- and cake pop's (Chris's absolute favourite). It was a complete surprise when she arrived yesterday with the most beautiful cake with my favourite flavours and topped with our favourite treats! It was so nice having all our friends and family together, well all the ladies anyway- it was a baby shower after all! Chris definitely enjoyed a few hours of peace to watch the rugby with out Abi being the monster she usually is. Abi also loved having her friends there and she was so happy to see Aaliyah and Bella and spend the afternoon playing and eating lots of sweet treats. When we agreed to a baby shower we said we didn't need anything and we didn't expect any gifts. Also after weeks of minimal social interaction with anyone other than our mums and Chris, just seeing everyone was enough for me! That being said, we were spoilt rotten and so was Abi. From sleep suits to wash stuff and so many beautiful outfit's, baby B has a lot of beautiful new outfits to flaunt when she is finally here. We played some stereotypical baby shower games like "guess what's in the nappy" and a quiz all about me! The little ones really enjoyed a game of pin the dummy on the baby too and it was so nice having the girls there celebrating the upcoming new role of big sister for Abi. It was the best afternoon that has made the upcoming arrival all the more real! Of course this baby kept me on my toes all night after, with regular tightenings and a couple of times i did think we were experiencing the curse of the baby shower but unfortunately they stopped and lone and behold- I am still very pregnant! We can't wait to finally complete our family and yesterday made us even more exited- and a little bit nervous. We forgot how small babies are!! Jess
X Wednesday saw us hit 36 weeks which is the nicest feeling! It's like a safe zone and it's incredibly reassuring knowing that if these tightenings amount to anything then they wouldn't be too worried! It also means that I finally feel able to go on teeny tiny walks to help this baby get ready.
The tightenings have actually never stopped since 33 weeks, coming at random and sporadic intervals but the last few days have definitely seen them get a lot worse. I've also started getting quite horrible back ache, as well as the sharp 'fanny daggers' you hear pregnant women go on about so often, so as you can imagine, sleep is pretty much non existent. I went to my midwife appointment expecting minimal good news like every week. I walked down (despite it hurting slightly, I do feel so good for it) and to my surprise, I was seen dead on my appointment time- a miracle. Back when I was 28 weeks I was told I was slightly anemic so was given iron tablets. At 34 weeks I had more blood tests to check my iron levels have improved and they have actually gotten worse! I had started to question if I was maybe suffering with anemia a bit as I started to become quite dizzy and very, very tired. But it's not a concern as baby is thriving. I just need to take some stronger iron tablets which will no doubt have god awful effects but if it helps with being constantly exhausted then it's all good. As well as the very low iron levels I also had glucose in my urine- a lot of it. Which was weird seeing as it was my first wee of the day (tmi much?) but my midwife did another test which came back the same, and then called the hospital who suggested I have a random glucose blood test. If this comes back with anything they'll 'see how I go' as I'm already 36 weeks and I've gotten this far with not even a trace of glucose before so there isn't much they can do. Baby is always measuring a bit small (I've written about it below) so having a big gestational diabetes baby isn't a concern. At my 34 week check up baby B was still breech and my midwife wasn't happy. Discussions of me having the baby turned etc were being had but she decided to wait till I was 36 weeks before making a decision. Thankgod she did because it turns out baby is head down and 2/5s engaged! So this baby has gone from being slightly behind to very ahead for this stage. I'm not counting my chickens though- I'm fully prepared for her to be late! She is still a bit small, sitting on the lower centile but Abi was just above where this baby is on her centile graph and she was 7lb2oz at 1.5 weeks early so I'm not counting my chickens that this baby will be small but probably either a similar size or bigger! It will definitely add to what's been a not great pregnancy. My next appointment is at 38 weeks and I'm planning on a little walk every day to help keep this baby engaged- being fully engaged by 38 weeks would make me very happy! I've also started taking raspberry leaf tea (I swear that's why I gave birth so quick with Abi) and I have cravings for spicey food so hopefully this will all help keep this little fidget bum of a baby engaged! Roll on the next 3 weeks! Jess X It doesn't take a genius to work out that a new baby is expensive, be it your first or tenth, it's a massive added cost. From nappies to formula and cost of all the extra washing you will do, it all adds up. On top of the added bills and baby purchases you also have to think about the fact that you have to live on a much lower wage- maternity pay.
