tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37369397177267535322024-02-21T13:21:57.090-08:00My Stylish BumpMy Stylish Bump.....a blog i kept through out my pregnancy, chronicling my vain attempts to dress my bump stylishly, am now a very proud mummy to a little girl, minus the bump and just about finding my way around this whole parenting larkMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.comBlogger901500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-32641979320080551292013-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:002013-02-19T08:03:44.984-08:00John boy WaltonI've been shocked into writing this blog, a new year will do that to you, its like a sharp slap in the face as you enter January and you realise what you've let slip, and although my expanding waist line is high up there on the list of things that needs addressing (damn those after eight mints) my blog being abandoned for so long was the thing that made me feel most ashamed, i had let slip the diary of my daughters 2nd year, bizarrely it's been the last 6 months that I've really found my stride with this motherhood malarkey, it took me a year, but now that my little Mucker can walk and talk things have become a darn sight easier, don't get me wrong we still have our moments, we had 2 solid weeks of cough induced vomiting in December which was trying, and we are yet to enjoy the holy grail that is sleeping from 7am till 7pm but now that she can communicate using her daily expanding vocabulary, walk to her chosen destination (inside the house, I'm not that cruel) and generally let me know what's bothering her its all started to feel much more of a breeze, not to mention much more like living in a comedy sketch, I promise not to bore you with cute anecdotes, I save them up for her grandparents, but I have to say that this kid is funny, now, she is the only toddler I have ever lived with so I have no comparison, i can only guess that they're all funny at this age, but what shocks me is that it's taken me 30 years to learn among other things, how some people tick, what have I been doing for the past 28 and a half years if my 18 month old daughter has already learnt the art of favouritism, playing people off against one another and how to wrap both of my parents around her little finger already? This little girl is a pint size diva, a whirlwind with no inhibitions and absoloutly no fear, I said when she was born I was going to try and avoid passing my irrational fear of everything (spiders/the dark/big dogs/roller coasters) onto her, and it seems up to now we have succeeded, she has also inherited her daddy's love of music, she doesn't like to dance alone though, it's all or nothing, when there's just a couple of us it's quite liberating, dancing around the living room shaking our polka dot maracas and beating on the plastic drum. but guests are not exempt, no body wants to say no to a baby, especially a bossy toddler who holds your little finger chanting dance, dance, dance.....<br />
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When she was first born i kept a baby book, listing her first words and funny little ways, this is also something I've let fall by the wayside, and now it seems their are too many to keep up with but I think for her sake I should try and note down a few, my memory is more goldfish that elephant already.....the funniest ones will be the easiest to remember, such as her premature hypochondriac tendencies (she likes to show anyone who will look her 1cm x 1cm patch of baby eczema on her arm) her declaration that everyone, including herself is funny, she initially pronounced it with an A but luckily that corrected its self quite quickly, a frequent one is her self professed healing powers (any body who has a cut or a graze gets kissed and declared "all better") and her finely tuned school yard insults (everybody no matter how fragrant, stinks or is pooey accompanied by the obligatory waft of the hand, something we started to encourage her cooperation during nappy changing but now regret) something's she does will only apply seasonally, such as gaining an affection for the egg shaped baby Jesus in our wooden nativity, so much so she left teeth marks, but my current favourite is the roll call, each time she learns a new name, a family member, friend or even a neighbour, they get added to the roll, and each night our house turns into an episode of the waltons as she wishes out loud night night to as many of them as her tired little brain will allow.....funny but not so much when she does it at 3am!!!</div>
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MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-42790393112500885012012-07-19T13:30:00.000-07:002012-07-19T13:40:23.827-07:00How long is too long?<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;">I</span><span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;">t's been so long since my last blog I actually felt a bit of a fraud writing one, since my last confession we've clocked up several milestones, my beautiful little monster has celebrated her first birthday (we had a little tea party with a squidgy chocolate cake made by nana and played pass the parcel to jazz versions of humpty dumpty whilst tearing off dozens of layers of newspaper methodically wrapped by grandad, which was possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen) Her nanas bought her a pink trike, which comes complete with a little phone attached, there is no mistaking the start of her Liverpool accent when you hear her shout hiiiiiiiieeeeeeeer into the receiver! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;">We also ventured on our first family holiday abroad, which excess baggage aside went without a hitch, just remind me never to go on a flight longer than 4hrs until she is a little older, her overtired screams whilst boarding the plane home made us feel like the family from hell, they only lasted until the plane took off, when I swear the other passengers breathed a collective sigh of relief, but while my long limbed child slept very comfortably stretched across her own seat plus half of ours, and I can sleep on a washing line, plus had commandeered all of the remaining scarves and blankets plus Tilly's travel pillow, her daddy attempted to get some shut eye, shivering from the aircon and to my amusement attempting to use a minature ooopsydaisy doll as a pillow, only for his little princess would he make such sacrifices!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;">In the past couple of months I've seen my little baba morph into a little girl before my eyes, her inquisitive nature both fascinates and makes me howl with laughter, her new favourite words are what's a? (what's that?) and who's a? (who is that?) and nothing and no one is safe from the finger (she points at everyone, which I know is bad manners but isn't it a little early to introduce social etiquette?) Her total lack of inhibition is hysterical, quick finger up the nose at a party, why not? Quick scratch while at the dinner table? don't mind if I do. Place a little fat hand on the thigh of a fellow airplane passenger? Lift one bum cheek in public to allow bottom burps to escape noisily? Lie spread eagled under a holiday makers breakfast table? Peer down nanas sweaters and woooooooooo with approval, all perfectly acceptable in Tillys world. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;">At 13 months old she hasn't plucked up the courage to let go of my finger when walking, and walking is all she wants to do, I now walk permanently hunched over and very very slowly, any weight loss from chasing her crawling at the speed of light has come to an abrupt end, we take long strolls together around the kitchen, down the garden and to and from the living room, I relish every minute as I know it won't be long before I have to force her to hold mummys hand!</span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.200000762939453px; line-height: 16.80000114440918px;"></span>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-26150030624841927402012-03-13T13:21:00.001-07:002012-03-13T13:24:29.635-07:00And she's off......The madness has begun. My little monster is mobile, she has upped her game from being a human rolling pin to crawling across the room at torpedo speed, stopping only to drag, pull and chew things in her path. The poor mite will be sick to death of hearing her name, it's all I ever hear myself say, Tilly Tilly as she heads precariously towards the tiled fireplace, tills, Tilly monster, don't pull that, Tilly tillllllly please don't eat mummy's grazia, gnaw on daddy's shoes or bite the door stop. That's another thing, she likes to taste test everything,and I mean everything, shoes, table legs, cables and she has a particular penchant for lint, the child has a hawk eye, she can spot a fleck of unidentified matter at ten paces, I wonder if perhaps I watched too much CSI while I was pregnant, she is a human microscope, better still she can pick up these bits despite them being invisible to the naked eye and guide them into her mouth. <br />
We have made the usual vain attempts at Tilly proofing the house, plug socket covers, sponge clips on interior doors to stop them closing on little fingers (which every single time i leave the house forget are there and find myself getting frustrated when I can't get the damn door to shut) The stair gate has to be my favourite new piece of kit, it narrows the possible square footage she can cover, and to be fair the new found independence is good for her, she was showing signs of being a little clingy and tearful if I was out of sight which I now realise was more likely to have been boredom and a touch of jealousy at my ability to drift from room to room with ease. another plus point to her being so active is that she tires herself out and is more than happy, you could even say grateful to be put down for her naps, off she goes to the land of nod still wearing her baby knee pads (bought by a friend purely for our own entertainment) no doubt dreaming about what how many DVDs she can pull out in one go, what tight space she can get wedged in and cry to be rescued and her new favourite what lightweight, unsteady item of furniture can she use to drag her self into the standing position while her legs do a darn good Elvis impression......my little bear gryls is keeping me <strike><strike></strike></strike>busyMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-60968835404608125022012-03-02T01:33:00.002-08:002012-03-02T01:40:15.950-08:00Desperate measures8 months, 8 months old and my baby girl has gone from being a baby to being a little Girl, an animated, interactive miniature person with a mouth full of teeth and an iron will. I can't believe the new baby stage passes so quickly. She is clapping hands, lip smacking in an attempt to blow kisses, along with the obligatory hair pulling and perhaps more original, teeth grinding. <br />
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She is now finally in her own room, This selfish new mum wanted her near me while she slept, my excuse was seeing to her when she woke was quicker and easier if she was in the same room, but alas I realised it was time. There were tears the first night (mine) and again the second nights (hers) I even relented and put my wriggling, coo-ing gro bag wearing early riser in our bed, which resulted in me sleeping horizontally on the end like an old dog, such is my fear of suffocating her. Do all babies take up so much room? Do they not understand the art of spooning to conserve space? Tilly doesn't, she prefers the star fish position, ensuring maximum mattress coverage for her and minimum parental comfort, this co - sleeping is not for me , unless we forsake all other bedroom furniture and replace it with a room sided mattress and several duvets. <br />
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It's amazing what you will do to encourage them to sleep, last week after a particularly eventful day which resulted in Tilly wanting virtually no sleep and thus buzzing with tiredness we were driving home and bam off she went into the land of nod, a peaceful nap which I had no intention of disturbing, on arrival on our driveway I left the engine running, radio on and sat there, unsure of how long she would sleep for I made myself comfortable, seat reclined, iPad out. This may sound crackers but moving her inside would have definitely have woken her, it was only when the boyfriend brought me a cup of tea out and i considered the possibility of catching up on some zzzz's myself, I knew I was on rocky ground. But this wasn't the point i realised I had descended in parental psychosis, this came earlier. On a recent day trip we (baby, boyfriend and I) were sat in traffic, baby has the patience of her father which in metric terms converts to absolutely none and on this particular occasion she was being very vocal about it, screaming at the top of her lungs to be exact, so her dad and I decided to divert her attantion by launching into a competitive animal noise sparring match, back and forth we went baaaaaaaaaa, hissssssss, rooooooooooooaaaaaah, chirp chirp, chirp chirp. The point being no one animal could be repeated (I have to give him credit his mooooooooooooooo was pretty impressive, very life like) clearly we were amusing her selves more than we were amusing Tilly as it took a few minutes to even notice that Tilly had completely stopped crying and was gazing out of the window, probably pretending she didnt know us. <br />
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I am now facing the challenge of returning to work. Getting ready for a trip to the shops takes planning for me, getting ready for work with Tilly in tow is going to take military precision. I have takes steps to prepare myself, a very kind friend accepted my request for a written run down of her morning itinerary, she has 2 children and a full time Job, so i was very grateful, she has better things to do. I almost broke into a sweat when I read it, mornings are never going to be the same again. I found myself feeling sorry for Victoria Beckham last week when the media were giving her a hard time about looking tired, she is a working mother with a young baby after all, and apparently she doesn't have a nanny, which is refreshing to hear. But what she must have is someone to watch baby Harper while she gets dressed and has hair, nails and make-up done before she faces the day, plus she doesn't have to clean her own house, and it's unlikely she cooks her own food...and that is worth a dozen nannies!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-36005184977647249272012-02-13T11:09:00.000-08:002012-02-13T11:14:05.464-08:00Verucca SaltI read recently about "little emperor syndrome" where parents cross the line from loving and attentive to over indulging their offspring causing the child to become the ruler of the parent or the l' enfant roi - the child king. When Tilly is in her car seat, stroking the seatbelt pulled across her and gazing out of the window I often think how regal she looks, more so because when we go out as a family I am relegated to the back seat like a naughty kid (am thinking of getting myself a Nintendo DS to complete my look) while she rides shot-gun with daddy, for 2 reasons, she cries when she is in the back (she dislikes being in the car sear at the best of times, but the back seat causes her to wail like a wounded animal and we cant have that can we.....) and the other being her daddy prefers it that way, he likes his little princess where he can see and chat to her, can you hear alarm bells ringing or is it the sound of me building a rod for my own back? Am i a car journey away from having to walk two steps behind my master ? <br />
Some of the examples given were allowing your child to dither over their choice of sweets in a shop whilst a queue forms behind you or rearranging your plans so your little cherub can go to a school friends birthday party, can such things really encourage narcissism as the article suggested? I regularly dither over my choice of meal in a restaurant, is this a deep rooted way of making people wait for my almighty decision ? Or simply my inability to be decisive when food is involved?? And as for waiting in line for a few more moments while a 5 year old decides if he wants a milky bar or a fudge (milky bar, every time) the issue seems to be with the adult and their lack of patience, no? <br />
But then I remembered the words of my recent blog where I said I would arrange for Tilly to "listen to Nessun dorma whilst bathing in ass'milk If it made her happy " oh dear, I may rue the day I thought that way, is my style of parenting going to result in me raising a little Verruca Salt? <br />
No home made dinners for you tonight little one, Bread & gruel only, can't have you getting above your station.....MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-89314426766413595352012-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:002012-02-08T01:00:26.351-08:00FruitlessMy failed attempt at breast feeding left my inner earth mother feeling a little bruised, when the time came to wean my little darling, I felt i could achieve redemption by feeding her only home cooked mush, no jar, sachets or pre packed purées would pass her lips.<br />
So i set to work furiously peeling, chopping, steaming, pureeing and freezing dozens of cubes of mushed fruit & vegetables in several variations, pea, mint & potato, sweet potato & broccoli, apple & raspberry, roasted plum. One dessert recipe suggested fresh cherries, I love cherries so was keen to see if my little offspring had inherited my tastebuds, so there I am washing, de-stoning, chopping and stewing them ready for the food processor, managing to get tiny splashes of deep purple juice all over the white walls in my cherry fuelled frenzy, this whole process was laborious, cherry skin is surprisingly tough and my risk assessment of the possibility of Tilly choking on the skin was at least a 6 on a scale of 1 - 10 (frighteningly high don't you agree?) so I ploughed on until all that remained was a smooth pulp. There I am pleased as punch with my culinary masterpiece when the boyfriend joined me for the final stage, pouring into freezer pots, he had foreseen something I hadnt and couldn't resist the spectacle. After half an hour (ok, 20 mins) of graft I had managed to make just 3/4 of a cube of cherry dessert, not even enough for a full serving, not even scraping the remnants from the blender with a spatula could make up the difference, boyfriend was amused, i was demoralised and washed up in a huff, i could have coped with this minor set back had it not come on the same day as I attempted home made oatcakes, which instead of gnawing contentedly on, Tilly bashed full force on the table as if to demonstrate just how inedible they were.....<br />
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These hiccups havent put me off creating culinary baby food masterpieces, quite the opposite, I enjoy leafing through Tillys recipe books more so than my own these days, and delight in seeing her experience new tastes, but I have to admit defeat in one area, desserts. The purist in me gave way to the much stronger element to my personality...laziness. I have committed what seems to be a cardinal sin in the world of Annabel Carmel, feeding my precious little monster petit filous, which opened the flood gates and led to rice pudding and finally last week I caved and bought a weeks worth of desserts in a jar (organic, I'm not an animal!) i am interspersing them with fresh fruit, but the damage is done, I am no longer worthy of the title Betty Crocker, I feel guilty, but not enough to go back, mains are still of the home made variety which eases the pangs, and confessing to you makes me feel lighter of heart, but i worry, am I one step away from feeding her takeaways and fizzy pop?MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-78736562251843481392012-01-23T08:29:00.000-08:002012-01-23T08:29:24.541-08:00Show me the MercuryHot, cold, warm, cool, chilly or toasty , I am not fussy, it's all about the numbers for me, I am unabashadly obsessed with the temperature, the source of this daily complusion i have put down to the introduction of a thermometer to our bedroom. <br />
With the arrival of our little baba came a little baba monitor, complete with digital temperature gauge, from the moment I switched it on, it became what they call my idee fixe, a fascination with the digits before me, knowing the exact room conditions to the nearest degrees celsius is my new party trick, I also like to announce it when I get into my car, which luckily also has a Temperature sensor, it's the last thing I check before I go to sleep and the first thing I check if my baby wakes up. <br />
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As all mums will know babies are particular little creatures, they need to be not too hot, not too cold to be comfortable and sleep well, not to mention the safety aspect, so I am happy if the double figures show me anywhere between 17 and 20 at bedtime, anything below that and I am deeply troubled, I fear my little girl maybe nesh like her mummy, her sleeping patterns of late have been akin to that of a new born, frequent waking, random yelping and general restlessness, it has been a trying time, i was under the impression at the ripe old age of 7 months she would be achieving the holy grail they call "sleeping through" so along with testing the hunger theory, cold had to be a contributing factor. As anyone who had experienced baby induced sleep deprivation will sympathise with, you would do anything to try and coax/encourage your little one to sleep for a solid 8 hrs, if Tilly wanted to listen to Nessus dorma whilst bathing in ass' milk I would arrange it in a jiffy, if it helped her sleep from 7pm - 7am!<br />
