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My Captured Moment #69 {A Picture Link-up}

Welcome back to My Captured Moment, a weekly link-up where I share my favourite ‘Captured Moments’ and invite you to do the same.

Iris is now over a month old and each week I’ve been taking these shots of her in the hope of tracking and recording her growth and changes. I know only too well that babies grow so quickly, and without you really noticing but these pictures will show me at a glance Iris’ growth and development.

Already I feel like she’s grown so much! She lost over 9% of her body weight in the first week but by week four, she was over a pound heavier that her birth weight! This girl likes her milk, I can tell you.

So here is Iris’ first month in pictures…

My captured moment a picture link-up. The first month of a newborn baby...

This first month has already gone so quickly. I’m treasuring every cuddle, kiss, bath, smell, even the little baby cry.

I know that I can’t slow down time but at least I’ll always have my pictures, my little captured moments.

Share your Moments

Your ‘My Captured Moment’ can be a single picture or a series of shots, new (taken this week) or old, with or without words. The idea is to simply share a moment in time you’ve captured on your camera and make sure it doesn’t go unseen. This could include vintage shots of your own childhood and beyond or a simple picture you’ve recently taken and want to ‘show off’.

How to Play Along

• Link up every Thursday to Sunday (ending at 11.00pm)

• Add my badge (or link back to my website using #MyCapturedMoment) at the bottom of your post.

• Share the love – try to comment on a few of the other posts. After all that’s what it’s all about.

Go Social

Tweet your posts to me @HeleddLavender using the hashtag #MyCapturedMoment and I’ll retweet. Hashtag your picture #MyCapturedMoment on Instagram (follow me @HeleddLavender) so we can share our pictures and hopefully get some new followers and likes.

Running in Lavender


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Heledd

Great Little Trading Co. Has a New Home

GLTC.3

For various reasons we’ve had a very quiet month since the birth of our latest little flower. I’ve had breastfeeding issues and the weather has been wet and cold, so we’ve spent our weekends  at home relaxing and getting to know our new little bundle of joy.

However on Sunday we finally ventured out on our first family day outing with baby Iris. Great Little Trading Co. (GLTC) had invited us to a preview event for their new showroom in Wandsworth, where we could get up close and personal with their beautifully designed children’s furniture and toys. We’ve been big fans of GLTC and their products for years, so having the chance to see their full range in the flesh was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down. The girls described it as a ‘party in a toy shop’ – can you image how excited they were?

Until now the brand has only been available online, so there was nowhere you could see the range of products set up. This new showroom gives you the chance to see, feel and try the items before you buy. It also gives you the opportunity to buy and take the product with you on the day, or have the item delivered to your home.

Seeing the products set up and put together was fantastic, the quality was obvious to see and the designs were even more impressive in the flesh.

I loved the motto mentioned by the Chairman on the day…

“Our products don’t need batteries, they’re powered by imagination” 

There’s a certain amount of nostalgia associated with this motto (and wooden toys) but the products are still very modern and stylish – especially all the clever storage solutions. I think my big girls were ready to move into some of the bedroom displays.

As you can see we had a fun day…

GLTC.1 GLTC.2 GLTC.4 GLTC.5 GLTC.6 GLTC.7 GLTC.8Thank you Great Little Trading Co. for a great day!

If you’d like to visit the showroom for yourself, it officially opens on the 29th of April and  you’ll find it at 12 Buckhold Road, Wandsworth, SW18 4GP.

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Breastfeeding – My Honest Account

My personal experience of breastfeeding and tips on expressing.

A couple of months ago I wrote a post called “my breastfeeding story”, based on my personal experience of breastfeeding my two older daughters. Having gone through all the pitfalls and pain before, I thought I knew what to expect this time and hoped I’d be more prepared to deal with any eventuality. The main thing I knew is that I wanted to breastfeed my new baby. I wanted to offer her the same start in life and wanted that special bond that breastfeeding can offer.

It’s now been a full month since Iris was born and if I’m honest breastfeeding has been my biggest hurdle. Everything else has been pretty prefect, Iris is healthy, beautiful and sleeps well at night but nursing her has not gone smoothly.

