Tag: father

1 min read

Entertaining

Smyths Toy Story Party

Zoe

May 18, 2019 1:37 pm May 18, 2019

1 min read

3811 views

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1 min read

Can you remember the excitement as a child, when you visited the toy store? Butterflies in your stomach, eyes hungry for whats inside, the gasps at every latest toy! I…

Can you remember the excitement as a child, when you visited the toy store?

Butterflies in your stomach, eyes hungry for whats inside, the gasps at every latest toy!

I really want that experience for Mole. Visiting Smyths Toy Store bought back so many happy memories, of what it was like to be that excited child again. I think it is easy to get caught up in the online world, getting delivered toys, that you can miss out on fun experiences with your child and what it is like to visit the toy store.

No attention should be put on age when one thinks of toys. There?s something about toys that nurtures happiness in people.

Smyths Toy Superstore have gone the extra mile to ensure that your toy store experience is rememberable!

Toy Story Party at Smyths

They are hosting a Toy Story party at every local Smyths Toys Superstore, in celebration of the new Toy Story 4 coming to cinemas in June! There will be FREE face painting, DJ’s and a FREE Toy Story 4 minis, stickers and posters given away. You even have the chance to win a ?50 voucher on the hour, every hour from 9am to 1pm!

When is the event?

Saturday 25th May from 9:00am

Where is the event?

Every Local Smyths Toy Superstore

Find out more and other event details here.

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6 min read

Baby

Routine

Zoe

March 19, 2019 2:01 pm March 19, 2019

6 min read

1297 views

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6 min read

Before I had Mole… The word routine had a very different meaning to me. I would wake up for work, eat, head to the gym and sleep. Anything else added…

Before I had Mole…

The word routine had a very different meaning to me.

I would wake up for work, eat, head to the gym and sleep. Anything else added into my day would be another self orientated activity like nails or my tan.

And then I had Mole.

it was impossible to get her into a routine

As Mole was a reflux baby, it was impossible to get her into a routine the first few months of her life as she was constantly being sick and having to be bathed 10 times a day. She couldn’t lie flat on her back without screaming in pain, so at night we rarely got any sleep. Thats no exaggeration. I would see every hour of the clock go by whilst comforting her. If you would like more advice on how we got through her reflux read this blog post here.

Introducing a routine

I’d say I started to introduce a strict routine when Mole was around 4 months old, when her reflux stopped.

We stayed in for a few weeks to really nail everything in the head and make sure we were following a consistent pattern. Not only for her, but myself too. As I wasn’t use to living by a strict time frame, I would slack with the routine and wonder why it wouldn’t work. So yes, staying in for a few weeks till everything became set in stone in both our little brains did wonders.

Our Routine

7:30am Wake up

Mole wakes me up with her chirping and sound practicing. I always enter her room shouting “Good Morning!” and she gets the biggest smile on her face. We have cuddles and move on to getting ready.

I always enter her room shouting “Good Morning!”

7:47am Getting dressed

I change Moles nappy straight away as its always stinky first thing in the morning. Most of the time I will get her changed into her outfit for the day now. But, if we are going somewhere really nice, or I need to capture photos for a brand, I will get her dressed after breakfast.

8:00am My turn

I’ll take Mole into the bathroom with me whilst I have a wash and clean my teeth etc and then she comes with my whilst I get dressed. If I want to do nice makeup for the day then I leave this part out and complete it whilst she has her nap.

8:15am Breakfast?

Mole has her breakfast, usually pancakes, croissant or fruit. I also have mine at the same time. I then make her a bottle and for some reason even though she eats loads for her breakfast she will still smash a bottle in.

9:00am Free time

This hour is spent playing with Mole and she gets all of her toys out. The main purpose of this hour is to really tire her out. Sometimes we even do crawling races around the house together. I’d say this hour is the best time of the day with her.

We do crawling races around the house

10:00am Nap

Bang on the dot every day I take her up for a nap in her cot. Her bedroom is pitch black and I believe this helps her get to sleep. I place her down with her favourite teddy and walk straight out of the room. I have learnt that if I fuss over her, she gets excited and will not nap.