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My fear now is that my protege may already picked up my interest for all things measured by mercury, my distaste for luke warm tea is mirrored by her turning her button nose up at milk any cooler than room temperature, and likewise her puree, to be fair I wouldn't eat cold vegetable mush, so warming it is the least I can do, it's like master chef in our kitchen each mealtime, her taking a mouthful of food, me waiting pensively for the verdict.....usually indicated by a wrinkled nose or a gurn, both of which I ignore and continue to feed her regardless, but you can't blame the kid for trying!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-1653478981279738772012-01-13T03:14:00.000-08:002012-01-13T03:14:53.598-08:00Unlucky for someI innocently opened my diary earlier this week, (a paper diary may I point out, despite being the proud owner of a shiny new iPad to organise my life on, I am a nerd and prefer to keep an old fashioned diary up to date with holidays and high days) and there it was staring menacingly back at me....Friday the 13th, an unpleasant date and the first of 3 in 2012. <br />
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I am not the only person to think so, the number of horror films dedicated to this heinous date indicates to me it's a common theme. The number 13 isnt popular at all, I almost feel sorry for it, if the number 13 were a creature it would be a scowling, unsociable, snaggle toothed runt with poor hygiene, no wonder it inflicts Ill feeling wherever possible! Fear of the number 13 even has its own name, triskaidekaphobia, a perfectly valid phobia it transpires, based on the number of hotels without a 13th floor, or streets without a No. 13, I certainly wouldnt want to get on a plane and be sat in aisle 13, seat 13, luckily lots of airlines ignore the existence of poor old number 13 too.<br />
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The day it's self doesnt bother or effect me so much, it's more the build up, I would put it in the Same high risk category as April fools day and mischief night, neither of which I would wish for as a birthday ( I have a particular dislike for mischief night since my teenage self and friends were set upon by pubescent boys with "fart gas" on the bus home, my new Benetton coat never quite recovered, nor it seems, did I)<br />
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So this coming friday the 13th i won't be locking my self in, Although you can safely say i have no plans for air travel, anything unfavourable that does happen to me I will categorically be blaming on the date, be it a broken nail, a ladder in my tights or even burning my toast..damn you Friday 13th...until next time!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-18639270635081811172012-01-06T05:58:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:05:23.677-08:00Dangerous liaisons in sequinsMy Christmas wardrobe this year involved very few sequins....(unless you count the ones on my mother Christmas hat...I decided if I was going to wear a silly hat to greet my Christmas guests, It was to be a shimmering red velvet one covered in ruby sequins trimmed in white fur, topped off with a white fur Pom Pom, I dont do Christmas hats by halves, a word of warning to those thinking of donning one next year, periods of prolonged wear leaves freshly washed hair looking like Rab C Nesbitts thatch, greasy and dishevelled, perhaps reindeer antlers are a better option, I bought the boyfriend a set but he didn't quite get into the spirit as I'd hoped, donning then only for a picture, then carelessly discarding them in the magazine rack, damn waste of £1.99!!!)<br />
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As i was saying, sequins were all but off the menu for me this festive season, partly because i my christmas nights out were fewer and more far between than the years BT (before tilly) and largely because embellishments of any description are not baba friendly, especially babas who have grown their first peggie (bottom left Incisor, much to my disappointment I was hoping for a top snaggle tooth, so I could call her nanny mcphee, but I've had to settle for jack russell) as she likes to chew on and bite anything that doesn't belong to her, particularly necklaces and buttons, so I have had to make yet more ammendments to my attire, chunky necklaces only, with nothing sharp or detachable, and after the guilt of seeing the imprint of the neckline of my dress pressed into Tillys cheek (I assure you this was a very temporary scarring) I no longer wear anything that could even possibly scratch, mark, maime, or choke, In short I have extended my risk assessment to my wardrobe, rendering even more garments for after 7pm wear only, I have actually considered purchasing overalls, much like mechanics wear ( i would of course have my initials embroidered on) as they are so baby friendly, having a few all in one colour would cut down on my washing too, bonus point!) <br />
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Christmas day itself saw me cooking for 11 people (2 of whom were babies, but 9 doesn't have the same wow / sympathy factor does it?) so I chose a very practical and comfortable outfit, a navy waffle cotton tunic top worn over black skinny trousers ( some may call them leggings but i wouldn't want you to confuse me with a member of little mix, and there was no thinning of the denier on the rear thigh and bottom area, so they were technically a trouser, but I can't bring myself to use the name treggings) although it didn't really matter what I wore, as the boyfriend bought me a pinny to complete my transformation into his very own Nigella ( a far more prudish nigella without the generous bosom) <br />
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The nights out I did have we're a pleasure to dress up for, I made use of the (rough/dangerous to babies) sequinned biker jacket gathering dust in my wardrobe, donned heels past the height I deem safe to carry Tilly in (Victoria Beckham is surely the only woman able to carry a baby in 5" heels? Does she have a flunky with goalkeepers skills on hand for any mishaps?) and skinny jeans that i refuse to kneel to change a nappy in for fear of knee pad abrasion, off I went into the night. <br />
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Now January is upon us, it's time to remove the comedy padded stomach, ahem, dust off my workout gear, and revel in wearing 100 denier tights for as long as possible, before spring has sprung and it's time for bare limbs to make an appearance..Happy New Year and wish me luck!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-74652724954996829622011-12-17T01:30:00.000-08:002011-12-17T01:30:42.248-08:00Just when i thought i had cracked it<div class="ecxMsoNormal">Just when I think you’ve cracked this baby malarkey, High fiving the art of Burping, check. Nappy changing in awkward spaces, including the back of the car, check, check. Mastering the car seat, shopping with baby in tow and bathing baby in more than an inch of water. Check check check. Along comes another hurdle to stop you in you in your tracks and wipe that smug look clean off your face. For me, this mountain / molehill was weaning. We were getting along swimmingly Tilly and I, going about our day, 8hrs sleep, a bottle here, a bottle there, a trip to nanas, a stroll in the pram, bliss. Then came the 4am wake up calls, waaaaaa waaaaa waaaaaa, (roughly translated as “fix me a bottle pronto bed head before I wake up the neighbourhood”) To say this was a shock after a few weeks of naively believing my little one “slept through” was an understatement to say the least, in recent weeks I had been woken only by my own freakish need to check she is still breathing, approximately 2 / 3 times a night. No one warned me that hunger could interrupt her sleeping patterns so feverishly. But it didn’t stop at 4am, nope, she began to randomly yelp out at 1am and 2am too, no feed needed this time, just a matter of re-inserting the dummy, for anyone who has padded around the area surrounding baba`s cot in the thick of night furiously looking for one of the fallen dummies will know it’s no laughing matter, nor is sucking on the dummy before giving it back only to be greeted with a mouth full of fluff and whatever else, cleaning dummies in hot water is a much safer and humane option all round.</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"> Following my weaning course, and being the swot I am, listening to the health authorities guide lines, I was waiting patiently for exactly 6 months to pass before I started whipping up purees and getting on the weaning bus, but waking several times in the wee hours eventually ground me down, and after self diagnosing tilly with chronic hunger, I reached for the baby rice at 5 months and 1 week. So sue me.</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal">To my delight, she lapped it up, I chose a baby rice alternative, I am riddled with allergies so to be on the safe side, I chose a wheat free option, and it went down a storm, so much so that I made the silly mistake of allowing her 2 spoon full’s on her first attempt, which led to a full hour (it felt like an day) of intense crying, I had stuffed the poor baby to bursting point, I called my mum in a blind panic, and wailed pathetically down the phone that I thought I had poisoned her, swiftly and calmly mother arrived, gave baba some warm water and a rub and hey presto, the crying stopped, and Tilly was fine too. </div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal">Next stop, after 2 weeks of porridge, Puree. I am not a huge vegetable fan, I like what I call the “exotic” veg family (peppers/mange tout/butternut squash) but your bog standard “roast dinner veg” (carrots/parsnip/broccoli), you can keep. But having pledged that my daughter would know nothing of my dislikes (boyfriend calls it fussiness) I set about making her mini meals, steaming/pureeing and freezing into ice cube looking trays various root vegetables and some pear.</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal">Day 1 of “vegetable gate” and my hard work was rewarded, I excitedly plonked baba in her Bumbo seat, attached bib and went straight in, armed with my bendy spoon and Little Miss Sunshine bowl, I did as the books said and remembered to encourage her, sounding slightly demented, I coooed and ahhhhed as she opened her mouth like a new born bird, waiting to be fed its worms. Only this new born bird wanted to hold the worm itself, and then dip its fingers in the bowl, get a nice handful of sweet potato and then immediately grab mummy’s hair, this wasn’t going to be a civilised affair.</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal">Weaning Lesson 1. Keep bowl far away from little fingers, and while you are there move everything else away from her grasp, do not be deceived by these miniature people, their strength is surprising, and I swear tilly can extend her arms like inspector gadget, I have looked away for a second and turned back to an (unlit!!!) candle being lifted towards her mouth and a pot plant being pulled towards her by its defenceless leaves, nothing is safe. </div><div class="ecxMsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ecxMsoNormal">Lesson 2. Go in armed. I have both wet and dry wipes on hand. Wet to wipe the slop from her cheeks, hands, ears and wherever else. Dry, to protect myself from the spray. Like most of us Tilly is prone to the odd sneeze, but she is yet to learn the art of the stifle, if her dad has his way this will never be the case, he likes to sneeze loud and long and clear aaaaaaaattttchhhhooooooo, Tilly seems to take after him, which is fine, except when she is mid mouthful of butternut squash and the aaaaaaatttchhoooooo is fired in my direction, when I am sitting only inches away from her face, I’ve been caught out once, my face peppered with orange 3D dots of food and saliva, if she wasn’t my baby it would be gross. Oh how we laughed, but there won’t be a next time, I have my tissue umbrella at the ready.</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-12124235350509833132011-12-02T12:32:00.000-08:002011-12-02T12:32:46.756-08:00Dressing in the DarkHaving a baby means you make a fair few sacrifices, i become aware of new ones regularly, My latest is the luxury of switching on the bedroom light for fear of waking baba (who is still in her cot in our bedroom, for a couple of reasons. 1 being she is waking occasionally in the night so its convenient to have her near me, the 2nd being i like her being there, i like to hear her breathing and those funny little noises she makes in her sleep, you can judge me / call me neurotic later) tis true getting into bed in the dark is a small price to pay, but stumped toes are now a regular occurrence, and finding pyjamas that match is virtually impossible. <br />
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It was after waking up wearing a fairly amusing concoction of bed attire one morning, after wearily pulling on some pjs in the dark the night before, that i began to think how liberating it actually felt to wear clothes without them having being contrived into an outfit before hand. I believe it takes a lot of confidence to have a devil may care attitude towards dressing, clothes are often be used as a coat of armour, to shield you from judgement. Now of course there is a time and a place for outfits to be neat and tidy, work wear and weddings for example, but wouldn't it be nice to reach into your wardrobe and wear on the first thing that you lay your hands on? <br />
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To test my theory on a day i wasn't intending to leave the house, I allowed my 2yr old niece to choose my outfit, now what i will say is that a large majority of my winter wardrobe is either grey or black so there was very little chance of me winding up wearing anything too wild, but regardless, wearing what i was told, free from the shackles of style felt pretty good, it didn't matter that i wound up wearing head to toe grey, my niece repeatedly told me it was pink, so i agreed.<br />
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My point is that my inhibitions prevent me from wearing certain things, in my teens and early 20s i was totally the opposite, i wore clothes to attract attention, which i suppose is a right of passage, i was stretching my fashion legs, finding my feet. Now i am hurtling towards 30 however, i am less likely to take risks, although i admire the celebrities that dare to veer off kilter when it comes to the Red Carpet, Tilda Swinton and Helena Bonham Carter are prime examples, yet as much as i admire the carefree nonchalance eccentric both celebrities and young girls dress, this party season i think i will stick with getting dressed with the light switched on.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-29649895385316290552011-11-20T00:56:00.000-08:002011-11-20T00:56:20.313-08:00I`ll be the Judge of that!I have no talent for singing / dancing or acting, yet i sit in judgement watching various TV shows, passing comment, with absolutely zero sense of irony, on the contestants performances. Despite not being able to sing a note i find it perfectly acceptable to criticise harmonies that weren't to my liking, critique dance moves that i found to be lacklustre and occasionally spout my completely fictitious expert opinion on peoples acting skills, all to the amusement of boyfriend, who half listens to my rants with the minimum amount of interest.<br />
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Its not that i have an inflated opinion of myself, its TV culture. Talent shows, programmes about property, home building and entrepreneurship, cookery competitions and home comparison shows all encourage our inner judge, and has made each of us Cheif Arbiter of all subjects. I defy anyone who has sat and watched an episode of Dragons Den/The Apprentice to honestly say they haven't given their opinion on the equity accepted, the quality of the pitch and the tactics used ?<br />
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The list of subjects on which you can be the couch bound adjudicator on is endless, not to mention the list of "expert presenters" popping up everywhere, my particular bugbear is (predictably) self styled fashion virtuosos, now i am not expecting to see proof of a doctorate, but a few credentials wouldn't go amiss, in my opinion belting everything and sticking people in control knickers does not make you the authority, but this coming from me, who picks holes in the vocal performances of professionals , regardless of being tone deaf, is a bit rich.<br />
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Child rearing is an area i notice there is very little focus on in the world of TV experts, is this because none of them feel they are getting it right, or perhaps because the tread on this subject would always be on thin ice?? There is a huge divide when it comes to whose opinion should be taken as Gospel when it comes to babies. There are the obvious camps in the form of the Gina Ford Devotees, Disciples of the Baby Whisperer and of course the Contented little babies, i veered off kilter on the recommendation of a convert and opted to go with Tizzy Hall`s Save our Sleep, but its very much personal choice, despite being a "sofa-expert" in all other fields (singing/dancing/acting/entrepreneurship/building/cookery) motherhood was entirely new to me and i made valiant attempts to follow a routine, but Tilly doesn't seem to be quite up to speed, i think perhaps she may be skipping pages of the book???<br />
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Joking aside, i think its important to hone your craft and earn your stripes before proclaiming to be an expert, so whilst i keep my baby books close at hand for comfort and confirmation, yet again it was the experts i call the mummy council i turned to when honest and understanding advice about Tilly`s latest cough & cold was what what i needed, this group consists of my mum, sister, sister in laws and friends who are all able to sit behind the judges desk when it comes to babies, having been there and bought the T-shirt,. The membership fee to the mummy council is free, meetings are at random and wine drinking during Q & A sessions is optional. Its a yes from me, one million percent.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-56349316979719480832011-11-04T12:51:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:57:11.511-07:00Very SuperstitiousI was bitterly disappointed with Halloween this year, having stocked up on treatsize sweeties for my prospective Trick or Treaters i was left waist high in Maltesers when only one paltry gaggle of witches & ghouls made the pilgrimage to my door. I love opening the door and being given a hairdryer chorus of "Trick orrrrrrrrr treeeeeeeeat" In the past there have been the odd silences on opening the door, i deal with this by grinning at them, clutching my bowl of prizes like a goon until they buckle, cruel? perhaps, but its tradition, you've got to work for your rewards!<br />
I also like my Trick or Treaters to have made an effort, civilian clothes topped off with a scream mask doesn't cut the mustard for me, i am not suggesting parents hire their offspring costumes for the occasion, merely put their back into it, a cape can easily be fashioned from a bin bag, i also prefer a painted face as opposed to a mask , preferably green and eyeliner warts are a must have.<br />
I am very excited for future Halloweens with Tilly, i intend to bake traditional family Halloween recipes such as bats wing (Roughly chopped Mars bar) Vampire Blood (Ribena) and intestines (Strawberry laces) and play duck apple, although in our house we were partial to what i believe is known as snap apple, hanging an apple from a length of string and attempting to eat it with your arms tied behind your back, this is a competitive sport may i add, there needs to be more than one player, or its just eating an apple, hanging from a string, with your arms behind your back.<br />
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I shared my dismal T or T story and have now been filled in on the modern etiquette of Trick or Treating, apparently its necessary to leave your gurning carved pumpkin either in the porch/path or window. A visible pumpkin denotes you are a Halloween believer, which to me seems a shame, kids don't know what they are missing, being chased by miserable Halloween haters was the scariest part of the night! Ive also been made aware of an excellent new game, Musical Monsters, the rules are that of Musical Statues, but the players must be dressed in scary costumes, amazing!<br />
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For someone scared of their own shadow, who hates scary movies i am a huge fan of Halloween, its fills a festive gap between the summer nights and Christmas, I am also a big fan of fancy dress, and the two go hand in hand perfectly, i also enjoy how inevitably the odd news paper or daytime television programme feature a white witch, one particular season nut job and her Black Cat got me thinking about Superstitions, and how i have managed to rack up more than your average person. Mine however don't involve Black Cats or ladders, they are more of a hybrid of superstition and old wives tales. they include the obvious one, Friday 13th, and then the list spans out of control, these are my top 5<br />
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<ul><li>Never put new shoes on the table, as family quarrels will surely follow</li>
<li>Don't cross on the stairs, or you will never marry</li>
<li>If you spill salt, throw some over your left shoulder, to hit evil spirits in the face</li>
<li>Never put an umbrella up indoors</li>
<li>Smash a mirror and receive 7 years bad luck</li>
</ul><div>I am yet to pick up on what seems to be a common favourite, Saluting Magpies, but i cant be far off </div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-66399896400597868662011-10-29T15:43:00.000-07:002011-10-30T03:39:12.845-07:00Sentimental old foolI`ve realised lately that sentiment and hoarding go hand in hand. The reason for me holding on to the things i do are due to sentiment, before i began gallivanting in the name of fashion i used to keep concert stubs, festival wrist bands and souvenirs from nights out, nothing sordid, may i add, just props i would pick up in clubs; tiaras, wands, photo key rings...that sort of junk, but since learning the art of travelling with a capsule wardrobe i automatically began to streamline all the other parts of my life, as i wasn`t living in one place i stopped acquiring "stuff" as i didn't feel like i had anywhere to store it. I did however continue to buy clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories, and although in comparison to some people, i am ruthless when it comes to a clear out, there are somethings i just cant bear to part with, sometimes its because the item cost me so much, the memory of paying for it still stings, sometimes its because it holds memories of fun times had wearing it, I have really old "going out" bags that have earned names, like Jagger and Horsehead, when something has a name you cant just fling it out, they are like pets to me, very old, tired looking pets with the odd drink stain on them.<br />
