Posts tagged Pregnancy

Win a pair of tickets for The Baby Show at the NEC

0
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

This May The Baby Show returns to Birmingham’s NEC to offer must have products, free expert advice and an unrivalled shopping experience for parents and parents-to-be.

In just one day visitors can shop for everything they need from the widest range of products including all the baby brands mums love. Shopping at The Show means huge savings can be enjoyed on 1000s of must have baby and maternity products as The Baby Show offers tons of exclusive deals and unbeatable prices. What’s more, new and expectant parents can try before they buy ensuring peace of mind.

At The Show world-leading experts will be on head to offer complementary sessions giving out professional advice and tips. Breastfeeding specialist Clare Byam-Cook, nutrition expert Annabel Karmel and the British Red Cross will all be on hand to dish out their professional expertise. Plus, Next will be offering maternity wear consultations to ensure all mummies stay yummy before, during and after pregnancy. The Baby Show is great day out for all the family.

Last year I went to The Baby Show at the NEC with my sister and we had a great time, this year we are also planning on going as between us we’ve had another 2 babies since then! The Baby Show have asked me to write a guest post for their blog on life with two small children and you can read it here The Baby Show Blog . They are going to give away a pair of tickets to one person who comments on the post so pop on over there and leave a comment giving me some advice or even just offering me some sympathy ;) The winner will be selected from all comments on my guest post on Weds 20th April at 8am so hurry as you’ve only got 24 hours to enter!!

Natalia Pregnancy and Baby Products Review

0
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

The lovely Emma over at Piglets Boutique very kindly sent me some Natalia products to review for them a few weeks ago. Piglets Boutique is based in York and online and sell beautifully stylish and uniquely gorgeous baby gifts, check out their website for some beautiful gifts for pregnant ladies and babies.

I received a lovely bottle of Natalia Prenatal Body and Bath Oil, this oil can be used in the bath or as a massage oil and is supposed to be nourishing for the skin, ease muscle tension and nourish dry skin. Now I have to admit I was really looking forward to lovely long baths with this in the later stages of my pregnancy in my brand new bathroom but as you all know Oscar decided that I didn’t need those last 6 weeks of being pregnant. I have however been using this oil regularly since being home from the hospital and it is lovely and relaxing and my skin does feel beautifully soft after a bath. I know it’s supposed to be a prenatal product but as a postnatal product it is pretty fab too! :)

Piglets Boutique sell this product in a beautiful Natalia Pregnancy Relaxation Gift Set which includes: Prenatal Bath Soak (100ml), Morning Sickness Ease (10ml pulse pointer), Prenatal Body & Bath Oil (60ml), Organic Ultra soft Cotton Flannel (ideals for skincare and baths) and Step By Step Pregnancy and Labour Massage Guide (full colour booklet). A lovely treat for any pregnant woman! :)

I also received some Natalia Baby Bottom Butter to try with Oscar, this balm contains Shea Butter, Calendula, vitamin E, Tea Tree and Lavender essential oils to sooth, soften and heal little bottoms. It smells absolutely delicious and it feels lovely too, I have to admit to using it on my dry hands aswell as Oscar’s bottom and it’s worked great on those aswell :)

Piglets Boutique sell the bottom butter in this fabulous Natalia Blissful Baby Box which includes Baby Top to Toe Wash (100ml), Baby Massage Oil (50ml), Baby Bottom Butter (15ml) Baby Special Skin Balm (15ml), Organic Ultra soft Cotton Flannel (ideal for the whole family) and Step By Step Baby Massage Guide (full colour booklet).

Head on over to Piglets Boutique and see what other beautiful and unique gifts they have for mum and baby :) Emma has very kindly given a discount code for any of my blog readers to use and get 10% off their order, just enter DAWNBLOG10 at checkout!

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Oscar’s Birth Story

3
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

Today Oscar is 5 weeks old and it’s taken me until now to be able to write this as I’ve been thinking long and hard what to say. I could go into graphic detail about blood loss, general anaesthetics, Oscar needing resucitation when he was born etc but I don’t need to because to me that’s not what Oscar’s birth was about.

I could let the trauma of the whole episode haunt me and let it ruin my relationship with Oscar, I could beat myself up for not being able to give birth properly this time etc etc but at the end of the day Oscar is now a healthy little baby who is fast approaching his due date, I’m feeling fit and healthy and we are home and settled so to keep looking back at the birth and going over the gorey details is not going to help either of us.

And so I will share the one moment of 14th Feb which to me is the special moment about Oscar’s birth. Just after I’d been told they were going to deliver and we were going to theatre, we were in the delivery room waiting to go up when a song came on the radio. Me and my husband looked at each other and smiled as we held hands as it’s a very special song to us anyway, the first time I heard it live it gave me goose bumps and we always said if it had been released when we got married we would have chosen it as one of our wedding songs. Instead it came on at the moment I was going off to have Oscar. As we looked at each other right then we had tears in our eyes as we knew it was all going to be ok and we were going to have our baby at last.

