Tuesday, June 23, 2009
C-section or natural?
To C-section or not to C-section, that is definately the question on many mothers-to-be lips.
I had a C-section with my first baby, James and it looks like I might have to have another with this second baby because I'm having them so close together. We really just have to wait until the last minute according to my doctor (I'm quite sure he knows what he's on about).
I know this sounds crazy, but I would actually really like to go ahead and try to have a natural birth this time. Women have been doing it for thousands of years, loooong before there was anyone else to help them, stitch them up, or give them drugs for the pain. I hated having a C-section, particualy because I laboured for a very long time (32 hours on and off) and I felt a bit robbed by not having a vaginal delivery. And getting over major surgery, which takes weeks, is a bit of a pain in neck when a new mother has so much to do.
But, I'm really scared of a natural birth at the same time. What if I'm not tough enough?
I'd love to know what you all think and I'd love to hear from women who have had both naural and C-section deliveries. I want some first hand, front line accounts!
Have a great day!
I had a C-section with my first baby, James and it looks like I might have to have another with this second baby because I'm having them so close together. We really just have to wait until the last minute according to my doctor (I'm quite sure he knows what he's on about).
I know this sounds crazy, but I would actually really like to go ahead and try to have a natural birth this time. Women have been doing it for thousands of years, loooong before there was anyone else to help them, stitch them up, or give them drugs for the pain. I hated having a C-section, particualy because I laboured for a very long time (32 hours on and off) and I felt a bit robbed by not having a vaginal delivery. And getting over major surgery, which takes weeks, is a bit of a pain in neck when a new mother has so much to do.
But, I'm really scared of a natural birth at the same time. What if I'm not tough enough?
I'd love to know what you all think and I'd love to hear from women who have had both naural and C-section deliveries. I want some first hand, front line accounts!
Have a great day!
Monday, June 22, 2009
I coildn't go past some of the delightful things on offer at Baby Browns. Click on the link and head straight to the sale link and find some great bargains for under $20 or even $10. This is quality stuff and if you spend $99 you get free shipping too. No need to go out trawling the shops if you don't have to and let face it - if you already have small children or babies you probably don't have the time or the energy. I know I could think of better things than dragging my kid around a shopping centre looking at stuff thats way too overpriced anyway.
So, I'm expecting my secong baby in about 3 months (EEK! I'm scared of the sleep deprivation that awaits me), and my husband and I have been looking for affordable, but good quality double strollers or joggers. Double prams are expensive! But here's some great quality strollers and joggers, double or single that have been greatly reduced. My Strollers even has free shipping for those of you who live in the US. Hope you find a bargain!
Click here for sale items at MyStrollers.com
Click here for sale items at MyStrollers.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Ok fellow mums and dads! I've been doing some shopping around and looking at baby/child clothing web sites for the some of the best bargains on the net. Times are tough (at least they certainly are at our house!) and I LOVE a bargain, especially for baby wear.
Soul Baby has some truely lovely litle pieces for boys and girls, and click2buy.com.au has a big range of familiar brands at really low prices. Both sites are offering a good range of clothes for under $10, which, when you think about it, is pretty cheap considering places like Target or BigW don'thave much at all for under $10.
Happy shopping and I hope you bag a bargain or two!
P.S Don't forget to also check out http://happylittle angels.com.au/ - it is such a beautiful site with such gorgeous baby wear and products.
Soul Baby has some truely lovely litle pieces for boys and girls, and click2buy.com.au has a big range of familiar brands at really low prices. Both sites are offering a good range of clothes for under $10, which, when you think about it, is pretty cheap considering places like Target or BigW don'thave much at all for under $10.
Happy shopping and I hope you bag a bargain or two!
P.S Don't forget to also check out http://happylittle angels.com.au/ - it is such a beautiful site with such gorgeous baby wear and products.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Taking the edge off...
Just a quick post today...
In case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm 24 weeks preggy with my second baby. And in case you haven't read my first post, I love a drink. Yep, I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love having a drink especially at the end of a hard day, or when it's hot (which is 9 months of the year here in sub-tropical Brisbane). I don't need a special occasion to enjoy a drink, I don't need an excuse. And I CAN NOT stand people who judge others for enjoying a drink or even having a few too many when they feel like it. I hate the expression, 'I don't need to drink to have a good time' or just, ' I don't need to drink'. People who sprout that crap aren't people I find interesting. There, I said it, I hope some of you reading this don't hate my guts now, but I'm an honest person and this is my honest blog.