When we had Abi, I went from a full time wage to maternity pay and that was a very big adjustment. On top of this we also purchased our first house when Abi was 6 weeks old. So within the first year of motherhood we not only had maternity pay to adjust to but also a new baby and a mortgage and bill's. Despite it being tough at time's, we survived and it makes me so proud to know that we did. This time we are really lucky because not only is Chris on more money, I am also entitled to higher bracket maternity pay for a longer period- meaning that for the first 14 week's of my maternity leave I'll be earning the same amount I was as when I was working. It's such a nice relief knowing that we don't have to be worse off financially for a few months! Because we have our wedding in March 2018- exactly a year after baby B's due date, we have made sure that we are more prepared to live on a lower income before we have too. We have made several simple changes with bill's, starting with our broadband- we are now saving £30 a month! We also changed our electricity tariff which will save us roughly £250 a year. One of our biggest expenditures is our food shopping and a love of a cheeky take away- naughty I know. We started trying to reduce our food bill back in November by shopping at Aldi instead of our usual Tesco and the massive saving we have found in doing this has been incredible. We tend to get away with 2 bigger shops a month which when shopping at Tesco or the like would cost us between £70-£100 a time for a family of 3! When we switched to Aldi our shops reduced to roughly £30-£60 a time, so no more than £140 a month with top ups of milk and bread etc. And we tend to find that we not only get more for our money but better quality too. On top of the food and cleaning products being such good value and just as good, if not better, the baby 'Mamia' range we have found to be faultless and at less than half the price of pampers or Tesco own, you cant lose. As I've said before I'm hoping I am able to breast feed so if I'm successful that's a saving of £10-£15 a week as opposed to when you have to buy formula. Obviously if I'm not successful then our extra saving tricks will definitely help towards formula. Our take away treat's have also been massively cut back and instead of a once a week lazy dinner they are no more than twice a month- they will soon be none because of my wedding diet once baby is here! Another massive financial help is Chris's change in job as he now has to take packed lunches. He is no longer spending £3 a day on a meal deal but instead is taking a healthier packed lunch that is satisfying for both his stomach and our bank account. Petrol and diesel is obviously a necessity and me being unable to drive has massively helped- I have had no need to fill up my car at all. When the baby is finally here I will also avoid driving as much as possible and opt for walking whenever I can. I did this with Abi and not only did it really help with post pregnancy weightloss and getting baby much needed fresh air for those peaceful nights sleep, it also obviously helped financially. No fuel wastage for us Bolton's! In regard's to still making sure we have lot's of family fun, I'm planning on making the most of all the free day's out that Dorset and Hampshire have to offer. From Poole Park to feed the ducks to New Forest walk's, I will be making sure that every day we go outdoors and have an adventure that doesn't cost the earth! Helping with maternity pay doesn't just have to just be about cut back's. I have been minimalizing our house, specifically our wardrobe's and have been selling our unwanted clothes on Ebay. It's super easy and is a great way to make some extra pennies. The money I had made paid for all baby B's Nuby products! I will continue to find some money saving tricks throughout maternity. But I have found that its definitely helped us preparing before baby is here and we actually have to live on a smaller income. This way we are ready and prepared before the time actually comes and we hopefully won't feel the strain as much as we did when we first had Abi. The cost of being a parent and having a home is getting increasingly more expensive as time goes on but if you successfully manage it there really is no better feeling! (I say this like I'm a pro money saver but I am the worst for impulsive buying of thing's we don't need which is something I'm trying to curb!) I know it will be a lot harder this time round because we will becoming a family of 4 and have a toddler to purchase things for too as well as a new born but again, hopefully our preparation helps with this! Now to try and raise a family without breaking the bank, arrange and pay for a wedding