This week has been full of celebrations and it’s just the start of more to come.
Guy Fawkes Night
Every year, in the UK, on 5 November we celebrate Guy Fawkes night. Often, the fireworks take place on the closest weekend to enable people to attend.
Traditionally, people create a ‘guy’. This is like a scarecrow and will be thrown onto the bonfire. Then fireworks are set off.
This was Aria’s first firework display and I was so pleased that she loves them as much as the rest of the family.
The story behind this celebration is a little odd. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic that was trying to blow up Parliament and the King in hopes that a new Catholic leader would take the throne. His plot was discovered and Guy Fawkes and his accomplices were tortured and killed. It’s rather strange that this has become an annual celebration.
My birthday
My birthday is on 7th. This year, we didn’t really do much to celebrate. It wasn’t a special birthday and there is so much going on at the moment it doesn’t feel important.
I was happy to get a cake and some flowers. My husband bought me a lovely warm coat which is exactly what I wanted. Some people sent me money, so I shall try and treat myself to something nice.
Festival of Light – Diwali
Noah has been learning about India and Diwali at school. We went to the Library to borrow a book about festivals and we searched the internet. He drew the flag, traditional Indian dress, we looked at animals like tigers and elephants. He made an elephant out of a milk bottle.
I got to visit Noah at school and saw all the activities they were doing in celebration of the festival which is all about light over coming darkness, and good over evil. It also involves fireworks.
Diwali has a much better story than Guy Fawkes Night but the date shifts each year depending on the Hindu Lunar calendar. This year it was on 7 November, although it is celebrated for 5 days.
I decided Diwali was a good excuse to treat myself to a nice candle. I got the Neom Travel size in Complete Bliss for £16.00.
Although, it is described as being travel size, I think it is a decent size candle. It filled the room with a gorgeous scent even before it had been lit. I love this candle and I shall look forward to using it all winter. I’m now tempted to buy more by Neom – their products are a high quality and never disappoint.
The little one had me up bright and early but thankfully has breast fed. I probably should have tried making a start on NaNo even if it was just writing on my phone, instead I played Dragon Mania. There is still plenty more time today after the school run and house work… We’ll see…
10:22pm
Day one and I typed 939 words (daily goal is 834 words). I didn’t get to work on my manuscript until the kids were in bed. Plus, the hubby was out tonight so it was first time since Aria was born that I’ve I done it without help.
As I never found time to prepare, I also crammed in some character development and outlined the first three chapters. I wish I had a full novel outline but something is better than nothing.
I’m pretty impressed with myself. Today has been a good day.
Friday, 2nd November 2018
11:00pm
My husband was put this evening so I bathed and got the little ones ready for bed before I could make a start on my writing at 9:30pm. I’m pleased with the progress I made as I beat my daily goal of 830, with 1,326 words.
I am really enjoying writing it and could keep going if I didn’t have responsibilities. I need my sleep so I can keep up with the little ones tomorrow so that’s me done for today but I’m looking forward to writing more tomorrow.
Saturday, 3rd November 2018
10:00pm
Today has been a busy day. We visited family in the morning. Then, in the afternoon I got Aria to sleep and was able to support Noah with his homework (researching India and the Festival of Light). Then we visited more family and returned home late.
Aria has only just gone to sleep and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m frustrated I did not get to write today but we did a lot of family stuff today which is good for the soul.
Sunday, 4th November 2018
10:00pm
Today has been a great day. Not only did I get some time to write this afternoon but I also got to write more this evening. I managed to add 2,276 words to my manuscript.
Not only that, but we also watched the fireworks together as a family. It’s been a great day!
Monday, 5th November 2018
11:57am
I’ve had a busy morning with Aria. We went to a group and I got her weighed. She is now nodding off so I can get some lunch. I’m hoping to beat my word count from yesterday so if I get a chance to write before the school run, I will.
9:00pm
Famous last words… After, I typed the above, Aria woke up and went on a mad feeding frenzy where she kept emptying her bottles and crying for more. How could I say no when I’ve been desperate for her to get an appetite.
Now, she has finally fallen asleep, I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s an early night for me – sorry NaNo.
Tuesday, 6th November 2018
10:08pm
Today, has been nonstop but since my husband returned from work I have managed to have a bath and add 1,141 words to my project.
