2 years of breastfeeding

I just scrolled past a post on Facebook that told me this week sees the start of 2019’s National Breastfeeding Week in the UK. I didn’t know it was coming up, and it seems pretty ironic that this is the week I chose to end our breastfeeding journey. 

I always knew I wanted to breastfeed Callie. I had done all the research to make sure I was prepared for all eventualities. For me, formula wasn’t an option. 

When Callie was born, I found it tough - no one tells you just how much your nipples hurt as they get used to being damp and warm constantly. It often felt like they were covered in papercuts, then I got mastitis twice, thrush once, and told myself if I made it to 6 weeks feeding I’d be happy.

Well 6 weeks came and went, and before I knew it we had managed to get through the worst to a point where it worked for us - no bottles to make up, no measuring formula - I fed on demand through cluster feeding, was able to comfort feed her whenever she needed it and once we mastered feeding laying down, I was able to get a lot more sleep as was she. It soon became the most natural and easy option. I especially loved being able to feed her as soon as I saw her hunger cues. I was able to feed her in the sling, in the pool during her Water Babies lessons...anywhere really! 

Fast forward to 18 months and my sweet little babe had been having solids since we started babyled weaning at 6 months...the time had come to drop daytime feeds. She was ready, but I had been putting it off out of sheer laziness because honestly, having food on tap is hard to deny when your child is hungry and just needs a feed or won’t settle and you know a comfort feed would help. But after only one day of confusion and constantly having to explain to her that milkies was just for night time, she warned herself and boom, no more day feeds. 

My boobs took a week or so to adjust to needing to produce less milk and I just expressed off the engorgement each day if it got uncomfortable. 

Then she turned 2. At this point I had been experiencing nursing aversion for quite a while but knowing all the benefits of breastfeeding (having trained as a breastfeeding peer supporter when Callie was about 9 months old) I kept persevering. Callie still fed to sleep every night, and woke around 2-5 times a night to feed, and would then feed in the morning as she slowly woke up. But once she turned 2, being blessed with a toddler who has a fantastic appetite and tries anything and everything (and is especially fond of spicy food thanks to my cooking-mad other half!) I made the decision one Saturday evening that I was done. It was stressing me out that she had been cluster feeding, wasn’t drinking much in the daytime, and it had become more of a comfort than a necessity by now. 

I had tried about 5 months previously to stop feeding at night but didn’t commit. Going through a divorce, house move, starting nursery etc..it was the wrong time - all we both needed was that bonding time. So I waited, and then I just felt like it was the right time. That first time, I bought all sorts of milks, a new bottle, I basically overthought it. I got cabbage leaves for my boobs too as there’s a hormone in them that helps prevent milk production. The second time, I just went straight to offering water instead of milk and that was it. The first evening she cried each time I told her that her boobies were finished and there was no more milk, but it helped that her baby cousin had just been born. I explained that now her Auntie has all the milk for him. She thought about it for a moment then looked at me, said ‘okay mummy’ and hugged my chest. 

And that was that. 3 days ago, we stopped breastfeeding at night. The subsequent nights she has fallen asleep with just a cuddle, not asked once for milk but has instead just asked for a cuddle, and has been absolutely fine. 

Was it hard? Surprisingly not! Do I miss it? Absolutely. But it was time to stop, for my sanity and her independence. Now, I know she will be able to have sleepovers with her cousins and Grandparents. My other half is able to comfort her more than before because she doesn’t ask for boobies. It’s been bittersweet but I feel such a sense of pride that she’s taken it totally in her stride. 

So this national breastfeeding week, be proud for however long you fed for, for however many women you empowered to try breastfeeding, and for however many women you have supported in their BF journey! 

Whether you BF or not, thank you for accepting it, thank you for normalising it and thank you for understanding that by talking about breastfeeding we aren’t shaming people who choose not to. 

