Not So Yummy Mummy Loves…
Tesco Baby Boutique
My mum goes Tesco every day. I kid you not. Located at the end of her road, it’s hard to imagine her shopping anywhere else as “I’m just popping to Tesco” has become part of her DNA.
I have to admit though, when T and I visit her Nanna I also take the opportunity to “pop to Tesco” and stock up on basics from their fabulous baby wear range.
I recently discovered Tesco’s Baby Boutique collection and purchased the adorable outfit modelled here (not by T, this is another Tesco baby) for T to wear to her cousin’s christening.
The dress, hat and matching pants are super cute, T received so many compliments and it’s my favourite outfit too.
Dress, Knickers and Hat set £10
Not So Yummy Mummy Loves…
New Look Bump Bands
Definitely my best pregnancy purchase, my New Look Bump Bands were fully utilised as my tummy grew and I continued to wear them for months following the arrival of little Miss T.
The bands were perfect for layering under tops and over jeans for extra coverage and during my pregnancy. I also found they kept my tummy warm and cosy while breastfeeding.
Made of a cotton, viscose and lyrca mix, I purchased two packs of three online (each pack consists of a grey, white and black band).
Despite their bargain price New Look’s Bump Bands have proven to be great quality. After many, many washes they still look like new and remain super soft.
£10.00 (pack of three)
Hot Child in the City
It’s hot, hot, hot. I can’t remember a weekend in London like it.
We’ve been making the most of the great weather while it lasts.
On Friday I took T to play on the swings (her new favourite thing to do) then we spent the afternoon in a beer garden with some friends. Yesterday T’s daddy took us both on a picnic and today we had an outdoor lunch with a friend from California.
It’s been so lovely but it made me realise how all of T’s stuff is geared towards cool weather. If this carries on I’ll need a sun canopy for her pram and more lightweight clothing options for her.
Last year while heavily pregnant I packed away all of my California clothing assuming it would never see the light of day here. Now it’s time to dig them out!
London in the heat is actually tougher than LA. It’s much more humid here and no one has air conditioning or fans so the heat slows you down.
I’m not complaining though. London looks like a completely different city when the sun shines.
Photo credit: PetitPlat
Not So Yummy Mummy Loves…
M2B Tshirt Nursing Bra
Anyone who’s had to buy a nursing bra knows what a soul-destroying experience it can be.
First of all, the retail options are severely limited. Then, when you do eventually find a stockist, the options are pretty awful.
I didn’t want to be stuck with something a grandma would pass over, so I was over the moon when I discovered the sleek and stylish M2B Tshirt Nursing Bra from Mothercare.
I bought every single one in my size and I haven’t looked back.
£16
Not So Yummy Mummy Loves…
Sock Ons
I discovered Sock Ons when T and I attended our first aid course a few weeks ago. I noticed the baby next to us had an interesting strap type device over her socks, which at first glance I thought were jodhpurs.
I was feeling nosey so during the break I leaned over and asked her mummy exactly what they were.
“Oh, they’re Sock Ons, you can get them from Mothercare. They’re brilliant!”
Since then, I’ve noticed them on little feet pretty much everywhere we go.
I often find T with one sock on, one sock off, usually a result of sock pulling or poor elastic. Sock Ons are the perfect solution as they fit over your little ones socks and keep them in place.
Made from a softly woven blend of elasticised material, the classic range is currently available in 5 plain colours: baby pink, fuchsia, baby blue, navy and white.
£2.99
Mummy’s first lie-in
I spent this past weekend in Leamington Spa for a girl’s night out with some old school friends.
It was my first overnight stay minus my plus one. As my Mum lives close by in Birmingham I decided to drop off T for a night at Nana’s.
Packing T’s belongings for her sleepover should have been straightforward but it never ceases to amaze me just how much stuff such a little person needs. I started making the list mid-week as I knew if I didn’t write stuff down as I thought of it I’d never remember it all.