And so I share with you the song which to me will always be the part of Oscar’s birth that I will remember with a smile :)

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Feeling generous? Give life?

2
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

This post is not sponsored or anything like that, it’s just a reminder of how doing something very little has such huge benefits.

The average human body has 5-6 litres of blood in it. I found out whilst chatting to the nurses here that on Monday alone they estimated I lost 3.5 litres of blood and this doesn’t take into account the bleeds on fri, sat or Sunday. During Monday I was given at least 9 units of blood that I’m aware of. It is probably without doubt that if the same thing had happened before blood transfusions were available then I wouldn’t be here right now.

As I’m not going to be allowed to go and donate some blood back for quite a while I thought I’d put my blog to some good use and appeal to those of you who are in a position to give blood to consider doing it. It really is a small thing that saves lives and I will always be grateful to the mystery donors behind all the blood I received.

You can find out more about how to donate blood at the following website Give blood

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First contact

16
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

Well over 24 hours after his arrival into the world I finally got to say a proper hello to my little boy. Due to the huge volume of blood loss before and during delivery I’d been kept in bed longer than usual so I was extremely sore and stiff but with a lot of help from the midwives I was finally able to shower and be taken down to neonatal to see my baby.

I should point out that they did fetch his incubator in to see me yesterday just as I’d come out of recovery but I was too groggy to even remember seeing him for those precious couple of minutes.

I still haven’t held him yet or expressed any milk for him, that is going to be todays challenge but at least I got to touch him. He really is tiny  and apart from a touch of jaundice and being tube fed he is doing really well 

I’m expecting the next few days/weeks to be tough as I’m still struggling to get my head around the birth etc, as I was under general anaesthetic for his birth and I’ve still not even had a cuddle, breast feed or skin to skin I’m finding the whole bonding process is going to be a slow one. Im being completely honest about this with my husband and he understands and has promised to help as much as he can.

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Feel like I’m sitting on a time bomb

3
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

Well after another major bleed, ambulance ride and hospital visit it really feels like I’m sat here listening to the ticks of a time bomb, just waiting for the inevitable now.

For those that missed the latest drama here is a quick recap for you:

Friday, I was tweeting about BH contractions and saying how I hoped they were just that. These died down over night and so we decided to just carry on as normal.

Saturday, I had an awful tummy bug and after a hasty shopping trip to choose tiles for our new bathroom I ended up going back to bed for the rest of the day. I was getting the odd painful BH but nothing that had me overly worried.

Sunday am, about 3am I started getting more regular BH again coming about every 3-4 minutes and suddenly felt a gush again, a sprint to the bathroom revealed another major bleed and so it was another trip to the hospital. This time we really were close to having the baby delivered with an emergency c section but after dosing me up on diamorphone, codeine and what seemed like every other drug going, the contractions died down and the bleed stopped so it was a case of just wait and see. We must have been touch and go as the delivery suite sent for the SCBU staff to come in and have a chat with us about what was going to happen to baby if it was born, at this point I was high as a kite on diamorphine so things were a little bit hazy so it was pretty hard for me take in what they were saying. Daddy was holding trying to hold onto an unsettled Zara so it was pretty hard for him to focus on the seriousness of the situation aswell and any hand holding was out of the window as he had his hands full with Z.

Oh yes, did I mention through all this we had Zara with us, at 3am in the morning we tried ringing our usual emergency babysitters only to find out they were in the Lakes and with the ambulance at the door, the only option we had was for me to go in the ambulance alone and for hubby to sort out Zara (who by this time was crying in her cot) and follow on in the car. When he arrived at the hospital the receptionist kindly told him that “this wasn’t a place for babies and did we not have any family nearby?” well we’d kind of figured that out but what can you do in these situations, so Zara was sat with her daddy whilst we were trying to a) get our heads round whether we were about to have another baby and b) figure out what on earth we could do with Zara. Luckily we found another friend who came to our rescue and came and picked Zara up from the hospital at 5am and took her home, which reminds me I need to order a big bunch of flowers!

Anyway once everything had settled down I was eventually transferred to the ward for monitoring and on Tuesday I was released with a warning that if there is any more bleeding then either a) I’m in hospital until the baby is born (which could be 6 weeks away!) or b) this baby is being delivered! So here I am sitting on a time bomb just waiting to see what happens next. I feel like I daren’t leave the house anymore, daren’t lift Zara up, daren’t do anything and for someone who is normally active I’m finding it very hard to cope with :(

One little bit of good news was that the latest scan shows the placenta now reaches down to the cervix but doesn’t cover it so there is still some small hope that it will move up enough to clear the way for a natural birth and baby is now head down (with it’s head pressing on the cervix) and no longer lying transverse so if everything can stay put for now it may still be possible for that natural birth :) Fingers crossed.