At the start of implementing this routine, Mole would cry after I put her down. As horrible as this sounds, I would ignore it (obviously if it went on for a long period of time e.g. 10 minutes i’d go and reassure her) but, mainly I wouldn’t make a fuss of her. This was really hard to do and make me feel very guilty.

1:00pm Wakey wakey?

Mole wakes up from her nap around this time. The length of her nap can vary, sometimes its short and sometimes I have had to go and wake her up at 2:30pm.

Nappy and then we both get dinner straight away. She also has a sippy cup of water with her meal, nappy after meal.

3:00pm bottle

Mole has another bottle of milk around this time or a snack. sometimes both if she is hungry and a nappy change if needed.

4:30pm Prepare Tea

I prepare tea usually at this time however, recently Jay has been home at this time and offers to make the tea. Win!

5:00pm

Mole has her tea with another sippy cup of water.

6:00pm Bath time

I bathe Mole every single night as she gets so dirty through out the day. I try not to wash her hair every single day but she always ends up with so much food in it I shampoo her hair too.

6:30pm Bed time

Mole goes to bed in a sleeping bag with her teddy. We give her a warm bottle of milk and turn her humidifier on. I give her a cuddle and kiss and leave the room straight away. She falls asleep within 10 minutes and we don’t have to see to her until the next morning.

If she does wakeup, we leave a fresh bottle in her cot and leave the room again.

What works for us

As you can see there is no fussing around her sleep times. That is something that works for us but not everyone. Even nursery have said that when they sit in the room waiting for her to fall asleep she just doesn’t sleep. I think it is because she is so nosey haha.

You may have also noticed that she only has one nap. Thats something that works for us too and has helped with her sleeping through the night for longer.

If we spend the day out we always try to give her a nap at home first at the same time or we plan the journey so her nap time is whilst we are in the car so she can sleep then.

I hope you found this useful, I’d love to know your routines.

Thank you

Zoe

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3 min read

Baby

Moles 11 month update

Zoe

March 3, 2019 6:31 pm March 3, 2019

3 min read

1390 views

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3 min read

One whole year with my baby Mole is approaching fast! I thought it will be nice for you for me to do a little recap of her personality so far….

One whole year with my baby Mole is approaching fast! I thought it will be nice for you for me to do a little recap of her personality so far.

I feel like I say this every single time but, as time goes on I just have so much fun. Each day gets better and better!

Nursery

Mole attends nursery 2 consecutive days a week. Me and Jay both decided it will really benefit her social skills to be around other babies for a full day.

At nursery she has also learnt to eat finger food to the point now where she refuses pur?ed food. This has been a huge advantage as it’s been cheaper and easier to get her a healthy meal. It’s even fun ordering off the menu for her when we dine out.

Nursery send me daily updates with pictures of what she gets up too and how each activity she does helps her development.

Weaning

Moles favourite food now is pancakes, cheese crisps and anything else cheese related haha.

I still work on her eating her vegetables but when they are mixed into a pasta dish or cottage pie she’s great with them.

I get most of my food inspiration for her off BLW Instagram accounts, or I give her a little bit of my meal. Ella’s kitchen do a handy range of frozen meals which are perfect for a quick meal.

Mole drinks water with her meals out of a regular Tommy Tippe cup. Nursery stick to the same brand and type of cup which has made her consistent with her water intake.

Walking

Currently Mole can not take steps unassisted but I’m sure she will soon.

She loves to walk around the room as long as she’s holding onto something.

Talking

Mole can say a couple of words like “mama” and “dada”. I’m really trying to help her say “hello” as she loves to wave.

Personality

Mole has the best sense of humour. She loves to play peek a boo with the curtains and blankets. Her favourite places to visit are soft play centres, especially when there is a huge ball pool.

She doesn’t like going to restaurants and gets very irritated when she’s in the high chair. It can be a little embarrassing sometimes as she will throw a huge tantrum and throw her food everywhere. We are finding a balance of going to places where we can enjoy a meal out and she has somewhere to play afterwards. If not then we just put some fun videos on our phones for her to watch.