Slumber-Roo and Me - A Review of the Boba X Carrier*

A few months ago I told you all I was very kindly given three beautiful slings from Slumber-Roo to review. You'll remember the gorgeous Neko carrier - it's gorgeous yellow, pink and orange tones often got complimented by passers by! You can read that review here. 

So just like that, we're onto the next review and this time it's the oh-so-comfy Boba X carrier. I reviewed the Boba X in a print named 'madamoiselle' - the print is a beautiful turquoise blue with orange floral decals, and the ease of the carrier soon had me absolutely converted. 

I really loved the Neko and found it hard to tear myself away from it and make the switch to the Boba but after that first use, I was hooked.

Boba X - Carrier specifications

Slumber-Roo.co.uk

Slumber-Roo advertise this carrier as a versatile baby carrier that effortlessly transforms into a practical and generously sized toddler carrier - I wouldn't disagree with this statement whatsoever. They describe the carrier as delivering a supportive, secure carry for baby and a snug fit for it's wearer. Again, I would absolutely agree.

The sling itself is suitable for babies from 7lbs and didn't require any inserts. I did have to adjust the seat as Callie was 18 months going into it and needed a wider setting. This, I found, was just a really simple case of reaching under the fabric and pulling the sides of the panel as close to the center of the panel as needed and then attaching it to the velcro. 

Adjustable seat

One of the important things to remember when carrying your baby in a sling or carrier is that their knees are higher than their bottom and are correctly supported. Boba had this covered with attachable toddler extensions which you simply zip onto either side of the seat to extend the support on their legs. These extensions are heavily padded and allow for a more comfortable and supportive carry. 

Toddler extensions

Something else the Boba X has that I was really impressed with is double-sided 'perfect fit adjusters'. It's this aspect that I think accounts for the really comfy, snug fit that the Boba X carrier sports. These perfect fit adjusters mean that by simply pulling on the strap at the bottom of the buckle, you can change the height of the back panel and also how adjust how close the panel comes to the strap padding. Again, another really important aspect of baby-wearing is to ensure that the back panel reaches the back of baby's neck so having this panel adjustable means you can always make sure this is done. 

The sling itself comes in a multitude of adorable prints and the waist belt adjusts all the way from 64cm to 147cm so it's advertised as being suitable for petite to larger users. 

slumber-roo.co.uk

Added extras that have got me feeling a bit spoiled are the strap holders - a simple yet handy feature that means no bags falling off your shoulder! It also sports three pockets in the carrier design which Boba say are perfect for keys, phones, snacks or toys. I'd definitely not put my phone in the sling that close to baby, but for my keys and her snacks, the pockets have been super handy! 

My experience

My sister and 3 month old nephew

Learning from my previous mistake of not reading the manual first, I started by downloading the e-manual. This is such a handy option and I recommend you save it to your smartphone for reference on the go! You can find the handy manual courtesy of Slumber-Roo here. Once I understood the different parts of the sling, I was able to adjust it to fit Callie and myself perfectly. And when I say perfectly, it's literally like being HUGGED by a carrier. 

I'm not exaggerating - I have never worn a sling so comfy before! I would describe it as being a carrier that is practically mouldable to your body shape. What that means for you as the carrier is that not only does baby feel totally supported, there is very little weight on your joints, and with the whole sling being padded in just the right places, it's easy to forget you're carrying a small human around! 

On the go back carrying

The toddler extensions were super easy to quickly zip on, and I found Callie has a comfier seat once that was in place. As I have a now-two-year-old, you can imagine she doesn't always want to be in the sling - she would much rather be causing havoc on the floor! So something I always want is a sling that is either wearable without little one in it whilst not getting in the way, and a sling that folds up easily and for me, this sling does both.

I recommend this carrier to anyone and everyone who will listen. It's used daily and hasn't started to feel any less than 100% supportive and comfy. I have managed 6 hours of walking with Callie on both my front and back and other than the usual aches and pains associated with exercise, the sling itself did the job of supporting her the entire time! (Including when she falls asleep, which as you'll know, feels like carrying a dead-weight around!) For optimal weight distribution, I'd make sure your waist band is nice and tight, to the carrier holds baby's weight across your waist as well as shoulders. 

