Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Weight loss update - Christmas Special!

After this weeks weigh in I've lost 1 stone 7.5 lbs in total (13.5 from the filling & healthy plan). I'm feeling great and starting to look a bit less wobbly too, awesome.
I'm a little worried about how Christmas will affect me, I've already proved I have zero self control at a buffet (think Barry from Eastenders on Extras!) and after a bad no sleep stressful day this week I've discovered that my evil sweet tooth that I thought I'd shunned is still very much lurking beneath the surface!
Wednesday was a bad day and I seem to black out, binge then come round and feel very stupid, I thought I had stopped that!
I am still going to enjoy myself on Christmas day and boxing day. Boxing day will be buffet style so I'm going to try hard to stick mostly to my filling and healthy diet which should be easy with plenty of meats and salad. I'll have to get my husband to prod me in the (large) arse as a reminder.

Christmas day though I intend to enjoy and have whatever takes my fancy so long as I don't get the sick bug my son has! I can't wait to eat naughty food.
Its a sad thing to have to worry about over Christmas, but for me I've been so chuffed with my weight losses each week, I'd be so gutted to undo my good work and I can easily put on 7lb in a week.
So wish me luck and cross those fingers that my willpower stays a float and doesn't get drowned in chocolate and cheese!
Mmm cheese...

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Lincoln Christmas Market 2014 - Review

Complicated Pregnancy or Birth? What to do next.

For some of us, our births don't quite go to plan. This seems more common with first births and as much as we get ready, go to our antenatal classes and research, it doesn't always quite turn out as we hoped. 

I'm just talking from experience of a fairly troublesome first birth which luckily ended with a healthy baby and Mummy but made me terrified of having my second, right up until I was mid induction where I was finally put at ease!


I've put together these few basic tips for anyone in a similar position who may be putting off their next baby after a scary experience first time round.

Recover

This sounds easy but we all know how keen we are to have visitors, take baby out, especially as our partners have minimal leave and we don't want to waste that time. Its crucial though to recover and it can take a long time.

If you have any doubts then ask. I was feeling odd for just over a year and was very painful for a good 8 months. I was so worried but with time everything went back to normal. The mental side of it can take a while too, its terrifying thinking of what happened or could have.
Ask what happened. Why baby got stuck, why you needed assistance, that section, or those extra scans. Things may not be as bad as you thought, and you need to ask the chances of those things happening again to put your mind at ease.

My first baby I was told would be gigantic, he wasn't. But he was stuck for hours and hours I presumed because he was big but turned out it was because his head was on its side. They thought this could happen again and it did. But second time round they were prepared, the doctor was on stand by with the Ventouse and it wasn't anywhere near as scary as the first time because I had it explained to me. I just wish I had asked at the start instead of worrying throughout the pregnancy as they told me this baby was big too so I just assumed it would all go wrong and that maybe this time I wouldn't be so lucky.

Ask for a follow up meeting

All hospitals I believe offer the service to talk about your birth afterwards, do it! Sooner rather than later too, save the stress.

Get therapy

Seriously, if it was very traumatic it can have a huge effect on you. Get help, have a chat and let someone reassure you. No shame, no waiting just go!

Write it all down

Write your birth story down while you remember it all. Good or bad what an amazing thing to look back on.

Second birth plan

So it all went out the window first time, but you never know. Depending on what happened you may not be allowed that water birth but think of all the bad points first time and this time tell them what you don't want instead. Maybe you'd like to be made more aware of what's going on, or not be given certain pain relief. You can only ask and if they can do it they will, as long as its safest for baby.

Talk to your partner

Make sure you talk to your partner, it was bad for both of you in different ways. Maybe they thought they were about to lose their whole world and are terrified of doing it all again. You're in it together so talk, cuddle and plan.

We are all very different but I know if I had done this after baby A was born I would have been a lot happier. Every birth can be very different too so try not to worry about a repeat performance! Mine were worlds apart.



Thanks for reading,

Wafflemama

Friday, December 19, 2014

Potty Training My Son - Part One.