The only time I don't enjoy a drink regularly is when I'm pregnant. In fact, during my last pregnancy I probably had 5 or 6 alcoholic drinks the whole 41 and a 1/2 weeks I was pregnant, and I've only had a couple this time as well. But! I've just discovered reduced alcohol wine and bubbles (I can't believe it's taken me so long to catch on)! I had two glasses of pink bubbles last night, and it was so delightful I could've scoffed the whole bottle. And, even if I had scoffed the lot, the whole bottle was only the equivalent of 3 standard drinks (which, we must remember, is still too many for a pregnant woman to have, but you get my drift)! Brilliant! Now we pregnant ladies who enjoy a beverage don't have to be the only one without a glass in our hand when we go somewhere social.
Let's be sensible here though and not go overboard, alcohol must be kept to the absolute minimum when pregnant. I'll still only have the occasional drink, but now I can have a glass of wine, or a sparkling wine at a celebration or whatever the occasion, and actually enjoy it.
Have a great day everybody and chat soon!
In case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm 24 weeks preggy with my second baby. And in case you haven't read my first post, I love a drink. Yep, I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love having a drink especially at the end of a hard day, or when it's hot (which is 9 months of the year here in sub-tropical Brisbane). I don't need a special occasion to enjoy a drink, I don't need an excuse. And I CAN NOT stand people who judge others for enjoying a drink or even having a few too many when they feel like it. I hate the expression, 'I don't need to drink to have a good time' or just, ' I don't need to drink'. People who sprout that crap aren't people I find interesting. There, I said it, I hope some of you reading this don't hate my guts now, but I'm an honest person and this is my honest blog.
The only time I don't enjoy a drink regularly is when I'm pregnant. In fact, during my last pregnancy I probably had 5 or 6 alcoholic drinks the whole 41 and a 1/2 weeks I was pregnant, and I've only had a couple this time as well. But! I've just discovered reduced alcohol wine and bubbles (I can't believe it's taken me so long to catch on)! I had two glasses of pink bubbles last night, and it was so delightful I could've scoffed the whole bottle. And, even if I had scoffed the lot, the whole bottle was only the equivalent of 3 standard drinks (which, we must remember, is still too many for a pregnant woman to have, but you get my drift)! Brilliant! Now we pregnant ladies who enjoy a beverage don't have to be the only one without a glass in our hand when we go somewhere social.
Let's be sensible here though and not go overboard, alcohol must be kept to the absolute minimum when pregnant. I'll still only have the occasional drink, but now I can have a glass of wine, or a sparkling wine at a celebration or whatever the occasion, and actually enjoy it.
Have a great day everybody and chat soon!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I love these products!!!
ALright kids, here a few products I really love.
I use old fashion cloth nappies - I know most of you are saying, 'oh my goodness! So much extra work!', but it's really not a lot of work at all. I'm not trying to convert anybody or tell you what I think you should or shouldn't use. I still use the odd diposable nappie and I put one on James every night at bed time so he's dry all night.
But here's some great quality cloth nappies you might like :
I use old fashion cloth nappies - I know most of you are saying, 'oh my goodness! So much extra work!', but it's really not a lot of work at all. I'm not trying to convert anybody or tell you what I think you should or shouldn't use. I still use the odd diposable nappie and I put one on James every night at bed time so he's dry all night.
But here's some great quality cloth nappies you might like :
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Everyone goes through hard times.
Well, it's been a few days since my last post, and even tho I haven't been anywhere exciting or done anything terribly exciting, it's been very busy around my house. Its ALWAYS busy with a 12 month old, even if I do only have 1 child!
James isn't your typical little bubba - he never has been.
He doesn't do sitting on laps or sitting in a pram or high chair if I'm in a shopping centre or cafe. There's no going to meet a friend out for a coffee or taking him to lunch somewhere and you can forget about about going out for dinner! His sleeping has never been great, but I must say that right now we have the best routine we've ever had. At one stage his sleeping was so bad for about 3 months I had to call in a sleep expert to come to our house and help me, otherwise I quite literally would have lost my mind. Sleep deprivation on that level is a very serious thing.
Now, don't get me wrong - he's not a terror that won't eat, or whinges constantly, or is always crying. In fact, the opposite. He is the most delightful little boy, always smiling, and laughing, pointing at things and saying 'baba!', waving at people as we pass them in Coles or Woolies. He plays very happily on his own, often entertaining himself, is very very independant, has fine motor skills other children 2 or 3 times his age don't have. Brendan and I are just so grateful he's ours and we're so so proud of him.