All in all, I am super impressed with this carrier and I will be sad to hang her up to move onto the exciting next review! Before that, however, I will be posting a link to my first ever video review! I will show you the different aspects of the sling, talk you through how to use it and show you all the features it boasts. As always, any questions, please message me on instagram or email me on sairanaomi@live.com! 

Carrying a 2 year old was never easier!

*All opinions are my own and no financial gain was involved. Sling provided for review by Slumber-Roo. 

Swimming - Ditch the Disposables!

When my sister first showed me my nephews reusable nappies, I couldn’t get my head round it. Flips and wraps and all sorts of popper and Velcro attachments – my head was a whirl. But I soon found myself offering to change his nappy because I got to sift through all these gorgeous designs!

I tried using cloth nappies myself when I had Callie, and for the most part they worked. But I never had my sister’s commitment, so I did 50/50 between reusable nappies and the more eco-friendly disposables by Naty or Kit & Kin disposable nappies. That was, until I learnt that unless they're disposed of by the correct means (i.e. composting), by putting them into my usual waste bin, I wasn't actually being any better towards the environment than using normal disposables.

Disposable nappies after all are classed as a single-use plastic and according to research done by TotsBots, 25% of a disposable nappy is plastic with a further 4% being adhesive. This equated to 9.57g of plastic per nappy! I didn’t realise until later when I read TotsBots research that these so-called more eco-friendly nappies still have the same impact in production and use the same amount of raw materials per child as the standard product - the majority of the product still ends up in the regular domestic waste stream. So if we parents really do want to reduce our environmental impact, then reusable nappies are the only alternative. 

But it’s not just about being better for the environment – using a reusable nappy can also make life tons easier!

Swimming

One place that we always use reusable nappies is at our swimming lesson, for no other reason than I am washing one nappy after her lesson, so why not wash two and save myself however much money a week on disposable swim nappies?

Using a double-nappy system

You don’t need to take much swimming – just your usual bits and pieces for you and a towel swim nappies for baby. 

Babies need wear a double nappy system in the water which means a paper swim nappy (disposable or reusable) with an approved neoprene nappy over the top. This might seem a little extreme, but babies poo whenever they need to, and even happily toilet trained toddlers can ignore the warning signs when they’re having loads of fun, or perhaps a jippy tummy comes on with no warning. Avoiding accidents escaping into the pool helps to prevent the spread of  all sorts of bugs, so it’s really important that your little one is wearing a suitable swim nappy. If an accident happens and escapes onto the pool, it generally mean the pool will have to be closed for the next few hours, and could result in ending your class and cancelling the ones following.

Two nappies means that there are two barriers to keep accidents contained long enough for you to notice and hop out of the pool.

Inner Layer

It’s important to remember that the inner nappy that goes on first is not designed to absorb anything, more so just to contain things that may escape. They can’t be absorbant otherwise they’d fill up with pool water – the reason why you can’t pop baby in the water in a normal disposable which is full of chemicals to absorb liquids. This inner nappy can be your generic supermarket and named brand ‘swim nappy’ OR you can save yourself money and save the environment in the process and grab a reusable alternative. This is where you have the choice to ditch the disposables for good when it comes to swimming! 

Outer Layer

On top goes a neoprene nappy, which Water Babies like to call a Happy Nappy (probably because it keeps the pools happy with no accidents!). The snug bands on the waist and legs provide a seal so no solids are able to escape. They must fit totally over the inner nappy so you can’t see any gaps for leaks. 

Going 'reusable'

There are a few different reusable swim nappies – at Water Babies we sell an entire reusable swim nappy kit from SplashAbout, however personally I use various adorable inner nappies from Bambino Mio.

Other than Bambino Mio, there are swim nappies in gorgeous prints by Tots Bots, Pop In, Close Pop In, GroVia, Charlie Banana, Thirsties, and more companies! 