Wednesday, 7th November 2018 (My birthday)
1:00pm
It’s my birthday, although I’m not really celebrating it. This morning, I managed to hit my daily word count before lunch.
9:40pm
After my husband cooking me one of my favourite meals, eating cake and opening presents, we got the kids to bed and now I am back to writing and what a great way to end week one with 2,003 words.
Reflecting on week 1
7 days in and I’ve already written a total of 7,790 words. I am really pleased with the start I have made towards my target of 25,000. If I continue like this, I can easily achieve my goal.
In fact, I am only 3,876 words behind in achieving the NaNo goal of 50,000 words. To achieve that I need to write 1,759 words per day which I’ve proven I can do…
If you like this post, then you might like this one about the project I am working on for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or my NaNoWriMo diary post for Week Two.
Facebook suggested that I could nominate a charity for my birthday and they would donate £2. I can then share it with friends and family on Facebook.
One of my best friends did this in September and I thought it was a great idea. As we’ve grown older we’ve stopped celebrating our birthdays or asking for gifts so I couldn’t see the harm in supporting a charity.
I don’t know if anyone will donate as I have never done anything like this before but I chose Save The Orangutans as my charity as I think it is so sad that their homes are being destroyed for palm oil and that they are now an endangered species.
Earlier this year, I wrote an article on Organgutans for Ginger Parrot. You can click here to read it. I want to write for them again but life has been a little crazy since then.
We ended September by attending a Christening. I couldn’t stay past dinner time as Aria suffers with bad colic roughly between 5pm and 9pm. I was just starting to get a good handle on it and I was going to write an article to share my tips on how to tackle colic based on what worked for us. However, the post never got finished as we faced a new challenge in October.
On Monday, 1st October, I took Aria for her 8 week vaccinations but the nurse wouldn’t give her the jab. She insisted Aria see a GP and made her an appointment for suspected jaundice. That was the beginning of a number of appointments leading to her being placed under Pediatric Assessment.
To this day, I am still unable to see the yellow that all the professionals can identify in her left eye. It resulted in a number of tests and hospital visits which I will write about soon. It has been a very testing time. I’m just thankful that it was never serious enough to be sent to another hospital or to require an overnight stay (yet). We have still not had a diagnosis and are waiting for several results. Her next assessment is mid November.
NaNoWriMo Preparation
As a result of the above, I am not full of confidence for NaNo. I barely managed to write my plot outline. I feel like life is fighting against my will to write. But, my children will always come first, especially concerning their health.
As always, I’ll give it a go because I strongly believe any progress, no matter how small, is better than no progress at all.
My wishes for November
I hope that Noah has a lovely birthday party. That Aria starts gaining weight and feeding better. I’d love to achieve NaNo. Most of all, I wish for good health for my family. And, it would be nice to go to a firework display.
This time, last year, I was struggling with the decision of which school to send my son. The decision felt colossal as this choice would set the foundation of his education. As my first child, he also was setting the path for any future children (I wasn’t pregnant at the time). Choosing was very over whelming and I felt stressed by the pressure.
Here is how I made my three choices for the application.
Location
Make a list of the primary schools nearby. Have a look at where they are located and decide if they are easy for you to get to as the school run will be twice a day.
You may choose to apply for a school close to your place of work or near friends/family whom will be primarily doing the school run (I.e. if you have support from a grandparent).
Performance
Check the league tables. Every year (around January) they publish how students at the school are performing and schools in the country are ranked. This can give you an idea of whether teaching is effective.
However, remember that parents positive involvement will enhance their child’s learning and you can get a year group of very bright students. A school can change drastically by a change of head or boost of funding. Use this data to get an idea of whether the school are getting results from children but bear in mind that it can change.
Ofsted
Read the Ofsted report. This will give you insight into how the school is run. Again, take care to make your own judgement as to whether you agree with the grade given.
One local school was performing in the top 100 in the country but despite their results, Ofsted didn’t like how it was run and scored then as needing to improve.
Also, the feedback from Ofsted will prompt the school to make improvements so the school may already be in a better position than when they were inspected.
Tour
Once you have a shortlist, contact the schools to arrange a visit. Don’t leave this too late as many schools set dates aside and if you cannot make it (or leave it too late) then you won’t be able to visit.
