Maternity Clothes

 

I’ve just realised I've not really written about what I've been wearing during my pregnancy on this blog, and only on occasion on my other blog.

I’ve found it really hard to find nice maternity clothes if I'm being honest, partly because I didn’t want to spend much money on new clothes, but mainly because I genuinely didn't like much available out there! I bought three dresses from the New Look maternity range in the Christmas sales, which was long before I needed them but was a sensible thing to do on reflection! I also bought 2 dresses from ASOS in the sales, but then when I tried them on when I had a noticeable bump decided that they didn’t look right (the tulip style skirt on one just made me look like a hippo!) and sold them on eBay for a profit (hurrah!) I do still have a nice cream lace dress with the tags still on, which I couldn't resist, but have had nowhere nice enough to wear it to, so if a situation doesn't arise I'll sell that too!

My first bit of advice is to think about what you’ve already got that will work (dresses with full skirts, things that are really elasticated, flowy tops etc, and you’d be surprised at what will still fit quite far along! I’m still wearing 2 ‘normal’ skirts to work, admittedly they are ‘bodycon’ style so are stretchy, but just get worn below the bump now. Secondly, USE EBAY! consider that most of the maternity clothes that are being sold have probably only been worn for around 3 months, before their owner decides to sell them for more money for nappies…

Here's a lowdown of what I’ve bought:

• leggings x 3 (New look, Matalan (both good quality) and H&M too long and a little bit thin for £14.99!)
• vest tops: Topshop (I do not rate these AT ALL, the strappy one is too low cut and the barely cover the bump, even though I bought them in a size up from normal!)
• T shirts: a 3 pack and a single one from New look. Great quality and still fit perfectly over a 36 week bump, with room to spare! (I bought a 12 and normally wear 10/12 in Newlook sizing) I bought a long-line stripy (of course, being maternity!) top from asos which was fine in my normal size and still fits well now too.
• Maxi-Skirt: H&M via eBay. PERFECT, this is the best thing I've purchased in terms of comfort, and go-with-everything top-wise!
• Jeans: Top-shop Leigh maternity jeans (denim with little dots on, with a stretchy band and no zip) cute, comfy till about 7 months then they just got too tight to wear for long periods of time. Green jeans from New look maternity, (Stretchy side panels with a zip) same as the above jeans. I’m not sure why I even bought jeans, I never wore them pre pregnancy but somehow it seemed like a good idea! To be honest I was glad of the extra thickness when I went to Prague though! tights wouldn't have cut it in –14 temp!
• Tights: as I wear dresses or skirts to work maternity tights were vital, all mine came from H&M (in black, they don't seem to do skin toned & are still selling woolly ones!) but are VERY comfy, I bought with and without feet in packs of either 2 or 3.
• Dresses: mainly New look, a couple from topshop (naff quality again!) and midi-length tunic from Matalan.
• eBay: a few dresses, and a bundle of 4 maternity tops from various places (for about £6 inc postage!)
• Loungewear/underwear: I went to Primark, go a couple of sizes up (I am normally a 10-12, and went for 16-18 sized T shirt/PJ bottom sets in stretchy material and change into them the moment I get in the door, as the waist bands are perfect for not cutting in/pressing on my bladder! I also bought a few packs of cheapy ‘big’ pants as my old pants were getting a bit too tight for comfort, and once I'm back to my normal size (haha!) I can fling them out without guilt!

 

Topshop (sale) / Newlook T shirt & H&M Skirt / Topshop dress via EBay for £6!

Pearl Lowe at Peacocks (not maternity but stretchy!) / H&M top and skirt (top not maternity, just bigger!) / New look dress (maternity, xmas sale, and has been a work staple!)

And because I love the surroundings so much I'm not cropping this one… (Mevagissey in Cornwall)

Primark Jumper (not maternity, just big!) and Matalan leggings (rolled up because I am a short-ass) over a regular vest top from H&M that used to be longer than that but over the bump it rides up…

Where did you shop for maternity clothes? any more tips to add?

Child-friendly kitchen!

On my main blog, I talk a lot about my house, but I've never actually shown you the room D and I spend the most time in- my kitchen! We rent the house from a baker, so it's massive and has the biggest oven I've ever seen outside Masterchef.

Yes, those are my feet you can see!