My son A has just turned three and has been potty trained for around three months.

He had three very minor accidents and the whole process has been a doddle - ish. Considering I had no clue where to start, it was nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be and for me, leaving it later worked wonders.


Firstly, I'll tell you I'm not one for studying books, especially on parenting. I'll Google for blogs and forums but mostly just wing it and go with the flow. Nothing ever truly goes to plan - does it? I joked that I would leave A until he was old enough to potty train himself and I guess in a way, I did.
I first got him a potty when he was around 18 months old. He would sit and do a wee, we'd all clap, put his nappy back on and off we went. All a bit pointless I thought. It was too early to properly train so the potty just hung around in the bathroom until after he was Two when he would wee on it every night before bed but we didn't attempt anything more or push it too much. 

I then became pregnant with his sister, baby S. With a new baby coming along, everyone informed me that it would be the worst time to potty train and that he would regress when she came along and make it harder work. The thought of a screaming newborn combined with toddler wee everywhere (or worse) was enough to put me off.


I felt a bit panicked though - a few months after I was due to have baby S, A would turn three and that's old to wear nappies, isn't it? I've no idea really, as the only people that really discuss it are those that like to show off how early they did it and everyone else just seems a little ashamed, though I have no idea why! I guess its another one of those competitive mum things. In reality all kids and Mums are different and you just need to do what is right for you and not care what people do or think, something I have become very good at.
We tried to get pants on him a couple of times and we had the world war 3 of tantrums so I abandoned it, despite about a year of making him wear cool pants over his nappy. We kept the nappies, I had a stress free pregnancy and everyone was happy. Hoorah!

That was until baby S came along and Bean had the mother of all growth spurts going from a 4+ nappy to a 6+ in a matter of weeks, if not days! I began to panic, if he grew anymore what would we do!? To save the poor boy a fate of starting school sporting Tena lady pads, I thought we had best get things moving and so we went pant shopping again. He was not happy pant shopping. I forced him in a pair the next day, he forced out a wee and insisted I took them off. Baby was crying, the house was a mess, the dog stuck up a tree (or something like that), so back in the nappies we went. As a wise woman once said, 'Ain't nobody got time fo' dat'. 

I couldn't face cleaning up toilet mess whilst keeping him busy and looking after the baby.
With the Tena lady pads on stand by, I went into A's room one Monday morning and he announced that he was now a big boy and would be wearing pants that day. Whatttt!? I went with his lead and off we went to playgroup, wearing pants (me and him) and jeans armed with lots of spares. I resisted temptation and left the nappies at home.

Playing too hard meant he had two tiny accidents, but still stopped himself before full flooding occurred. Brilliant! 
The second day was a sensory play group and just one tiny accident again.
Day three was preschool and they were happy to carry on asking him if he needed to go and when I collected him he'd had no accidents and used the mini toilets three times on his own. Proud!

Arriving home however, A was busy having his lunch when he announced that "uh oh" he had forgotten he had pants on and he had done both a '1' and a '2' and then sat in it all. One of those lovely mummy moments.
I changed him quickly and my god, how can anything so cute smell so bad! It was everywhere. I have a weak stomach. Bleh.

That was his last accident though and he is now just a keen pants wearer! He's even a bit obsessed and has a list of pants he now wants, Spider man, angry pants, furry pants etc etc.

We are yet to brave night time but I have no doubt he would be absolutely fine now, but as his sister is mid growth spurt/teething/something clingy, we will do that once we are getting some sleep again as I'm sure he will wake us to let us know when he has been, regularly!


All in all I think the lazy approach has paid off, its been pretty stress free all round and I didn't even have to buy him old lady pants! Win win. The main thing I think is confidence, braving that first day out and going with when they are ready.


Thanks for reading,

Wafflemama





Saturday, December 13, 2014

Mummy Friends ...