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My retrospective state of mind was triggered by a pair of shoes i wore to a recent party, a beautiful pair of red wine velvet platforms with a block heel, i bought them years ago and they are like new, i should wear them more i thought, what a waste...when i began to walk in them, i remembered why i dont wear them, i looked down to find my pinky toe on each foot hanging perilously out like small chipolatas, but at the end of the night, regardless of the discomfort and despite the unattractive toe situation, still i put them back in my wardrobe, shoes that are useless but beautiful, only women can appreciate this.<br />
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My friends are breeding at an astonishing rate, the domino effect is raging, literally, so everything from my maternity clothes to Tilly`s new born baby bits are already having their second wind. I felt compelled to hold back some bits, her first dress, ok, makes that plural, dresses, her first shoes, that sort of thing, but am not sure where i should stop. I recall being asked if i had kept her belly button stump (i didn't) i felt terrible, was i cold hearted? should i keep every last thing she ever wears/touches/vomits on? I think common sense must prevail, i cant bear the thought of waste (i am a keen recycler, becoming a mum has turned me ever so swampy-esque, i will be growing tomatoes next) my mum often berates herself for the things she didn't keep, i have always maintained the opinion you cant keep everything, it just isn't feasible, particularly as i am 1 of 6 children, had we of kept all our old clothes and toys there would have been no room in the house for us to live in it. Among our hospital bracelets, christening robes, first party dresses and other nik naks, one thing my mum has kept, which always makes me smile was the top i wore when i first went to a "club" a rather fetching pink off the shoulder gypsy top with a single haberdashery rose gracing the neckline...i wonder if that will ever get a its second wind??MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-4423113123281272372011-10-25T03:14:00.000-07:002011-10-25T03:14:52.133-07:00Bear with a sore headI am not one to moan, <i>a`hem</i>, but the past 2 weeks i have been in the wars a little bit. First of all i opted for a tooth extraction rather than wait for the underlying abscess to rear its ugly head and, cause me toothache, but the process of removing my unusually large back molar wasn`t straight forward, it resisted the dentists tools until the bitter end, we have been together a long time my molar and i, and it wasn't leaving the warm confines of my mouth without a fight, so for the past few days i have been cupping my face like a wounded bear, and accessorising my swollen jaw with the occasional yelps, which inevitably become more frequent when people are in ear shot. As if this wasn't enough my exczema has flared up on my writing hand, and to discourage my scratching the pharmacist suggested a wear cotton gloves, so i bought the only option available, a packet of white cotton gloves, but as the rash is only on one hand, it was only necessary for me to wear one glove, so for the past few days i have been sporting one white cotton glove and much to the boyfriends amusement have forgotten on several occasions to remove it in public, paying a car park attendant and signing for a parcel both while wearing a single cotton glove, like my very own silent tribute act.<br />
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You will be pleased to hear I soldiered on through, and was brought sharply down to earth when i took my little baba to the hospital herself, after being breach for so long the paediatrician wanted to scan her hips to check for displacement (or clicky hips as its known) seeing her tiny little body wriggling while Grandad held her legs still and the radiographer rolled her onto her side broke my heart, not even Eskimo kisses from her mummy could stop her visible distress, speaking of Hospitals...............<br />
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This week the Imagine Appeal Clothes Throw is finally upon us, this incredible charity raises money for Alder Hey Childrens Hospital, an incredible place which treats 250,000 little patients every year...this year they are holding fashion shows and auctioning Celebrity/Designer donated items from Joan Collins,DVF, Helmut Lang to name a few, i supported this charity before Tilly came along, but it feels even closer to my heart now...<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Alder-Hey-Clothes-Throw/210073519024769">http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Alder-Hey-Clothes-Throw/210073519024769</a>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-78707051664805916262011-10-16T02:25:00.000-07:002011-10-16T02:26:56.470-07:00Hierarchy madnessI may have been watching a little too much Downton Abbey, but i am growing rather fond of the idea / concept of "dressing for dinner" I think this may be due to the fact my day to day wardrobe is more casual than i have ever known. In the years BB (before baby) my mid week wardrobe was work wear and evening wear also known as my "going out clothes" the colour scheme was predominantly black and my weekend wardrobe was an amalgamation of both.<br />
Now i am on Maternity leave i have been forced to reassess my day to day ensemble, i now want to look a little less "stiff" when i am out and about, black skinny jeans have been a Winter staple of mine for a few years now, but they aren't very casual or cozy looking are they? my recent trip to a play group indicated that blue jeans are the wash of choice for the majority of mums, you may wonder why i feel the need to observe other mums "day wear" but having spent so long working in fashion, seeing women wearing leather leggings and 5" heels at 9am has become the norm` for me, the fash pack rarely bother with practicality and comfort, a colleague told me she gets very funny looks at the playground from the other mums when she rocks up in the latest trend...i wonder what they will make of Fetish this season?<br />
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<img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRi3jmw2ewlI-xORJCgNxVzWxW0NWCzLjxoTdDN15Om8jpFu5xyLQ" /><br />
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I get great pleasure from sorting out my wardrobe at the change of seasons, it is cathartic for me, recently, with baby safely deposited at Chez Grandparents i headed into the loft to retrieve my Winter warmers. Having spent time perusing the glossy magazines, poring over the new Autumn Winter collections i couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed with what i found, i almost expect to find the things Ive been lusting after just loitering there, but alas there were no plum suede boots nor a fur trimmed parka, ho hum...its a good job i have spotted just the ticket!<br />
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As my day to day routine for now doesn't involve going to work, i find myself keeping certain clothes for when i actually step out of the door, i have always had a "wardrobe tier" system of sorts but i seem to have taken it to another level. In the past i have insisted i don't keep things for best, as inevitably you don't get enough wear out of things to justify buying them, i have always stood by the price per wear motto (where by you divide the total cost of the item by the number of times you have worn it...ie Item cost £250 : Number of times worn : 10 : Cost per wear £25) at the moment i am struggling to make this work for a large majority of my wardrobe so i have created an unintentional hierarchy. Most of us have Evening wear / Day wear / work wear, but when recently editing my pyjamas / hanging around the house clothes (known in our house as slummies) i realised i was separating them something like this<br />
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<ul><li>Nice Pyjamas</li>
<li>Things i would answer the door in</li>
<li>Only suitable for cleaning up in</li>
</ul><div>You may think this is an indication i have too much time on my hands, which may be a fair observation, but its really more of a case of needing to have things organised, on a daily basis i find myself wearing a little splash of vomit somewhere, like a baby badge of honour, so having my wardrobe organised enough to be able to reach for a replacement top/dress at a moments notice makes things a little easier, i am not quite there yet, and on occasion i find my outfit still a dash too formal for a trip to the supermarket, on occasion i look like I've just come from work...but slowly slowly catchee monkey, and i think perhaps i will opt for some Aubergine skinny cords, my version of blue jeans.</div><br />
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<img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHQQv-Yq8mw9Czy-2HqDQHCHIeadwEDi5xZmK3BjGXmrHAgew3vA" />MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-61126154713212885992011-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:002011-10-05T00:40:56.444-07:00Time please ladies & gents<img src="http://www.ohsocherished.co.uk/shopimages/products/thumbnails/no-dad-dancing.JPG" /><br />
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For the record i am 29 years old, there are times when i feel 100 but the majority of the time i still think i am 21, in my head i still look 21 too, although driving past Liverpool University last week and seeing a gaggle of "freshers" reminded me i am not, i would look like a member of the Goonies in the get ups these girls were rocking, they were all head scarves tied over grey / blonde hair, peter pan collars over cropped t shirts and denim cut offs, (watch an episode of X Factor and you`ll see this demonstrated perfectly)<br />
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Another reason for my reflective mood probably has something to do with receiving a letter to inform me that my driving licence picture needs renewing, i am rather perturbed as i quite like my picture, it looks nothing like me, i am blonde, tanned (i was partial to a sunbed or 6 back then) and my pose is one of pure unadulterated vanity, i genuinely don't want to change it...i knew i should have pickled my face back then.<br />
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Having a baby has the bonus effect of making you feel very grown up, the sense of responsibility is a shock, and the fact your life will never be the same again, Before having our little baba, Boyfriend and I both agreed that we didnt want to retire from having a social life, i felt too young to hang up my dancing shoes, the boyfriend said something along the lines of "there is life in the old dog yet".<br />
I was so excited about our new addition but i knew then i wanted her to be just that, an addition to our lives, this may sound unbelievably selfish but my siblings and friends all seem to have a great balance of work/family/social life, combining the latter is easier now the majority of our group have children, we also have the added bonus of having very accommodating (read: willing to babysit) parents, so have had the luxury of being able to go out as a couple.<br />
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Although i wasn't so quick to catch on to the other elements of my life that would have to be changed or at least amended slightly, when baba was 10 weeks old we took her to a friends wedding down south, we were blissfully ignorant to how difficult it was going to be taking such a young baby to a 2 day event, my mum repeatedly offering to babysit Tilly for the weekend should have been a slap-in-the-face clue. I was so concentrated on our wedding attire i didn't give a moments thought to my little ones feeds/naps fitting in with the wedding schedule, with no "routine" in place and in hindsight this short sighted of me. So off we went, the car yet again packed up like a sardine can, We arrived at the ceremony on time, so far so good...then no sooner had the beautiful bride entered the Church did Tilly decide she wanted her bottle, and the noise she made indicated she did not want it in 20 minutes, she wanted it right now, this moment, chop chop, sharpish, Boyfriend and i were like a SWAT team and the bottle was made, shaken and inserted into her mini cake hole within seconds, panic over.<br />
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My next challenge was to negotiate the remainder of the day in vertiginous heels whilst holding baba, add champagne to this scenario and i have to confess, for the first party in my heel wearing career i changed into flats, sparkly flats, but non the less i admitted defeat and accepted this was the only option...my life has now officially changed beyond recognition! We lasted until midnight, baba fast asleep in her pram and us taking it in turns to do what can only be described as the parent equivalent of dad dancing, on the dance floor, pushing the pram to the beat of the music......ssssshhhhh i promised boyfriend it was our little secret.....<br />
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Thanks to Ohsocherished.co.uk for the image, No Dad Dancing sign available at<br />
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<a href="http://www.ohsocherished.co.uk/product/3925/453/no_dad_dancing_sign">http://www.ohsocherished.co.uk/product/3925/453/no_dad_dancing_sign</a>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-69723675114732134502011-09-28T14:13:00.000-07:002011-09-28T14:20:13.403-07:00The time has come<img src="data:image/jpg;base64,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" /><br />
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Naive, deranged, hopeful, big headed, all of these words are applicable to my belief that i would (more or less) snap back into shape post baby. I avidly followed the weight gain of celebrities who were pregnant at the same time as me (Abbey Clancy, Victoria Beckham, Pink, Mariah Carey, Selma Blair, Jessica Alba to name a few) and compared my own bump/bum/bingo wing growth, at times i felt i was driving myself crazy, but it didn't stop me scrolling through endless pictures of them whilst munching my way through a slice of Battenburg or 4, the poor boyfriend had to sit through my running commentary, which generally focused on how their lifestyles were different to mine, how they probably had personal trainers/chefs/stylists to help them maintain their figure despite their burgeoning bump, i now know i was in denial that the extra carbohydrates i was consuming were the sole reason for my higher than average weight gain.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQXzKHFeOGOXuD96rgRo0Y2nlLa5YVNK2XURrHwMb-js92YguXoTDeXGRCUZxfMvI9RE5GvEvCfihfb8it9PZt3DBjQ73KkJVkCa5LNAHtDBgyTuqs1Tx24g5xfgnROXuT8emx7vMejTc/s1600/280486_10150251961943684_8400033683_7428661_3948834_o.jpg" /><br />
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<div> For the past 3 months the biggest frustration i have had is still not being able to fit into any of my old clothes, particularly since the weather turned colder, i am itching to wear my J Brand skinnies, while now i can get them up over my thighs and bottom, but the button looks like its had a terrible argument with the button hole and they cannot bear to be in the same vicinity as one another, no amount of lying down to zip them up is going to work, its time for me to take action, sooner rather than later, as soon enough the "Ive just had a baby" excuse is going to wear extremely thin (excuse the pun) plus the afore mentioned celebrities have all had their babies and the majority are back strutting the red carpet wearing sample size frocks, which to me just signifies that quick weight loss is possible, if not easy, but also reminds me that there is light at the end of the tunnel, no need to reach for the velour trackpants just yet....<br />
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Some may say i am being too harsh on my self, but the fact of the matter is i am a secret snacker, i actually manage to convince myself that chomping on treat size Twirls isn't naughty, Devouring Cornetto Ice Creams whilst walking the promenade is customary and that Jaffa Cakes are 1 of my 5 a day.. its time to take action...<br />
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.... i don`t wish to discuss exact stones & pounds as each woman's weight gain is relative to her pre pregnancy size, nor will i be uploading gross "before " pictures, no one wants to see that, not even me, so i have joined Fat Camp, or Boot camp to give it its official title, 3 times a week approximately 12 of us, including 2 of my friends (for me having friends to go with is essential, they provide encouragement and humour) congregate in a park and are put through our paces by a mild mannered instructor, who seems a little bemused by my pathetic approach to such tough exercise, its early days but am loving the challenge, after 4 sessions am yet to see any noticeable changes to my figure or weight, (i have decided not to follow the detox they recommended, i may live to regret this but i know i wouldn't stick to it, and then be forced to lie) but i feel very positive, full of energy and am getting used to having aching muscles 99% of the time....watch this space!!<br />
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<img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2pHm2ngjessp9Rnc3UmgmpJQ-m3RIxnX2oQv98ASE2nQqsgia2A" /></div></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-58413476471153296202011-09-21T03:04:00.000-07:002011-09-21T03:04:59.972-07:00GreetingsYou hear so many conflicting opinions on exactly when a baby should be weaned that i decided to attend a weaning class to hear for myself both the medical and practical reasons for waiting till baby is 6 months old, so i could make an informed decision.<br />
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The class covered all the stages from baby weaning to advice on feeding young children, including food allergies, childhood obesity and food related behavior, it even covered Dental Health. We were told horror stories of under 5s having teeth extracted due to high sugar diets, of a 10year old who will live with dentures for life, and of young children developing heart problems from being overweight. Perhaps scare tactics are necessary in some cases but i found it all a little too much, i felt tearful that these precious little beings were subjected to what can only be described as negligence, as adults we can make our own decision of what to eat and when, we are provided with the nutritional contents of each and every product we eat, children don`t have this luxury and its the parents responsibility to ensure they give their child a balanced diet, to ensure their optimum health now and in the future...i will step off my soap box now....<br />
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One of the most interesting parts of the session for me was the discussion about eating behaviors and the long term effects these can have, i have already read about the perils of confusing hunger with comfort and running the risk of your child becoming a comfort eater, they also discussed the merits of eating with your child, preferably at a table, without the TV on, as in the same way as an adult, your child is unable to determine when they are full if they are distracted by their favourite programme, and can either over eat, or under eat and then need more food later on...generally something sweet.<br />
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Coming from a family that ate at the dining table every night (except on a Saturday when we had our dinner on a tray whilst watched Blind Date / Generation game) I have always favoured eating at a table rather than in front of the TV, i enjoy conversing about the day (whilst keeping my elbows firmly <i>off </i>the table, not talking with my mouth full and while definitely <i>not </i>sitting on my feet..table manners were strict in our house, my dad thoroughly enjoyed keeping a watchful eye on his brood during meal times) I have decided i wish to continue this tradition, i plan to adopt the Ma` Boswell (Bread) style of saying Grace...i may even invest in a pottery hen.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-52602470842994473012011-09-15T13:30:00.000-07:002011-09-15T13:30:31.213-07:00Tears for Fears"They" ( "they" being the invisible experts that i often refer to when i am not sure of the source of my fact/statistic) say that we are born with just 2 natural fears, a fear of loud noises and the fear of falling, all other fears are learnt as we grow up. I recently read about a study which proves parents are the cause of their children's fears, that fears are passed down through our behaviour, which technically means my daughter will inherit my long list of irrational fears including the dark, spiders, flies, clowns, kitten heels and my own shadow, to name but a few, along with her dads fear of all things gory, he cant bear watching operations on television that feature incisions of any description (i on the other hand relish watching things like embarrassing illnesses, the lumpier and bumpier and more painful looking the patients complaint the better for me) the problem i have is i don't want her to be a scaredy cat like me, i wish i could manage my fears better so they wouldn't be so glaringly obvious to her, i have already had to deal with attempting to waft a wasp away from her while being terrified myself (its not just the fear of being stung, i don't like they have fur and i could possibly swallow them, irrational? i know) The theory of "hereditary" fears must entirely dependant on the individual as i don't recall my own parents ever being frightened of the things i run away from, in fact my mum used to calmly remove spiders from my room, encourage wasps out of the windows and even walk into dark rooms at night without putting the light on...ooooh the thought of such madness makes me shudder!<br />
