Bringing babby home.

It has been nearly eight weeks since our lives dramatically changed. Seven weeks and three days since the Big E came into town...

Since time goes on I seem to cope better with having a newborn, but, I also seem to be remembering all the other things I have to do, so, by each day my list gets bigger and bigger, not necessarily easier. During this time I have since gone back to University, being in my final year of study I am incredibly stressed and to be honest not a lot of fun to be living with! Regardless of all of this, I am feeling really happy! Our house move has fallen through, my student loan is yet to be processed, I have no time to eat more than one meal a day. But... Hey! I THINK THE CHILD JUST SMILED AT ME.

As time as gone on we have become very relaxed with childcare, no longer freaking out every time he cries, no longer staring over his crib making sure he is okay. Now Richard shoots up alien terrorists (or whatever) with one arm whilst the other holds a snoring child, I no longer panic when he throws up his dinner, we allow a few minutes to pass the hour of which we should re-sterilise his 'bot-bot', And so on...
I now understand how manipulative Mother nature is, babies shriek so one mildly panics, so they know to be alert and tend to the child's needs. It is all just an evolutionary ploy.

These things have come intuitively, it's strange really when looking back at his first night home I was a complete emotional wreck. I recall Richard trying to work the steriliser equipment and make up a formula whilst I cradled a crying child to my chest just thinking 'omg hurry up. please god hurry up, omg what do I do... please hurry up ARGHHH'. By the tenth mimute into the wait I started crying myself. I became over-run by guilt, it felt like because I couldn't get his food to him THAT second I was a redundant Mother. I felt almost, despicable. Now everything has healed, my stitches, and my jittery nerves! I am getting into the swing of things now, knowing to make batches of formula as and when, before he cries. Instinctively knowing wh cry means what... Currently childcare seems to get easier as time goes on. However, I am sure we're approaching the time where that will no longer be true, but by the looks of things it is going to be so much rewarding.

Elliott is now ooohing and ahhhing, reacting to his Mother oddly dancing at him and the sounds his toys make. And now, even when he complains or cries, they seem to forumulate a pattern giving us a better idea of what he is trying to communicate. I fear I am wishing a part of his life away sometimes, but I really just can't wait till he starts talking to me! It's going to be SO amazing.

The arrival Elliott Ian Madigan.

I gave birth to a beautiful bonny boy on Saturday 10:47am.

Details to follow.

10 positives about my pregnancy

Enough with the maternity moans! Below is a list of reasons to why I should like my pregnancy, rather than wishing for its inevitable end. This pregnancy has been rather tough, to be honest I hated the first and third trimester so much, those reasons alone would make me think twice about doing it again.
But heres a bunch of reasons that in a few weeks time, I may come to miss it.

1 - I get to interior design shop, a lot. No questions asked! ...Junk shops, Ikea, Habitat, no one can hold me back!

2 - It makes me think of the 'larger picture', rather than just my own needs. Helps me to put my existence in perspective

3 - Rowdy men on the street leave you alone, no wolf whistles or strange comments, sometimes they will be surprisingly respectful to you, holding doors open, etc.

4 - Because I have had severe nausea throughout this pregnancy my partner cooks every night, he has now become really good at cooking whereas before I couldn't trust him with a microwave.

5 - I did not suffer from stretchmarks nor did I get a Linea Alba, which I don't really like the look of. (some women do, I don't)

6 - Always having an unquestionable reason to get out of social arrangements if needed.

7 - Random chats with nostalgic middle age women about pregnancy in the supermarket.

8 - I have spent a lot of time reconnecting with my own Mother.

9 - My relationship has got much better, we communicate more efficiently, hardly argue and take things on the chin a lot more, again pregnancy has a way of making light of things which may have really knocked you down before.

10 - Sex is more intense when pregnant! It feels incredible!

[Picture left Die Hoffnung by Gustav Klimt (1903)]

Maternity clothing mayhem (belated post)

The majority of maternity clothing is far from exciting, my friend recently described the high street choices as 'dull casual office wear'. There seems to be a gap in the maternity clothing market, it is either elaborate party wear or plain functional work wear, in most cases they are usually both extremely overpriced.
Besides being absurdly expensive I find maternity clothing sizes to be quite unpredictable. I purchased a body con skirt, size 8/10 from Moda Mothercare and even in my 6 month bump it was 3 times too big. I am over 8 months now and it is still just too big... 'body-con' my bum!