Check out the full choice of inner nappies here from 

our friends at Fill Your Pants!

What I love about using these is that they’re much comfier on her bottom than disposables, and I wrap both nappies into her towel at the end and bung them into the wash altogether. It saves me money, plus I feel like I’m doing something for the planet. Also, almost all Water Babies pools  require you to take both nappies away with you and dispose of your disposables outside the building – some people forget and our poor teachers end up taking them home to put in their own bins – yuck! So for their benefit, it helps prevent a stinky car ride home!

Also, because the double nappy system is applicable to all our swimmers up to school-age, this often includes potty trained children - the Bambino Mio pants are awesome for this because they look more like pants than a nappy but still do the same important job! 

Any questions about reusable swim nappies, speak to your local Water Babies franchise or local Cloth Nappy library!

Saira 

x

Check out our competition over on our Water Babies page this Real Nappy Week later this month! 

Baby, are you ready? Go! - Word Association & The Gag Reflex

There’s a great Lee Evans sketch, where he talks about asking for the bill at a restaurant, and how we unconsciously rub our fingers together as we say ‘cheque please!’. Have you ever noticed how often you use your hands to describe what you’re trying to say? I'm guilty too - the amount of times I mimic using a phone when I talk about calling, or pretend to type on a keyboard when I tell someone to email me...! The most common example I use to explain this is that second you hear the YMCA song start, your arms go up in the air! We’ve been conditioned to link a sound with an action, and we do it for hundreds of different words without even realising (sorry, you’ll notice yourself doing it now!).

Callie, 2017

It’s often believed that communication is 7% what we say, 38% how we say it, and a whopping 55% body language. This idea came from Professor Mehrabian, an Iranian Psychologist, and although it’s theory is somewhat correct, it’s often taken out of context. This theory is true when the words we’re using are at odds with the body language we’re using, but whilst it’s not always applicable, it just goes to show the great importance of all aspects of communication.

If any of you have ever taken your baby to a signing class, you’ll be all too familiar with their ability to pair words with gestures. One thing I witnessed that blew me away when I went along to watch my Nephew’s first swimming lesson. At only a month old he was able to hear words, and elicit responses to them. His Water Babies teacher would ask him ‘Oscar, are you ready, go’ and cup some water over his face and wipe it away. At first, he wasn’t amused – just intrigued at what was happening. But come the third lesson, as soon as Mum asked him the question, his little eyes squeezed shut, his lips pursed and he turned away. They said the same before taking him gently underwater and again his face would respond the same. Becoming a teacher myself a few years later helped me understand exactly what was going on.

Babies have an innate gag reflex. They’re born with it and it’s totally natural, and automatic. Ever choked on a peanut? Or accidentally breathed in when you were swallowing? That coughing and spluttering is your gag reflex and in babies it’s at its strongest. Gagging is a safety response and when you see your baby gagging, it’s because they’re actually solving the problem – they’re moving that piece of food away from their windpipe. Just like if they cough after an underwater swim, water has his the valve at the top of the windpipe that automatically shuts off when water goes over them, or when they’re submerged, or when we say their name, are you ready, go to them, and as it does it causes them to cough to shift it. 

(C) Water Babies UK

I’ve seen so many parents panic thinking their baby is choking, or inhaling water, when in actual fact if that was to happen, there would be the opposite reaction.

It’s not just in swimming lessons where we can see this word association working, though. There are loads of phrases we can say, or songs we can sing, to elicit a movement response. One song we sing to babies in the water is ‘in the pool we go kick kick kick, all day long’ to the tune of the wheels on the bus. Every time we sing it, we gently encourage baby to move their legs, until eventually we sing the song a few weeks later and those little feet are splish splashing up and down like no one’s business!

When I took Callie for her first term of lessons, I got to witness this development first hand. 

Now, at 20 months old, I can happily say the same phrase and pop a jug of water over her head for easy, stress-free hair washing and I am so pleased! I frequently hear horror stories from parents who find hair washing super stressful and I always tell them to start adopting this method. 