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen- my sewing machine is in there, I bake, make lots of cups of tea and now D is eating proper food, I'm often making things for him. One of the challenges we've had since he's become more aware of his surroundings is how to make the kitchen more child-friendly and interesting.

One way I've done this is by decorating the cupboards with the postcards I've received as part of the Postcrossing project. By doing this, I've made a brightly coloured, fun and ever-changing mini-art gallery that seems to be perfect for capturing a five-month old's attention. I like to spend time chatting to D and pointing out pictures. Although he can't yet understand what I'm saying, I like to think I'm helping him learn something interesting.

When D is in the kitchen with me, he tends to be in his high chair. He loves his food and he also loves being able to see what's going on, so it gives him the best of both worlds! It's also good for him to sit with me and his dad at dinnertime, watching us eat and learning about mealtimes. It also means he's constantly eyeing up our food...

 

What I'm really looking forward to, though, is when D is big enough to get involved in more activities- I'm dying to buy him an apron so we can get into the really fun (and messy!) stuff like painting and baking, which will drive Benn mad, but it'll be lovely to have a partner in crime for that sort of thing. After all, no-one tuts when a toddler has cookie dough in their hair.

Now, though, the challenge is to make the kitchen a fun yet safe place. I've no doubt that D will be crawling soon and, as he's my son, he's very nosy. This could be interesting/dangerous (delete as appropriate) to say the least. So far, my strategy involves moving a playmat and his favourite robot toy into a spot as far away from harm as possible and buying up the world's supply of child locks. What could possibly go wrong?

Any advice on childproofing welcome!

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Useful things to make Pregnancy easier

 

Pregnacare (or similar!) combined pills – I am useless  at remembering to take pills and tablets, so have a combined pill that has all the right vitamins and minerals in means only having to remember to take one pill a day, and that I can just about manage. More info on the boots website here

A pregnancy pillow (or a spare normal pillow) – Some nights I toss and turn too much and end up flinging the thing out of bed, but mostly I am exhausted enough to conk out and not move till I need to go for a wee, I posted already about mine here, but you can just sleep with a regular pillow between your legs and under your bump, but it’s a good idea to not sleep on your back when the bump gets bigger, it can trap nerves and make your legs go numb!

Crackers/cereal bars/ginger hobnobs – in the first few months they help to stave off pregnancy, and in the last few months they’ve been perfect to keep at work for a quick snack (I don't take a  lunch break at work, just graze throughout the day) and for early mornings, I'll have a cereal bar on the way to work then have a bowl of cereal/porridge when I get to work (the only bonus of early starts is that I have chefs on hand at the hotel to cook, I’m just fed up of of cooked breakfasts after so many years there!)

A pregnancy app- See this post (& this week according to the app the baby is as big as the head of a cauliflower, in case you were wondering!)

Loose fitting PJs – comfort over style, primarks biggest size work wonderfully, but I have to roll them up because I am short.

Something that smells nice to slather on sore stretched skin – I have been using a multitude of things (don't want to get bored!) but most recently have been loving the Seascape Soothe range (reviewed here)

Rennies/antacid tablets – don’t leave the house without them. keep them by the bed, in your bag, on your desk, in the car, EVERYWHERE! they’re a godsend. The weird thing is that I can go a couple of days without any heartburn/acid reflux, then for a few days EVERYTHING gives it to me!

A food delivery service (or an obliging partner/friend who will do it with you) – Asda delivers my groceries, and I top up at local shops on the way home from work. If Sam and I both had time together to go to the supermarket (i.e. if we didn't work at opposite times to each other) then I would make more of an effort to go, but waddling round the supermarket with a trolley then battling the old ladies on the bus with the bags isn't my idea of fun (although it is good exercise, see next point!)

Regular exercise – I'm not saying run a marathon, but unless your Dr tells you otherwise its a really good idea to keep doing non-strenuous exercise, even if its just walking, but there are lots of yoga videos on YouTube (here are some third trimester ones, as that’s what I am now) but there are local classes in most areas I expect, definitely in Brighton anyway!

A cleaning lady/man – I don’t have one of these, but if money were no object I would get help in an instant. Cleaning bathroom/kitchen floors on my hands and knees is getting difficult and tiring, and I'm only going to get bigger. Plus I only like to clean when I'm in the right mood, and that hardly ever happens!

