Competition time – Happy Mum-To-Be Day from Cussons Mum & Me

I'm really exited to be running another competition and the chance to win a lovely Mum to be prize from Cussons. My baby is actually due on Mother's Day so it could be a big one this year, and I am feeling in need of some pampering! This set looks very appealing to me. The competition ends Friday 8th of March so get those entries in and best of luck! 

Entry is via the rafflecopter, check out the gorgeous prize details below...

There’s nothing better than becoming a mum, and Mother’s Day is the perfect chance to celebrate what a good job mums do.  But what about Mums-to-be?

If you’re pregnant, Mother’s Day may be a day to think about the journey ahead, and take some time to relax while you still can! The Cussons Mum & Me Gift Pack is the perfect present for mums-to-be to pamper themselves before their little bundle of joy arrives.

The Bump Gift Pack includes:

Smooth & Glow Pregnancy Shampoo

• Containing Almond Oil and Pro Vitamin B5 to keep hair nourished and easy to manage. The perfect item to keep mum-to-be looking her very best for Mother's Day.

Soothe & Nourish Body Lotion

• With a blend of Avocado, Almond & Grapeseed oils, this product will leave mum-to-be feeling hydrated and moisturised. A great choice during the cold chilly months when your skin can be extra prone to damage. Plus it contains Allantoin that can help to relieve itchy skin, especially over mum’s bump.

Relax & Unwind Bath Soak

• This product contains Camomile which is known for its relaxing properties. The ideal gift for mum-to-be to get some “me time” this Mother's Day.

Relax & Unwind Sleep Mist

• With Lavender and Camomile this sleep mist will have mum-to-be unwinding in no time at all. Its relaxing aromas will let her gently drift off to sleep so she can dream about all Mother's Days to come.

With an RRP of £15.99 the Bump Gift Pack includes every essential mums-to-be will need to enjoy a little me time on their day.

Cussons Mum & Me is a new range of products designed to help with the amazing realities of becoming a mum. The range addresses three keys needs of mum and baby – sleep, skin and hair and has been designed to help with every stage of the journey – from bump to new mum to baby.

All Cussons Mum & Me products are available from major retailers including Tescos, Boots and Sainsbury’s. For more information see:  www.mumandme.com

Go go go – enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The ups & downs of 38 week bump

So here I am, only a few days away from 39 weeks and a strange thing has happened... I feel like I am going backwards! My daughter would already have been born by this point and I thought I might find it depressing going over that point but I don't at all, it would have felt too soon really. Last week was my final week at work and I felt really tired and emotional and like I might pop at any moment. I was so relieved to finish and know that I would be closer to home in case anything did happen.

I am now half way through my first week of leave and bump seems to have chilled out and moved up (yes up) again. It looks and feels much higher than it did last week, I am in reverse! Not sure what is going on? Maybe it's the calm of being at home and me enjoying a bit of time with my little girl that has relaxed it. I am comfortable enough at the moment so not too worried but ask me the same question in a week or 3 and we'll see what I say! It's only nights that are the problem with about 4 toilet stops and it takes a lot of effort to get out of my bed... I usually find myself awake from 5am to about 6.30 thinking about baby names. So annoying when you are so tired and trying to stock up that sleep!

At my last midwife appointment they said the head isn't engaged yet but the midwife did say that can happen a lot more suddenly with the second and that you won't notice such a drop. Did anyone else find this with the second child?

I'm off to buy some pineapple juice just for a bit of encouragement anyway. :D x

Review – MaterniCare Pre and Post Natal Nourishing Cream Review

For the last week I have been lucky enough to be testing out MaterniCare, a new pre & post natal nourishing cream.

With a unique blend of rich plant oils and essential vitamins it is designed to nourish and care for your skin as your bump grows and then to support your body as it recovers.

I am now at 37 weeks and I honestly wish I had discovered this cream earlier! It's brand new on our shelves though and I believe being launched in Boots this month.

Aside from the worry of stretch marks, my skin on my ever expanding tummy had been starting to get quite dry – the cold weather probably hasn't helped! As it stretches tighter I've been finding it getting itchy, irritated and generally in need of some loving care!