I found the tour the most valuable data in making my decision. One school told me the dates after they had passed so I felt they were disorganised. Another school, I couldn’t get through to on the phone, so, I decided they would be difficult to contact if I had a problem.
The tours enabled me to see the culture of the school and establish if I felt it was right for my child.
The school that won me over wasn’t the best performing in my short list but I got a really positive vibe and decided to trust my gut. I was right to do so because when the new performance table was released, it was top out of all the schools in my short list!
Friends
If your child has made good friends already, you may wish to find out where they are going and consider the same school. However, lots of children start school not knowing anyone and make friends quickly. Knowing other children going can make the transition easier as they know some people to play with but don’t worry if you choose a school and don’t know any other children going.
Word of mouth
Ask around to find out other people’s views or experience of the local schools. Use social media and ask for an opinion on your local Facebook group. This is like checking reviews before buying a product and will give you valuable insight from other parents perspectives.
Making the Application
When making your application, you get three choices. You rank these in order of preference.
You don’t have to give three choices. However, although the council will try to meet your request where possible, if they cannot offer your first choice then they’ll consider you second choice and so on. When they run out of your choices, they will select a school for you – usually the school closest to you home with a place.
Places are allocated firstly to children with additional needs (or in care), then siblings of children from the school, then by catchment, then in order of distance as the crow flies.
All my choices were out of catchment so I did use all my options and gave a reason why I had chosen the school and felt it was most suitable to my son. I gave three options as I really didn’t want the council choosing my son’s school.
The Result
I was fortunate enough to get my first choice and my son has settled in well. He’s making friends and the other parents are really friendly and welcoming. I couldn’t be happier.
To start the year, I set myself some goals for the year ahead. I plan to check periodically during the year on how well I am keeping on track. If you set yourself goals it is important to check on yourself to make sure you are on target and to re-focus yourself.
If you want to view my last check in on myself, click here.
Achievements
If you only focus on what wasn’t achieved then you lose sight of what you did achieve and feel like giving up. By making time to reflect on my wins, I see, I did better than I originally thought:
Participated in NaNoWriMo (July) and made progress on my WIP
My article on Orangutans was published by Ginger Parrot
I took part in several twitter events!
On Reflection
Here are the highlights from this quarte:
Summary: This has been a very challenging period as I was very tired towards the end of my pregnancy and having a newborn has been demanding. It would have been very easy to give up (or take a break) but somehow I have managed to keep at it and I am proud of myself for my tenacious spirit.
Blogging: My posting has slowed down but I am keeping to the new schedule – some posts have gone live later in the day than originally planned but I am keeping up. I have more ideas than time to write but that is always better than writers block!
Writing: My goal for NaNo was rather ambitious but I a still very proud of what I did manage to accomplish in July (almost 15k). I have also been brave and finally took part in Twitter events (#Pitchwars, #PitMad, #AskAnna). I also had a great time at Felixstowe Book Festival.
Blogging Goals Review
ACHIEVED: I have created a new schedule that include one to two posts per week and I am managing to keep up with it.
NOT ACHIEVED: I have not had time to look at LoCal. I got as far as making a spreadsheet with the links but didn’t get as far as coming up with a scheduling plan.
ACHIEVED: If you have been following me you will have noticed that there has been more personal posts as I have shared days out with my son, my pregnancy and the arrival of my baby girl.
NOT ACHIEVED: I am not ready to vlog. I have lots of ideas but at the moment it can take me almost all day to get a chance to wash my face! The last thing I want to do is be in front of the camera.
ACHIEVED: I am using a spreadsheet in Google to see my content plan. I also keep track of ideas I have for posts and colour the cell – I then can copy this into the schedule where it best fits. This method is working really well for me.
Writing Goals Review
ACHIEVED: Taking part in NaNo gave me the motivation to keep adding to my word count and I made progress almost every day. My goal was 25k which I didn’t reach but I am so pleased with what I did achieve and hope to finish the first draft by the end of the year.
ALMOST ACHIEVED: My son started school this month and I got to make a start on Who Runs The World by Virginia Bergin. I bought this book at Felixstowe Book Festival after her event (click here to read about Lunch with Virginia)
ACHIEVED: I submitted to #PitchWars to hopefully get a mentor *fingers crossed*. But, I didn’t stop there! I also took part in #PitMad and #AskAnna.