Sleeping

Mole goes to sleep for 6:30pm every single night. She sleeps all the way through but, I always leave a bottle in her cot in case she gets hunger and wants a feed. If that’s the case, she feeds herself and launches the empty bottle out of the cot and goes back to sleep.

She wakes up from 7:30am.

Favourite toys

Her current favourite toys are the ball pit, books and a shape sorter. For her birthday I have purchased completely different toys I would usually go for to see how she gets on.

Thanks for reading!

Zoe

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3 min read

baby product reviews

Safety 1st Highchair Review

Zoe

February 24, 2019 7:15 pm February 24, 2019

3 min read

5117 views

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3 min read

We were kindly gifted the Safety 1st Timba Wooden Highchair for a review. Even though this product was gifted, I want to stress that I still have given my honest…

We were kindly gifted the Safety 1st Timba Wooden Highchair for a review. Even though this product was gifted, I want to stress that I still have given my honest opinion.

Packaging

The Highchair arrived in a large cardboard box. For some this may not be a concern but as we only have a small household bin that gets collected every 2 weeks, the advantaging of having recyclable packaging is a huge bonus for us!

All of the parts inside were individually wrapped to avoid damage.

Assembling the Highchair

There were a few more pieces to put together than I first expected but what is new with flat pack items.

I had Jay to help me assemble the Highchair but, I could have done it on my own. It was just easier with him whilst I could film the process.

The Highchair took around 20-30 minutes to build as we came across a problem trying to slot the seat in. This meant we had to unscrew half of the chair to slot it in and put it back together again.

I thought I would be honest in including that part as I know flat packed products are not for everyone.

Luckily no extra tools were needed and the Highchair came with its on Allen Key.

https://pinkmole.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/medium.mov

Highchair Features

Above I have taken the features directly off the website.

My favourite part is that the Highchair is adjustable for the size of your child.

The Highchair we had previous to this one, was too big to attach the eating tray too, which meant Mole had to be against our kitchen counter to eat. I love how this Highchair feels is it build custom made to her size and she can have her own little tray.

The white shade matches perfectly with our kitchen and looks clean and modern in our photographs.

Price

The Highchair retails at ?70.00.

Do I think it is worth the money?

I would have liked it to have been a tiny bit easier to put together but for a wooden chair that is custom to her size I can’t complain.

Our previous Highchair retailed at ?450 and I can see clear advantages in the Safety 1st in comparison.

Final verdict

If you’re looking for a modern Highchair that looks sleek in your kitchen and blends in with the rest of the furniture (nothing bright and colourful) this is a great purchase.

My favourite part is how I can update the seating size for her until she is 10 years old so I won’t have to purchase another one as she grows out of it.

Mole looks super comfortable sitting in the chair and eating her food. There is also an option to purchase a cushion for extra comfort.

Another factor for me is the chair is wipeable. Cleaning it down after eating took less that 2 minutes .

Purchase yours here: http://int.safety1st.com/our-products/home-equipment/highchairs/timba-without-cushion.aspx

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1 min read

Weaning

Moles Chicken and Vegetable Mash | Baby Weaning

Zoe

January 15, 2019 3:51 pm January 15, 2019

1 min read

1431 views

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1 min read

Chicken is an excellent source of protein for your baby. Babies also tend to love the mild taste of chicken combined with the sweet tasting root vegetables we will use…

Chicken is an excellent source of protein for your baby. Babies also tend to love the mild taste of chicken combined with the sweet tasting root vegetables we will use in this recipe.

Root vegetables are great to use as they give you a natural creamy texture.

The Good Stuff

Moles Chicken and Vegetable Mash is high in beta-carotene, potassium and B vitamins including Folate.

Preparation Time

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking. 22 minutes

Portions

5 or 6 portions and can be frozen

Ingredients

1tbsp vegetable oil
110g carrots, peeled and chopped
85g parsnips, peeled and chopped
250g potatoes, peeled and chopped
75g chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks.