The MaterniCare cream is a lovely thick smooth cream which really feels like it is nourishing every inch of your skin. It doesn't leave any greasiness - just smoothness and softness. I found it a really relaxing experience applying the cream and have been using it before bed to help me feel calm and replenished. My skin hasn't been dry since using it and so I gave been much more comfortable during the day. I imagine it would go some way to help prevent stretch marks although it's too late in the day for me to probably tell!

They say for best results to apply after soaking the skin. I've not had much time for baths this time around but I know during my first pregnancy (when I wasn't always busy bathing a toddler) it was a frequent routine!

I have tried other creams in the past, one quite expensive which I found light and a bit greasy and other than that I have had cocoa butter. That seems to be what people recommend but for me, after a while, the smell became just too much, you don't want a strong smell when you are using something day to day!! MaterniCare is fragrance free which was a huge plus for me. I want to smell like me, not somebody covered in maternity products!

Here's a bit about what they say about the cream:

Its gentle, hypoallergenic formula is packed full of pro-vitamin B5 – a powerful natural skin healer and protector – as well as almond, avocado and grape seed oils, vitamin E and soothing calendula. Massaging MaterniCare into your breasts, tummy, thighs, hips and bottom twice daily will help keep your skin strong, smooth and supple throughout.


Sounds good? I was lucky enough to be sent this to try for free but I would honestly recommend it, it's has been a big hit with me and with big bump!

36 weeks

The strangest thing about being 36 weeks pregnant is the idea that I could go into labour in 2 weeks or 6 weeks time. It seems such a huge difference! My daughter was born at 38 weeks and a few people have said the second normally follows suit... others however have said it makes no difference! I'm trying not to assume he will come early as I think that will make being overdue really hard! Especially as I didn't have to wait the first time and friends that have gone over have found it really difficult.

With my daughter we just seemed to know, the doctor and the receptionist both said they didn't expect to see me again. My husband was giddy the night before my waters broke, telling Squiggle he couldn't wait to meet her tomorrow. He was almost right but it took her till the morning after to actually be born!

This time I have no clue, but i have noticed some changes but they are different from before. My tummy feels like it's pressing down and forwards when I sit, I can't really cross my legs all of a sudden and the front of my pelvis aches quite a lot. I made the mistake of googling this the other night, never a good idea to consult forums with medical enquiries! The doctor said it was simply the baby moving downwards.

The swelling in my hands and ankles isn't tooooo bad but my left foot is suddenly bigger than my right, what on earth does that mean?!

I am looking forward to starting my maternity leave in a week and a half, am terrified by the thought of having a baby in tube travel rush hour!! Really not up for naming my child after a London tube station.

I was in a flap about the labour this time (now I know it really does hurt) but have calmed down after chatting to friends and my fellow twitter mums.

This will sound silly I always feel nervous about writing too much on my blog about my pregnancy in the fear it will jinx things but I have been finding other peoples updates really helpful to read so am sharing mine for the same reason!

I would love to hear if anybody's experiences have been similar to mine? X x

The oh so relaxed second pregnancy...

Well I knew I was pregnant but I just suddenly seem to have realised that this usually equals a baby being born.

At 32 weeks this finally sunk in as we were clearing out the cupboards and I was flicking through an old notebook to see if it could be chucked. In it I found a list I had made in preparation for our daughters arrival, our first baby. It was do detailed and specific:

8/10 white 100% cotton vests washable at 50 degrees. Short sleeved.

8/10 white 100% cotton baby grows washable at 50 degrees. Front buttoning.

2 x decorative girls baby grows.

...and so on.

At first it made my laugh at how new everything was then and how different I was. This has now turned to slight panic, I have a couple of months to go and haven't actually thought to check I have everything.

We know this baby is a boy so we don't really have many clothes that can be used again, the nappy mat went in the bin long ago and the play matt is bright pink and has been lent out to somebody? I know where the moses basket is but the stand has disappeared... I can't remember what I packed in my hospital bag... my free boots changing bag is now in tatters... The baby monitor is broken... I think it's time I put some thought into this.

I think I assumed as we'd done it all, we had it all. Not so though!

It's nice to be relaxed but a list may be on the cards. I think there are some things I might do this time that I didn't before.

I would love some advice on products I am considering this time, which I didn't use before. Mainly:

A baby sling
This seems like a good idea with 2 children. Has anybody had good experiences with them?