What I mean by not typical is, that he's never laid on his back for us to play with, or sat calmly on our laps. I've been strapping him down like a mental patient at nappy change time since he was 5 or 6 months old so he doesn't fling himself off the table. He crawled at 5 months and walked at 10 months. Not that walking at 10 months is extraordinary, it's early, but not amazing, he's just...hyper. SOme might even say he's a handful. The day he walked was the last time he ever crawled and he doesn't stop - ever! Not from the time he wakes up (which was 04:45am this morning), till he is completely spent at the end of his day and ready for bed by 6:30pm.
When his sleeping was really bad, he wouldn't sleep more than an hour or so at night before waking and would only get about an hour of sleep broken up into 2 or 3 naps during the day. It was a terriblly hard time for the 2 of us, it didn't really affect my husband because I've never asked him to get up during the night. But, the sleep expert changed our lives!
I suppose I'm telling you all of this because if any of you are going thru hard times with sleeping or behavioural problems, feeding problems or whatever your issue might be, it doesn't mean you're a bad parent or that you're doing a bad job. You're not alone in these issues and there are many solutions out there for just about any problem. The key is this: you just have to find the thing that works for you. I'll repeat that - you just have to find the thing that works for you. And you must be open to researching solutions and you MUST be open to new things. It's easy to get disheartened if the first option or second option hasn't worked, but you musn't give up.
People have always got advice and opinions and sometimes that can only make the situation worse, so you just have to follow your instincts and don't worry about what other people say. Other peoples opinions and advice drove me MAD!
I hope it helps to know I've had some hard times and I'm 100% certain I've got plenty more in front of me. But, it's all worth it - an old cliche, I know, but it's true.
Have a great Sunday, and take care!
James isn't your typical little bubba - he never has been.
He doesn't do sitting on laps or sitting in a pram or high chair if I'm in a shopping centre or cafe. There's no going to meet a friend out for a coffee or taking him to lunch somewhere and you can forget about about going out for dinner! His sleeping has never been great, but I must say that right now we have the best routine we've ever had. At one stage his sleeping was so bad for about 3 months I had to call in a sleep expert to come to our house and help me, otherwise I quite literally would have lost my mind. Sleep deprivation on that level is a very serious thing.
Now, don't get me wrong - he's not a terror that won't eat, or whinges constantly, or is always crying. In fact, the opposite. He is the most delightful little boy, always smiling, and laughing, pointing at things and saying 'baba!', waving at people as we pass them in Coles or Woolies. He plays very happily on his own, often entertaining himself, is very very independant, has fine motor skills other children 2 or 3 times his age don't have. Brendan and I are just so grateful he's ours and we're so so proud of him.
What I mean by not typical is, that he's never laid on his back for us to play with, or sat calmly on our laps. I've been strapping him down like a mental patient at nappy change time since he was 5 or 6 months old so he doesn't fling himself off the table. He crawled at 5 months and walked at 10 months. Not that walking at 10 months is extraordinary, it's early, but not amazing, he's just...hyper. SOme might even say he's a handful. The day he walked was the last time he ever crawled and he doesn't stop - ever! Not from the time he wakes up (which was 04:45am this morning), till he is completely spent at the end of his day and ready for bed by 6:30pm.
When his sleeping was really bad, he wouldn't sleep more than an hour or so at night before waking and would only get about an hour of sleep broken up into 2 or 3 naps during the day. It was a terriblly hard time for the 2 of us, it didn't really affect my husband because I've never asked him to get up during the night. But, the sleep expert changed our lives!
I suppose I'm telling you all of this because if any of you are going thru hard times with sleeping or behavioural problems, feeding problems or whatever your issue might be, it doesn't mean you're a bad parent or that you're doing a bad job. You're not alone in these issues and there are many solutions out there for just about any problem. The key is this: you just have to find the thing that works for you. I'll repeat that - you just have to find the thing that works for you. And you must be open to researching solutions and you MUST be open to new things. It's easy to get disheartened if the first option or second option hasn't worked, but you musn't give up.
People have always got advice and opinions and sometimes that can only make the situation worse, so you just have to follow your instincts and don't worry about what other people say. Other peoples opinions and advice drove me MAD!
I hope it helps to know I've had some hard times and I'm 100% certain I've got plenty more in front of me. But, it's all worth it - an old cliche, I know, but it's true.
Have a great Sunday, and take care!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
When I had James 12 months ago, I had enormous difficulties breast feeding at first - my boobs became HUGE, I had so much milk it was riduculous and James really mangled my boobs. All of those things equalled terrible pain. Terrible pain.
This exact pump was my best friend for the first 6 weeks till I got the hang of things and my breasts healed up. It can help you continue breast feeding, which is very important for many mothers.