Method

Warm the oil in the pan, add the carrots and parsnips, saut? until softened for about 7 minutes.

Add the chicken and saut?. Keep turning.

Add the potatoes and cover with boiling water.

Cover for around 15 minutes or until everything is fully cooked and softened.

Double check chicken is fully cooked.

Blend to a pur?e or leave for older babies.

I like to use a masher so it is a textured pur?e.

Let me know your little ones favourite meal!

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6 min read

Finance

10 Money Saving Tips | Baby Shopping

Zoe

January 15, 2019 2:37 pm January 15, 2019

6 min read

1463 views

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6 min read

Baby shopping. Now, if you’re anything like me, you can just spend, spend and spend. Baby shopping is my biggest hobby. For some reason, when it comes to shopping for…

Baby shopping. Now, if you’re anything like me, you can just spend, spend and spend. Baby shopping is my biggest hobby.

For some reason, when it comes to shopping for my baby, I do not seem to focus on a budget even when I really need to. It is like a part of me thinks if my baby needs it then I will buy it her. Which is okay but half the time, does my baby really need it?

Look:

I have been strict on myself to save more money as my maternity pay has come to a stop. It is sad, yes, but I feel so much more secure financially now.

You’re probably wondering how:

By following these ten tips I have been able to think twice about my biggest outgoing which is baby shopping.

10 Money Saving Tips When Shopping For A Baby

Think twice before you buy
Shop around and compare prices
Go for second hand
Re-sell anything you no longer need
Avoid baby clothes shopping unless necessary
Do not stockpile
Join baby groups for freebies
Shop neutral
?Spend with cash
Prepare your baby’s dinner from scratch

Think twice before you buy

Did you know some parents spend over ?10000 in their baby’s first year?

I can guarantee that most of their spending would have been on items they really do not need.

Have a good think before you put the product in the basket. Ask yourself will you use it enough times to be worth the money or will your baby get their use out of it before they grow out of it.

A good idea is that if at that moment in time you are set on buying it, wait a few days before you go ahead with the purchase. If I have been online shopping and I go back after a few days to check my basket 9/10 times I no longer want it and do not purchase it.

Shop around and compare prices

You can get many brands for less at different stores. Do not jump on the product straight away. Check for price comparisons online first to see if you can get the product cheaper.

Go for second hand

There should be no shame in second hand items. Mole has had tonnes of second hand items from clothes to her Jumperoo. We love it! It has helped me out so much that friends have been able to gift us with what their baby no longer needs. Plus, Mole would never have been able to tell the difference if it was second hand or brand new anyway.

Re-sell anything you no longer need

Selling your baby’s items that you no longer use is a great way to make some money. I love to sell Moles preloved clothes and I think its amazing knowing that another baby out there will be wearing her outfit. It is recycling clothes at its finest.

All the money I earn back from selling her items I use for her next clothes. It has been really fun selling her items. There are so many ways to do it now it makes the process so much easier.

I have a Depop site where I sell her clothes: @zjwaite. But there are many other ways such as Facebook Market Place.

Avoid baby clothes shopping

It is so easy to flitter away your saving when you shop for baby clothes. Try to avoid the baby clothes section when you can. Obviously if your baby needs new clothes then you can get what you need. I always do this when I go shopping, I end up picking clothes out for Mole even though her wardrobe will be full.

I have found to really look for good quality in her clothes now. I tend to avoid the really cheap shops as I know how much I wash her clothes they will not last and I end up buying more to replace them.

I love to count out exactly how many pairs of leggings she has then I know how many tops she will need. That way, when I am shopping, I don’t get distracted in buying another pair of leggings lets say when she already has more than enough.

Do not stockpile

It is extremely easy to stockpile on baby products. Whether it is their food or nappies. It is always a good idea to have spares in the house but when the wardrobe is bursting at the seems with spare nappies or your draws are becoming draws just for baby wipes then you need to stop.

If you’re trying a brand for the first time, do not go and buy more than one of their products as you might find you do not like them and you could have used the money on your favourites.