In all fairness she has fed well from the moment she was born. Just like her big sister Lili, she seemed to instantly know what to do. This gave me a false sense of security, so when I was offered help with breastfeeding in the hospital, I simply said “no I’m fine, she’s feeding well”. How wrong was I!? Within a few days things had gone very wrong and the pain of breastfeeding was almost unbearable. Every feed was toe curlingly painful, sometimes bringing tears to my eyes. What was I doing wrong? I went through all the usual tips for a good latch…

  1. Nose to nipple
  2. Big wide mouth
  3. Baby’s body across the tummy
  4. Big puffed out cheeks when feeding
  5. Listen for swallowing sounds

Even though I was following all these tips, the pain continued and my nipples started to crack and show visible signs of bruising.

Another issue was that my milk took around five days to ‘come in’ (this normally takes 3 days), which meant Iris was not getting enough milk in the first few days and as a result her weight plummeted. She lost 9.5% of her body weight and although up to 8% is common, it was a worry. My midwife advised lots of skin to skin, to help with bonding and encourage my milk supply. This did help my milk ‘come in’ but the pain continued to get worse.

This is when I started to express, so that I could give myself a rest from the pain and give my nipples time to recover. Thankfully, I already had a Medela Swing Maxi Double (which is a fantastic electrical breast pump), so I could get going instantly. I was able to express around 3 to 4oz each side by this point, so I knew I was supplying enough milk – and Iris quickly started to put on the weight she’d lost.

My personal experience of breastfeeding and tips on expressing.

Expressing had many benefits; yes it gave my breasts time to recover but it also gave Dom a chance to feed Iris, it also got her used to taking milk from the bottle (as well as from me) and it meant we could viably see how much she was taking. While Iris was still getting all the benefits of breastmilk.

It turns out that our little flower is a fast and pretty aggressive eater, which goes some way to explaining the pain. She can drink between 3-4oz from a bottle in around 5 to 7 minutes and only breastfeeds for around 10 – 15mins before she’s done.

So how did things get better?

I’m now finally feeding with only a little pain. This is after a good few days of exclusively expressing and lathering my nipples in Lansinoh cream and using Multi-Mam compress pads.

I also went to a breastfeeding clinic, where I was showed new and different ways to hold Iris when feeding. It goes to show that it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done this before, there’s still things you can learn. The lactation consultant at the clinic was so kind and reassuring, she told me that expressing was the best thing to do until my nipples had recovered and that it would not be advisable to feed through the pain, as it could make things worse. She explained that lots of mothers are forced to give up because of the pain – which I can understand! However, I was determined I would not be beaten and I’m now so glad I  persevered. Iris and I made it through the dark painful days and are now breastfeeding easily, which means I can start to enjoy the bonding experience and get the euphoric feeling you get from feeding.

If you’re a first time mother or a new mother going through the breastfeeding pain I experienced, I fully recommend you get yourself a breast pump, a tube of Lansinoh cream and the amazing Multi-Mam compress pads. They really were my breastfeeding recovery kit, which helped me through the difficult days and got me to where I am today.

I'm a Medela Mum

 

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My Super Hero Girls {And a £100 Giveaway}

DC Super Hero Girls

Are your kids obsessed with YouTube? My two big girls definitely are! And recently they’ve move away from Disney princesses and onto DC Super Hero Girls.

These super heroes are a group of strong, action-packed girls on a journey to discover their unique super powers. What I love about this cartoon is how dynamic the characters are, from strong and fearless to edgy and fun – there’s a character for everyone! Lili’s favourite is Supergirl (because, in her words “she looks like me”) and Poppy loves Poison Ivy.

DC Super Hero Girls is now what they want to watch on YouTube. As I’ve already mentioned they’re both totally obsessed by YouTube and although I don’t like them being on it for long or unsupervised, I do allow them to log-on as a special treat – for a short allocated time. In the past they’ve been keen to watch people opening Kinder Eggs, playing with Play Doh or acting out scenes with Disney princess dolls (bizarre!). However, they’ve now discovered DC Super Hero Girls’ YouTube channel and it’s their new favourite!

There’s also more actives on the DC Super Hero Girls website where the girls play super hero games and download free printable puzzles and pictures.

DC Super Hero Girls

Competition

Do you fancy winning a £100 VISA Gift Card? Then enter this DC Super Hero Girls giveaway and you could win one of 3 vouchers.