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Luckily one of the only things i am not frightened of is needles (don't get me wrong if i was being chased by somebody wielding a dirty needle i wouldn't be cool, calm and collected, but as a rule getting a needle doesn't bother me) so when it came to Tilly getting her 12 week immunisations i wasn't scared, just upset that she had to go through the discomfort, i was cuddling her throughout, she must have been wondering why i sat back and let the mean lady push the sharp object in her thigh!<br />
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I have decided to make a conscious effort to become less fearful to ensure my little one never has to witness me being a wuss, first up i will brush my teeth in the dark...baby steps to a new me.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-67664837607640663962011-09-09T02:08:00.000-07:002011-09-09T02:08:56.591-07:00Pretty in Pink??As soon as September rolls around my head automatically flicks into Autumn/Winter wardrobe mode, and now that i am responsible for Tilly`s wardrobe too, this means hers too. Its tricky getting an 11 week old baby to try things on, they kind of just want to get dressed, if i mess around for too long choosing an outfit she glares up at me from her horizontal lying position on the changing table and i know enough is enough, occasionally i hold her in front of her wardrobe and allow her to be part of the selection process, obviously now this is entirely for my own amusement, but i am hoping this will become something we will do together eventually *sighs wistfully*<br />
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</div><div>As i was saying, as the weather turns colder from now on wards, i have been seeing which of her little outfits can be adapted and worn layered, as she still fits into them for now, and its not like me, i cant pack her summer wardrobe away and drag it out again next year, this is the one and only chance she will get to wear these clothes, thankfully she wont remember any of her beautiful frocks, it would be too traumatic for her to know they are all going to be too small very soon.<br />
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Today's outfit consisted of a pair of baby cord jeans, a long sleeved top with a peter pan collar and a super soft soft pink sweater (she was wearing two of this seasons biggest trends cord & knitwear not intentionally, but she was none the less) i thought she looked gorgeous, she did look gorgeous, cute as a button, comfortable and cozy, so off we went to visit a friend, to cut a long story short, the pink sweater was too warm and in the absence of a dress or the obligatory "shes a girl" headband, Tilly was mistaken for a boy by a coo-ing stranger, i was mortified, she is such a pretty little girl (the outfit wasn't intended to look androgynous, i was inspired by a recent trip to French children's wear store, Bonpoint, and then replicated it using Zara kids) whats worse within minutes we came face to face with another baby wearing a sparkly pink tutu and a huge bow on her head, this to me was the equivalent of me coming face to face with a cast member of TOWIE, the way they dress isn't my cup of tea, but thousands of girls aspire to their ultra girly spangly bandage dress wearing style, i have on occasion felt intimidated by glamazonians, usually when wearing something i deemed on trend which they no doubt would label frumpy......i was over whelmed with guilt...was i enforcing my newborn to dress down? should i dress her more frivolously? ignore my instincts and go for head to toe shades of candy frou frou complete with a baby fascinator?? What do i do until she is old enough to choose her own clothes, dress her how i choose and risk her backlash later in life ? Answers on a postcode please, as this problem definitely isn't the baby books.<br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-59621367199412358792011-08-29T11:27:00.000-07:002011-09-09T03:10:02.357-07:00Tools of the TradeWe decided to be cavalier and take our little bundle on her first family holiday, no where that involved a passport or excess baggage charges, but to the beautiful Cotswolds (and not on our own either, with other family members who also have little people to entertain, i cant recommend this plan of action enough, the more hands on deck the better)<br />
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Packing up the car was an experience, how can one tiny little person need so much stuff?? Every inch of the car was jam packed with baby paraphernalia, it was suggested (not by me) to Boyfriend he invest in a roof rack, his face was a picture, for him that would be the final nail in his peter pan existence, you would think he had been asked to drive a 3 wheeler, instead he played suitcase Jenga until it all fitted in. Tilly of course had her own mini suitcase which was packed to perfection, i even took her small hangers to ensure i could hang it all up on arrival, her dad and i on the other hand were limited to a holdall each, how times change.<br />
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Tilly chose our weeks holiday to have a growth spurt, and proceeded to wake at 2.30am each night for a top up feed, after boasting she slept 10pm - 5/6am this was quite a shock to the system, nor did she want to sleep in quite as late, i think she was far more interested in watching early morning Sponge Bob with her little cousins.<br />
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Having 4 adults on hand meant we were able to take turns to piece with our off-spring and managed to fit in kayaking (both of us) horse riding (just me) and water skiing (just boyfriend, i used Tilly as my excuse but the fact is i am weak as a kitten and at times find pushing a shopping trolley an effort, so holding up my body weight whilst balancing on 2 ice lolly sticks on water didn't appeal to me)<br />
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Tilly being pint sized and unable to protest boredom meant i was able to indulge myself in a spot of charity shop scouring in the local villages, i am always hopeful that a Mrs Haversham type character will have donated her entire wardrobe of vintage Chanel to the local Sue Ryder shop, i have been warned that shopping days with Tilly wont always be so easy so i made the most of it and also fitted in a day at Bicester Village.<br />
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On the way to our holiday we got stuck in a traffic jam (a 4 mile tail back where we were actually stopped, engine off) boyfriend hates sitting in any form of traffic and it transpired Tilly has inherited this extreme dislike, in fact for the whole week she cried whenever we drove at anything less than 30mph, she is a speed freak, and whenever i put her in a white sleep suit for bed, boyfriend calls her The Stig, i am worried that rather than have a little ballet dancing princess who loves fashion and singing to Beyonce like her mum that she will be a Top Gear watching, trainer wearing petrol head, like her Daddy.<br />
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Whilst sat in the traffic jam i began to worry about what would happen if we were stuck there, what would i used to feed Tilly once the feeds i had with me ran out ? (i like to imagine the worst possible scenarios, compulsive worrying is a skill i am honing in preparation for my twilight years) i of course had enough feeds and bottles with me to ensure Tilly could have actually camped there happily for days, Boyfriend and i however would have been malnourished and dehydrated, but that didn't occur to me. But i did have one very good idea, a friend of ours wears a rather fetching tool belt (for work not as accessory you must understand, but something i teased him about regardless when he worked on our house) well now i must eat my words as it probably something i would find quite useful, my tool belt would contain a supply of muslin's, Infacol, and a Dettol antibacterial spray (my love and repetitive use of this has led the Boyfriend to nickname me the E Coli warrior) so i have to use this opportunity to sincerely apologise for calling our friend "Tim the tool man Taylor" now where can i get me one, and do they come in suede? or better still corduroy for Autumn Winter???MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-38974965850747741062011-08-14T08:37:00.000-07:002011-08-14T08:37:22.609-07:00Rave OnSome call it nature, some call it nurture, others say its pure good luck, but i have (for now) a baby that sleeps. I don't want to tempt fate, but she does, she can sleep for up to 8hrs at night time, meaning i get to catch up on some snoozage. Boyfriend keeps telling me i should make the most of it, but nothing can stop me waking up half a dozen times through the night to check my little one is still breathing, meaning i am still tired, but at least have peace of mind for the short intervals i am in the land of nod. <br />
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They say you cant have it all, and as i have a baby that sleeps, this means i also have a baby who is very much awake for the majority of the day, and she may only be 8 weeks but she is not immune from boredom, so plonking her in the bouncer for hours on end isn't an option, this little one needs entertaining, and unfortunately she doesn't enjoy sitting in bed and watching Daybreak as much as me, i don't know if its Adrian Chiles or Christine Bleakley she doesn't like, but either way she lets me know its time to haul my arse out of bed and start the day.<br />
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There are small windows of opportunities in my day to get things done, taking a shower for example, yes i know i should get up before she wakes up and have one, but i don't, so i fit one in around her frequent morning feeds. One morning last week i decided a bath was more preferable, not a quick lick and a promise mind, i fancied a soak, decadent, i know. My little treasure seemed to be content enough sitting in her bouncer in the bathroom where she could see me....until the second i began to step in the bath, at that moment she decided enough was enough, she wanted attention and she wanted it now! Now rather than doing the maternal thing and scrapping the bath, scooping her up and using the time to practise her Mandarin (an imperative language to know for her to become an international business mogul don't you think ?) I decided i could pacify her by singing to her, this is common place in our house, i cant sing a note in tune, and the Boyfriend is no Michael Buble, but he keeps Miss Tilly happy for hours singing silly rhymes to her and playing her his latest vinyl purchase, I in turn warble endlessly along to Smooth FM, so you see it seemed like the perfect idea, only my brain went completely blank, as she screamed i frantically searched my mental back catalogue of songs for one that might capture her attention. I could have chosen the sultry sounds of Sade, or even something catchy by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, both of which she seems to enjoy, but no, the only song that entered into my head, thanks to a childhood filled with summer holidays at Haven, was Aaaaaaaaaagaaaaaaa doo doo doo, so there i was, sat in the bath pushing Pineapple`s, shaking the trees, grinding cof-fee, whilst my daughter sat and stared directly at me, no longer crying, perhaps in shock. Thank god she didn't have an iphone handy, or i think she may have seized the opportunity to humiliate me on You Tube for subjecting her to such a pathetic performance, i don't think i will ever make a red coat.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-12052679376302906042011-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:30:51.697-07:00A first time for everything6 weeks exactly to the day of Tilly being born it was time for me to venture back out into the world of grown ups and go "out"<br />
I am have been very carefully weaning myself back on to alcohol by having a glass of wine in the evening (for preparation purposes only, of course) but i still felt nervous about actually drinking multiple units in one evening, not to mention feeling ropey the next day. Tilly was in the very capable hands of her Nana & grandad for the evening, so that wasn't a worry for me, thankfully, as i had whole host of other things to stress me out.<br />
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First task, getting ready. Since Ive had the baby i have questioned what exactly i did with my time before she came along, I have now realised i spent the majority of it preparing myself to leave the house. In the past i wasn't one for planning my "going out" outfits (this has either worked very well for me or bombed spectacularly and Ive ventured out looking eclectic/like a crazy bag lady) but as my wardrobe is still somewhat limited due to majority of my clothes having bizarrely shrunk in size recently, i purposely chose what i was wearing a few days in advance. I also enlisted my sister to blow dry my hair to cut down my preening time. All i had to do was shower, apply my war paint and get dressed...simple? you`d think so. But this was after i got Miss Tilly ready for her sleep over, for a little person she sure does need a <em>lot </em>of stuff, bottles/formula/steriliser/nappies/wipes and that's before packing her spare clothes and moses basket! <br />
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My time keeping has never been good, in fact i am notorious for never being ready on time for nights out, but its something i have been working on improving (the boyfriend is the most prompt person ever so i have been following his lead) Tilly has only added to my tardiness so getting us both ready to get out for 8pm was no mean feat (Boyfriend watched in vain as i ran around like a headless chicken, i have a medical condition called Mummy Martyrdom which prevented me from delegating my to-do-list, i hear this is a common problem among new mums, understandable though, how can we moan about how much we have to deal with if we always let our partners help us??)<br />
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Finally i was ready (wearing a clever A-line button through dress, which skimmed over my problem areas, i am declining to list these, there is something to be said for not drawing peoples attention to your faults so i topped my look off with red lips) I popped on my heels (10cm) and off i went, walking like Bambi, who would have thought it, a few months of wearing flats and despite years of teetering on vertiginous heels i am back to being a novice, i was <em>mortified</em>! I walked like i was smuggling a marble between my bum cheeks, my poor toes were clinging onto the end of my shoes for dear life as i negotiated my way into the car. No body warned me that post pregnancy i would have to once again learn to walk in high heels, the extra weight i am carrying probably didn't help my balance either, but i have always believed the higher the heels & hair the closer to heaven so this was quite a blow.<br />
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The dress i was wearing on my first night out belonged to my younger sister, this i believe was my first mistake, spying a dress on a 25yr old and thinking that i could emulate the look, despite having only given birth 6 weeks ago, you have to applaud my balls.<br />
I left the house believing i looked presentable, admittedly i didn't feel a fraction of the confidence i had pre pregnancy, but at the very least i had ensure i looked quite polished, what quickly struck me on arriving at the bar that night that polished wasn't quite going to cut the mustard for me. I found myself surrounded by dozens and dozens of skinny legs, young (probably childless) skinny legs clad in (very very very) short dresses dancing around carelessly. I felt like an alien. Admittedly this wasn't a bar i frequented prior to having the Tilly, so i had nothing to compare my feelings to, but i felt nervous, frumpy and out of place. The large majority of my friends have children, and they were all there, sporting an array of fabulous outfits, looking slim, confident and gorgeous, undeterred by the underage mini girls aloud look alikes that milled around....this reminded me my feelings were only temporary, and there is obviously going to be a period of adjustment after having a baby, I am a mummy now, but there is no reason mummy = frumpy, i fully intend to claw back my old confidence, i may never wear anything outrageous, but am not sure i did before, i may never bare my midriff again, but never say never. As for walking in high heels, practise makes perfect.<br />
MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-73775098552908904692011-08-05T05:05:00.000-07:002011-08-05T05:05:03.904-07:00Some call it slaveryWhen asked by her parents to do something she doesn't feel like doing (usually something menial like pass the remote / shut the door that kind of thing) hysterically, my niece`s response is "i`m not your slave" whats even funnier is that she picked it up from her mum & dad who used to jokingly say it to her when she used to point at or ask for something she couldn't be bothered to retrieve herself, oh how i laughed when the shoe was on the other foot. Tilly is 7 weeks old tomorrow, and granted, she is unable to do anything for herself, but already i can see into the future, and Princess Tilly is going to rule the roost. I have visions of me living in a kennel outside when she decides she needs more space, in fact i may change my name to Baldrick now, save any confusion later. <br />
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We started baby massage this week, when i told my parents about this, my dad was sceptical to say the least, i think he thought i was taking Tilly for a seaweed wrap, pedicure and sauna!! Far from being new age hippy dippy nonsense, baby massage classes were actually started in the 1970s by an American woman who travelled the world, during her time in India she saw how the Indian women, despite living in immense poverty and experiencing personal hardship, took an incredible amount of time and effort massaging their babies using natural oils to ensure they were contented. Baby massage can help with the symptoms of colic and ensures you spend important 1 to 1 time with your baby (you may think this part sounds silly, but being with your baby all day long doesn't necessarily mean have the time to spend one to one, like the saying says sometimes, life gets in the way) Another benefit is that you get to speak to other mums (i too scoffed at the idea of this before hand, i have previously insisted i wasn't into " group sharing") but you cant ignore how beneficial it is to speak to mums who have babies <em>exactly</em> the same age, who are going through <em>exactly </em>the same thing as you (sleepless nights/sleep deprivation, taking part in the nappy changing Olympics) After the class the teacher made us all a cup of tea (in a safety beaker, and we were all given one to take home, its my new favourite thing) and in a completely non cringey way encouraged us to chat. For me (i am so sorry if this sounds shallow but i have to be honest) it was a relief to see that the other new mummys hadnt sprung back to a size 8 either, they all looked healthy and happy and equally as eager to discuss things, i left feeling i had benefited from the class as much as Tilly which am guessing is the point.....clever baby massage teacher lady.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-76093836884045243822011-07-29T08:46:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:46:00.152-07:00Back to the futureI wrote an entire blog this morning, and in my bleary eyed state I deleted it, with no way of getting it back, in hindsight it wasn't that great anyway, here is the jist of it<br />
<ul><li>I still cant fit into my pre-baby jeans</li>
</ul>Which probably isn't a surprise to anyone who knows me (I enjoy eating Cadburys Twirls, and a supermodel body they do not make) and is of no interest to those who don't know me, so i decided to skip the entire subject. <br />
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This week i have been filling in Tilly`s baby books, listing all her details such as birth weight (7lb 15oz) eye colour (unconfirmed, dark blue, could go hazel or brown) birth mark (none) you get my drift. But then i came to my favourite part of the book."What happened the year of my birth" its only July and 2011 has been quite an eventful year and i love that Tilly will have a record of pivotal events.<br />
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It occurred to me that my record of events or indeed what i consider to be important will be vastly different to others, but i want to i record the things that effected me or that i found interesting so that when she is older she gets an understanding of who i was, and what my world was like.<br />
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Media events for 2011 will of course include the Wedding of William & Kate, will the frenzy of P-Middy and her pert posterior make history i wonder? The Alexander McQueen dress by Sarah Burton will of course, i will be sure to fill my mini fashionista in on the legend that was Lee McQueen too. Next up, Kate Moss marries her rockstar, wearing Galliano, i wonder will Tilly pore over pictures of these magnificent dresses like i did...will she even be interested in fashion??<br />
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I also wondered if i should include any of the sad events, i decided that the death of Amy Winehouse should make the book, as the album, Back to Black, was the soundtrack to my year in 2006/7 and her look and sound was so iconic. Am hoping Till inherits some of my musical taste, i grew up loving Patsy Cline, just because my mum did.<br />