Join baby groups for freebies

Joining as many baby groups as you can, you will be sent vouchers or free samples. These can really help you save! Check out what baby group your local supermarket has!

Shop neutral

Shopping neutral will be ideal if you are planning on having any more babies. You will be able to hand down their clothes or nursery items no matter what the sex is of your baby. It saves you from having to buy lot’s of items twice. Items you will? fall in love with too will be able to stay in the family for longer. It’s a bonus that it will save you money in the long run.

Spend with cash

Now we have contactless payments and our wages are paid through online banking, we rarely have cash. This is a downfall as we can not physically see how much cash we are spending. If you took your spends out in cash rather than on your card, you are likely to spend less.

I love to withdraw a budget then once that cash has gone I can not spend anymore on baby products I don’t need. It’s also fun challenging myself to a spending budget and rewarding when I find the bargains.

?Prepare your baby’s dinner from scratch

Food has to be one of my biggest outgoings at the moment for Mole. Especially during her teething phases I find that I open up more than one shop bought pouch at dinner times to see if I can get her to eat anything. But with most ready made shop bought pouches of baby food costing around ?2.00 each now, this all adds up and gets pretty pricey.

I have set the time aside and bought fresh produce or frozen from cheaper stores like Lidl or Aldi and prepared her food myself.

I am saving so much money doing so. Any spare meals I have for her can go in the freezer too. I remember doing this when she first started off weaning and I was saving around ?8.00 a week!

What are your favourite saving tips?

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1 min read

Style

MOLES NURSERY HAUL

Zoe

January 14, 2019 2:58 pm January 14, 2019

1 min read

1305 views

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1 min read

WOW. Mole starting Nursery has come around far too quick. I am not sure I am even ready for my little baby to be cared for all day by another…

WOW. Mole starting Nursery has come around far too quick. I am not sure I am even ready for my little baby to be cared for all day by another person other than me!

I know her starting Nursery will be amazing for her development. Especially socialising with others. On her tester days so far she has really enjoyed herself and it is my worrying more than her.

To make the whole process of Mole starting Nursery easier, what I have done is worked on her clothing that she will wear there.

Now…I know that it is completely unnecessary to have a full new wardrobe, especially for a place where they are most likely going to get ruined. But, I have enjoyed picking out comfortable, affordable clothes with the odd fancy piece thrown in so she can still look presentable.

I hope you enjoy the video!

I would also like to thank the companies that got involved and wanted to gift Mole some beautiful clothes for her starting Nursery. She is one very lucky baby!

Link to items

Bag: https://www.vertbaudet.co.uk/penguin-shaped-backpack-for-girls-pink-light-solid-with-design.htm?ProductId=700010571&FiltreCouleur=6630&FiltreTaille=ONE%20SIZE&tool=recherche_partenaire

Knitted Jumpsuit: https://www.vertbaudet.co.uk/knitted-jumpsuit-for-newborn-babies-in-organic-cotton-grey-light-solid.htm?ProductId=702170251&FiltreCouleur=6429&FiltreTaille=12M%20-%2074CM&tool=recherche_partenaire

Anti Slip Sleepsuit: https://www.crawlerz.co.uk/?v=79cba1185463

Hat and Scarf: https://nellyandme.co.uk/

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7 min read

Health

Your 5 Golden Rules | Fitness after having a baby

Zoe

January 6, 2019 5:56 pm January 6, 2019

7 min read

1446 views

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7 min read

Getting into shape after having a baby can be one of the most daunting tasks. Many of us can start off with all the right motivation and will power but…

Getting into shape after having a baby can be one of the most daunting tasks. Many of us can start off with all the right motivation and will power but then fall off track. Sadly, we find ourselves back at square one, eating a tub of ice cream whilst watching Netflix when the baby is asleep.

People who have been successful with their health and fitness have these two things in common:

First, they identify what exactly is needed to form the grounds of their healthy lifestyle.

Second, they put 100% into executing their finds.

One with out the other is not setting you up for success.

But, you’re probably wondering:

“What are the simple grounds to making a healthy lifestyle that actually works?”