You’ve got to be in it to win it!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

To give you a taste of what to expect, check out the DC Super Hero Girls YouTube playlist…

Post in association with DC Super Hero Girls.

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Heledd

My Captured Moment #68 {A Picture Link-up}

Welcome back to My Captured Moment, a weekly link-up where I share my favourite ‘Captured Moments’ and invite you to do the same.

I feel like these pictures really are a true ‘captured moment’ because I took them without their knowledge or at least them realising. They were taken on Tuesday when my mum and Poppy were busy making Lemon Cake, which is Poppy’s favourite cake.

Mum has been staying with us over the past couple of weeks to help me with the girls. She’s been doing the school runs and entertaining the big girls while I feed and bond with baby Iris. She’s also looked after me, making sure I drink enough and sleep.

Mum goes home (to Wales) on Friday and if I’m honest, I’m not sure how I’m going to survive without her. Next week sees the beginning of our new routine and my new reality as a mother of three. Wish me luck!


 My Captured Moment 68

My Captured Moment 68

Share your Moments

Your ‘My Captured Moment’ can be a single picture or a series of shots, new (taken this week) or old, with or without words. The idea is to simply share a moment in time you’ve captured on your camera and make sure it doesn’t go unseen. This could include vintage shots of your own childhood and beyond or a simple picture you’ve recently taken and want to ‘show off’.

How to Play Along

• Link up every Thursday to Sunday (ending at 11.00pm)

• Add my badge (or link back to my website using #MyCapturedMoment) at the bottom of your post.

• Share the love – try to comment on a few of the other posts. After all that’s what it’s all about.

Go Social

Tweet your posts to me @HeleddLavender using the hashtag #MyCapturedMoment and I’ll retweet. Hashtag your picture #MyCapturedMoment on Instagram (follow me @HeleddLavender) so we can share our pictures and hopefully get some new followers and likes.

Running in Lavender


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Heledd

Girl Power is Alive and Well #SheHelped

#SheHelped

Let me tell you how help from the women in my life has got me through the last six weeks. Girl power is alive and well and for me lies in helping each other in times of need.

I’ve recently been reminded just how amazing us women are. Not only are we able to grow another little human in our bodies, we can then go on to feed that tiny baby and provide all the nutrition he or she needs for the first six months.

I’ve also been reminded just how draining and exhausting the whole process can be. For me the last few weeks of pregnancy were tough. My back ached constantly, I had high blood pressure (which gave me head aches and affected my vision), heartburn, I couldn’t sleep and generally felt very uncomfortable. All of which meant that looking after my two older girls was extremely hard. This is when the women in my life stepped in to help. My ‘mummy friends’ (aka ‘the mum squad’) all started offering to help with the school run and have the girls for play dates after school, giving me more time to relax. Also, my best friend (aka my mum) came up from Wales for the last week and simply took over the household chores and childcare duties. She was literally my saviour and made sure I put my feet up and relaxed as much as possible.

Once our baby was born the help from “the mum squad” and my mum continued. The exertion of childbirth, followed by sleepless nights and constant breastfeeding left me feeling totally exhausted. I literally felt like I was sleep walking for the first couple of weeks. Again my ‘mummy friends’ offered to have the big girls for play dates and my mum came back up to help. Their combined support has helped me through the past six weeks, making this magical time as easy as possible for me – and for that I will always be truly grateful.

These amazing women have also helped me emotionally, giving me support and encouragement when breastfeeding almost broke me. The severe and sharp pain had me in tears on a few occasions but my mum and friends (especially the ones who knew the pain and had been through it themselves) gave me the support and advice to carry on and get over the pain.

necklace

The “mum squad” even clubbed together to buy me a beautiful necklace with three entwined rings, engraved with the names of my three daughters. A gesture that has meant so much to me and left me feeling so grateful.

These are just some of the ways the women in my life have helped me recently. And honestly without their help I’m not sure how I would have coped.

Canesten understand the need to help other women, especially those who are less fortunate. That is why they support (in any way possible) the refugee women living in sub-standard conditions on camps and settlements in various countries across the world. They offer a substantial donation of Canesten products to International Health Partners (IHP), Europe’s largest charity that organise safe donations of medical products and supplies to developing countries.

