How Do Parents Unwind?

Prior to being a parent - I'd happily unwind in the gym, or at the pub, or in the midst of a binge watching marathon in my bed, after though, somehow I don't think I'll quite manage to unwind doing those...

The last week has been the most stressful, tiring, yet rewarding week of my life so far - nothing can quite prepare you for life as a mum, and I can only imagine that from here, my stress levels aren't going to decrease any. Everyone told me to make the most of the end of my maternity leave, to sleep when I can, to make the most of the last few hours I had binge watching box sets in bed by myself, even having a spare half hour to have a bath in peace, as I wouldn't have it when Harrison arrived. They weren't wrong. Finding time to shower at the minute is a struggle never mind have a relaxing bath, so the time I've been able to amass to relax I've used wisely. Unwinding as a parent is a different experience, that is for sure, but you definitely appreciate it so much more. With a newborn, they are asleep A LOT, but aren't exactly independent, so your never really relaxed. Rattan Direct are in the midst of conducting a survey about how parents unwind around the home, and whilst I was filling this out it really got me thinking about the various things I've done in the past week or so to try and still feel remotely human. If you have a spare minute, fill out the survey - it's quick and it really gets you thinking about the different ways you actually spend your time...

Unwinding At Home

The Birth Story

I'll start this off by saying this may well be a slightly unrealistic version of labour - I've either gotten extremely lucky, or I have the pain tolerance of a god, but I don't think my labour could have gone better had I wrote it myself. Our little boy was born on the Friday 21st October at 3.15am - and I think I speak for both myself and Jordan when I say we've never loved such a little person so quickly or so much. At this point, I'm exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally, but I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Labour was my biggest fear, but my biggest surprise. Here's Baby J's story.

My Pregnancy Essentials

I am so pleased to be able to say that this will be the last post I have to write while pregnant, thank the lord. With an induction planned for tomorrow morning at 8am, I thought I'd take today to reflect on my pregnancy and the various ways I made it easier for myself. How surreal to think that by the end of this weekend our little boy will finally be here... I'm so excited - I've hated pregnancy, but everyone's said the end result will be worth it, and I don't doubt that for a second.

As I've said, I have hated pregnancy, and so I've relied heavily on a few different products to see me through the various stages, if I found it bad with these, I truly don't know what I'd have done without. It really does come down to the little things in the end that just make you all that little more comfortable - and I would highly recommend all of the things below. (Apart from maybe the first one.... maybe give that one a miss if you can).

First Trimester

Ignorance

Ah ignorance is truly truly bliss. I made it through the entirety of my first trimester - and pretty much all of my second - without having a clue I was pregnant, and I can honestly not complain about any of  the first part of my pregnancy. I was still squatting twice my bodyweight for sets at 3 months in the gym, and was still comfortably running a mile and a half in 11 minutes to meet the fitness standard for work at 6 months pregnant - I was not fussed by it at all. I honestly think most of the downsides of pregnancy are in your head - or at least they were for me. The minute I found out I was pregnant, I suddenly became more tired, more inclined to curl up on the couch with a take-away, and a lot less likely to be active - which was ultimately my downfall, as I talked about here. Although ignorance is not something you can simply order Next Day Delivery on Amazon, being aware of how you are feeling, and being realistic about these feelings can help a lot. Knowing wether you are actually tired, and sick, and really need a good old take-away, or wether your just simply feeling sorry for yourself, is key.

Clean Diet and Consistent Exercise

As I said, this wasn't something I done actively because I knew about my pregnancy and wanted to make it easier, but I do believe it had something to do with how easy the entire first part of my pregnancy was. I ate an extremely regimented diet, with a lot of protein and little fat, and trained daily, which ultimately held off the weight gain and lethargy for a good while, which was key to how comfortable I was.