The list looked something like this…
• Hand pump (specially purchased for my overnighter so that I didn’t wake up the whole house with my electric, totally indiscreet, pump)
• 2 newly purchased bottles and a sterilizer box
• Weaning spoon and feeding pot
• Avocado (for T to eat)
• Frozen stash of breast milk
• Thermos flask (to transport the milk)
• Formula (in case the milk runs out before I can dash back from Leamington)
• Feeding bibs
• Muslins
• Sheets for the travel cot (fortunately my Mum has her own travel cot, so one less heavy thing to carry)
• Sleep bag for T
• Toys
• Bath towel and flannel
• Nappies
• Nappy bags
• Room thermometer
• Baby thermometer (in case of emergency)
• Calpol (in case of emergency)
• Comb
• Clothes
• Pram
• Pram blanket
• Sling
It took me 2 and a half hours to pack it all and get her ready. We then hit the motorway and 3 hours later I dropped T off at Mum’s. It was then my turn to get ready for the night out before jumping in the car again to drive to Leamington.
I was exhausted, but it was worth it. We had a fun night and even better, an uninterrupted lie-in the next morning until 10am. My first in 7 months. It felt amazing.
My husband and I had expected T to be a bit of a handful in our absence but thankfully we were wrong. T refused to take a bottle until she was really, really hungry but she was good natured, smiley and all-in-all a pleasurable house-guest, according to her Nana.
Nana enjoyed it so much she’s offered to take 3 days off work in June to look after T while my husband and I indulge in a long weekend in Paris. I’m beyond excited…
Photo credit: just.Luc
Choices
T is 5 months old today and I’ve already accumulated piles and piles of outgrown clothes and baby items that I no longer need.
I’ve kept a small selection of her very first items of clothing for her baby box so at some point in the future T can marvel at just how tiny she was. I’ve also packed away bunches of neutral items for our next baby, whenever that may be…
Afterwards I was still left with lots and lots of items that didn’t make sense to hold on to. I decided to try to donate the items to someone who would really benefit. I only have one pregnant friend, Simone, and she’s miles away in Toronto so I spent a couple of hours looking online for local organisations that required baby clothing and equipment.
After a few searches I came across Choices in Islington. Choices provides support and counselling to those who may need help if they find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. They also provide free baby clothes and equipment to people on a low income.
I sent email to see if my items might be of use. Choices Director, Celia Wyatt, sent a prompt reply saying “yes please!” so this week I finally finished washing all the clothing and packing everything up. It made me realise how much stuff T had barely worn or used. I’m really glad someone else will be able to take advantage of it all.
Mummy goes to Selfridges
Today I went clothes shopping for the first time post-baby. Just for me this time! It felt like such a treat. When I met my friend Enekpen at Bond St tube she looked surprised and asked “where’s T?”
My husband had provided the funds (a much appreciated Selfridges voucher for Christmas) and, more importantly, he offered to take care of T for the afternoon while I hit the shops.
I wasn’t sure how it would feel as there are still a few pre-pregnancy clothes I can’t squeeze myself into but it was so much fun. I’ve been feeling SO frumpy since I’ve become a mummy it was lovely to get a few new things. Plus I lucked out as Enekpen is a stylist so it was great to have her with me.
In addition to my frumpy mummy wardrobe I had literally run out of make-up. Back in September I’d planned to restock at the Mac store on Kings Road on the same afternoon I ended up going into induced labour. As I was detained at the hospital unexpectedly I never got the chance and since T’s arrival I’ve had to make do with the little bits I had left. Today I was finally able to get the items I needed and when I think about it now I can’t believe it’s taken me four months to do something that I used to do without even thinking.
Enek and I had a late lunch and I didn’t have to keep half an eye on the baby or interrupt a conversation to feed or change her. I felt a bit like me again… except the old me would have blown the entire voucher in less than an hour and drunk too much wine at lunch. I barely dented the voucher and sipped apple juice instead of pinot but I had a blast and I can’t wait to do it again…
Does pink stink?
I rarely get the time to read a newspaper these days but a few weeks ago while skimming through the Guardian I came across an article discussing Pink Stinks.