A comfy bra – I’m still on the lookout for one of these! I purchased some non wired bras from M&S and they were just really unflattering, and still not that comfy. Yesterday a very nice lady in La Senza measured me, but all their bra’s are of the bullet proof padding variety, with underwire. She gave me a ‘body kiss’ to try on which was so padded round the underwire that you could hardly feel it, but I didn't want all the ‘oomph’ so I didn't buy it. She did however make me try a smaller band a bigger cup, which seemed to work slightly better than what I was going for before, so the hunt continues, and in the mean time I bought a maternity bra and a nursing bra from Mothercare in their sale, which are doing for now. Needless to say the moment I shut the door behind me when I get in the bra comes off and the PJs go on.

a smaller handbag – I was carrying around all kinds of crap I didn't need, so I changed to a smaller one (slightly) and make a point of emptying out the stuff I don't need every couple of days, because dragging around all the extra weight wasn’t doing my shoulders any good at all!

Please do feel free to add your couldn't-do-withouts below!

Book Review: Jo Frosts Confident Baby Care

 

I bought this from play.com on a bit of a whim, along with this which I'll try and review at a later date. To be honest I've not watched any ‘Super Nanny’ (view clips here and visit the official website here) but I'm sure you’ve all heard of Jo Frost and her magical way with children. I know she has a no nonsense, realistic outlook on child rearing, so thought it would be worth a read.

Obviously a few chapters are a bit redundant for me at the moment, but Part 1 deals with ‘before’ and talks about becoming confident parents, making confident choices and essential equipment, so that's the part that I have read thus far.

I like the way the book is written, its not really a ‘how to’ but more of a ‘try this’ guidance style, which I like because nobody likes being told exactly what to do, and more to the point, every baby and parent will be different!

There are a couple of things that I though ‘eh?’ in response to when reading, the first being ‘is it as glam as the life you lead’ when thinking about naming your baby, but thinking about it now I reckon she’s actually being a bit tongue in cheek! (but the other four tips are helpful!) 

I like in the breast feeding part of ‘before the baby’ she states ‘don't feel badly if you cant breastfeed…it’s not proof of womanhood or love for your baby’ which is good to read.

In chapter 3 (which is about equipment) she talks in depth about all kinds of things I hadn't thought about yet. The main thing that stuck with me is a the ‘other essentials’ where she suggests buying a basket (how quaint) that you can take from room to room as desired with things like a thermometer/baby nail scissors/nappy rash cream etc so that you've got everything you might need to hand, but not cluttering up your nappy bag. 

I've only read the first section so far, as parts 2 and 3 deal with ‘Your Baby is here!’ & 'Exceptional Circumstances' (such as ‘Premmies’ & special needs babies, and adoption and twins etc) So hopefully part 2 will be useful and part three will be redundant! 

Part 4 also has some useful resources about immunisation, first aid, common illnesses/ailments and a baby log (which is effectively a few pages of lined paper so you can make notes in the book, which will supposedly become invaluable)

Some favourite lines:

• Expect the best and don’t look for problems.
• Don’t expect to have a palace. After all, you have kids, and you don’t want to keep telling them no.
• It’s your responsibility to do what’s right, regardless of whether they like it or not. They’ll get used to it.

Overall I quite like the style, it's more like a friend is advising you rather than a manual for sprog-raising, but I was given a copy of 'what to expect when you're expecting' for Christmas and that's rather direct and to the point so this was a nice change and it's good to get as much information as possible in my opinion!

I would definitely recommend this, but if you were only going to buy ONE book with the aim of learning everything, then perhaps this isn't the one for you! There are also many time when Jo Frost mentions things that would be useful for second time parents, so perhaps as an 'aide memoir' in that case.

How I've saved money post-baby

Babies are expensive. I know, right? Total shocker, that. I figured I would do another thrifty post as a follow-up from Lauren's post a couple of weeks back. When I was pregnant, I wrote a few posts about how to survive pregnancy and money was often at the forefront of my mind. I thought I would share some tips as to how we've done some canny money-saving since D has arrived.

Image: allparenting.com

Gifts- there's no denying it, you get a lot of stuff after you have a baby. We were very lucky in that family and friends were very generous and often asked what we would like. Generally, we asked for either clothes we were short of, size-wise, or vouchers for Boots and Mothercare. A while back, I posted this handy guide  to buying gifts for babies. We were also given a crib, which in the spirit of paying-it-forward, I am lending to Lauren once her sproglet arrives.