34 week bump photo - hopefully not my last!

Excuse all the creases on my bump, they aren’t stretch marks, just where I’ve been lying in bed :)

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Robe Around Review

0
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

As you are all no doubt aware I am now 32 weeks pregnant and starting to resemble a weeble. About the one activity I still manage to do and look forward to each week is taking Zara to waterbabies on a Friday.It is something Zara loves doing and I want to keep going as long as we can :)

When I was offered the chance to review a Robe-Around from Sporty Bump I jumped at the opportunity. The Robe-Around is a wrap-around pleated toweling robe which fastens with velcro and has a pleated section at the front which is ideal for covering growing bumps.

Now if anyone has ever experienced a waterbabies class where we go you will have noticed a few things:

1) Classes are full of mums and dads with their children, which is fine but when you are 8 months pregnant you don’t necessarily feel at your most comfortable wobbling around in a skin tight swim suit in front of other people. The Robe-Around is ideal for this as you just pop it on whilst waiting for your class and you get to keep warm and not feel like a beached whale :)

2) The logistics of getting changed afterwards are always a bit of an issue, I like to get Zara dried and dressed first so I can sit her down with a biscuit and drink whilst I can then get changed. This works well but it does mean that I end up standing in a wet swimsuit leaning over the changing tables dripping everywhere whilst trying to get Zara changed and not get her wet again from my swimsuit. The older she gets, the wrigglier she gets and the more difficult this task becomes, combined with me getting bigger, the logistics are becoming pretty impossible. The Robe-Around was an absolute godsend for this, I simply wrapped myself in it and was able to get Zara dry whilst not dripping everywhere, not getting cold and not flaunting my whale like body to everybody else in the room.

I absolutely loved this product and wish I’d found it earlier in my pregnancy but it will certainly make the rest of my waterbabies classes a lot easier to manage. Of course it doesn’t just have its uses for waterbabies classes, it will also be ideal for pregnant ladies who like to go swimming, aquanatal classes, on holiday or even if you go to the gym (well I’m sure some pregnant ladies do somewhere :) ) I imagine it would also come in very useful for those pregnant ladies who are planning a water birth and want a bit of coverage when they are getting in and out of the birthing pool :)

You can buy the Robe-Around for £20 from the Sporty Bump website HERE definitely a must have for any pregnant lady who loves swimming :) Big thumbs up from me for this one :)

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I’m stressing about a potential c-section

11
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

I’m stressing about a potential C-Section

OK so I’m 31 weeks pregnant now and baby is still lying transverse and at the last scan the placenta was still partially covering the cervix so unless things start moving in an upwards direction then I need to start accepting that a C-section birth is on the cards. My next scan is on the 17th Feb at 35 weeks when we will know for sure but the worries are starting to creep in now.

I was lucky with Zara, labour started quickly, was very simple (apart from ventouse for the final bit) and over within 4 hours. We didn’t have time for any pain relief apart from gas and air and to be honest after such a nice straightforward birth I felt like supermum. I look back at the whole thing and I think I actually found it quite a satisfying and empowering process. I was actually looking forward to the thought of giving birth naturally again and can’t say I’m particularly worried or stressed about that idea.

The trouble is I may not have that option anymore and I’m going to have to consider that this birth is going to be a whole lot different :( I have huge issues about the idea of a c-section birth so I’m going to list a few and hope you guys can reassure me a little bit.

1) I hate the idea of a spinal / edipural and not being able to feel my legs / lower body. This is probably my worst fear and it’s the one that gives me nightmares. I know if I have to have a c-section then it’s inevitable but I just hate the thought of it.
2) I really don’t like the idea of not being able to sit up, cuddle and breastfeed the new baby as soon as it’s been born. Within minutes of Zara being born we were sat having cuddles and it was lovely, I don’t want the new baby to be wheeled away and I have to lie there being sewn up again etc before I see it again.
3) I really don’t like the idea of having to rely on midwives, nurses etc having to come and help me to lift the baby etc I’m really independent and I want to be capable of going and picking up the baby if it’s crying.
4) I worry about how long it will take to heal afterwards, especially when I will also have a 15 month old toddler aswell to look after, if I can’t lift anything or can’t drive then I’m going to be pretty much useless and it will drive me insane.

I know I should consider myself lucky for two reasons:

1) Some people have only ever had c-sections and would love to have experienced a normal birth and so I will always be thankful for that at least
2) I guess the only thing worse than going for a c-section, is going for a c-section after you’ve spent 15 hours + in labour trying to give birth normally. At least I will know in advance that it’s going to be a c-section and that I can mentally prepare myself for it.