Disclaimer: This post is in association with Canesten and their women’s charity campaign #SheHelped. 

Competition

Win a £50 John Lewis shopping voucher. Canesten would like to know about a time that you have helped, or been helped by another woman.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Sisters in April 2016 {Siblings Project}

Here we are at the mid point of another month and time for my monthly Siblings Project post. This month is a very special post for us as two sisters have become three.

Lili and Poppy are happy and proud to introduce their new baby sister, Iris.
 siblings.project.april16.d

We told the girls that I was pregnant when I was around 15 weeks, so it’s been a very long 25 weeks for them both. To be honest I think they were starting to wonder if the baby was ever going to arrive. Well she did arrive on the 21st of March and the three are now united and starting to get to know each other.

It’s been a quiet month for us all, as I was heavily pregnant (at the beginning of the month) and not able to do much. And since Iris was born we’ve been keeping a very low profile, staying home and settling into our new family life and routine.

Of course it has been the Easter holidays – which was great timing for us! I love the school holidays and having the girls at home with me.

There was no mad rush to do the school run, so we were able to stay in our pyjamas until lunch time and laze around the house, which is all I could handle with a newborn baby, as well as a three year old and a five year old to entertain. Luckily for me the girls were happy to chill out at home, watching movies and reading books.

Dom had ten days paternity leave, so he did take the big girls swimming and on lots of bike rides in the first week of the holidays – while Iris and I stayed home to bond and do lots of ‘skin to skin’ feeding. Breastfeeding hasn’t come easily for us, which I’ll cover more in-depth in another blog post. Three and a half weeks in and I now feel like we’re turning a corner.

Lili has been so helpful and is always keen to give Iris a cuddle and a kiss. She ran into school the day after she was born, excited to tell everyone that her new baby sister had arrived. I love how caring and gentle she is and her big heart is really shining through.

Poppy is also very excited to have a baby sister and be a big sister for the first time. She may not be as attentive as Lili but she has moments of being very sweet and caring with Iris – and she’s always very proud to talk about her when we’re out and about.

siblings.project.april16.e siblings.project.april16.b siblings.project.april16.a

I can’t wait to see how their relationships will develop and watch the three grow and play together. Lili and Poppy are the best of friends and play so well together, despite being very different in their personalities and temperament. I can’t help but wonder what kind of personality Iris will have – will she be kind and gentle like Lili or cheeky and determined like Poppy?

Only time will tell but for now we’re all enjoying having a new born baby in the family. Iris is now three weeks old and still sleeping most of the time. She wakes to be fed and cleaned and then goes back to sleep. Thankfully, she also sleeps through the night, only waking for a quick 15 minute feed at around 3am and 6am.

Iris is so lucky to have two loving older sisters who I know will always take care of her and be there for her whenever she needs a friend. I have visions of the three of them as teenagers and adults, always close and the best of friends – I hope these visions come true and that I can be a part of their beautiful friendship.

siblings.project.april16.g siblings.project.april16.f

The Me and Mine Project
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My Captured Moment #67 {A Picture Link-up}

Welcome back to My Captured Moment, a weekly link-up where I share my favourite ‘Captured Moments’ and invite you to do the same.

This week “My Captured Moment” is a picture of me and my littlest flower taken by my mother. Iris is now three weeks old and still at that stage where she’s sleeping most of the day. Thankfully she’s also sleeping well through the night – long may that continue!

And as you can see I can’t stop kissing her…

my captured moment linky

Share your Moments

Your ‘My Captured Moment’ can be a single picture or a series of shots, new (taken this week) or old, with or without words. The idea is to simply share a moment in time you’ve captured on your camera and make sure it doesn’t go unseen. This could include vintage shots of your own childhood and beyond or a simple picture you’ve recently taken and want to ‘show off’.

How to Play Along

• Link up every Thursday to Sunday (ending at 11.00pm)

• Add my badge (or link back to my website using #MyCapturedMoment) at the bottom of your post.

• Share the love – try to comment on a few of the other posts. After all that’s what it’s all about.

Go Social

Tweet your posts to me @HeleddLavender using the hashtag #MyCapturedMoment and I’ll retweet. Hashtag your picture #MyCapturedMoment on Instagram (follow me @HeleddLavender) so we can share our pictures and hopefully get some new followers and likes.