Pink Stinks is a campaign against “the culture of Pink” – it aims to improve girls’ self esteem and confidence and ultimately improve their life chances by challenging the culture of pink, which the campaigners equate to beauty over brains.
Hmm. I’m not sure where I stand on this issue. When shopping for T I have been frustrated by the predominance of pink baby clothes. But, that has been more of a style issue. I don’t mind a bit of pink, but I’d prefer not to dress T in pink head to toe as there are so many other colours and pink is so generic.
Aside from that, I hadn’t really thought about the psychological impact of pink before. I don’t think I was obsessed with pink when I was little, I remember wanting to paint my bedroom blue, but I also remember being desperate for a Pretty in Pink Barbie at around the age of 6, to my Mum’s horror (it was a passing phase).
When I visited the Pink Stinks website I noticed a call to action for a boycott of the Early Learning Centre. That didn’t seem to make much sense to me. If you have issue with the Early Learning Centre then what do you do about every other retailer that stocks pink products?
While I am definitely in favour of promoting positive self image among little girls I’m not sure if it’s the pink products that are the culprit. Isn’t it the attitudes and behaviour exhibited by parents and role models? After all, kids can only play with the toys that are bought for them. Having said that though, T is still so little. I may feel differently when she is bigger and starts demanding a Pretty in Pink Barbie of her own.
What Not To Wear
Becoming pregnant completely transformed what had been my favourite pursuit by far – clothes shopping. As my bump got bigger I had no desire whatsoever to buy myself new clothes, with exception to the last two weeks of my pregnancy when absolutely nothing would fit as I’d refused to buy maternity wear and had prior to been able to squeeze myself into my non-waisted regular clothes with the help of New Look’s Belly Bands.
By September that game was up as my feet had swollen to the size a baby elephant would be proud of and my tummy was HUGE. I was facing the grim realisation of having dozens of dozens of pairs of shoes and not owning a single pair that would fit.
At this point I realized how critical shoes really are. Without them you can’t do anything. I had swiftly outgrown two pairs of new shoes I’d already bought to try and accommodate my unrecognizable feet and it was now too cold to wear flip flops (my previous salvation) so I was forced to buy a cheap pair of faux-Uggs as they were the only thing that could accommodate my swollen feet. Luckily I only had to wear these for exactly one week as T arrived early and thankfully my feet immediately shrank back to normal.
Now I’m normal-ish size all over I still have no interest in clothes shopping, unless it’s for Baby T. Instead I’m attempting to reincorporate clothing from my pre-pregnant life into my new life as a mummy. It’s an interesting challenge.
The first obstacle is breastfeeding. For the next 6 months I can only wear clothing that enables easy access to feed T. It’s also cold in England, I’d become acclimatised to LA year round sunshine, so I have to make sure I wear layers to stay warm, even when indoors.
The next obstacle is I use the baby carrier pretty much every day, so I have to wear flat shoes, trainers or boots at all times. I’ve not even tried on the heels I had to give up reluctantly in the early stages of my pregnancy – there’s not point as I just can’t wear them. Besides, as I’d been living in California nearly all my shoes are open-toed which just doesn’t work in rainy, autumnal London.
The final hurdle is T’s digestion. I have a lovely little baby who just happens to struggle to keep her milk down. On an average day she’s sick in my bra at least twice and by the end of the day all of my clothes need washing. Our machine is on non-stop, the ratio for T’s loads v my loads v my husband’s is something like 10:3:1. I’ve been forced to put all of my dry-clean only clothes in temporary storage. T’s also starting to gain control of her hands so earrings and necklaces are becoming dangerous and will have to be abandoned.
After you apply all of the above filters it doesn’t leave many stylish options. I have tons of dresses I love but I can’t wear them. It turns out nearly all of my skirts are dry clean so they’re out too. Consequently I’m wearing variations of the same outfit on a daily basis – converse, jeans, vest top, jumper. I’d spent weeks while heavily pregnant dreaming of my old clothes and I’m still dreaming. Little did I know I’d have to wait till T is fully weaned before I could wear them again. Roll on spring…