A buggy board
My daughter will walk a bit but can be tempted to run off or complain of sore legs and beg for a carry. At 3 it's not worth getting a double buggy, is this a good solution?

An electric pump
We struggled last time and I fed my daughter with a mixture of breast feeding and formula. I had a hand pump but it didn't work for me, think perhaps I should try this this time?

Any tips? I think it's time to do a bit of planning, stay calm and hopefully everything will fall into place just in the nick of time.

The second scan

We have just been for our second scan - the anomaly scan. It's a funny mixture as it is a serious scan, with lots to check and lots of measurements to take. On the one hand every little measurement makes you more and more nervous, and on the other you are so excited to see your little baby, and for us to find out the gender. We took my mum with us time which I was so pleased about as she was so excited and said she was really honoured to be there. My mum does so much for me so that meant a lot to me. Mum said it was the most beautiful baby ever, with such gorgeous feet, I had to keep trying hard to keep my belly still and not laugh too much.

To a lot of people's horror we wanted to find out the sex again. So do you want to know??

Squiggle is going (touch wood) to have a baby brother! I really would be happy either way but I'm just so happy now I know and extra excited as I'm picturing everything. Squiggle refuses to accept it is a boy as she had decided otherwise, but my inkling was right! Although my pregnancy has been similar in so many ways, my tummy and shape just felt different.

The scan has put my mind at rest in many ways, and raised new worries in other (like the large head)... but all in all a happy and special day!

Mummy and Squiggle visit the midwife

Yesterday I was so happy and proud of my little girl. I suddenly remembered I had a midwife appointment so Squiggle and I rushed off to it together. She was such a good little girl (not in the sit quietly in the corner type of way) but in the have a chat chat chat about everything kind of way. Sometimes I just feel so proud of her and how much personality she has. Everything seems ok (touch wood) and I heard the heartbeat for the first time, it was a really special moment to share with my daughter who said she could hear the baby. It was a totally different experience from the first time around, but just as special for all different reasons. :)

Pregnancy = some crazy old dreams!

With my second pregnancy have come a whole new set of weird and wonderful dreams. I know it's said that telling people your dreams is the most boring thing in the world, but I feel the need to write them down!

The strangest I had last pregnancy was my tummy stretching and stretching until my baby popped out. She told me she was fine but could I please eat some more peanut butter. Although some people swear "no nuts when you're pregnant", I decided to take the advice of my unborn child and had some the next morning!

I've had a few this time around but the strangest came last night and was so unsettling... In the dream I was at a routine appointment when I spotted I could see a scan of my baby, it was perfect, but it was in my arm. They took the heartbeat and it confirmed it was growing in my arm. I was quite upset but apparently the baby was going to be fine, I just needed my arm to be amputated to deliver it. Surprisingly I was pretty ok with this but I was just fuming that it was my right arm as I am hopeless with my left!

I woke up pretty confused and stressed out, does it mean anything?? Probably that I am slightly nuts whilst pregnant. The previous one I had, I met my child briefly and they had amazing glittering gold eyes which I just stared into. This also panicked me when I woke up, I keep worrying they mean there is something wrong.

I would love to hear if anyone else had had just as strange dreams? Please it will make me feel better, I've even taken to googling them - not healthy!!

My new badge

I have some news, we are expecting another baby! I am now about 18 weeks and starting to look pretty round! I've been completely paranoid about sharing my news as I don't want to jinx anything. I'm excited though and can't really hold it in (the news,not the baby) much longer.

I thought I'd be a lot cooler this time but I'm still worrying about everything. Apparently according to my husband they are all things I worried about the first time around but I seem to have forgotten! There just seems so much that can go wrong and so many decisions to make, it can be overwhelming.

I was lucky again with not having a lot of sickness, I was just ridiculously tired. It's meant my blog has slipped over the last few months as I've been too zonked to keep up but I'm hoping to get going again now I have some energy back. The toyologists reviews are keeping me busy and getting me back in the swing of things!

So what do you think of my new badge? It's for my commute to work and I am so embarrassed about wearing it! I chickened out completely last time but I do find it quite horrible standing in the tube at the moment so I'm giving it a go! Would you wear one?

Don't laugh at me if you see me (but do feel free to offer me your seat)!