Callie, 2017

Try some word association with your child and you’ll be amazed at how fast they form those cognitive links!

xoxo

Valentines Crafting - 52 things I love about you

By now, you've probably all seen the '52 things I love about/reasons I love you' playing card books on Pinterest. I stumbled upon the idea after a link brought me to this site. They have a fantastic template to use, and a really easy how-to guide.
I've been making a few for my friends for Valentines day gifts for their partners and thought I'd share! 

Here is a tutorial based heavily on this tutorial, with my own tweaks!

Enjoy <3

You'll need:

• 1 Deck of Playing Cards (I used Bicycle series 1800 from eBay, as I wanted the washed out, vintage look) 
• Glue (I used a simple pritt stick)
• Template for the cards
• Scissors
• Hole Punch 
• Binder Rings, ribbon, etc to bind them together 

So firstly, download the template (link above) from Instructables. Save As, and add your own text. If you need inspiration, just google search 'reasons I love you'. 

The font I used here was from Da Font and was called 'digs my heart'.

So, once you've printed them, cut them all out. Then glue the backs, and stick them to each card. Save a joker for the front card, as you'll need the title page on the front, and one on the back too if you choose to.

 Once they're all stuck on, you'll need to hole punch them. 

I found a standard hole punch was too wide, so ended up buying this single hole punch.

I used the spare joker and measured 2cm from the short edge, and 1cm from the long edge, to place the holes. Then I used that card as a template for the rest.

I lined up the card I'd punched, and drew on the next cards, then took the template card away, lined up the punch and hit it. It worked perfectly.

 (That says rock...pick a legible font!)

 

It's a long task, but eventually I was done with the holes. To bind them you could use ribbon,string, anything really. I wanted proper binding rings so I found a pack at Staples for a few £.

 And viola! That simple :)

 I'd love to see if you guys try it out, and if you need any advice, 

just ask away!

Saira xo

Slumber-Roo and Me - A Review of the Neko Carrier*

When I was approached by the lovely Sarah at Slumber-Roo and asked if I fancied reviewing some of their baby carriers - well - you can imagine my immediate excitement!

Sarah visited the office with three gorgeous slings to choose from and my decision was pretty easy when I saw the beautiful Neko - I couldn’t wait to pop it on and take it for a swing. 

So what did we love about it?

Aesthetically, it's 10/10. This particular sling is called 'Rainbow Royale Jasmine' and is a stunning mixture of woven pinks, yellow and oranges, made with 100% bio-cotton and duraflex belts.  

It's also really comfy to wear! Whether that's simply because it's new and hasn't been worn in yet, or whether it's slightly more structured than the Tula carrier, I find I get far less aching in my shoulders and back wearing the Neko. 

It also has a fully adjustable panel, width & height, suitable from newborn (3.5kg/8lbs) up to approximately 2 - 3 years and a maximum weight capacity of 15kg/33lbs, so is going to really give you great value for money. 

It has a very generously sized detachable sleep hood, and the best part is that it's SUPER EASY to attach! Just slide the elastic under the clips and viola...we have instant head support and darkness for those quieter moments that are often few and far between these days! It also means that when my daughter wakes up at the most ridiculous noise (she'll sleep through me dropping my keys, doors slamming, but the theme tune to Peppa Pig comes on and she's SO AWAKE) I can very quickly detach the top so she doesn't wonder why she's woken up in a tent! 

So, the downfalls...

Breastfeeding a baby in a sling has been a godsend for me, so I needed to know that the Neko would provide the ease and comfort that my past slings and carriers have allowed. It's comfy and supportive, but the straps seemed to let it down. In my old sling, I simply reach behind me and loosen the straps with one hand to lower Callie to breastfeeding height. In position, I re-tighten and off she goes. The Neko straps felt like they were backwards, so to reach the clips where you feed the straps through, you almost have to be a contortionist (or have someone with you who knows what they're doing!). 