Below are a few pointers that may help both women on a budget or women just wanting something with a bit more flair.

1- First port of call, and most obvious place would be eBay, type in 'maternity lot', or 'maternity bundle'. I grabbed some ace bargains that way! I managed to get a bag of 20 pieces most of which were all in season, it came to about £4! The were based far away and refused to post so I asked my Mother to pick up the bag for me as she lived near by to the seller. Most of the items are lush and I still haven't had chance to wear all of them as of yet!
Another trick is to sell items you may not deem as 'mothery material', or items of which need to go to make space for all the baby stuff, trade in for some staple maternity classics.

2- ASOS has a clearance section which can offer some neat bargains. Maternity or not!

3- Most vintage clothes have high waist/empire seams, great to wear above the bump, watch out with vintage sizing though, us ladies were a bit more petite those many moons ago!

4- Most 'maternity' items are not maternity specific, its mainly items sold as comfort wear, you see a lot of Waterfall cardigans for instance, with a massive mark up because they happen to have 'maternity' labelled onto them. The same is to be said of the high street maxi dress as the in trend maxi seems to be made of out jersey material, but the maternity ones are sold for a premium price.

5- Jersey! It's cropped up already, anything cottony and stretchy will probably be your lifesaver over the next few months, not those designer maternity jeans! (-speaking of which every pair I have purchased have caused me massive discomfort around the bottom of my bump when sat down... I despise the things!)

6 - American apparel, they are quite unique in that their ranges sell in both maternity and non maternity ranges. Their maternity section is a collection of products that accommodate to both. Try to bear this in mind when looking at the price tag, though as admittidly, the prices are a wee bit steep... I purchased a body-con pencil skirt at the start of my second trimseter, I have been wearing it through out my pregnancy without any hassle, because of the density and nature of the fabrics they use in the body-con items meant that my ever growing bump was always left supported, it has been my staple piece of clothing ever since I nabbed it. It supports me and looks great, I will rocking this skirt pre and post natal.

7- Speaking of investments, there are certain things on the market I would reccomend that may deem a bit pricey such as the above, but items do what they are supposed to. The Mama Spanx tights for instance offer great support aswell as lasting that bit longer than regular tights. I have tried other highstreet maternity tights and they just don't cut it, buying these to begin with may actually save you some pennies.

8- Most of your clothes can be revised to fit around your ever changing figure, there are lots of great guides online. DIY Maternity has a great range of projects suiting to advance to novice sewers!

9- The empire strikes back! Well no, not really, but one trick I love is typing in empire into eBay/wherever and finding empire seamed clothing which can be worn as maternity wear without the insane price tag

10- Many people forgo this item, diving in for nursing bras or larger bras, but a good maternity bra will save you from discomfort and not to mention potential stretchmarks. My boobs feel great!

A thought provoking and candid account of one woman's experiences of childbirth, and the idea of being 'womanlike'

"When I told people I didn't plan to breast-feed my daughter (I only told people who asked; I'm old-fashioned that way), I met a fair amount of incredulity. "But don't you want to give your child every possible advantage?" I was asked. Not really, I replied. This kid will be born white and middle class in America; she's already ahead of 95% of the rest of the world. Why does she need every advantage?"

- http://mcsweeneys.net/links/bitchslap/bitchslap10.html

a twit...

Oh dear

This inventor seems to be more interested in showing off gadgets/silly ideas, rather than being excited over the kicking of the unborn... Or maybe I am just too cynical, I never really 'got' Twitter anyway...
I only find it entertaining to read what the famous kids are up to.
Also, if you care that much to have a text message every time your littleun kicks, get already poor long suffering partner to text you, don't make social networking websites even more tedious than necessary.

My baby kicks the most (and not to mention the hardest) at night. He could show Ian Curtis a thing or to, so perhaps I would get some satisfaction by the idea the baby's father was being woken up as many times as me. Hmmm, food for thought.
Ah, it wouldn't work, phones have a silent mode, I wish pregnancies came with adjustable settings!

Another thing, not to buy... The Kickbee fetal monitor!

Say cheese.