1. Time

One of the biggest excuses for not sticking to a fitness regime is not having the time. This have been one of my excuses too, especially after having a baby. It is so important that before you start you really commit yourself and give the time needed. Unfortunately, this may also mean sacrificing time away from other activities you are use to doing. This can be hard as you already don’t get as much me time anymore, now that you have a little one. Personally, I train 5 nights a week, giving me the weekend off and I will only train

once Mole is in bed fast asleep. That way, I also don’t feel guilty about not being with her when she is awake. Is it harder to train at night after a busy day? Yes, but, Mole is my main priority.

Making this commitment will form the grounds to your new healthier lifestyle and the rest will flow from there.

?First and foremost, prioritise the habit of exercising regularly,? says personal trainer, life coach and author Mike Campbell.

2. Plan

Have a plan. Do not go to the gym with no plan. Do not go into your diet with no plan. You will waste time and end up having nothing to focus on.

A workout plan for me helps me walk into the gym focused. I know exactly what machine I need to use and a back up plan

if it is taken. I waste no time thinking “erm I’m going to do that one now or should I train my arms instead?”

Having a food plan will keep you focused on what it is you have been eating. It is very easy to sneak in extra calories and forget about it. Like when you go into the kitchen and start nibbling on cheese in the fridge or a biscuit out of the cupboard whilst waiting for your dinner to cook. I like to plan my food so I have my more exciting meals towards the end of the week giving me something to look forward too.

After having a baby, I find I prefer my workouts to be more fast paced so I can get home quicker even if she is asleep. So I will tailor my plan around this.

3. You do you

Be realistic in your goals. When I first started my fitness journey my goal was to compete in women figure bodybuilding. I had no muscle tone and quite a bit of body fat. (Thanks to my part time job at McDonalds) It was not going to happen. You will just set yourself up for failure as you will not reach what you want in the time frame. After having Mole, I gave myself 9 months to reach my pre-baby weight. If you want to return to the gym after giving birth, consult your doctor first and make sure your body is ready and not just your mind.

Choose a goal that truly works for you and start small. It could be as simple as, in two weeks you want to be able to run for an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill.

Now:

The sooner you can understand the patience required to achieve fat loss and muscle building, the sooner you can apply yourself to consistently getting it done. Take into consideration that you have had a baby. There will be times where you can’t make the gym or you have an off day with your diet because their needs come firsts. Do not let this put you off your goal, simply extend your time frame.

4. Where to start?

Investing time learning the correct form for exercises will really benefit you. You can research different exercises that target specific muscle groups. Knowledge is power in fitness, you will reach your goal faster by educating yourself first.

A personal trainer can help you. They will be able to show you the correct form for different exercises and what exercises will work for your body and goal. Some gyms offer this as a free service.

There is nothing more daunting than walking into a gym and having no clue what to do. Even if you have been to that gym plenty of times, you can still ask a trainer for help. Too nervous to ask directly? Check out the gyms bulletin board for their email.

Here’s the downside:

Feeling intimidated is a real thing.

You will feel like the only one who feels intimidated when you walk into the gym, but trust me, you are not! There looks to be 100 men and women owning the floor and you will feel like they are all watching you. They are not. They are focused on their own journey and you should be too. Try going to the gym at off peak times to practice and get your confidence up.

You could even start off by completing some home workouts. I have seen some great videos where you can get your baby involved too. The whole process should be fun for you. A happy mummy will equal a happy baby.

5. Society

Here is the strange part:

When I wanted to return to the gym after having a baby I got so many negative comments from people. Even though my doctors had cleared me to go and train, people thought that they had the right to put me off my fitness goals with comments like “you should be spending time with your baby not the gym” or “your body needs to heal don’t snap back too soon.”

The truth is:

I felt miserable not doing something about getting back to my old self.

Social media has started to become a place where women are congratulated for sharing images of their post-partum bodies. Do I think this is good? Yes. It is amazing women can have the self love they deserve. But, what I don’t like is how a woman who wants to work hard for their healthy body can also feel ashamed for getting back into shape too soon. Who’s to decide what is too soon? Doctors of course, but not opinionated others.