ACHIEVED: During #AskAnna I was able to identify the best course for me by CB Creative. I also still have my online courses by “Write Story Books” to complete.
My highest priorities are to continue to be consistent with my blog posting and to finish my novel. I also would really love to be published on Ginger Parrot again so will attempt to write another article for them.
I have my heart set on working with a mentor but the competition for #PitchWars was strong. However, during #AskAnna I was informed of The Literacy Consultancy who have a private mentor service. It is not cheap but sounds like what I want. What do you think of a writing mentor?
The events helped me to connect with other writers which I hadn’t expected. It was lovely to see how other writers were so supportive of each other. I would encourage others to take part in Twitter events and would be interested in doing more. Do you do Twitter events or know of any you would recommend?
My daughter is now a month old. There have been sleepless nights, baby sick and countless squidgy nappies but she is still perfect. I can’t get over how gorgeous she is or express how much I love her.
Here is a selection of some of the pictures from her first photo-shoot including some family pictures:
Maintaining my blog is very challenging at the moment and I haven’t had a chance to make any progress towards the novel I’m working on since she’s been born.
Hopefully, with my son starting school, she’ll develop a routine and I can find a way to fit it in. At the moment, she needs me a lot and my son also wants my attention. Until then, I’ll just focus on keeping my children happy.
She was 12 days old when we got the pictures taken. Little Wattsits Photography shared the above collage pic on Facebook and if it gets 100 likes, we get a free print. If you can spare the time to visit their page and like it (image posted on 27 Aug) then it would be most appreciated.
First, if you don’t know what hypnobirthing is, please click here to read my post about the classes I attended.
I always wanted a natural birth as I don’t enjoy the feeling of not being in control of my body. I don’t like being drunk and I imagine the affect of the drugs would scare me instead of relax me. In addition, there are side affects for mother and baby. For me, they felt like a last resort choice.
When I had my first baby, hypnobirthing was a new idea and costs quite a bit for a private course. My means meant I attended the traditional antenatal class which covered pain relief and caring for your baby. Second time around, the government have found the benefits of hypnobirthing makes it worth offering it for free. This time I was able to go for the cost of a book and free downloadable tracks.
I feel it did work. I only have my personal experience to compare it to. Here are my birthing stories.
First labour (without hypnobirthing)
On Wednesday, 12 November, I was tired as I’d not had my nap so we went to bed early at 10pm. Almost as soon as I got in bed, my back started to ache & I started needing the loo constantly. At the time I didn’t realise I was in labour.
I decided to sleep on the sofa so I wouldn’t disturb my husband who had work in the morning. After a few hours, I asked to switch places as I couldn’t get comfortable on the sofa – my husband at this point suspected I might be in labour as I crawled into the bedroom like the girl from The Ring.
The discomfort plagued me all night and by 5am I was tired & desperate for something to knock me out so I could sleep. I didn’t think I was in labour as I was still able to talk normally. We called the hospital and I explained the pain and they asked me to come in.
When we got there, the midwife confirmed I was 8cm dilated (almost 9cm). They were confident the baby would arrive soon, I got in the birthing pool and waited but nothing much happened.
I requested Pethidine in the hope I might be able to kip for a bit but I as warned u couldn’t be in the water for that. Instead I tried gas and air but it made me feel dizzy.
I got out for another internal exam. I didn’t like the qualified midwife but thought the Trainee was awesome. The trainee midwife discovered that my cervix has an extra bit of skin preventing me getting to 10cm. I was warned labour could take longer, be harder and painful but the trainee was willing to support me however I wanted. I decided to have the pethidine. The qualified midwife told me most people get a c-section. I carried on trying to deliver my baby myself. The qualified midwife insisted I be put in stirrups so she could keep an eye on my cervix. It made it harder to push.
Then suddenly, I felt like I was on fire down there and was terrified all my holes would become one. The trainee assured me she could see him and with another push he’d be out enough for her to use the forceps. I pushed. She turned to get the forceps but I pushed again and he was out.
I delivered my son at 1:15pm on 13 Nov. I did have a small tear but didn’t need stitches. Labour recorded as 5h.