So I guess this is an appeal for advice and reassurance to help me get over some of these fears I have.

Zara and I about 10 minutes after she was born

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The youngest was the most loved?

4
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

In the words of one of my favourite (if a little miserable) artists I found myself asking myself this question last night whilst giving Zara her evening bottle and enjoying some mummy cuddles. With her being at nursery four days a week now and it often being the case that I’ve left the house in the morning before she is awake, I usually only get two hours to spend with her on those days so we like to make the most of them. :(

However, back to the point of this post. I found myself as I often do, thinking just how much I love my little girl, I don’t think my heart is big enough to contain it all sometimes and you know that feeling when you think your heart could burst as it’s so full? I almost felt sorry for the second baby I’m expecting as surely it is impossible to love something else with the same intensity? Will Zara always be that little bit “more special” than the next baby?

This got me thinking back to the common perception that the youngest child in the family is usually the one that seems to be “the favourite” and then I started feeling sad for Zara that maybe she is going to fade into the background a bit when the second baby arrives :( I really hope this isn’t going to be the case as I cherish every (well most) moment I get with Zara and I love seeing how much she is turning from a baby into a little person. Her personality develops more each day and even though I can see we’re going to have some battles over the years to come (oh yes I can see the stroppy diva appearing in her already), I still love what she is turning into. She’s already a very independent little girl who likes to solve problems herself and complains if you try to help (she is so like me, it’s scary!).

When the new baby arrives, Zara will still carry on going to nursery which some people find a little odd but we decided that this needs to happen as a) Zara loves it and it is great for her development and b) I will struggle to cope with a newborn baby, a 15 month old toddler and building up my business. I hope still being at nursery doesn’t impact Zara in a negative way, I dread to think that she is one day going to start thinking that she is being shipped off to nursery so mummy can play with the new baby. Hopefully at 15 months old she is still to young to start thinking things like that though.

I also find myself wondering whether I will find the second baby a little “boring” this time round. Maybe it’s odd for a 30 week pregnant woman to be thinking that but from what I remember the first time round, the first few months were all about feeding, nappy changes, crying, colic and sleeping. There was very little interaction with baby and it isn’t until around 6 months old that things start to become really “fun”. As much as I loved these first few months with Zara, I do wonder whether I’ll feel the same this time round or whether I’ll find myself longing for the fun parts. At least I’ll have Zara to keep me entertained I suppose.

So after all that rambling (I apologise), I guess I can sum up my thoughts as follows:
a) Will Zara always be a little bit more special to me as she was my first?
b) Will the new baby as the youngest be more special somehow?
c) Is it possible to fit so much love into your heart?
d) Is Zara still young enough not to feel jealous or left out when the new baby arrives?

I’d love to know your thoughts on this, especially those parents who have two close together so please comment and let me know how it was for you! :)

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I’m so unprepared!

3
15 years ago
by dawniebrown in

Tomorrow I will be 30 weeks pregnant! Now I don’t know whether this is common with second pregnancies or whether I’m just being very lazy in my preparations but I don’t seem to have done anything to prepare for this arrival!

I know I’ve already got most things I will need such as moses basket, bath, sterilser etc etc as we’ll just recycle all Zara’s old things (including clothes, though if this baby turns out to be a boy it might just be wearing pink until I get a chance to go shopping!) but with Zara I’m sure I had everything ready by this time in my pregnancy. In fact I remember I spent hours writing lists, creating comparison spreadsheets, working out budgets etc etc

Currently we don’t even have a room set aside for the baby. We have decided to move the office into one of the spare rooms and decorating the office as a room for the baby but talking about it is as far as we have got! I need to order it a cot at least and another baby monitor, or should I just use Zara’s monitor and stop using one with her?

I don’t even know whether to bother buying new clothes in preparation or whether I’ll just dig out Zara’s old newborn stuff (there is a bit of neutral stuff in there). I remember last time we received so many gifts of clothing that we didn’t wear half of the neutral stuff I bought anyway!

I guess the trouble is, that this time round I’m not as excited about the whole baby shopping thing and dragging a 13 month old around the shops is a lot of hassle when you’re 7 months pregnant and just want to curl up on the sofa and hibernate for the last 2 months. We haven’t done any antenatal classes or anything this time round so I’ve not met any local pregnant women to share the excitement with so if it wasn’t for my online pregnant buddies I think I’d be in complete denial of another baby arriving in a couple of months time!

Maybe this is normal for second pregnancies, particularly when they are so close to the first one, is it normal to not be as excited this time round, to be slightly dreading the first few weeks of sleepless nights, to be not bothered by baby shopping and all that? Or is there something wrong with me?

PS: the lovely pregnancy photos I’m posting at the moment were taken by my little sister Sonia Thorpe when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Zara. Check out her photography business here

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