Do not feel like you have to conform with society. Focus on your own personal goals and do not let opinions of others stop you from reaching your full fitness potential.

Doctors recommend waiting until your postnatal check up ? around six to eight weeks ? before you start dieting. If you?re worried about your weight in the meantime, try switching to low-fat options and stay away from foods with a high sugar content.

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4 min read

Baby

When will my baby sleep through the night?

Zoe

January 3, 2019 1:54 pm January 3, 2019

4 min read

1592 views

1 Comment

4 min read

When will my baby sleep through the night? That is a question us parents have all had in common at some point in our baby’s life. Mole suffered terribly with…

When will my baby sleep through the night? That is a question us parents have all had in common at some point in our baby’s life.

Mole suffered terribly with silent reflux and colic as a newborn. There were nights where I would see every hour go by on the clock, the sun would rise and the birds would sing.? We were far from sleeping through the night. I remember feeling so envious of parents boasting how their newborn was a fantastic sleeper and I wanted to know their secret.

Mole is 9 months now and sleeping through like a dream! I am feeling more confident as a mum and I know that there are things in Mole’s routine that I could have established earlier which would have helped her to sleep through.

Routine

Routines play a huge part in making your life easier as a parent. I should have known really, as a secondary school teacher at a challenging school, everything is routinised. The students do the exact same routine at the start of every single lesson. If any of this is out of place on my behalf. They go haywire. Kids love structure and routine.

I started Mole with a very simple bed time routine around 3/4 months. By simple I mean very simple. Bath, bottle and bed.? Did it work? Not quite.

Mole’s bed time routine has become a little more detailed now and it is working for us!

Food

Weaning Mole has helped her to sleep through, but, when she first started weaning I would say it did not make the slightest difference.

I focus through out the day on what kind of foods she is eating, making sure she is full and satisfied. e.g. porridge over yoghurt. She can sometimes be so busy crawling around and exploring she will forget she is hungry until she is in bed. I give her water during the day and try to focus most of her bottles of milk towards the afternoon/evening again leaving her full for night time.

Mole has her last bottle before we go up to bed at around 11:30pm. Sometimes, if she is in a very hungry mood, I will leave her a bottle in her cot and she helps herself to it at around 6:00am.

Energy

Mole sleeps better if I am active with her during the day. She has so much energy that she needs to burn off. I take her to soft play in the afternoon, swimming lessons or we have crawling races around the house.

It is easier when they can crawl to tire them out. My next baby I will take them out in their pram to get a good dose of fresh air before bed or practice tummy time or play shaking a rattle. The smallest activities can make a difference.?

Bedtime Story

We do the bedtime story before she has a bath, this may change as she gets older. She loves books, especially the touchy feely ones.

Bath

Mole has a bath for bed at the same time every single night 6:00pm. It use to be later. I bought the time forward and we didn’t hit that over tired phase and she was better behaved. Lot’s of splashing and fun in the bath (tired her out even more).

After the bath, I like to give her a gentle massage if she is in the mood and dry her off. I have taken more notice in her pyjamas too. I look for quality now and focus on how soft and comfortable the material is. Sometimes In buy a size bigger so they aren’t too tight on her feet.

Sleeping Bag

Mole always has a better night sleep when she is in a sleeping bag. The best I have been able to find at an affordable price is this one I was gifted from Vertbaudet at ?21.00:?Microfibre Sleeping Bag

The best I have been able to find at an affordable price is this one from Vertbaudet

The quality is beautiful. It has lasted being washed over and over again too where as others from Supermarkets I have purchased have been ruined.?

The size of the sleeping bag is perfect for her legs to have enough room.

There is the option to have sleeves on the sleeping bag or detach them depending on the temperature.

The sleeping bag is also versatile for prams as there is a double zip option to separate the legs!

Since using a sleeping bag she no longer has an issue with the blanket coming off and getting cold through out the night and I sleep better as the sleeping bag is safer.