This exact pump was my best friend for the first 6 weeks till I got the hang of things and my breasts healed up. It can help you continue breast feeding, which is very important for many mothers.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
http://Click Here!This is a link to an awsome e-book about eating better, but spending less, something many of us with families, mortgages, insurances, etc, can really use some ideas on. I know how hard it is to spend less and stick to a budget, but in a reccession, most of us have to start changing our ways and still live well, but live without racking up more debt. Hope it comes in handy.
Good morning mummies, mummies-to-be and daddies!
Welcome to my new blog! Here's a few details on who I am and what I want my blog to be about.
My name is Lara and I'm an Australian full-time mother of one soon to be two. I'm married to Brendan and have just celebrated my two year wedding anniversary. Brendan and I have a 12 month old son, James (otherwise affectionately called Jimmy) and I am 24 weeks pregnant with our second child. I have been pregnant for nearly our entire marriage, and am looking forward to NOT being pregnant for a year or 2 after the birth of baby number 2 ( for all those mothers out there who have had several children very close together you'll understand).
I have a very happy marriage, it has it's ups and downs like every good relationship and neither of our children were planned, especially James. Before we were parents, Brendan and I could certainly be defined as good-time-party-people, we LOVED partying, boozing, going out, carrying on, but since James' arrival, we have settled down, particularly me. I can't remember the last time I had a night out - I'm too tired! When I'm not pregnant I love a drink, especially at the end of a hard day, and I love, love, love to eat. I'm also a great lover of fitness and being fit, I like to look good and feel good about myself, and believe those two things go hand in hand : when you look good, you feel good and vice versa.
We are very normal people ( we're not ordinary tho, there's a difference), living a normal life with a mortgage and trying to build our lives.
My very informal blog is going to be about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, wifedom,
sleepless nights, hyper kids, being short of money, wearing my pyjamas at 7pm instead of a hot outfit at a party, trying to grow out a short haircut, being a parent and being hungover simultaneously, being pregnant, getting fat, getting skinny again...the list could go on and on.
I also will be pointing mummies (and daddies) in the direction of great products I have tried or am going to try, ranging from recipes for babies, beauty products, fitness products and information, bargain internet clothing, bags and shoes, baby and child products, help for baby sleeping issues (I know all about those)... all sorts of stuff. Sometimes people just need a little helping hand when they're looking for stuff and helps if someone else has tried it. I know I try stuff all the time that's been recommended on someone elses blog or web page.
Anyway, parents, thats it for the moment, but I will post again soon. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!
Welcome to my new blog! Here's a few details on who I am and what I want my blog to be about.
My name is Lara and I'm an Australian full-time mother of one soon to be two. I'm married to Brendan and have just celebrated my two year wedding anniversary. Brendan and I have a 12 month old son, James (otherwise affectionately called Jimmy) and I am 24 weeks pregnant with our second child. I have been pregnant for nearly our entire marriage, and am looking forward to NOT being pregnant for a year or 2 after the birth of baby number 2 ( for all those mothers out there who have had several children very close together you'll understand).
I have a very happy marriage, it has it's ups and downs like every good relationship and neither of our children were planned, especially James. Before we were parents, Brendan and I could certainly be defined as good-time-party-people, we LOVED partying, boozing, going out, carrying on, but since James' arrival, we have settled down, particularly me. I can't remember the last time I had a night out - I'm too tired! When I'm not pregnant I love a drink, especially at the end of a hard day, and I love, love, love to eat. I'm also a great lover of fitness and being fit, I like to look good and feel good about myself, and believe those two things go hand in hand : when you look good, you feel good and vice versa.
We are very normal people ( we're not ordinary tho, there's a difference), living a normal life with a mortgage and trying to build our lives.
My very informal blog is going to be about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, wifedom,
sleepless nights, hyper kids, being short of money, wearing my pyjamas at 7pm instead of a hot outfit at a party, trying to grow out a short haircut, being a parent and being hungover simultaneously, being pregnant, getting fat, getting skinny again...the list could go on and on.
I also will be pointing mummies (and daddies) in the direction of great products I have tried or am going to try, ranging from recipes for babies, beauty products, fitness products and information, bargain internet clothing, bags and shoes, baby and child products, help for baby sleeping issues (I know all about those)... all sorts of stuff. Sometimes people just need a little helping hand when they're looking for stuff and helps if someone else has tried it. I know I try stuff all the time that's been recommended on someone elses blog or web page.
Anyway, parents, thats it for the moment, but I will post again soon. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!
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