Rather than lumbering you pregnant folk with yet another collection of food that you cannot eat, here is a post about some food of which you can.
Below is a list of cheeses/dairy produce safe to eat in pregnancy, some may come as a surprise - Enjoy!

Hard cheeses:
Austrian smoked, Babybel, Caerphilly, Cheddar, Cheshire, Derby, Double Gloucester, Edam, Emmental, English goat's cheddar, feta, Gouda, Gruyere, Halloumi, Havarti, Jarlsberg, Lancashire, Manchego, Orkney, paneer, Parmesan, Pecorino (hard), Provolone, Red Leicester.

Soft and processed cheeses:
Boursin, cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, goat's cheese without a white rind, mascarpone, mozzarella, Philadelphia, processed cheese (such as cheese spread), Quark, ricotta.

Yoghurts (all varieties), probiotic drinks, fromage frais, soured cream and crème fraîche - any variety, including natural, flavoured and biologically active - are all safe to eat.

[info collected from babycentre.co.uk]

27 weeks! Update!

I am 27 weeks! Not long to go now, this feels all the more real considering David Cameron had his baba today, me and his wife fell pregnant around the same time, so it is a little scary! - Horrifying Torie babies aside I shall update you on the pregnancy niggle front: the 'morning' sickness has pretty gone just gone, or has actually been left to just the morning, thank goodness. I now waddle rather than walk, and I eat all of the time.
Cravings are kicking in now, albeit them ever changing ones. The longest cravings I have had have been Spaghetti hoops and Aeros, not together, I don't really have any exciting stories on that front really. I usualy just prefer really starchy foods like potatos and bananas and insanely fruity drinks. Nothing really exciting like coal i'm afraid - unlike my friend who had a severe craving for bubble bath foam!
Regarding the hoops and chocolate, not sure what defiency that could be highlighting, if any... maybe its that I don't eat enough junk food and my baby is giving me a helping hand.
CHANCE WOULD BE A FINE THING.

I had a scan last week where they told me I had a lot of placenta, meaning baby is getting a big ol' connection to my blood supply, this has been said in the same fortnight where had had t come in and out of hospital for collapsing. It isn't regular pregnancy fainting spells, either, I lose my vision, get a fever and pass out followed by violently throwing up - We have been in and out of different health services trying to find out the answers but thus far Doctors seem to think I have bad anaemia brought on or exasperpated by the pregnancy. M blood levels were low at the start but it goes to show its got to the point where baby is literally sucking ALL OF MY blood. Cheeky bugger! Thankfully though, everything is fine on the baby front, all tests on the baby have come back more than positive and he is kicking me now, more than ever. [Sigh]

We have had it also confirmed I am in fact having a boy! - something I always had a feeling I would, but now I can stop panicking about all those baby boy clothes and toys impulsivly purchased.
This news has brought on slight anxieties though, I am worried about raising a boy, I know where I am with a girl, but what if my little boy turns into a macho woman hating man, or worse, ANOTHER GAMER? (like his Father) - I don't think I can take another nerd in the house!
How do I keep the balance between keeping an open mind and remaining vigilant with my own views? I am probably getting really ahead of myself, these things, they have a habit of just buzzing around my head at night. It's all just a part of a bigger problem, that I am getting nervous about actually becoming 'a Mother', being responsible for a person and as well as a unit, being a role model, and entertaining another little soul's imagnation till he becomes an independent person...

BUT I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE YET. ARG.

On Sunday I have my baby shower, we are having a Mexican theme, as one of my many cravings have been burritos, this hits two nasty birds with one stone, this way the men can make ridiculously hotwraps and smoke cuban cigars whilst the women get on talking about the horrors of childbirth. Hooray.

DIY idea!

Found this little picture, thought some of you may like to see it as it would be perfect for a mobile that is non gender specfic. Also, fish are whey under-rated!


Im doing something a bit diferent but am using very similar methods, will post when completed.

A twit...

Oh dear

This inventor seems to be more interested in showing off gadgets/silly ideas, rather than being excited over the kicking of the unborn... Or maybe I am just too cynical, I never really 'got' Twitter anyway...
I only find it entertaining to read what the famous kids are up to.
Also, if you care that much to have a text message every time your littleun kicks, get poor long suffering partner to text to, don't make social networking websites even more tedious than necessary.