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The boyfriend and I have already laughed about how boring and embarrassing Tilly will find us when she is a teenager, when i make vain attempts to tell her i once had a career in fashion i can imagine her scoffing, wondering why i am such a geeky frump now, and can you imagine her face when she sees her Daddys vinyl collection?....even CDs will be obsolete by the time she is old enough to use them, what will she make of these giant black discs that only hold 12 songs when her generation will probably have micro chip sized i pods storing 4 million tracks and drive flying cars!<br />
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My intention is to fill the book, including some profound information, i don't want Tilly thinking her mum was totally vacuous.....so i have written that in June 2011 Beyonce headlined Glastonbury.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-27867745843886196312011-07-21T01:08:00.000-07:002011-07-21T01:09:35.726-07:00The girl who looked for lidsThe first week at home with our bundle of joy would have made an amusing reality TV show, i can now tsee where the writers of the "Look Who`s Talking" Movies got their inspiration from, while Boyfriend and I ran around tending to Tilly`s every need and whim i often felt she was staring at us thinking "what a pair of whoppa`s, Ive got them wrapped around my little finger and am only a week old, god help them when am older!"<br />
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It is well known that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, and for me with my love of snoozing this was set to be my biggest challenge. My memories of the first week are mostly of Boyfriend and I squinting at each other as I turned on the night-light for yet another feed. The only way to describe the routine of broken sleep is liken it to someone waking me up blowing a whistle down my ear every 2hrs, forcing me to stay awake for approximately 40 minutes then starting all over again 2hrs later.<br />
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We quickly decided a 2 man tag team was the best course of action for coping, If a nappy change was particularly messy we would call for help or "back up" as we called it, and as we shuffled around like Ozzy Osbourne, the tiredness left us bereft of humour and unable to see how hysterically funny the whole thing must have looked, its like Tilly is the most demanding A-list celebrity and we are her loyal slaves.<br />
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"Feeding on demand" is the phrase used to describe how often you breastfeed your newborn baby, which means when baby cries or indicates hunger you feed her. Tilly is now a month old and only now am i able to say this out loud without getting very tearful and a little embarrassed, I struggled to breastfeed. I admit i am no earth mother but as i have said before I wanted my baby to get all the nutrients and antibodies from my breast milk as well as the bonding and closeness breastfeeding encourages. <br />
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Once i got over the shock and discomfort of engorgement (the word to describe your boobs when filled with breast milk) we attempted to master "latching on" (this simply means baby is latched onto your breast in the correct way to ensure they can extract your milk and to minimise discomfort for you) I lasted just over 2 weeks in total, in those 2 weeks i cried more times than Tilly, tears of frustration and feelings of inadequacy, I couldn't understand why something that should have come so naturally was so difficult.<br />
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My emotions sent me crazy, I would go from feeling like the master of the universe when we managed a successful feed to the depths of despair when Tilly would feed for 2hrs in the middle of the night and still cry out in hunger, i can laugh at my lunacy now, but i cut a pretty sad figure desperately propping myself up on dozens of pillows (with no top on) dripping big fat tears onto Tilly's head, pitifully wailing, mid sob, to the Boyfriend that i was barren, when i wasn't doing this i was attempting to express into a bottle. The whole episode was overwhelming, and even though Tilly is now a very contented baby on formula milk, i still feel very envious of those who find breastfeeding a breeze. <br />
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After breast came bottle, which presents its own challenges, i sustained several bottle related injuries in the first fortnight including burning myself with steam from the steriliser, and catching my finger in the lids of bottle causing a very, very small but painful blood blister.<br />
Bottle feeding requires military precision planning, ensuring all bottles and all the related paraphernalia (teats, lids etc) are sterilised for the day, for the night feeds i make sure i have everything i need to hand to get through till 6am, i have a rather fetching little thermo-bag (cross body, pale blue) i carry up stairs to bed which contains the next feed, i have morphed into a Roy Cropper character trudging up to bed with my little bag, and my bedside table is like a milk themed cocktail bar (bottles, formula, ready made cartons, dozens of muslins and scissors) last night the Boyfriend wore ear plugs, not to drown out the baby but to avoid being woken repeatedly by the sound of me dropping something in my frantic rush to grab my feeding apparatus and the inevitable profanity which follows the sound of yet another thing crashing to the floor.<br />
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Ive also developed a disturbing obsession with bottle lids, if i am not looking for them, i am asking boyfriend to look for them, its developing into a paranoia that people are hiding them from me, Ive decided to buy twice as many lids than i have bottles, just to make sure.<br />
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On a more fashion orientated note, apart from being rather a long way away from fitting back into my skinny jeans, Ive also amassed a list of things i now cant wear for reasons other than my weight. Number one on this list is Silk, silk and babies don't mix, it isn't machine washable and if a silk blouse and a bottle of formula get into a tussle, the bottle wins, hands down. <br />
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I have also started to compile a list of articles i would like to see in baby magazines rather than the mundane and repetitive Top 10 of buggies, i would like to read articles that help me maintain as much normality in my life and avoid turning into a complete frump, i suggest .."How to perfectly blow dry your hair in 5 minutes" or how about "Healthy foods you can prepare with one arm while holding baby in the other"<br />
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Thats all for now, I`ve got lids to look for.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-34010361717681848052011-07-12T01:27:00.000-07:002011-07-12T01:27:30.138-07:00Cloud Cuckoo landI have to confess to the faux par i made when preparing my "labour / hospital wardrobe" along with 2 pairs of sensible pyjamas i also bought a long white embroidered nightie more suited to sitting in a field with daisy chains in my hair playing acoustic guitar than shuffling around a hospital room post partnum, needless to say i didn't wear it.<br />
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My naive vision of myself freshly showered wearing a dash of Bobbi Brown tinted moisturiser (for the glow, of course) applied just in time for our visitors didn't quite materialise, i was showered but my hair looked like Pat Sharpe circa Fun House and as for the make-up i would have needed something a little heavier duty than a tinted moisturiser to make me "photo ready", the light weight cotton dressing gown i packed however was worth its weight in gold, the temperature in the hospital was tropical (candy coloured fleece was the top choice for dressing gowns on my ward, i got hot flushes just looking at them) and as i had chosen to breastfeed (make that <em>attempt</em> to breastfeed) this was the perfect cover up (it was quite fetching too, a soft dark berry modal with a contrasting cherry coloured trim for those who like the finer details)<br />
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Like i said, i chose to breastfeed, after all its the most natural thing in the world isnt it?? What i didn't know is that not all babies are natural breast feeders, and that for the Mummy its about getting it right (ensuring baby is latched on correctly, that your position is comfortable for baby) and its also necessary for you to have absolutely no shame (in my case anyway), as i spent the first 2 days in hospital with various midwifes physically guiding my nipple towards Tilly`s mouth, i heard the mantra "tummy to mummy, nose to nipple" so many times i started reciting it to Tilly, like she cared!<br />
I desperately wanted to breastfeed my new baby, the benefits of it for her are endless and there was the adittional Brucie Bonus for me that it may help me shift my baby weight, there is a service called Bosom buddies at the hospital who are a government funded support group who are there to give guidance and encouragement, unfortunately they aren't available at 2am when you most need them (my assigned Bosom buddie had 8 children and breastfed them all...no pressure then?) <br />
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On the 2nd night in hospital a wonderful midwife took a very frantic Tilly and nursed her for over 2hrs to allow me to get some sleep, i was so grateful i kept muttering thank you, thank you so much , thank you i really appreciate it, long after she had left my room. When i woke up a couple of hours later they hadn't wheeled Tilly`s cot back into my room, panic stricken i shuffled into the hall to find her fast asleep swaddles up next to the calm and collected midwife, i shuffled back to my room, feeling a little sheepish, with my Pat Sharpe hair, pushing my little bundle in her plastic cot on wheels.<br />
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I know its a cliche, but all the books in the world couldn't have prepared us for the mayhem that ensued after bringing Baby Tilly home,we followed all the recommendations including spending a day or so on our own with her, staggering our visitors, making sure we had everything ready for her and I have to admit the first 24hrs i think its safe to say we were slightly smug, we had our beautiful, healthy little girl home and we were pretty good at this parenting lark....<br />
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Lesson 1 of parenting. never speak too soon!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-77614308243259150192011-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-10T13:37:18.656-07:00My Greatest AchievementHere it is, the blog I've been gearing up to write for 9 months, even with 40 weeks to get ready, I can safely say i have never been more unprepared for anything in my life!<br />
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My daughter (am still getting used to saying that) Tilly Frances Jones arrived at 11.09pm on 18th June, weighing 7lb 15oz, born on her due date, with 51 minutes to spare, just like her mum she was fashionably late, but just in time for Fathers Day, the perfect present I thought?<br />
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My memories of my labour are all very positive (sorry to disappoint) I had manageable cramps and back pain the night before, the pains didn't actually start until 6am on the Saturday morning, for the first 6 or 7hrs (the latent stage as its known) I was at home doing my hypno, very serenely surrounded by my Heidi Klein scented candles, listening to music, I even managed to watch a movie (Stand by Me, one of my faves, I had a teenage crush on River Pheonix) <br />
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My labour team was made up of Boyfriend Mick and my mum, Joan, who were amazing, so good in fact, I think they should be available to rent by the hour as labour buddies, they were calming, patient and possessed the necessary good humour to cope with a sarcastic piece of work like me during my hour of need. <br />
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I will spare you the gory labour details but I will stand up and be judged over my final decision to opt for lots and lots of drugs when I entered full labour, I started with an appetiser of gas & air, my main course was a jab of diamorphine and for dessert I had an epidural, and I don't have a single regret. <br />
I did my best for as long as possible to control and breath through the pain using my hypno, and I firmly believe the visualisation techniques i learnt were the reason I was able to stay calm but in the end (after initially getting on my moral high horse and even crying pathetically over the decision) i realised i didn't have the threshold to cope with the pain, and a wise old owl told me there were no medals at the end for the least amount of drugs taken. <br />
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I was very lucky that my labour was uneventful, with no complications (other than having IV antibiotics and needing to be attached to a foetal monitor for the whole time which prevented me from using the birthing pool, sitting on the birthing ball or even getting up from the bed) This meant "team labour" were just passing time for much of the day, while i drifted in and out of consciousness, coming around only to beg Mick to sneak me the occasional Fruit Pastille. <br />
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My waters didn't break naturally so the midwife did the honours for me, before declaring i was carrying half baby/ half goldfish due to the volume of water that came crashing onto the bed, while she frantically built a tissue paper damm to prevent flooding the maternity ward, it was at this point i was VERY grateful my waters hadn't broken in John Lewis as i had hoped, as rather than receiving complimentary vouchers i would probably have received a cleaning bill!<br />
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When the time came for my baby to make an appearance, it was all hands on deck, my Mum on my left, Mick to my right, and me in the middle begging them not to look down the "business end" a plea they totally ignored (which now i am glad about, i would hate for them to have missed the most amazing part because of my prudish behaviour) The midwife (i went through 3 because of their shifts, the midwife who delivered Tilly was called Lisa and typically the first thing i noticed was that she had a lovely tan) Lisa was the calmest person i have ever met, and when the time came to push, her gentle encouragement (come on Jo, one more push for me...that kind of thing) made me feel like i was doing sit ups with a personal trainer rather than pushing something very big though a small exit.<br />
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15 minutes of pushing and Tilly Frances arrived, crying immediately before being placed on my chest for the first round of SOS (skin on skin contact) with her Mummy. <br />
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Shock, awe and wonder are the words i would describe the emotions i felt, i couldn't take my eyes off this beautiful little person, she had a mop of dark hair and has these incredible rosebud lips (she had obviously been practising her pout in my womb) the first thing i remember is holding my breath as the midwife checked she had 10 little fingers and 10 little toes, this was my first experience of feeling overwhelmingly protective, i know now this feeling wont ever go away.<br />
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A little later on when Tilly and I were cleaned up it was time to go to the Labour ward, Daddies are sent home, and it was just us, my daughter and I left to get acquainted, this is when the reality and enormity hit me, i felt totally overwhelmed, i thought when she cried that maybe she didn't like me, every time i picked her up i worried i might break her, but i didn't, and she seemed to like me quite a lot after a while, happily nuzzling into my chest when ever i held her, i must have kissed her a thousand times, and she smelt amazing..how is that even possible??<br />
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Now for my next trick....motherhood!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-80429982278988172002011-06-17T01:43:00.000-07:002011-06-17T01:43:56.053-07:00Sitting DuckI turned on my laptop this morning and the first thing that popped up was a reminder for tomorrow I set 6 months ago<br />
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"18th June Baby Due"<br />
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In hindsight it probably wasn't necessary to set a reminder, its not something you can forget, especially with a bump this size, which by the way you don't get used to, i added yet another scratch to my bump using a kitchen drawer today, i forget it sticks out a good few inches from the rest of my body. <br />
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In official terms i am 24hrs away from my due date, unofficially i cant see this little one making an appearance on time, if this baby is anything like its mummy it will be fashionably late! The feeling of waiting for a baby to arrive is very strange, its entirely out of your control as to when and where, but it hasn't stopped me going out yet (i hear if your waters break in John Lewis you get gift vouchers, and in Tesco you get a years supply of nappies, so i may just spend tomorrow going from one store to the other!)<br />
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I have made food related attempts to bring on labour (hot thai green curry/raspberry leaf tea) as well as making sure i keep moving about, i have also showed the bump around its gorgeous new bedroom in an attempt to entice it out (at this point i am past caring that i sound and look like a crazy person, i walk like one so i might as well go the whole hog) so i tell the amazing little alien kicking about inside my overly stretched stomach everyday how excited everyone is to meet it, but still no movement, its been suggested my sweet tooth (which has spiralled out of control, yesterday i fancied Mr Kipling jam tarts, but this week has also seen me eat Battenburg, chocolate fudge cake and homemade scones) may be encouraging the little one to stay put, its cozy, warm and VERY well fed, who would want to vacate??<br />
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Speaking on eating habits, they inevitably lead to me thinking about / moaning about weight gain. I have been relatively lucky in the past with my metabolism allowing me to indulge more than occasionally and staying at roughly the same weight, i fear i am about to get the shock of my life.<br />
I wont divulge exactly how much i weight i have gained (i may do post birth) am not that brave yet, but what i will say is i feel an urgency to lose it, for reasons of vanity, sanity and wardrobe utilisation....now of course Ive heard every possible piece of advice on this matter, the most frequent one being that I shouldn't be worrying about my weight, i should be concentrating on the baby, well of course i plan to concentrate on the baby, i have just spent the last 9 months growing a mammoth bump in which to house it, planning and preparing for its every need and worrying every time i don't feel regular kicks, i merely intend to eat more healthily, cut out the refined sugar (bye bye Battenburg, au revoiur Mr Kipling) and exercise as much as possible. <br />
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Now before those in the know (yes you, mummies) laugh at my naive ramblings, i know these good intentions aren't going to become a reality straight away, sleep deprivation and the general whirlwind of having a new baby will put paid to that, but i don't see the harm in making my future intentions known, i believe its known as Positive Mental Attitude! <br />
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I am off to spend day 10 of Maternity leave padding around the house, cleaning, occasionally flinching from Braxton Hicks, chatting to the bump and making the most of the time i have left on my own with unlimited access to refined sugar<br />
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I will keep you posted <br />
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xMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-87653861983520010592011-06-13T07:29:00.000-07:002011-06-13T07:31:19.190-07:00Crib SheetIt took about 7 months, but eventually i saw the domino effect of my pregnancy that I am told all pregnant women notice, and all of a sudden lots of women around me announced they were pregnant, there is something quite special about sharing baby news when you`re expecting yourself. <br />
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I have been asked by one friend to compile a crib sheet of pregnancy style essentials, while putting this together it naturally expanded into all the items that actually helped me through my pregnancy, food, cosmetics etc and i think they are worth a mention too, mainly because i have been told i will forget all of these details as soon as the baby arrives. <br />
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Like i have said before, i jumped into pregnancy suitable clothing very early, comfort has always been a big factor in my day to day wardrobe ( i know, i know, as someone who works in fashion this is a sin to admit to) but its true. I also put a lot of weight on early days, which rendered a huge portion of my wardrobe useless, the first casualties were my jeans and trousers, i didn't purchase any maternity jeans, my feelings on this decision in hindsight?? a possible mistake, although in my defence the only Maternity jeans i wanted were J Brand, a big expense and my thighs and bottom are much bigger than pre pregnancy, so buying my own size jeans in a maternity style would have meant they wound up being too small, but i could have bought a pair in the correct size at 5 1/2 - 6 months, or got off my high horse and bought a pair from Topshop Maternity. <br />