However, after posting my original review, the lovely ladies at Neko got in touch with some helpful tips and advice to make my feeding experience with the carrier a positive one - which I can happily say it now is! Using the images below, and by advising me to move Callie higher (which I thought would have the opposite effect) I have finally cracked being able to feed her easily in the sling. 

So overall, a beautiful carrier, and very well-made product and one that I would massively recommend. The storage bag is adorable and really handy, and it comes with a great instruction manual which one day, I'll probably have time to read! I love this carrier and get a lot of compliments about it! 

I'm excited to share with you two new reviews in the coming weeks - the Boba X carrier, and the Beco carrier! Keep an eye out over on my instagram page for updates and links to the reviews! 



*All opinions are my own and no financial gain was involved. Sling provided for review by Slumber-Roo. 

Lapland UK

My Mum's Christmas present to my sister and I were tickets to Lapland UK. 

We'd only heard of Lapland UK when it popped up on Instagram as I was scrolling through Christmas hashtags, and I was intrigued what it was all about!

The drive from Devon to Berkshire was about 3 hours there, and 4 going home. Unfortunately I had no option but to do it all in one day, so next time (if we do decide to return) then we'd definitely consider staying somewhere overnight!

When we got there, we picked up the kids' Lapland passports and had our intro talk with some of the elves. (I don't want to give too much away if you've never been).

Then we headed through the Enchanted Forest into Lapland, and straight into the toy factory to help Conker the elf make the toys for Christmas. We sat around and built toy penguins before reluctantly handing them back for Santa to deliver. Luckily *eye roll* in the next room they had plenty that you could buy for £25...sneaky, Lapland!

We didn't buy one, mainly because I knew that included in the £70pp fee (including the 17 month old...!) was a cuddly Husky dog later on in the day. 

After the toy factory we headed for storytime in Mary Clause's kitchen before decorating gingerbread cookies.

One thing I did think was that it was great for the littles, but when adults are the same price, there's not much in the way for us, other than their enjoyment. A free hot chocolate or bag of reindeer food (both being sold on site for £4 each) would have made a massive difference - £70 per person including a baby was steep, and that was the cheapest day we could find!

Anyway, moving on, we then went through to the village where we had an hour and a half to browse more shops and see the sights of Lapland. There really is no expense spared on the design - it's like a Christmas Disneyland, and you can't help but smile.

We were excited to see that the ice rink was included in the cost, so that killed some time. 

We had a hot chocolate, took some photos, petted the gorgeous Husky dogs, and then we found the Post Office where you can write a letter to Father Christmas,

Everywhere you go, the elves stamp your passport, which was a lovely touch.

Then all of a sudden it was our time to continue through, passed the reindeer who were more interested in being as far away from humanity as possible, and visit Santa (through another little shop, of course).

This is where Lapland redeemed themselves and the cost of all the things we'd walked past didn't matter.

A week before the trip, I'd filled out a form via email asking for information about our little ones. When Father Christmas knew the name of my nephew's pets, and that he'd recently achieved his 50m swim badge, he was amazed! Then, by complete fluke having previously written that he'd like a Husky toy in his letter back in the post office, Father Christmas pulls a fluffy white pop from his bag for each of them and their faces are a picture.

When we'd finished with FC, we went through to the final part - where you see your photos. You can have one for free, then any more are charged for and the prices aren't terrible -  it was about £20 for all the images digitally and a print, but we only wanted the one. I was a little disheartened when we walked through to find ourselves in a sort of build-a-bear for Husky's - children everywhere wanting accessories and outfits for their new toy.

All in all, the experience was wonderful. I'd go again, but I wouldn't pay more than the £70pp we did this time. We took a packed lunch and next time even though I moaned about £4 for a hot drink, we did enjoy it and it's part of the experience :)

The ice rink was a really lovely addition too, but the best bit was absolutely the effort put in by all the cast members, especially the wonderful girls in Mary Christmas' kitchen! 

Thank you all for a truly magical start to the festive season!