Second labour (with hypnobirthing)
On Sun, 5 Aug, at 7pm, I kept needing the loo and went for a poo, three times in an hour. This was an early labour sign with my first baby so I asked my hubby to take our son to bed incase my surges (contractions) started.At 8pm he checked how I was and I was chilling watching ‘Orange is the New Black’ but told him to ring his mum and let her know tonight might be the night (she would be having our son).
By 9pm, I was getting regular surges so I downloaded an app to time them. They were every 3 minutes and lasting 40 seconds – after three, the app told me to go to hospital but I decided to watch another episode.
By 10pm, my surges were every 2 minutes and lasting 40 seconds still. I agreed to call the hospital (the app was bleeping at me to go after every surge now). The hospital agreed I ought to come in and be checked.
I then took my time checking my bag and my son’s bag – you can’t really move fast when you need to stop and breathe every 2 mins and it interferes with your train of thought. We dropped my son off at his nana and arrived at the hospital about 11:30pm.
By midnight, I had my checks and hospital agreed I could stay. I was 4cm dilated but as my son was a quick first birth (at 5h) they thought it best to keep me in. We ran the bath and prepared the room. The music wouldn’t play on my kindle but the midwife got us a CD that had relaxing music. I got in the bath which soothed my back and started breathing through my surges.
My hubby noticed I was getting tired and suggested I lay on the bed. The midwife felt this would be a get time to do a quick internal exam. It was then she noticed I have a ‘flexi-cervix’. I was still 4cm, but every time I surged, I was about 9-10cm. She could see my water bulging and was convinced she could arrive any minute. My hubby massaged my back while I rested.
I decided to get back in the water as the warmth helped. I got back in. The surges were now stronger so my husband held a pillow at the side of the bath for me to conserve my energy between them. I felt the need to start pushing and used the J-breath to move the baby down.
My hubby suggested I try lying down as I was tired. I went to stand but a surge came, I quickly dipped back down in the water. My waters broke and I could feel the fire sensation and knew her head was in my cervix. I quickly did another long J-breath and my husband lifted her out the water.
I delivered my daughter on Mon, 6 Aug at 4:44am. I didn’t tear and didn’t need stitches. Labour recorded as 2.5h.
Did it work?
For me, it did work – my labour was much quicker and less painful. I didn’t use all the techniques taught but the breathing helped me push her out and stay calm and conserve my energy. It’s certainly worth checking out if you would like to deliver your baby naturally and without drugs.
However, there is no shame in taking whatever pain relief that is offered. The goal is to deliver a healthy baby and you can use whatever tools are available to help you achieve that. For me, those tools were breathing, water, aromatherapy, music and my husband but everyone is different.
What do you think?
Let me know if you did hypnobirthing and if it was beneficial to you? I’d love to read your labour stories too.
There are loads of things you need to do before your baby arrives but here I list the top three things to do, for you.
Pamper day
There are lots of lovely treatment bundles offered for pregnant women. However, you can choose individual treatments and make your own bundle.
I choose to get a manicure as I didn’t want my nails to ruin my newborn’s pictures. I got a pedicure as I struggle to reach my feet now and a foot massage really helps bring down the swelling. I got a lash lift & tint so I don’t need to worry about mascara when going makeup free.
I like treatments that make my life easier. Although, now she is late I may need to get my nails redone.
NB: You may need to remove nail polish at hospital if you need certain procedures, for example a c-section.
Making Memories
I knew as I get more pregnant I would find it harder to do things but I still wanted to make memories with my son. We had a lovely day out with friends at Colchester zoo. It was hard walking around but the smile on his face made it worthwhile.
Towards the end of my pregnancy I’ve planned activities for my son to go out with his grandparents. He had a week crash course in swimming with his Grandma, a Festival day with his granddad and next week he’s out with his nanny. This has enabled him to have fun and for me to rest a little. I’m so grateful for the supportive network I have around me.
When he went to the festival, my husband and I got to have a lovely childfree meal together. We also did some chores I was struggling to get done at home and although the house isn’t looking spotless, it does look so much better.