Becoming a parent really helps sift out those real friends to those other ones that turn out to have just been work friends or going out to party friends or friends that you have just known a long time, but not for any good reason. A friend, if its a good one is one of the greatest things to have.
Since becoming a mother to my two lovely babies I have lost and made many friends. I love making new mummy friends especially when it means a new play mate for one of the kids too. I don't have many friends but at thirty its definitely quality over quantity.
Mummy friends, good ones, can really get you through the bad times. They understand, they've been there or know their times coming soon - so don't judge. They give you a knowing smile that says 'I know it's shit but it will get better' and provide cake and shoulders to cry on. They are happy to listen to you moan about your crazy family, your rip off utility company or your next crazy money saving plan. They are happy to hear about your child's bowel movements and might even sound interested. They are pleased for you for the good things and supportive with the bad.There are those parents that will be over competitive. Make comments to make u feel even more hopeless or just be bitchy as can be, let's just forget about those ones, I bet they've been the same since school.

I had lots of friends at work before I Left. I was lucky to get lots of leaving presents and a few visits when baby A was born. Most people I didn't see again, they weren't bad friends they were just work friends. There are a couple however that I feel are friends for life. They are now mummy friends too.
I have friends from home, I grew up near Brighton and am now in the midlands. A few I've known since I was a baby - I'd hate to lose touch. Some I lost touch with but now they are mummies too we have a renewed friendship, it's so nice to reminiss about silly things I did as a kid with those same little people who are now all grown up with little people of their own.
My best friend from home I have known since school, I worked with her (well i worked the bar while she drank Malibu) and now she's a mummy. We don't speak often but then we don't need to.
My perfect mummy friends make jokes, have fun, laugh when I'm hopeless (but not in a bad way), give me advice or support when a baby/toddler is going through yet another 'phase' which we all know is code for 'I've no idea why or what your child is doing but surely it can't last forever or you'll die!'. They talk about normal silly things too and don't question my need for an answer to questions like 'can dogs go into comas?' they just get me.

So here's to all those good friends, be they mummies, school friends, friends for life, family friends or just that nice granny who cheers me up at play group.

Without you all I would find everything so much harder. I would be thinner without that cake, but would not have the laughs and the fun I have now. 


Thanks for reading.

Wafflemama

Friday, December 12, 2014

20lb down booty shrink! - Weight loss update

I blogged a little while ago about beginning my weight loss journey. I'm sharing this here as an incentive to carry on and help others that may be in the same boat (before our blubber makes it sink. Lol).
Here is an update.
I am about 12 weeks in and 20lbs down. Mostly down to one of the newer Weight Watchers plans - 'Filling and Healthy'. The rest I lost by using the very old discovery plan which meant pointing and for me a slow loss.
I am a hopeless loser when it comes to weight loss and can honestly say if I can do this anyone can, though I have some way to go and as yet visually I don't think its notable enough to bombard you with before and after pictures. If I carry on like I hope to though - these will follow.
The plan I'm following involves no pointing like previous plans though you do get 49 a week to use for treats. I tend to just spend these on cheese and sauces with dinner as oppose to cakes nowadays as I just don't crave them as much since massively cutting down on sugar!
I allow myself one day off a week (weigh day) where I can have whatever I fancy but as the weeks go by I'm being less 'bad' on these days too.
The plan is basically a big list of foods you can have as much as you want of, and for the first two weeks two snacks a day of a list which includes biscuits,meringue nests (best sweet snack ever!) And WW crisps.
There is an amazing support page on Facebook that has some recipes which are incredible.
My husband eats clean anyway and has adapted some of our favourite meals so I can still enjoy my food! My favourite meals are home cooked KFC with oats used as a batter and yesterday's triumph which was home made enchiladas, amazing. I also eat lots off eggs and Warburton's thins which are just so versatile, I even used them to make us both a minced pit the other day, they were great! (piture at the bottom).
I will continue to update into the new year. Though I will be eating whatever I want to over Christmas for the three main days as it's my favourite food time of the year!

An example of my menu for a day.