Yes, I'm STILL Pregnant

There is nothing more frustrating than going past your due date: every minute of the last 9 months, relies on your due date being the be all and end all of pregnancy. I'm being dramatic, but the last how many months have just been one big lie. I've hated pregnancy and made no secret of it, and the only thing that was getting me through - obviously ignoring the obvious bundle of joy at the end of the tunnel - was the 14th October. On the 14th October I'd have my baby and everything would be great. It's now the 18th, and low and behold, no baby, and no end in sight. I should be induced within the next few days if nothing happens, but thats still little comfort following the frustration you feel when your due date comes and goes and nothing happens.

At this point in time, I'm more hormonal and irrational than before, and nothing anyone says is really helping all that much. If you know someone in this situation though, I can make some very strong recommendations on what NOT to say to someone who is overdue. Believe you me, your better off saying nothing than going with anyone of these...

What They Don't Tell You About Living Together

In the next week or so, two will become three, and I can't help but wonder how much everything will change. One of the main things obviously, will be our living situation. We've heard all of the horror stories about newborns, and I like to think we are ready for it, but without a doubt it'll hit us like a tonne of bricks still. There are some things that no one can prepare you for. Looking back, even moving in with a boyfriend had a good few of these. The lack of privacy, kissing goodbye to personal space, the washing up debates, sure, I was prepared for that. There was a good few few key points I never thought about, and that no one told me about before moving in with your better half. I thought it would be nice to list the things that shocked me a bit, just before it all changes yet again...

1. The Smell

It's not a bad smell - at least, not the majority of the time. But there is a distinct change in scent. It's just boy smell. There's a constant musk that no amount of Vanilla candles or open windows can mask,   and although you get accustomed to it, every so often, you'll get a whiff and wonder how you've not been noticing it all along. It's a good thing I don't mind boy smell, it comes with the territory, but it is different to what I've been used to for the past 21 years.. Whilst on the subject of smells actually, the wardrobe will never ever be the same again after adding the collection of football boots and trainers to the floor- nothing can bring it back after that, plain nasty.

2. Expect a Bedside Drinks Tray

40 Week Update

This better be my last update, I swear to goodness....
Today is my due date. I've made it the entire 40 weeks, and if bubba would like to make an appearance today that would be absolutely perfect. Somehow though, I don't think I'll be quite so lucky.

Newborn Clothing Haul

I've tried not to be excessive with clothes shopping for the little one - I really truly have, but my version of excessive and everyone else's is probably very different and I may have still managed to go slightly overboard by normal standards. I could be here for hours showing everything I've bought Baby J in the past few months, so I've tried to whittle it down to just a few of the shops that have been really good for newborn baby clothes, as I've actually found it difficult to find clothes that I really like for him. I've always been a bit of a prude when it came to newborn clothes, and I like what I like - I'd always said I'd only have my baby in white, blue and grey while he's a newborn, but that does limit you a lot in what you can actually buy. Although I knew his sex from the get-go, I'm drawn to team yellow and I love everything unisex, much to Jordan's dismay, who has wanted him in a tracksuit since Day 1. Not a chance...

It goes without saying that most of his clothes in the early days will be sleepsuits, he won't be in dungarees permanently... but I haven't included them in this post just to save it getting even moreso excessive than it probably already is.

1. Mothercare

I truly did not ever think I'd like Mothercare as much as I have done during this pregnancy - I always went on about Baby Zara and how much I loved the clothes from there, but when it came down to the Newborn stage, I couldn't get over the pastels and muted colours in Mothercare - plus it was really affordable for the quality of the items. The Peter Rabbit items especially just feel so soft and luxurious, which was surprising as they really weren't all that expensive at all. A lot of the items I'd bought were sleepsuits and vests, which I didn't realise until I grouped it altogether, so there isn't actually nearly as much as I thought there was here. I also purchased two bits from the Myleene Klass collection - only when I got home did I realise I think it's baby girl clothes... oh well, a dark hat and no-one will be able to tell the difference! (I hope).

1 £12.00 | 2 £18.00