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Vanity led me to avoid leggings as much as possible during my pregnancy, i can count on 2 hands the total amount of time i wore them (in public) my legs have never been my best feature and pregnancy hasn't helped this, so they wont feature on my personal crib sheet, although had the latter stages of my pregnancy been in winter, rather than spring this may have been different, as black pregnancy leggings layered up with long jersey / knitwear and my Acne boots may have been a good look, the way my pregnancy fell meant i didn't need to buy a pregnancy suitable coat, but i will be keeping a close eye on my fellow bump carriers choices, my money is on wrap styles.<br />
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Over the past few weeks my wardrobe has been squashed down to a capsule of approximately 6-8 pieces, i should frame them but all i want to do is burn them on a bonfire, am so sick of wearing them!<br />
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This isnt the definitive list, and i imagine i will add to this but my essentials included<br />
<ul><li>Alexander Wang T or Topshop black jersey maxi dresses worn with Topshop grey jersey cropped ribbed long sleeve top and cropped Day Birger et Mikkelsen leather jacket layered over, good for covering my arms, as well as balancing out my changing shape.</li>
<li>Falke black tights, after month 6 you will need pregnancy tights for comfort</li>
<li>Beige food. This started out as a joke, that i craved only beige food (potato cakes/croissants/sui mai) and may have contributed to my weight gain, but boy did they stave off the hunger pangs and nausea</li>
<li>The Body Shop coconut cream, not only is the smell incredible, like beach holidays which conjure up happy thoughts, but its meant my bump is very smooth and soft ( i also have no stretch marks, but this could be luck / good genes) </li>
<li>Dream Genie pillow, i cant say enough about the wonders of this curved pillow, one problem? i may never stop using it!</li>
<li>Pedicures. Not a luxury, but an essential as i cant physically paint my toe nails myself. And the heavier i have become the more necessary it is to look after my tootsies, they are after all taking the brunt of the extra weight. </li>
<li>H&M Mama maternity black stretch vests. Dont ask why, just buy at least 2 of these, you wont be sorry.</li>
<li>Bloch Ballet pumps, a lifesaver now that my feet are officially a size bigger, the scrunched elastic detail stretches to accommodate my poor swelled feet</li>
<li>H&M (elasticated back) tapered cuffed ankle trousers in black and khaki, these trousers looked great with my ankle boots (pre swelling) sandals on warm days and even heels on brave nights, they have been my saviour, and worn more times than i can count. i owe them big time.</li>
<li>M&S Brazilian lace trimmed knickers. for when the bump gets big and only low rise knickers can be worn as anything else roll down to create a hula hoop effect around your bottom, these are comfortable, reasonably priced, and quite nice looking, unlike most maternity items, i also bought all of my maternity bras in M&S, i bought only a couple each time (one white/one black), as you grow out of them very quickly and have to replace them.</li>
<li>Cotton Pyjamas with an Aline adjustable strap top and elastic seam under the bust....i was given a pair that should be issued to all pregnant women, as they are so perfect in shape and flattering on the bump (even now)</li>
</ul>Looking over this i have realised how very low maintenance my pregnancy has been and how little i have wasted on a maternity wardrobe (there are other things i have bought that didn't feature on this list, as i could have lived without them, but nothing bank breaking) am surprised, and a little disappointed at myself, i know the boyfriend was bracing himself for diva behaviour that never surfaced, i feel like i have let the side down!<br />
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I have been advised to purchase plenty of nice pyjamas and lounge wear, as visitors come thick and fast post baby, and i will still be a chub rock (the boyfriends words, not mine) and will want to feel nice, this is my "couch task" for the next few days, God Bless the InternetMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-65872896106493245722011-06-08T12:03:00.000-07:002011-06-08T12:03:22.705-07:00I want to hear the best bitsI was given a piece of advice at the beginning of my pregnancy that rightly or wrongly i ignored, the advice was "don't read any of the books" I was given all the books i have, so one excuse i have is that i didn't actively go out and purchase them, and to be fair the first few months of my pregnancy i devoured them, most of them have a week by week account of what to expect, including side effects, and regardless of how many nieces / nephews i have (7) how many of my friends that have children (the majority) i have never actually lived daily through someones pregnancy so 99% of the information was news to me. I also joined <a href="http://www.babycentre.co.uk/">http://www.babycentre.co.uk/</a> who send you a weekly update detailing approximate size & weight of your <br />
baby (with lots of vegetable comparisons) and what developmental stage your unborn is at, which i loved,<br />
<br />
I don't ever comment or ask questions on the online forums but there were occasions i looked through other discussions of other mum-to-be and found useful answers (much to the amusement of my elder relatives who scoff at the thought of using the internet to find answers to pregnancy or medical related questions...."what did we do before the internet????" they say, i have genuinely NO idea, lie awake worrying? ask a neighbour?<br />
I do have concerns the information available online can fuel some womens fears, especially those with even slight hypochondriac tendencies and have warned a newly pregnant friend to avoid Google to avoid any irrational worrying, your midwife is there for any questions you have, at my Hospital they encouraged you to call them should we be worried, as its better safe than sorry. <br />
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So this is were i am at, books read, almost everything prepared, Braxton Hicks kicking in every night (for those unfamiliar with the term these are pains downstairs brought on by my uterus contracting in preparation for labour, which i have to be truthful feel like mini lightening bolts where the sun don't shine) and Edema (more commonly known as swelling / water retention) in full force on every limb, putting a cup of tea down on the patio yesterday i was told i looked like an Olympic weight lifting champion, on the bright side at least i am of Olympic standard, heaven forbid i just look like a weight lifter!<br />
<br />
But I have a complaint to make, I am now 10 away from my due date, and on day 3 of official Maternity leave, which feels a bit like a holiday, but with a hint of guilt attached (cleaning eases the guilt, and they say cleanliness is close to godliness, which makes me practically angelic these days, my friend insinuated last week my oven was far too clean to be used regularly, in my new role as a stepford wife i took this as a huge compliment) my complaint is that i have heard, read about and lived through the negative side to pregnancy, i am having to remind myself there is soon to be a little bundle of wonder less to make it all worth while.<br />
<br />
I can list the negatives related to having a baby off by heart, starting with the below...<br />
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* Weight gain ( and never regaining pre baby figure)<br />
* Pain<br />
* Lack of sleep (pre and post baby)<br />
* Strained relationships <br />
* Career implications<br />
* Impossible life juggling <br />
<br />
Am i being naive but are things really going to be that bad? does the good not out weigh the bad? I have read so many articles about "Women who want it all" those who dare to juggle motherhood and home life with a career, and dare i suggest it, a life of their own, and rarely do the stories i read have a happy ending, am pretty sure daytime television watching and Daily Mail online reading has accelerated these feelings but I am worried sick i am hurtling towards becoming a a bitter, overweight, neurotic, Jeremy Kyle watching, Loose Women quoting elasticated waistband wearing slummy mummy....and i havent even had the baby yet...I need some warm fuzzy thoughts sent my way, pronto.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-49476436410148505422011-06-02T00:28:00.000-07:002011-06-02T00:32:09.911-07:00Scone Eating Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDVZKFoQ7dwqHpnsr0Pb9Io40jMUgoxpJjkSRbDOC-UvPuj0_h_c1A9ltfB2GpX4K7S1IRmcS1stANeZuWayACZSBP9nThI2UhI24y7n0-o9x9139MVrKnqfxc4PFOXSU76qH201tzhzl/s1600/scone.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDVZKFoQ7dwqHpnsr0Pb9Io40jMUgoxpJjkSRbDOC-UvPuj0_h_c1A9ltfB2GpX4K7S1IRmcS1stANeZuWayACZSBP9nThI2UhI24y7n0-o9x9139MVrKnqfxc4PFOXSU76qH201tzhzl/s1600/scone.bmp" t8="true" /></a></div><br />
So baby is facing the right way thanks to Dr I and we have completed the NCT / Antenatal course. Hospital visits have been frequent this week, Doc took a preventative step by giving me a cervical suture to keep baba in place back in January, and it was time for this to be removed, I was given Gas & Air, which gave me a little taster of what to expect, i can only liken the feeling to very short term intoxication, which passes pretty much as soon as you stop inhaling, and then we have been on several foetal monitors to check our little one is happy and comfortable (which it seems he/she is, having kicked like a kung fu fighter through my pregnancy the midwife had said the movements should stay strong and frequent, baby may have less room but this doesn't restrict baby from wriggling)<br />
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This weekend it was time for the Scone Eating contest, some may call this my baby shower, but i felt slightly diva-ish calling it that, Scone Eating contest sounded much more relaxed, not to mention tasty.<br />
Thrown by my lovely Mum and sisters it involved my closest friends and female members of my family joining me to dig into a wonderful spread....including plenty of Joan`s now legendary scones (weighed down by a ton of strawberries, jam & clotted cream...I think i may have taken the prize for eating the most scones, although i has STIFF competition, you know you are!!) <br />
Baby showers may be an idea we Brits have stolen from American movies, but i think having a girlie pre-baby gathering is a brilliant idea, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with my friends (those with children are known as the Mummy Council, i tried my best not to bore them with too many quick fire baby questions) the whole day was lovely, very civilised (one of my dearest friends arrived clutching 2 home made Lemon drizzle cakes, which made me giggle, until recently the only thing she would have brought to a party was a large bottle of chilled Sauvignon and taxi fare home, how times change?) And yes, i received some incredibly generous presents, lots of teeny tiny white things, which are now hanging on teeny tiny white hangers in babies wardrobe, which i keep sneaking a little look into, just to check they look as cute as i remember.<br />
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It was time for my final Hypnobirthing sessions this weekend, boyfriend joined in on one session, my "Guru" thinks its a good idea for him to see exactly how the process works, so i don't freak him out attempting to self hypnose during my early labour, thankfully he is very open minded so plonked him self on the couch next to me, shut his eyes and listened. I think he relaxed a little much, about 20 minutes in, prompted by the light snoring i could hear, i had to stop the session to check he was still awake!! Although when tested on what had been said he passed with flying colours...i stand corrected. <br />
Boyfriend wasn't invited to the final session as this involved talking me through the final stages of labour, the baby working its way down the birth canal, the language used is very flowery and not at all graphic, but i felt it wasn't necessary for him to hear the actual visualisations, he is open minded but there are limits. <br />
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Now i am repeatedly told Labour strips you of your modesty, but we have already made the decision by mutual agreement that during my labour as the the midwife will be down the business end he will stay up by my head.....or as football fans in Liverpool call it, the Gwladys Street or Kop End.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-61406666062426400992011-05-30T14:48:00.000-07:002011-05-30T14:54:57.188-07:00As promised....the drama of week 37<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZf64ncDQYurjMwYwRinRrTxau2rEoS5zN4aqLI40cRpoweiEaL6wgmnFIjOvaAxUe8PA8ytJMPt-M5aP3Nh4fBDr7d1m0x_8-pkZhlV3ukrTtDieJiXxQ6reSYVbBaVfBvpBN4BuoFSj/s1600/splash.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZf64ncDQYurjMwYwRinRrTxau2rEoS5zN4aqLI40cRpoweiEaL6wgmnFIjOvaAxUe8PA8ytJMPt-M5aP3Nh4fBDr7d1m0x_8-pkZhlV3ukrTtDieJiXxQ6reSYVbBaVfBvpBN4BuoFSj/s1600/splash.bmp" t8="true" /></a></div><br />
In medical terms i am 37 + 3 ( 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant) in the past 7 days i have been back and forth to the hospital every other day for various reasons, tiring but reassuring to know they are keeping such a close eye on the bump. <br />
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My baby has been breech (bum down) for several weeks now, along with making it near impossible to give birth naturally, breech babies are at risk of developing "clicky hips" (CDH, meaning a dislocation of the hips) a condition that can be minor and involve nothing more than wearing double nappies for a few weeks or can mean the baby will need to wear a splint to correct the condition...its impossible to tell if my baby has been affected by being breech until he/she arrives, but i add it to my list, now titled "things i cant control but will worry about anyway"<br />
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To correct the breech position my consultant offers to perform an ECV (External cephalic version) <a href="http://www.sdhct.nhs.uk/patientcare/pil/23660.pdf?last_updated=15%252F02%252F2008">http://www.sdhct.nhs.uk/patientcare/pil/23660.pdf?last_updated=15%252F02%252F2008</a> where the baby is manipulated by hand OVER the bump to encourage he/she to do a forward/backwards roll into the head down position, this is an optional procedure, with no guarantees of success, but its the only option other than elective C-section, so i was more than willing to give it a try. <br />
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The procedure its self seems very back to basics, first the baby is scanned to see the exact position, then i was given an injection to loosen my womb & pelvis (the effects of the injection i can only liken to a temporary hangover, shaky hands and nausea, nothing i haven't self inflicted hundreds of times) the consultant then dons a plastic pinny and covers my bump with baby oil (the boyfriend is given the job of timing the doctor, prompting him when each minute passes, the manipulation (like a brisk massage) can only be performed for 3 minutes at a time, to avoid the baby getting distressed) i am instructed to lie back and relax (easier than it sounds in these circumstances) the doctor then begins.....<br />
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Having explained to the midwife i have been practising Hypnobirthing she and the Boyfriend suggested i use my breathing and visualisation techniques to relax me, i am told its essential not to tense up as this can add to any discomfort, i haven't attempted any of my Hypnobirthing under duress before, but every limb was so tense i gave it a go...the outcome is i now have a head down baby, in the engaged position, ready for a natural birth....I would describe my personal experience of the ECV as amazing, considering i have zero tolerance for pain, i would describe the physical feeling as short term moderate discomfort in a non invasive way...fingers crossed baby doesn't decide to practise its gymnastic skills and flip back!!<br />
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Midway through the week it was time for our final NCT class (we have been to the free NHS provided classes which have been wonderfully informative) this week included a tour around the women's wards and delivery suites, much to the boyfriends despair i fell for the oldest joke in the midwifes book.....we were warned not to worry if we heard any screaming or yelping during the tour as coming up to summer time a beautician comes in every Wednesday and does the midwives waxing and this was the explanation for the noise.....i thought this to be perfectly plausible and nodded to confirm my understanding (midwives need pampering too) and only realised it was a joke to disguise any labouring women screaming in pain when boyfriend and NCT teacher stared at me in disbelief....prompting the entire class to have a giggle at my expense, and boyfriend to shake his head in shame.<br />
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The room i most wanted to see on the tour of the Hospital was the delivery room, i needed to see exactly where i will be giving birth, i have a strong dislike for bright strip lighting....so walking into one of the brightly lit, stark white (immaculately clean) labour rooms was quite a shock. I hadn't expected cozy couches and fluffy pillows, but i hadn't bet on it being so clinical...i panicked, and couldn't hide my terror, when asked what i thought my immediate response was that it looked just like a torture chamber, the midwife/tour guide was quite taken aback at my response, as were the rest of the group, i wasn't kidding, this was no joke, i immediately felt terrified, tearful and wanted to leave, the midwife made attempts to demonstrate how the room could be made to look more inviting by dimming the lights and then i felt guilty, I was shocked at my own pathetic pansy reaction, and quickly pulled myself together...just in time for us to be shown the human size fishing net and hoist used to fish out and transport women from the birthing pool to the bed......less like Daryl Hannah in Splash, more beached whale....I have warned boyfriend i will NEVER forgive him if i end up in that thing, can you image the indignity??? soaking wet, naked and vulnerable and captured in a net like Free Willy.....don't laugh, oh go on then, just a little bit!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-15625871184361028602011-05-30T01:34:00.000-07:002011-05-30T01:34:55.389-07:00Complaint recieved, noted and understoodNumerous hospital visits this past week, combined with the fact i am still working full time, and trying to prepare for the impending birth of our baby had led me to be a little lapse with my blog.....but having recieved an official complaint from a regular reader, i have promised to buck up my ideas and blog with immediate effect......however my baby & the hospital care not for my time management and Bank Holiday brings with it ANOTHER hospital appointment, so tales of my ECV (baby turning) Last NCT/ Antenatel class, Baby Shower/scone eating contest aswell as my last minute melt downs will have to wait until this afternoon !!! <br />
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Patience is a virtue after all xMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-89212808739293631922011-05-21T03:29:00.000-07:002011-05-21T03:31:20.130-07:00Essential Maintenance & preparation8 Months exactly, and i have to be honest i am feeling the strain of being quite this big & heavy, never again will i take my ability to reach into the foot well of a car for granted. This week it was time for what i call essential foot maintenance (my pedicure) the wonderful Rebecca comes to my house and gives my feet and ankles a whole hour of TLC, if i was Prime Minister i would make pedicures available on the NHS at the later stages of pregnancy, as you have a physical inability to DIY, and your poor feet take the brunt of the added pressure day in day out, my own tootsies have taken to swelling up, taking my ankles down with them, most unattractive, people keep offering me sympathy "oh your poor swelled feet" but what i cant see doesn't hurt me, and when standing up my feet aren't visible to me at all, this weeks dark berry shade on my toe nails is purely for other people visual delight<span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
NB This isnt an affliction all pregnant women have to deal with, so dont panic, as the boyfriend says my feet have never been lithe....such a cad, isnt he?<br />
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We attended another NCT class this week, dedicated to feeding your new born, it should have been called "Breast is Best" <br />
Now i love the miwife who holds the class (incidentally also called Joanne) she is warm, funny but to the point, she makes everything to do with having a baby seem a breeze, but she is an NHS midwife, therefor she is obligated to encourage women to breastfeed, although she insists they will equally help and guide you should you choose to bottle feed, they highlight the pro`s of breastfeeding so much, bottle feeding is left looking like the poor cousin., the North West, namely Merseyside has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding mothers, I wonder if that statistic has anything to do with the fear of what breastfeeding is said to do to your assets aesthetically (ie droop / sag / disappear) ?? <br />
My personal intention is to stay very open minded, with my initial wish being to Breastfeed, for all the health benefits, as well as the practical ones (its free and without sounding crude, on tap) but if i cant/am unable for whatever reason, am not going to beat myself up about it, as with everything in life in the words of the lovely Doris Day, Que Sera Sera!<br />
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As of today my baby is still breach, so my birth plan is up in the air, incidentally my NCT midwife doesn't believe in birth plans for first time mums, she thinks they are restricting and unrealistic, her opinion is that we should prepare for the birth having been given sufficient information about all the analgesics available (she doesn't call them painkillers as the word pain is a dirrrrty word in our class) and then we can decide on the day. <br />