Some couples go on a baby moon (last holiday as a couple before baby arrived). I would like to have done this with my husband but we needed to use our time off work to cover the absence of childcare during school holidays and didn’t have enough days left for anything else. However, we were going to Centre Parcs when I found out I was pregnant so you could say we had a family moon (last holiday as a family before adding another child).
https://instagram.com/p/BcDECgVhCYB/
Bump pics
I have really struggled with this. Often I am so busy with Noah I forget about myself. I also feel huge, not well and tired which make me not in the mood to have my photo taken.
We tried a family day out at the beach and took pictures but my belly popped out in an unsightly way that made me look like Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances.
Fortunately, I finally got some pictures when I hit the 40 weeks milestone by simply taking some pics at home.
If you can afford a professional shoot then go for it. I did with my first and love the photos taken but the hidden costs made it way more expensive than I anticipated which is why I didn’t go for it this time. Click here for my tips on booking a shoot.
I hope you found my list useful. I’d love to hear what you did, for you, before baby arrived.
With my first I left packing my bag until the day I went into labour and although I’ve tried to be more organised this time, it’s still not fully packed.
My bag is an overnight bag using an old small suitcase, the sort you can take on a cheap flight as carry on luggage. I’m not planning on staying in longer unless there is a complication. If that happens, my hubby can bring me more stuff.
For labour
Hypnobirthing Parents’ Workbook: RRP £10.00
We bought this book as part of the free antenatal course delivered by our local midwives. Click here to read my article about hypnobirthing.
Neom: Aromatherapy mist – RRP £8.00
I wasn’t sure which scent to buy so got one of each to try. Most aromatherapy oils seem to be a pippet liquid oil or roller ball pulse point. I liked the idea of a mist as I can spritz the air or some fabric. I also got their mini hand creams to try.
Kindle fire: It was a gift but google says about £50.00
As my hubby has amazon prime we were able to download the music used during our hypnobirth course for free. It will also double up as entertainment as I can read, watch movies, play games and browse the internet.
Currently, these are my emergency snacks from my locker at work – I brought them home on my last day. I’m planning on ordering a graze box as I got free vouchers in my bounty packs. I really fancied JOM Candy but it’s not easy to buy.
Joseph Joseph: water bottle – £9.00 but I think I got mine half price in a sale.
The bottle never leaks and I like the clicks feature. Keeping hydrated during labour is very important.
Scarf: Bought years ago by a friend years ago when popular as sarong and shawls. These can be used during labour to do the Rebozo techniques.
Stay Cool Ice Towel: Whilst shopping for a fan I saw this and it sounds amazing. You just add water and it stays cool for hours. It is used by sporty people but I’m going to use it in labour. It is currently on order as I had to wait until pay day but I’m hoping it will arrive in time.
Travel brush & hair bands: When it gets hot, it is useful to tie my hair back. Also, handy to make myself look presentable when I get cleaned up afterwards.
For baby
M&Co: Seven piece start set – RRP £18.00
The trickiest thing is guessing what size your baby will be. With my first I had tiny baby and newborn clothes. He was 8 pounds 12 ounces and fit in newborn clothes for a week.
This time, all I’ve packed is a set from M&Co in size newborn. This set is great value for money and all you need. It consists of a vest, top, trousers, sleepsuit, two bibs and a hat.
Kit & Kin: Size 1, panda, pack of 20 – RRP £4.00
I got these eco nappies from Boots so I could collect my club card points. I’ve got a few different nappies but these are hands down the cutest.
Organyc: Cotton wool pads – RRP £2.48
Newborn skin is so sensitive and you should use only water to clean their bums for as long as possible. You’ll get told to use cotton wool balls but they can get stuck to sticky poo – the first baby poo is like black tar. I found the pads much better.
Naty: Sensitive wipes (unscented) – RRP £2.95
I plan to use cotton wool and water to clean her bum but packed these just in case things get messy. They are eco friendly and only use safe ingredients. I got them in an ambassador deal (click here to learn more).
The Little Art Collection: Poppy Muslim – RRP £12.50
Mopping up baby sick is one of the unglamorous tasks of being a mum but this beautiful muslin makes it so much better. It is super soft and I plan use it for swaddling, as a blanket or feeding cover up. It’s too pretty for sick (except if the bibs run out).