Offers- Boots are brilliant; their parenting club offers vouchers and ten points for every pound you spend on baby stuff (excluding formula). Our changing bag is also part of the the parenting club- it's not great (I lust after Yippy Dada bags), but it does the job. I've built up so many points and saved a fair whack of money with just this one scheme. Check out supermarkets as well; these schemes really come into their own once the baby arrives!

Ebay- I have bought some more expensive items from eBay- sleeping sacks (which are about £20 new; bought for £2-£5) and an almost new John Lewis snowsuit, which would have been about £25 for... 99p. You can get some proper bargains- just make sure you wash them in non-bio detergent before giving them to baby.

Charity and second hand shops- Where I live there is a plethora of both of these types of shop. I don't see the point in spending a fortune on stuff that D will grow out of quickly. I've found some real bargains in secondhand shops (there are specialist baby ones too- I once bought a dungarees/cardi combo that was a very upmarket French brand, which would have cost me double what I paid for it.) I've been given tips about stuff like Lego as well (apparently, you chuck it in some diluted bleach and rinse it off before giving it to kids.)

Any tips to add? Leave them in the comments or let me know on Twitter: @wuthering_alice

Reality vs Myth (pregnancy)

Here are a few things that either I believed would happen from popular culture (episodes of Trash TV and the Daily Mail gossip pages mainly, don't judge me) or things that people have told me...

Your boobs will grow, possible even before you know you're pregnant (this was from a friend, and then a pregnancy book told me I will need to be re measured every 8-10 weeks ish to 'accommodate' the growth)
Reality for me: Nothing. Nada, I will just about fill a B cup. This is one the few things I was actually looking forward to, having actual boobs! but no. Week 18 arrived and I am in the same pre-bump bras.

If your mothers ankles didn't swell yours wont (this came from husbands mother)
Reality: not so far, but I highly doubt that history will repeat itself in any shape or form here, as she didn't even  realise she was pregnant with me till she almost lost me, then was told to drink a can of Guinness a day to help anaemia. She also smoked, maybe that's the secret to non swelling ankles. 3 people I have asked had all said they swelled to gargantuan sizes, and one even had a bone in her foot BREAK because of it. Crutches and a 7 month bump, poor her.

Take it easy and rest up (various people)
Reality: Actually it has been proven that exercising during pregnancy can help to have a  less stressful birth (although obviously if you have been told by a DOCTOR to rest, then do!) and it can also help post-partum recovery, as well as to combat stress and help you sleep better (As if you have any problem sleeping in the first trimester anyway!)  Personally I walk a lot anyway, plus have a fairly active job, and have been swimming when I can and was kindly given some pregnancy yoga classes for Christmas. I really enjoyed yoga but stopped about a year ago when I gave up my gym membership, but it always was an excellent way to de stress and stretch.

"OH MY GOD YOU JUST ATE A PEANUT!!" accompanied by a look akin to that of watching me skin a puppy, followed up with, "the kids going to be allergic now"
Reality: It's complete tosh. Unless of course I was allergic to peanuts, but then eating them would make me a complete twonk.

Use cocoa butter/oil/something so you never get stretch marks.
Reality: If you are going to get them you are going to get them, sad fact of life. However applying copious amounts of moisture will help to keep the skin supple and help the skin heal if you do get stretch marks, in turn helping the appearance look less severe.

You can eat for two now, lucky you!
Reality: I wish. Admittedly some days I am eating more than I should, but if you cant get fat when you're baking a baby when can you? You actually only need around 300 extra calories a day, if you were a healthy bmi when you got impregnated.

If you get heartburn you'll give birth to a baby with a full head of hair. 
REALLY strange woman I encountered at work, really?! just no.

Oh, you FLEW whilst pregnant?
Yes, I did it at 12 weeks and I am about to do it again at 21 weeks. Unless you have been told not to, then it's fine up until the last few weeks, because who wants to have a baby born on a plane? (It doesn't give the kid free flights forever/an automatic passport to where they are headed... I know this because a friend who works for Virgin often had ladies from Africa go into labour on a flight to England  accompanied with a Drs note saying they were only 21 weeks when they were quite clearly full term) However if you DO fly, get up and walk about a bit every hour, and attempt to book a seat near the loo.

Any other ridiculous myths people have mentioned/judged you for?