and enjoy life with minimal financial stress... The joy's of being an adult. Jess X With Abi, I massively over packed our hospital bags and didn't actually need half the thing's I had packed - my bag especially! A lot of my feeling of over packing of unnecessary thing's was probably down to how quick Abi was born- we certainly didn't need all the lucozade, water and snack's!! This time I've tried to be a bit more sensible with both my bag and baby B's bag. I'll no doubt have the opposite problem this time and not take enough! So, what have I packed in our bag's? I'll start with Baby B's bag as it was definitely the easier of the two to pack! With Abi I took about 10 baby gro's and vest's and the bag was bursting at the seams! This time I've opted for only 4 of each. It was also quite warm when we brought Abi home so she didn't need to wear hats or mittens and she certainly didn't need a nice thick cardi which I've excitedly packed as it's one Abi never got the chance to wear. So along with her outfits she has 2 matching hats and some beautiful soft John Lewis mittens. I've also packed quite a few nappies (and a few tiny baby size as Abi needed them for the first couple of days so I'm just being cautious!) On top of that I have a tiny pot of sudocream (which I have no intention of using but I have put in for my benefit if anything else) and also a tube of my trusty nipple cream so I can prevent any sore nipple issues before they even start! Last but not least we have a Muslin cloth (which we didn't have with Abi at the hospital and instantly regretted it) and of course, baby B's very own jelly cat teddy just like Abigail's stinky monkey. Ive kept baby B's bag really light and minimal and it's meant that I haven't forgotten what I have and haven't put in which I often find I do when I massively over pack. Next. My bag... I'll start with toiletries as they are just as you would imagine. I have my trusty Liz Earle cleanse and polish and my soothing eye lotion to help keep my puffy tired eyes at bay. Then it's the basic body wash and deodorant, along with some talc to keep me feeling 'fresh'. I've also packed some mini shampoo and conditioner just in case I can be bothered to wash my hair- if not, I've also packed some dry shampoo. Obviously I've got my tooth brush and toothpaste so I can have continuous fresh breath for when I'm no doubt screaming in Chris's face!!
When it comes to maternity pads and breast pads, as far as im concerned, you can never have enough. I currently have 1 pack of both in my bag but have several more stored away ready for when we are home. I quickly went through every item of clothing I owned when I was in labour with Abi because my waters had broken - and that was before I'd even made to hospital- so this time I've opted for some long nighty type tops for the labour (desperately hoping I'm at hospital for the majority of it this time) and some fluffy socks to keep my feet warm! Im really eager to breastfeed so unlike last time, I've invested in some good quality nursing bra's to make it all easier for both me and baby. I didn't have them with Abi and it was such hard work taking my bra off every time or sitting uncomfortably while my bra was awkwardly tucked to the side. As well as my nursing bras I have some nice, really big, Bridget jones style cotton pants. They are incredibly comfy and I have no intention of giving them up after the baby is here. They are perfect for those monstrous maternity pads and if I was to have a c section for any reason they would sit very comfortably and loosely above the c section cut. Ive then packed my very comfy hollister yoga pants and some nice lose tops for our journey home. I'll be putting my comfiest pj bottoms in too but I'm not willing to part from wearing them yet so will be packed at the very last minute! Ill hopefully have my head switched on enough before we leave for the hospital to also make sure I take my jeans and a few other tops- just in case. I just really don't want to pack too much too soon and leave myself with no clothes for the next few weeks! With Abi I purchased a lot of new things like new pjs and underwear but this time I haven't- they just all get labour gunk on them and end up being thrown away anyway! Im also going to add some snacks and water when I actually go into labour. So many people have different opinions on what you should and shouldn't take in your hospital bags- even midwives- so Ive literally based this on my own personal preferences and on what I learned from my experience with Abi. Now to no doubt unpack and repack several times as our due date approaches and start to worry that I've forgotten vital things! Let's hope we are not left waiting too long! Jess X |