Hipp Organic: Combiotic first infant milk (6x 90ml booties with teats) – RRP £8.00
I’m planning to breast feed again but got these incase I can’t. If I’m going to give my baby formula I want chemical free and as natural as possible. In addition, these pre-made bottles are sterilised and ready when you are. With Noah, I kept these in my changing bag for emergencies like if a creepy man kept staring – thankfully it never happened. It did come in useful when I left him with my mum and a leaky bottle of expressed milk. The lid wasn’t on tight and my milk was lost, luckily my mum was able to use one of these.
For me
Happy Mama: Breast feeding nightdress – RRP £11.62
There was also a matching robe but I remember how hot the ward was in November, so I expect it will be hotter than hell in August. The less layers the better.
Cottons: Maternity pads with wings – RRP £3.95
Buying sanitary products is never exciting but I got mine from My Pure. This online store knocks £5 off of you buy five products (encourages you to stock up). In addition, they have a selection of free gifts if you spend £30 in one transaction. I got a Madara face peel mask (RRP £24) and the next time I chose the PHB Ethical Beauty pressed eye shadow (RRP £9.99). It certainly made me more excited to get my order.
Breast pad:
Lansinoh – free samples from bounty
Little lamb – £11.25 washable pads
Theraline Mamma Pads – £9 reusable invisible pressure pads (sticks to skin and prevents leaks whilst sleeping)
Last time, I found the washable pads brilliant as they were so absorbent and saved me money or having to keep ordering pads. The only issue I had was leaking in the night, so, I’m hoping Theraline will be the answer to that little problem.
Book: Who runs the world – RRP £7.99
I bought this at FBF after the author talk. It’s set in the future and about a world where a virus has almost wiped all men out so most women have never seen one. Click here to read my post about this book.
Note pad with pen: Various/Gifts
I don’t think I’m allowed to charge my kindle or phone at hospital (except for the purpose of hypnobirthing), plus there may be no WiFi! So, I will take some offline resources to enjoy.
Disaster Designs: Boho Make-up bag – £24.95
I actually don’t own a make up bag as I rarely take makeup out with me. This was a treat to myself and very pretty. I don’t intend to wear much makeup whilst in hospital, so all I have packed is:
Vapour: Concealer
Lue by Jean Seo: Blemish treatment
RMS: Signature set – Mod collections (contains master mixer, living luminizer, smile lip2cheek, spell lip2cheek and cococa lip/skin balm)
Pacifica: BB cream
Axiology: lipstick (shade The Goodness)
I recently got a lash lift & tint so don’t need mascara.
Disaster Designs: Boho Wash bag – £29.95
Whilst treating myself to the makeup bag, I had to get the matching wash bag which is so spacious. Inside, I will pack:
Bloomtown: Roller ball perfume
Salt of the Earth: Natural deodorant
Lucky Cloud: Balm Cleanser
Bespoke Aroma: Facial Mist (Toner)
Green People: Moisturiser & face oil
Concious Skincare: Shampoo & Conditioner
Pacifica: Body wash
Isla: Body oil
A’Kin: Dry shampoo
Pacifica: Deodorant wipes
Tooth brush & tooth paste
I’ve been collecting sample/travel sizes from my subscription boxes to save space in my bag. I also hope I won’t need to use the dry shampoo or deodorant wipes but they are just incase I need to freshen up and can’t wait to use the facilities (festival style).
Coming home outfit: I’ve packed a black nursing vest that doesn’t need a bra and a black floral maxi skirt with a stretchy waist band. I’ve packed three pairs of big comfy knickers.
My hubby can bring more if I stay longer but I’m so big now that most my maternity clothes are limited and in constant use. If I stay in, he’ll just bring me whatever’s clean (and may have to do laundry).
Coming home
Car seat: This time we bought a travel system and got the MeeGo Milano. The car seat is part of the package.
Baby hat: As it is August, I won’t be dressing her in a coat but she does need a hat (hospital rule) to be allowed to leave. As there’s one in the M&Co set, we’re sorted.
What have you packed?
Did you pack any essentials that I’ve missed? How late did you leave packing your bag?
It has been a very testing time. I’m just thankful that it was never serious enough to be sent to another hospital or to require an overnight stay (yet). We have still not had a diagnosis and are waiting for several results. Her next assessment is mid November.