My baby kicks a stupid amounts of times at night, maybe I would get some satisfaction from my partner getting as little sleep as me... Hmmm, that is food for thought...

Another thing, not to buy... The Kickbee fetal monitor

Making maternity marvelous!

Coming soon to in the pudding club a write up about the woes of maternity clothes. In the meantime here are a couple of online tutorials showing you how to make your own yummy mummy maternity clothes out of your old regular ones.

Jeans to a maternity skirt - HomemadebyJill.blogspot.com
Two regular skirts refashioned into a 'modest' maternity skirt - Georgeina.wordpress.com
Regular jeans to maternity jeans - Instructables.com
Making a maternity skirt - seemommysew.wordpress.com

From Craftzine.com:

Tessel: 2 in 1 Puzzle Playmat Morphs Into Toys

Tessell toys are designed to enhance creativity in kids by allowing the colorful play mat to be disassembled and made into different types of objects, such as a rocking horse or whatever their imagination can create from the various interconnecting animal-shaped pieces. Not only do toys like this promote creativity in children they are also multi-functional which, as most parents will testify, saves on valuable storage space. Wowwiee!

Here comes the fun bit - Nursery inspo!

Baby hamock.

The bednest

A 50's space age stroller.

Vitaminer Ikea curtains.

Eames rocker chair.

Sorry to those who have seen this post before, I accidentally deleted it and have got round to salvaging it. Those on Google reader will not be impressed!

As easy as 123... :/

I have one hundred and twenty-three days left until our child is due, and I still am yet to see how it is possible for a person to come out through my most sensitive and small lady regions.

ARGH!

Things you need not buy

The Ritmo Nuvo Mp3 player. Plays your music to your bump. Or something...

'Ritmo allows you and your baby to share the sensory and emotional experience of bonding through sound and music, while being supportive, safe, and stylish at the same time.' - When are people going to admit that you don't really 'share' anything with your baby at this point. It can hear stuff yes, it can hear you, It can kick you. It doesn't have the ability to appreciate the finer things in life yet such as your new Eminem album...
Sort it out.
Also, I have seen more stylish bits of 'kit' at an old people's home.

The Mon Babe Perfume... For your baby?

Yeah, that's right a perfume to make your baby smell more like a baby. Claims to have aromatheraputic proprieties, I doubt it, as someone who dabbles in that sort of crazy thing you have to use strong essential oils which then need to be diluted for topical application. Not the kind of thing which is good for babies skin, also, perfume for your baby is just a really stupid idea and at £25 it's a snatch!

The 'Why baby cry' analyzer.

This apparently figures out why your child is crying... but going by the product description below I wouldn't feel comfortable buying from a company who sells to an English market yet has no grasp of the frickin' language.

Sometimes when a baby keep on crying, parents are so confused do not know what have to be done, at this point it would be nice to have a baby’s translator. Think Geek with this innovative product is here to rescue you by analyzing why your baby cry.

...Yeah

Disney's new range of maternity clothes.

NOTHING needs to be said here other that 'Ugh'.

Sweet cake tub baby bath

If you are one of those people who insist on pushing every passing fad onto your first born then this product for you. It's overpriced and used by passing celebrities all over. Hoorah.
Its unsuitable for new borns and takes up lots of room... Not to mention it's tacky and expensive to boot. What a combo!?

Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

Just in case you never considered the temperature of shit, you will now! At a steal at £25.

MummyWraps with Swiss Shield®

Radiation protection for your unborn child. A fabric which apparently guards anything beneath it from radiation poisoning.
Mummywraps, geniuses in making money from people's most irrational fears - hence the discount for expectant mothers in Chernobyl.

Dream Machine exercise bike.

Using this machine will assist with you losing your baby fat because obviously we are all so fat and ugly after giving birth, childbirth, it's a that stop gap from being sexy to pretty much decrepit. The idea behind this machine is that we combine those efforts to being passable again with a rocking baby to sleep action.
Stupid. Also you shouldn't exercise for a few months after being postpartum. So, just another reminder that all new mothers are fat and undesirable, obviously.

I picked this picture for it's fantastic tag line 'safer than putting baby on a real bike'... A baby microwave, safer than putting baby in a real microwave!