Breakfast - 
Banana, pint of skimmed milk, crumpet with marmite (no butter).
Lunch -
Two WW or supermarkets own healthy wraps with chicken, ham,  salad, lighter than light mayo. 4 crab sticks, a bag of savoury popcorn (I should make my own to be totally on plan but it is only corn and a little oil and you get an oil allowance per day which I don't use for cooking).
Tea/dinner-
Two chicken thigh fillets (should use breast really but so much tastier and I'm losing weight so all good!) Egged, seasoned, covered in oats and baked to make KFC style chicken. Served with Tefal actifry chips, corn on the cob and home made coleslaw.
Dessert - natural yoghurt mixed with some sweetener, half a tin of sliced peaches in juice and a meringue nest smashed on top. Tastes like a very naughty treat!
Snacks - Fruit, WW biscuits, carrot sticks.
20lbs off means I have gone down a dress size. My incredibly large bottom is now just large. I can walk up my hill to get home without stopping and getting out of breath, I have lots more energy! With the things I'm now eating I don't feel hungry all the time either.
Thanks for reading, I'm hoping to post again soon as an even bigger loser!


Me feeling a bit more like Me :)


First attempt at home made Warburtons thin minced pie - amazing!



Thanks for reading,

Wafflemama




Sunday, December 07, 2014

Bravado Sweetpea Nursing Bra ' Pink Lemonade' - Review

I was very lucky to be chosen to try out a Bravado Sweetpea nursing bra recently via their Facebook page on my personal profile. I was chosen and asked to help spread the word if I was a fan.

Let's start by saying I am a fan - and also that this is a stock photo and not me!

I received a parcel in the post, something I find exciting in itself. I opened it to see lovely packaging and inside the most beautiful almost vintage looking pink/peach bra. The colour is called 'Pink Lemonade'.

I took it out and my initial reaction was that it felt very soft and lovely.
As the sizes were fairly limited I went for the nearest to my size which was a 38C. Depending on brand I can be anything from 36-40 but usually settle for a 38 so was worried about fitting without having seen it in person.

This bra however has a lovely gentle stretch to it and is extremely comfortable to wear and having been stupidly wearing normal wired bras for a few weeks before and getting mastitis it was a very welcome relief to wear this bra. I do normally like a little more support but do find this bra gives me a nice shape still. This bra is designed for 24 hour comfort so can be worn any time of day/night. Perfect to prevent leaking in those early days!


It has a clip on each side to enable you to feed without restriction. Initially the clip felt a bit tricky and to be honest in a hurry I preferred to just pull it down, something that would probably hurt or restrict milk flow normally but with this being so soft and stretchy it was fine and easy.

The bra has washed really well and still looks as new (baby is 4 months and I've been using since the start - except when being washed).
The price of £26 is fairly high but I think average for a decent bra. I think for most people, a few of these would be a great investment particularly if you're planning on feeding for a long time. I have gone on to buy a further one in black myself so that I can alternate.
As the fabric seems such good quality I'm sure they will be used for subsequent babies too and for quite some time so will be very good value.

Overall it is genuinely the nicest nursing bra (if not just bra in general) I've used compared to high st shop equivalents and would recommend to new mums and pregnant ladies out there.




Thanks for reading,


Wafflemama



*These are all my own thoughts and reactions to the product sent and were in no way influenced by the company itself. I was not asked to complete a review.

The One Lovely Blog Award - The Christmas Tag

I was nominated for the 'One Lovely Blog Award' by Katy as well as the 'Christmas Tag'. I will combine them both here for ease of reading and also seeing as it's the season, I'll follow Katy's lead by doing 'OLBA' on a Christmas theme.

I absolutely love Christmas and have had the most Christmassy day possible today and I am absolutely beaming! 



Here are my answers to the Christmas Tag questions first...


Whats your favourite Christmas movie?

'ELF'! I have watched it twice today and for the first time with my son who is three, he loved it! I equally love 'Home Alone' so it was a close call but Elf just makes me so happy.


Do you open your presents on Christmas eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas morning! I also used to open one on Christmas eve as a kid as i was just totally uncontrollably excited! We open them all in the morning though now but i have made a Christmas eve box for my husband and son the last two years so maybe I'll do that again. For anyone that doesn't know what a Christmas eve box is, its a gift box with new pyjamas, an xmas dvd, a hot chocolate mix and some film snacks! Well that's what mine is anyway...

Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

My favourite Christmas memory was just my Uncle David as a whole, he was amazing, so funny, he got me wind up toys, a fluffy snowman, he always made jokes,  he was always happy and fun and loved playing hide and seek (which meant he went to the garden for a cigar!) He was much much cooler than any of the other grown ups.

Favourite festive food?

Gammon! We always had a honey roasted gammon joint alongside the turkey, I absolutely love it and i could demolish the whole joint if I was allowed! A close second is Cadbury's chocolate which i have for Christmas breakfast!

Favourite Christmas gift?

My fluffy snowman plush from Uncle David, He asked me if I wanted one and it appeared as if by magic, totally loved it! really hoping my mum still has him somewhere too.

Favourite Christmas scent?

Real Christmas tree pine smell. You literally cant beat it! We have a fake tree (much to my husbands horror) but as the stands where the same price as the tree round here we thought we would leave it until we are feeling more flush. In the mean time, fake tree and a pine scented candle.

Do you have any Christmas eve traditions?

Yes the xmas eve box as mentioned above, a new tradition! Otherwise, my husband is usually home early from work and we just have a lovely cosy chilled out day, open the boxes, pop our cosies on and watch a Christmas film.

What tops your tree?


At the moment a large paper fold out star from Poundland, the angels on the tree somewhere. I would like to make something with my son though to go on top so maybe that  can be a craft for this coming week.

As a child what was the one gift you always wanted but never received?

I don't really remember wanting anything much apart from teddy bears, I've always been easily pleased! I remember seeing those small sit in cars that you could drive and thinking that would be amazing but they cost about a grand in those days so I would have never expected one! I think it is very different now for some families who spend an absolute fortune (not mine!) it can be a bit over the top. So far my son hasn't asked for anything that costs more than a few pounds so he won't be disappointed.

Whats the best thing about Christmas for you?

Food. I just love food! A few days where I can do some guilt free stuffing and totally relax. I'm not a drinker so i just double up on the tasty things, after doing so well on weight watchers this year though I may be a little more restrained, but its unlikely!
I do obviously love seeing everyone together too but other than that, food is definitely up there.



Here are my seven facts about me for the 'One Lovely Blog Award'.

1. OK so a bit of a greedy thing to start with... but its the first thing I thought of! I am the easiest person to please EVER with presents, seriously all the standard things - slippers, candles, chocolate, smellies, that's me sorted! Is that just boring? Maybe. I don't like buying that stuff for myself though so I get excited!

2. My parents never liked Christmas (mainly because of the routine of having to see the same old relatives and never spending it alone) so I always felt I shouldn't too, I make up for it now by bloody loving every second! I love everything about it.

3. Me and my husband LOVE Michael Buble's Christmas album!

4. I literally cannot control myself at a buffet, especially at Christmas - I even thought about inventing buffet trousers with insulated Tupperware type pockets to save trips back to the food hahaha! This year I'm all about the meeeaaaatt!!

5. I get really embarrassed about opening presents in front of people, really hate it! Especially at Christmas at the in-laws where we are usually last to arrive so the whole gaggle watch us open everything, I find it so painful even if the presents are just lovely, much prefer giving though I still get nervous by that too!

6. I really want to go to Lapland for Christmas one year, it just looks like so much fun, reindeer rides, Father Christmas, log cabins, bliss!

7. Up until today I hadn't felt very Christmassy at all - in fact I had faked it a bit in order to not look too 'Bah humbug' about the whole thing, so relieved its kicked in!
And thats all! Thank you Katy for the nomination! I never thought I would be able to think of so many.

I will be nominating people myself via Twitter!

Here are the rules....

1. Thank the person for nominating you and link back to them in your post.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself (they don't have to be festive)/ Answer the 10 questions about Christmas

3. Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire

4. Contact the chosen bloggers and let them know.



Merry Christmas!


Wafflemama