Running in Lavender


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Bugaboo Bee 3 – My Review

 

Bugaboo Bee 3

A couple of months ago I wrote a post on ‘our pushchair of choice‘ and why we decided to go for the Bugaboo Bee 3. In that post I listed all the reasons why I felt the Bugaboo Bee 3 was the right decision for us, after my extensive online research.

We had a Bugaboo (Cameleon) pushchair in the past, so I knew that the quality and durability of the brand was good but this time I wanted a smaller, lighter version – which is why we went for the Bugaboo Bee 3.

When you’re having a baby, there are so many things to think about and buy – but the pushchair/ buggy will probably be your biggest expense and therefore the most difficult and emotional decision. There are so many options out there on the market – different brands, designs, colours, sizes and systems. For me the Bugaboo Bee 3 was the one (for many reasons) but did I make the right decision?

Bugaboo Bee 3

As baby Iris is now with us, my husband and I have been able to use our stylish new grey Bugaboo pushchair and therefore I’m now able to give you our honest opinion.

For me the biggest and most obvious benefit is that this pushchair is light and very easy to push and steer. I can even steer it with one hand – which is useful as I also have a three year old daughter who often wants to hold my hand while I push the pushchair.

I love the look and design of the Bugaboo Bee 3 and the fact that it comes with a baby bassinet. This is the first Bugaboo Bee to come with a bassinet, which for me is a big bonus as we can also use it as a mobile carrycot bed when you’re at home.

When Iris is older, we’ll be able to change the bassinet with the chair (which comes with the Bugaboo Bee 3) – turning the pushchair into a buggy suitable for older babies and toddlers.

Bugaboo Bee 3

Bugaboo Bee 3 Bugaboo Bee 3 Bugaboo Bee 3 Bugaboo Bee 3

The Bugaboo Bee 3 is not the cheapest option on the market, neither is it the most expensive but it is very well made and of the highest quality. Setting up the base and bassinet was easy and uncomplicated – as is folding it away and storing it.

So am we happy with our decision? Yes, very happy!  I would go so far as to say that I am over the moon with this pushchair, it’s everything I hoped it would be and more. If you’re looking for a small, light weight, stylish pushchair/ buggy that will easily last you for up to two years, I full recommend the Bugaboo Bee 3.

Bugaboo Bee 3 Bugaboo Bee 3 Bugaboo Bee 3

Disclosure: I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for this product. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity.

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My Captured Moment #66 {A Picture Link-up}

Welcome back to My Captured Moment, a weekly link-up where I share my favourite ‘Captured Moments’ and invite you to do the same.

This week’s my captured moment shots were taken a few days ago, when little Iris had her very first bath. Every ‘first’ is special but there’s something so lovely about giving your baby his/her first bath – or maybe it’s the ‘after bath’ cuddle that makes it so special?

Either way, this was a moment I wanted to captured just as I did with my oldest two. Unlike Lili and Poppy, Iris took it all in her stride and was very calm and relaxed in the warm water. As a result we managed to get some beautiful pictures that I know I’ll treasure forever.

My.Captured.Moment.65.a My.Captured.Moment.65 My.Captured.Moment.65b My.Captured.Moment.65c

For anyone expecting a baby or know of anyone expecting a baby, I highly recommend this Cuddledry baby towel. You wear it like a big apron, so when you lift your baby out of the bath, he or she can go straight onto your chest and towel.

Share your Moments

Your ‘My Captured Moment’ can be a single picture or a series of shots, new (taken this week) or old, with or without words. The idea is to simply share a moment in time you’ve captured on your camera and make sure it doesn’t go unseen. This could include vintage shots of your own childhood and beyond or a simple picture you’ve recently taken and want to ‘show off’.

How to Play Along

• Link up every Thursday to Sunday (ending at 11.00pm)

• Add my badge (or link back to my website using #MyCapturedMoment) at the bottom of your post.

• Share the love – try to comment on a few of the other posts. After all that’s what it’s all about.

Go Social

Tweet your posts to me @HeleddLavender using the hashtag #MyCapturedMoment and I’ll retweet. Hashtag your picture #MyCapturedMoment on Instagram (follow me @HeleddLavender) so we can share our pictures and hopefully get some new followers and likes.

Running in Lavender


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