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5 min read

Weaning

Weaning Advice With Little Tummy

Zoe

December 18, 2018 4:53 pm December 18, 2018

5 min read

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5 min read

Introducing Solids With Sophie,? in-house paediatrician and Co-Founder at Little Tummy’s. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to ask and gain advice on weaning. I feel that there…

Introducing Solids With Sophie,? in-house paediatrician and Co-Founder at Little Tummy’s.

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to ask and gain advice on weaning. I feel that there is so much contradicting advice out there, it can be really difficult to know what is right, when in fact you can do a lot right, and not that much can be wrong.

You may be in the same position as me where it was nice to feel reassured in everything that you have been doing right so far.

Here are my questions to Sophie and her responses!

My baby makes a scrunched up expression on her face like she is not enjoying her food?

It can take up to 10 to 15 times before a baby can like certain tastes. Especially vegetables. Vegetables are bitter unlike fruit and your baby’s sweet tasting milk. This unusual taste will be ever so strong for them when they first try it. Scrunching up their face does not necessarily mean that your baby has taken a dislike to the taste, it could just be like us when we try sour food. The taste can be strong or unusual to them and that is their reaction.

How can I get my baby to try more finger foods?

Start off by mashing up your own family meals first. This will allow them to try different textures and help them become use to chewing first if they struggle to consume solid finger foods.

How much sugar should my baby be consuming?

Your baby should have 5g/100g of sugar and no additive sugar. Since watching Moles sugar intake, she has been sleeping through the night much better.

Fruit purees will be higher in sugar content. When the fruit is boiled, it sets the fruit sugar free.

Focus on looking at the carbohydrate, complex carbs and fibre intake for your baby to have sufficient energy levels. Foods such as:

Weetabix
Wholegrain
Porridge
Dark green vegetables (kale, spinach)
Beans
Lentils

You can make tasty lentil burgers for your baby to try. Then can be sweet and savoury, easy to chew and contain a high amount of protein and iron.

My baby does not seem too hungry during the day?

When your baby goes through a development spurt or a mental leap, they can forget to eat. By this I mean, your baby is far too fascinated with everything new, playing with their toys, learning to crawl and explore and even trying to climb. The last thing your baby will think is how hungry they are or when they are being fed, you may find they become bored quickly and want to be out of their high chair exploring.?

Mole would have very little appetite during the day and then be up through out the night screaming for night feeds. I changed her eating routine to make sure she had 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. I switched her breakfast to fruity, wholegrain porridge rather than natural yoghurt so she was full. Again with her dinner, I give her cottage pie and for her tea she will have something like beef strew with a dessert. Meals that will really fill her up. Her favourite snacks are Ellas melty puffs or a natural yoghurt.

How much protein should my baby have?

Your baby should have 3 to 4 portions of protein a week. This can be from:

Dairy (make sure it is whole fat milk)
Meat
Lentils.

How much fat should my baby have?

3 times per week. Excellent fat sources are:

Fish (tuna and salmon as they are high in omega 3)
Rapeseed oil
Olive oil

Is my baby getting enough vitamins?

If your baby is on less than 500ml of formula then they need Vitamin D. The UK recommendation is that children up until the age of 4 years old need to take Vitamin D. The reason? In the UK we are not exposed to enough sun. Foods that are high in Vitamin D are salmon and eggs. Although you will need to eat 10 eggs.

You can read mine and Mole’s Vitamin routine here.

My baby is starting nursery, any tips on staying healthy?

With nursery comes viruses and infections. It unfortunately is something that your baby has to go through but will help strengthen their immune system.

Winter will be worse as they are inside, the air from the heating will be dry and the babies will be touching each other.

Make sure you and your baby are getting enough sleep, Vitamin D, iron and zinc. Again this can be found in fish, lentils and beans.

How can I get my baby to drink water from a sippy cup?

Some babies prefer to use a straw with their cup. The main tip is to be persistent and keep offering the sippy cup. If you supervise your baby, offer them a plastic or glass cup and see if they prefer that method instead.

I hope you have learnt something from my questions, I sure did! Remember…there is so much that you will already be doing right!

A massive thank you to Sophie at Little Tummy!

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xxx

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