I am booked in to have an ECV (External cephalic version) which involves a doctor externally manipulating my bump to turn my baby into an engaged position (head down in my pelvis) if this is unsuccessful its an elective C Section, which after all my Hypnobirthing sessions feels disappointing, but after speaking to my guru (my tongue in cheek name for my hypno teacher) she has assured me all the things i have learnt aren't wasted regardless of the final birth method, as they've helped me to have less anxiety during my pregnancy (which is true, i am virtually horizontal am so relaxed) and also my breathing and visualisation will help me prepare, should a C sections be unavoidable...this level of positive thinking should be available by the bottle, there is literally nothing i can say to my guru that she cant spin into a positive, all together now ooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-68497585700277694172011-05-15T14:09:00.000-07:002011-05-15T14:09:17.339-07:00On the home stretchAm now 35 weeks into my pregnancy, but i have actually started to count down rather than up, it feels more comforting/exciting/real. <br />
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I haven't attempted to step on the scales since my last shock, approximately 3 weeks ago, i see no point in upsetting myself, and my inner earth mother tells me i should only be thinking about the well being of my unborn baby, and that worrying about my weight is futile and selfish. Boyfriend offered to buy me a gym membership for my upcoming birthday, i declined politely, he means well bless him (as an exercise fanatic, he assumed someone carrying as much extra weight as me would jump at the idea) but the weight loss will have to be on my terms, and a gym filled with superfit people isnt appealing to me right now.<br />
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My bump is huge and heavy, and baby is in breech position, as this is my 1st baby i have nothing with which to compare the discomfort i am feeling too, but i do know for someone who has earnt the name bagpuss due to my love of sleep, i spend as little time as possible lying horizontal, lying on my back i feel as though i have a sumo wrestler nestling on my chest, lying on my side renders me awake at regular intervals desperate to get some feeling back in my numb limbs so i can stagger to the toilet for one of numerous visits, as baby is well and truly pressing on my bladder, and to make matters worse i am always thirsty as a camel, the boyfriend is appalled at the rate (and decibel) at which i can gulp down a Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant juice in the middle of the night. <br />
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But that's the only real complaint i have, i love my sleep and miss it dearly, but as i am frequently told, this lack of sleep is excellent practise for the months / years come. <br />
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The nesting instinct has well and truly set in, my latest purchase is a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and its my new favourite thing, but its not just cleaning i am obsessed with, i want to organise each and every corner of my life, which is exhausting! Old fashioned supersticion meant we were unable to prepare anything baby related until just recently, which has led to a hectic few weeks recently, the list of things to prepare for the arrival of a new born baby seems endless, kitting out the Nursery is a task and a half, i want the babies room to feel cozy but fresh, a friends excellent advice was to keep the room as neutral as possible as it will inevitably be filled with primary colours from toys soon enough.<br />
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Furniture wise we eventually opted for a Stokke cot in dark walnut, i love its oval shape and that it transforms from a tiny cot into a day bed for up a 10yr old, my nursing/rocking chair was kindly donated by my brother in law and fitted wardrobes were the most practical option for the small room, i nearly cried with happiness when i saw the joiners handiwork, the rails are measured perfectly to fit a little persons clothes, why are miniature versions of anything so cute?? Just carpet / black out curtains, changing table/chest of drawers to go, oh and mini hangers,dimmer switch, night light...like i said the list is endless...but thoroughly enjoyable, for a clucky,waddling, hungry Horace like me. <br />
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Wardrobe wise, capsule doesn't even begin to describe it, the denier of any jersey i wear has to be able to disguise/hide the area my neat and tidy belly button used to reside, depending on the position of the baby i either have a prominent outy or its non existent (the boyfriend amuses himself by asking où il est?) baggy maxi dresses now only serve to make me look and feel like a hippo, funny as i thought the bigger i got the better they would be, alas no, they long to be worn with a bony collar bone and bee sting boobs. <br />
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My thoughts have turned to my immediate post baby wardrobe, pyjama shopping is top of my list for this week, time to google "how to look respectable and stylish whilst wearing pjs 24hrs a day" <br />
<cite></cite>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-26291094701068874132011-05-07T10:38:00.000-07:002011-05-07T10:55:03.719-07:00Lesson Number 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last night we attended our first NCT / Antenatal class at the Hospital where i am due to give birth, now i know people have mixed feelings about these classes for various reasons, I have heard some women say they are a waste of time as information on all aspects of the birth is so readily available in books / online, some say organised classes are their definition of hell,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>other women said they made new friends at their classes that have endured as they were experiencing the madness of childbirth and having a new born at similar times, so i entered the class (with the boyfriend in tow) with much trepidation, all of these opinions spinning in my head, and found myself too scared to look around too much in case the other bump-carriers suspected me of being a saddo desperate to make new friends! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing on my mind (as a mature young woman with only 6 weeks till D-Day) was to check out the size of the other bumps, and how they were faring in the weight gain and maternity wear stakes, without making eye contact or looking too much like a nosy parker, a skilled task i can tell you, had i been properly prepared i would have worn thick rimmed glasses, i imagine they allow for much more under the radar snoopage ? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course i could have just come out and told people i was conducting research for my blog, but the boyfriend would have left me immediately, and lets face it, i don't want people to hate me yet, they don't even know me, plenty of time for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My main observation is that a large proportion of the ladies in attendance were wearing trousers in various permutations, lots of jeans (possibly maternity versions, worn with long tops) a fair few smart trousers (am assuming they had come straight from work, which reminded me how lucky i am that i can pretty much wear what i like for work...within reason, but without the constraints of having to wear a suit/suit trousers) there were even some printed Palazzo pants (she was young, it was warm, and this is Liverpool, nothing gets between a girl and her fashion!) interestingly enough very few leggings, i wonder if at this point in time, like me, the comfy-ness of leggings is outweighed by the unflattering sight of pregnant thighs encased in elasticated cotton?? I will admit to owning/wearing one pair pair of black leggings during my pregnancy but they have always been relegated to being worn as more of a thick footless tight, under dresses. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just when i thought it was safe to assume all the bumps in attendance were 33/34 weeks like me, they sent around a register to sign, on which you were required to fill in your due date, thank fully one of my super powers is “speed reading” which was put to great use, i quickly scanned up and down the list and saw due dates of mid July, a whole month after me....furiously i tried to count backwards around the couples to work out who was only 6 months pregnant and see how big/small they were...the boyfriend quickly cottoned on to my madness, so i passed the register on and continued my “research” in silence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am OBSESSED in how far along other people are in their pregnancies, i even get annoyed when the newspapers gratuitously add on weeks to celebrity bumps, according to one news website Victoria Beckham is 7 months already, which makes me stare at the photographs of her in sky scraper Louboutins and skinny jeans even more intently, wondering where i went wrong, am sure she is only 6 months....but dont get me started!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I digress. NCT classes are described as "parent craft and relaxation" but thanks to the multitude of books i have consumed i was prepared for the sight of the Midwives box of tricks, which included a model of a pelvis, two dolls, a teacosy (which turned out to be a knitted vagina) a hook on a stick (for breaking waters) and a cervical dilation gauge...all of which she demonstrated and were passed around to much nervous giggling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The main thing i learnt? that i have a LOT to learn, I know the ins and outs of how the baby moves down the birth canal, how the baby knows to TURN to fit through the pelvic bone!!! and what a "show" involves,but learning these things brought it home to me how many aspects of this weird and wonderful process i am yet to experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On a lighter note, after an over dinner discussion about body proportions, how your wing span is approximately the same length as our height, and if you multiply the length of your head roughly 8 times it should be equal to your height, the tape measure was turned on me and my ludicrous waistline, which currently stands at 40"...which gives me the Body Mass Index of a weeble, help!</span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-59602005608802324772011-05-03T16:02:00.000-07:002011-05-03T16:03:20.700-07:00Long time no blog!This is the longest i have gone since i began without writing a blog post, but Mr Bump and i took the opportunity of 11 days holiday for the price of 3 between the bank holidays, and it was bliss. This is the only time i have taken off during my entire pregnancy, and boy did i need it, am over 7 months now, with a bump to rival even the biggest contenders, i weigh enough to crush a small child and the sound effects i used to jokingly make when getting out of bed are now real and unavoidable, laughable even. <br />
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We have taken the first steps to prepare for our new arrival and bought the pram/carry cot/moses basket and car seat, all in the space of half an hour, preparation was done before hand, but i don't hang around, it’s my job to be decisive (this however does NOT apply to food, choosing from a large menu leaves me flummoxed) as we don't know what we are having, the colour palette for the pram is <span style="background: white;">ne</span>utral, Midnight blue to be exact, the main points i was told to consider when choosing a pram was simplicity of assembly and collapse, and ease of movement, Stokke was our brand of choice, him indoors being a boffin (engineer) meant the aesthetics of the pram came second to the design ...luckily it’s a good looking Scandinavian number, meaning we both win.<br />
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We have stayed away from home a few nights this week, mini breaks and visiting friends, meaning my dream genie pillow is very well travelled , i am way past the point of embarrassment, i no longer care i enter people homes clutching a metre long snake shaped pillow like my life depends on it, getting to sleep without it is now impossible, staying asleep however is another matter, and women who have young children understand, and don’t even question my version of a comfort blanket.<br />
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This week pregnancy related purchases have included new knickers, my trusty no VPL boy shorts are reduced to a cylindrical skinny hoola hoop after less than a hours wear, this is not uncomfortable as such, but leaves me wondering how long before they make the journey down my thighs and wind up around my ankles, pregnancy knickers are one of the only things i have not read about, i can only assume this is because there really isn't a perfect solution for later on in pregnancy, the only advice i have is opt for low waisted, i am finding Marks & Spencers low rise Brazilian perfect, they are 3 for £10 and come in black, white and nude.....but one complaint i do have is M&S don’t do a nude/skin colour maternity/nursing bra, the options are black or white...what if i want a softer hue for under my white tops????? Although i know Elle Macpherson does maternity bras in her intimates range....is this excessive??? I will look into this and report back my findings! <br />
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With only 6 weeks to go, i am stuck in a quandary, i am destined to grow much bigger, yet loathe to spend any more on clothes i won’t wear again, not helped by the changing seasons and having events to attend in the coming weeks, i am down to only a handful of things that fit, let alone look nice, my main focus should be spending money on the dozens of things clogging up my baby list....including pyjamas and "lounge wear" for me to wear post baby, when visitors are inevitable and my personal grooming time is minimal...my plan is to have these hung and ready for action.<br />
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I think it’s also time for me to fess up about the few bits and bobs i have bought in preparation for my post baby weight loss, and allow you to pass judgement on whether or not i am totally mad or (hopefully) entirely within my rights to envisage getting reacquainted with my waist line..pictures published today of Ms Abbey Clancy looking super toned and reed thin 7 weeks after having her baby are totally unrealistic for me...but hey they say reach for the stars! <br />
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I am off to inspect the inside of my eyelids for the next 8 hrs or so....more confession time tomorrowMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-84659998912506804762011-04-20T11:34:00.000-07:002011-04-20T11:40:22.351-07:00Happy Feet & Lessons learnt<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO31AmTHUKmMNZM8DgrroRxFLfL8VtlXBC5ArDv3dsZ12Ei0PHRRjEWE0JVKMisFrxMJzM_lsdp3PB04ShW1FqGGsSoiBngxHf-g929MLBqQ8wzN0CwWSu1HFOa3p4QE4HlhjHFfEzmd2/s1600/pedi.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO31AmTHUKmMNZM8DgrroRxFLfL8VtlXBC5ArDv3dsZ12Ei0PHRRjEWE0JVKMisFrxMJzM_lsdp3PB04ShW1FqGGsSoiBngxHf-g929MLBqQ8wzN0CwWSu1HFOa3p4QE4HlhjHFfEzmd2/s1600/pedi.bmp" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that I am 7 months with a generous bump in position, I can call myself a fully fledged, sound effect making, waddling, slightly swollen, occasionally greedy, momma to be. There is no disguising I am pregnant, other than when I am sat behind a desk or a table and dressing now is straight forward, as long as I don't attempt to stray away from a heavily edited selection of items, may I reiterate that I said straight forward, not easy\fun\enjoyable nor do I look hot to trot, for work I would describe my look as simple yet presentable, with more emphasis on my hair than my clothes, I've found it acts as a good distraction, thank God for Kerastase. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much like we look back on our younger selves wishing we could impart the knowledge we now have on them to make their life easier, and discourage them from making the same mistakes, I have found myself laughing and cringing in equal measures at my earlier pregnant self. Had I had realised how tiny I was at 14 weeks, I would go back and tell my self not to be so hasty to crack out the bump friendly jersey maxi dresses and flats, as as much as they will be handy in the coming months, they aren't necessary now. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know now that I could have easily kept my expanding waistline under wraps for a lot longer by wearing certain shapes and avoiding others, but am guessing\hoping its the norm for 1st time bump-carriers to immediately embrace the bump and let it be known she is “in the club” I imagine a large part of this is due to your pre pregnancy weight and style of dressing, I have never been a dieter, in fact those who know me best would say I have very healthy appetite, but I have always used my skinny jeans as a “chubby gauge” if they are getting tight<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>its time to politely decline that Nutella crepe. So growing out of my jeans so quickly was a shock to say the least, not only did it leave me without my wardrobe staple it was the first sign I was kissing goodbye to my figure, at least for the foreseeable future, typical really I spend years moaning about how i wish I was thinner, and then realise it wasn't all that bad after all, considering my distinct lack of exercise and penchant for chilled Sauvingnon. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Its predictable but true to say you learn from your mistakes, Mrs Beckham hasn't just the added benefit of disposable cash, she is a seasoned professional when it comes to pregnancy. I have to say I have wasted little to no money on unwearable post pregnancy clothes up to now, it has been suggested that had I bought some designer maternity jeans they would have been very useful, prevented wardrobe tantrums and can be used again if I have another baby, but I haven't felt much like wearing jeans recently, and now its too warm....which leads me to my next point. </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A mix of Vanity and lack of organisation led me to come to London this week without sandals. I can no longer paint my own toe nails inbetween pedicures, this is endlessly frustrating, boyfriend is sympathetic, even attempting to apply my polish for me, for an engineer with a eye for detail it was a surprisingly bad attempt, he firstly blamed the polish (clumpy) then it was my toe nails (too small, short) before giving up totally and leaving me with one botched foot and one bare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Anyway this week I brought with me to London a natty pair of patent jazz pumps and some suede ankle boots (with a heel, not a big heel but definitely a heel) this morning against my better judgement I chose to wear the boots with my dress, my mistake wasn't recognised until after lunch when I removed my boots to sit at my desk in comfort (it was ridiculously hot its not something I normally do) you've probably guessed, but I couldn't get the damn things back on, not a chance , my feet (not slender at the best of times) had swelled to what felt like 5 times ( but was probably more like 3 times) their normal size. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This problem is not only unattractive and embarrassing ( yet quickly solved with the generous loan of a pair of sandals) but a sharp reminder that my style choices will always play second fiddle to my pregnancy....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing i don't have to compromise on is pedicures, so i swiftly booked my self in and am now sandal ready once more. Happy feet, Happy Bump, Happy Me</span>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-4342726058094989392011-04-18T12:05:00.000-07:002011-04-18T12:08:02.664-07:00Think Happy Thoughts<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPt10Ln2KNX5QY-u_5NDspnCyPpKGD2h5oz7mA44rz4CEEIF__94iM-uEuZ8J4IDWXr8BpQUJkMa7GRLlE70tSNcCiTOEWxHdOfrtj0kY913OhjNzqpzgpAspANHLFDZdXht8CYITgIhHO/s1600/think+happy+thoughts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPt10Ln2KNX5QY-u_5NDspnCyPpKGD2h5oz7mA44rz4CEEIF__94iM-uEuZ8J4IDWXr8BpQUJkMa7GRLlE70tSNcCiTOEWxHdOfrtj0kY913OhjNzqpzgpAspANHLFDZdXht8CYITgIhHO/s320/think+happy+thoughts.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Part of my hypnobirthing course (a huge part of it) is learning to relax, chase away anxiety and stress and feel at ease, to do this my “guru” (she doesn’t call herself that, i just like sound of it!) anyway my guru, has taught me to think of a place or time where i felt most happy, calm and confident, and imagine myself there again, this means imagining everything to create the scene in my head, including the sounds and smells. Smells in particular are so powerful, the sudden waft of a perfume can instantly remind me of a place in time sometimes in a negative way, and there are certain smells that evoke particularly happy and relaxed memories for me, not always a single moment in time, but i will feel a strong sense of positivity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Am told important part of preparing for my time in labour is to surround myself with things that make comfort me, again smells are important, as are sounds, some people (like me) find music relaxes them, others find silence more effective. I have to think of physical ways of staying comfortable too, my Dream Genie pillow http:...................will play a BIG part in this, its the only think that helps me sit / lie down without feeling like i am being crushed by a boa constructor, as will my new toy, my birthing ball, its actually just an exercise ball (its silver, and looks like a space hopper for grown ups, minus the handles and the rabbit face) but apparently it will be very useful when it comes to D-Day as there wont be many positions i am comfortable sitting in, i don't recall owning a space hopper as a child so perhaps i should get some practise in?? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing to be ticked off my to do list was smells. i love the smell of coconut, it immediately conjures up wonderful thoughts of holidays, beautiful beaches and warm sunshine, so along with smothering my bump in copious amounts of Body Shop coconut butter (i know i know stretch marks can’t be prevented, but God loves a try-er) i have treated my senses to Heidi Kleins beach candles.......................http:link this candle is as close to perfection for me as possible, with coconut and............................................a decadent but totally justified luxury, all things considered, don't you think ???</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now there are also the practical things to consider during labour, such as what to wear, not from a style point of view do i pose this question but seriously, do you wear a dress? Just a top?? At which point do you remove bottom halves? I don't have a nightie, does that mean i will have to wear a hospital gown? And my hair, will it need to be tied back? i expect i will be quite hot and i don't want it getting in the way, maybe i should do a Monica from friends and get corn rows to avoid the effects of humidity? None of my baby books have the answer to these questions, and they aren’t the kind of questions i want to ask the midwife, i don't want her thinking i am a vacuous dolly bird, its time to consult my mummy friends.</span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-16352725108473631482011-04-14T12:43:00.000-07:002011-04-14T12:43:40.621-07:00Bring out the bunting!<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I debated not writing anything about the forthcoming Royal Wedding, then realised my decision to stay silent was because I couldn't find anything negative to say, the majority of people I have heard even mention William and Kate's nuptials have been down right vicious, I've heard every manner of opinion, waste of tax payers money being a popular one with anti royal slurs being high up on people's to do list. Now I have never considered myself a royalist, still don't, but I am finding myself becoming more and more patriotic as I get older, i am not about to praise the Royals, i think its clear they are far from perfect, but they are a wonderful tourist attraction and i think that its a shame its considered embarrassing to be excited or remotely interested in the big day.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I am a big girl now (nothing to do with how much I weigh, thank you very much) and I am going say out loud that I am actually rather happy about the whole event, not only do we get an extra bank holiday, but I love the fact young and old can wax lyrical about our loved up royals like we actually know them.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The secrecy surrounding Miss Middletons dress is a guessing game everyone is welcome to join, just like the day its self, we may not be propping up a pew rocking a fascinator, but we are all invited to have a day off, kick back and enjoy the show. I am endlessly jealous of those having street parties to mark the day, I want to hang bunting and possibly even drink tea from a commemorative china cup!</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now my feeling may be linked to 1 of 2 things, first of all pregnancy, being pregnant has made me rather warm and fuzzy and dare I say....soppy, or perhaps its because I wasn't born to witness the last wedding of a monarch to be (Charles & Camilla don't count, it was their 2nd time around and she wasn't exactly a blushing young bride, sorry cam) for what ever reason I plan to be positive about the whole shebang, my little nieces will witness a “normal” girl becoming a princess, that's pretty magical, isn't it?</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now all the princess has to do for me to keep her part of the bargain is...wear an incredible wedding dress, preferably British, McQueen or Temperley either would be wonderful, and finally promise NEVER to wear American tan tights again, that will really make me regret standing up for you! </span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-81199758546608751312011-04-13T12:07:00.000-07:002011-04-13T12:07:54.497-07:00Confession time<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its been 7 days since my last confession, and I have to admit its been for several reasons, when not masquerading as a blogger I have a proper job to attend to, but also I have been fighting some personal demons, I am embarrassed to admit it but I've committed the cardinal sin of comparing my pregnancy to other expectant women, from the size of my bump, to how much weight I have put on else where (bum,legs,arms,ankles) and worse still, how well I am handling being pregnant, beating myself up for wearing flats when I see other pregnant women in heels, like I am letting the side down, and worse still, asking myself if I am being a wuss for slowing down my general pace (work & socially) all this comparison left me exhausted and feeling quite bad about myself, after a pathetic self pitying winge to the boyfriend I started to think about things a little more clearly. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pregnancy I have realised can not be compared, as each and every woman has a different experience physically, not to mention variance of lifestyle, i often wonder how the hell my mum coped with 6 pregnancies, on top of looking after the existing children, my dad is no 90s man, he earned the crust and my mum took care of house and babies, i think i would have had a tota meltdown!</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have also been scolding myself for not taking better care of body (from a vanity perspective) thinking how I should have taken up pregnancy yoga and swimming, but the fact is I had time for neither of these things pre pregnancy so it was unlikely I would have done them as soon as I realised I was expecting!! I have had to be realistic and think how lucky I am to have avoided 9 months of nausea or worse, a close friend of mine developed a condition called placenta previa which meant she had to stop work months early, rendering her practically house bound, my pregnancy feels like a breeze when I remember that.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body wise I've accepted that each woman is totally incomparable, who would have thought a stick thin model like Eva herzigova would gain as muc weight as she did ???</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its such a 2011 thing to do, expect to be a superwoman, I am from the "have it all” generation, and it seems that has now extended to thinking we can put on only the necessary baby weight, not a lb extra, work right up until our due date and spring back to shape immediately, the pressure is palpable, and unnecessary. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am starting my very own revolution, and it doesn't involve eating dozens of crunchie ice creams guilt free, but it does mean I am going to stop being so hard on myself, yes my ankles are swollen and my legs no longer look good in short dresses, and no I can't face wearing heels for more than an hour, but I have kept up with my work commitments, stuck with hypnobirthing and haven't missed a friends birthday night out AND I've remembered to take my pregnacare vitamins, all things to pat myself on the back for I think? </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Viva la revolucion! </span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-25350154587822519632011-04-06T13:32:00.000-07:002011-04-06T13:33:39.640-07:00Inspire me<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was asked some quick fire questions by a journalist yesterday, one of them was who do I feel inspired by (style wise) now there are obviously the classics (Audrey hepburn) modern style heavyweights (kate moss) and the magazines introduce us to a new style crush on a weekly basis (Emmanuelle alt most recently) but my honest answer is I get inspired every day by the women i am surrounded by, from strangers in the street to work colleagues and friends i am constantly taking note of how women dress. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the my-wardrobe office there is a constant runway of trendy young hotties (my affectionate nickname for them) parading around, these girls are rocking trends before the magazines have featured them, pleated maxi skirts paired with a fishermans knit, sheer blouses and crop tops, you name it they`ve worn it, and once the moments gone, you wont see them again, at least not in the same ensemble. The grown-ups (as they shall be known) in the office have had longer in the fashion game, and are more likely to choose a particular item from a trend, a pop colour Equipment blouse, a flared J Brand jean, a statement Danni Jo necklace or a fierce Camilla Skovgaard heel and wear it more frequently, allowing it to settle in comfortably with their existing wardrobe. At home (Liverpool) my own friends are just as eclectic, seamlessly pairing vintage with highstreet for work and in the evening, with stunning effects.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its the way each person chooses to put their look together that makes it so special, small tweeks and details that make the look their own. My most recent spot? White skinny jeans, grazing the ankle, with an ever so slight turn, almost rolled hem, so 1950s, so subtle but i absolutely loved it. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From vintage to highstreet, designer to bespoke, i have no preference, its the way its executed. Which is why age also has no bearing on my style hawking, from 16 - 60 and beyond, its always in an positive way, i have no time for picking holes in others appearances, its shallow, and i cant bear magazines that feature real people in their do & donts pages, life maybe a catwalk for some people, but dont bully those for who it isnt.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They say the trends that appear on the catwalk actually start on the street, which is why street style photography is so popular, we are bombarded with images of celebrities wearing samples, or clothes that they have been sent, or even worse that have been chosen for them from top to toe by their stylist, its not reality, its theatre, we all love to see real people wearing the clothes they actually own, in real life. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">I have decided to keep a note of the looks, details and styling i find inspiring, its my job, my hobby, and i love it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-59493657748635041332011-04-05T10:58:00.000-07:002011-04-05T10:59:05.563-07:00my life, my choice<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My weekend pleasure is the sunday supplements, I look forward to them, my tipples of choice are Sunday Times Style (great pregnancy front row fashion feature this week, not to mention our very own my-wardrobe CEO Sarah Curran gracing two whole pages looking foxy) and YOU magazine.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I have to confess that Mr Bump (aka the boyfriend) and I also indulge in a weekend rag, a dirty red top tabloid with which to indulge my voyeuristic side (how can I complain about kerry katona and katie price if I haven't taken the time to read what they are up to???) </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Afore mentioned tabloid also has a supplement, their fashion features aren't my cup of tea, but I do enjoy reading Amanda Holdens shameless diary of her tv celebrity life, Ms Holden has had some time off since the devastating loss of her unborn baby and the magazine have been filling her page with guest columns, this week was someone from the Apprentice, a previous female (mother of 3) contestant giving her tuppence worth about stay at home mums, now I really didn't want to give this nasty piece of work any more air time but her venom laden article really got to me.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She spoke about how she got on with her pregnancy by buying some "snazzy suits" (this was my first warning sign, she may be clever but this chick clearly has no taste...if you call it snazzy, chances are they ain't)</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how she worked 12hrs the day before she gave birth, then got an eyelash tint and pedicure (fair play) and how just a couple of weeks after having the baby she discovered the joys of hired help and formula milk (her choice) </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">she then went onto to launch a scathing attack on women (career women) who choose to spend any further time at home with their babies, clubbing each and everyone together branding them with insults and stereotypes i dont wish to repeat.</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I know I don't have the right just yet to say what I plan to be like as a mummy, will I go earth mother and enjoy making organic baby food? maybe, will I be new age and enrol my little darling in baby yoga? quite possibly, or will I be like most other mums I know and work my new life as a mum around my existing life? I hope so. My point is that however you decide to proceed, or cope as some call it, that's entirely your choice, and not for anyone to judge, certainly not for this reality tv contestant to casually throw dispersion and generalisations upon. How dare she suggest stay at home mums are any less worthy, in the same way i disagree with people judging women who choose to return to work, its a personal choice. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This whole issue got me worrying about how much you change as a person when you have children, and inevitably i got onto the subject of clothes and style. I am happy to make a few minor adjustments, sick proof clothes in the early days (or should i say machine washable, as opposed to wipe clean!) It has also been brought to my attention you are unable to carry an umbrella whilst pushing a pram so a coat with a hood becomes a must have! Then later on flat shoes for the school run....but does it need to go further than that ? A colleague of mine said she gets VERY funny looks at the school gates when she turns up in her work "uniform" of leather leggings, jeeez, is there a whole new set of rules for the school run...will i need to tailor my wardrobe for that too ?? It seems like every thing that happens in a woman's life requires a different wardrobe of clothes, from pregnancy to motherhood, can i not just wear my "normal" clothes??</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now i like buying clothes as much as the next girl, but i don't want my existing clothes rendered useless, not only is it dreadfully wasteful but the wardrobe i own is like a story of me, my high and low points, i have sentiment for dresses i have worn on various special occasions...its the only thing i collect and enjoy...i plan to figure out a way to make my old clothes work in my new role, as a mummy</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-24022477613412780862011-03-31T23:51:00.000-07:002011-04-01T00:06:25.494-07:00A rod for my own back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYGDwKH2fqbJHHfDQE3mSLfqzo6pal92Ms9nqFZM7giunMnN3nj_xZs4f4khAWKoGiOtAGrfSfPfcP42mjirU-0unVybc8wnvEgLdIbJL532tJR0uUkieRb8zAokiRI64Cyk9e9wlRWJO/s1600/bump.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYGDwKH2fqbJHHfDQE3mSLfqzo6pal92Ms9nqFZM7giunMnN3nj_xZs4f4khAWKoGiOtAGrfSfPfcP42mjirU-0unVybc8wnvEgLdIbJL532tJR0uUkieRb8zAokiRI64Cyk9e9wlRWJO/s1600/bump.bmp" /></a></div><br />
Another week into my pregnancy, another load of clothes i cant fit into anymore, so i took myself (and the boyfriend, its his problem too!) off high street shopping to try and pad out my wardrobe with inexpensive items to pair with my existing separates for the next 12 weeks. <br />
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I heard a filthy rumour Zara does maternity wear called Zara Mama, but have so far failed to find anything baring this label, so i took myself AGAIN to H&M Mama, where i have already successfully bought a soft denim shirt dress for £24.99 & Topshop Maternity, where so far i have been unsuccessful in finding anything.<br />
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This looks like a great shape maxi dress for £14.99 from H&M Mama, i havent seen this in store on my numerous visits, but its available to buy online (dont you LOVE the internet!)<br />
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<a href="http://shop.hm.com/gb/shoppingwindow?dept=DAM_MAM_ALL&shoptype=S">http://shop.hm.com/gb/shoppingwindow?dept=DAM_MAM_ALL&shoptype=S</a><br />
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I know i made a rod for my own back starting a blog, i don't regret it, but i do feel under a certain degree of pressure to find the solution to one or two pregnancy style problems, by hook or by crook!<br />
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My Bug bears about Maternity Wear<br />
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* I am pregnant, this does not instantly make me middle aged, whats with the crazy mid knee hem lines? <br />
* Maxi dresses. where are they all?? its not difficult, a well cut version in a fairly thick fabric is very useful <br />
* We need bottom halves, not just leggings, not just jeans, and please stop with the cargo trousers!!<br />
* I have a job, therefore i need work wear, any chance? No, flammable versions will not do<br />
* Pregnant women have slightly higher temperatures, please stop with the man made fibres!!<br />
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Personal pregnancy style limitations i have come to terms with<br />
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* Fringing. I cant do fringing, not sure why i even tried but i looked like an crazed rodeo fan<br />
* Jersey isn't necessarily a bumps best friend, it has to be a little thicker than your average to be flattering, it isn't just my bump that's grown bigger<br />
* My feet have officially grown nearly half a size bigger, making heels with a bar over the toes uncomfortable not to mention unflattering, and i am NOT going to invest in bigger shoes until i know its a permanent growth<br />
* I have wanted a bigger bust ever since i was a teenager, now i have one and its accompanied by a bump i realise its not all its cracked up to be, and i am NOT the cleavage baring type, Holly Willoughby ( or Willo-booby as she is called on Celebrity Juice) is a brave lady.<br />
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A couple of items i have bought that i would recommend to other bumps<br />
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* H&M Mama do a long black sleeveless tank/vest in a breathable fabric with a panel that fits perfectly around your bump and doesn't rise up for £9.00<br />
* M&S do great "no VPL" boy shorts in black & white which are usually on offer for 3 pairs for £10<br />
My pregnancy has up to now been during the winter months, so black tights have been a staple, and only at 5 half - 6 months did my Falke 100 denier tights become impractical, but before that the high waist and well cut shape was perfect, definitely a good investment (even for non pregnant ladies)<br />
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Sale shopping has helped me to keep my maternity spend down, but i am very strict, and only bought practical items in multiples where possible, my best buys were 3 black jersey maxi dresses from Topshop reduced to £5 <br />
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I have 11 weeks to go, and those in the know have told me the coming weeks will prove my most challenging yet, the books and baby centre emails tell me i am due to put on at least another 11lbs.....i promise to be honest and confess if pyjamas and velour bottoms become wardrobe staples, but i also promise to do my very best to ensure they don't!!<br />
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Watch this spaceMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-23337934289719871882011-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:002011-03-29T13:11:55.062-07:00OmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMy pain threshold is zero, nada, nil. I wince and squeal in agony far too easily. So child birth was looking at being particularly tricky for me. <br />
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I have learnt women LOVE to share their birth stories, the more horrific, graphic and painful sounding the better, this has done nothing to calm my nerves and my initial thoughts were to automatically opt for the maximum level of pain relief available to me, but then i realised this won’t prevent me needing an episiotomy, for those lucky enough to be blissful unaware of this procedure it basically means your lady parts are cut during labour) Nothing will/can prevent this happening but i did feel the need to look into birthing methods that may be less.....aggressive<br />
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The long & the short of it is i have decided to opt for Hypno birthing, a movement first written about in 1942, which has proven scientific findings that show hypno birthing can reduce the time in labour, lessen the need for pain relief and medical intervention, and generally ensure the whole birth is less stressful, dare i say it possibly even enjoyable. For the record hypnobirthing is NHS recognised, and isn’t a replacement for medical attention, i will give birth in hospital and accept any help, even aesthetic if necessary, the idea of this is to make the birth calmer and easier, not to be a Martyr!!<br />
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I had my first session last week, first of all i was shown breathing techniques designed to release tension and anxiety, i had no idea i took such short breaths, i actually felt light headed when i breathed using my full lung capacity. Next i was introduced to self hypnosis, a process which sees you talked through a relaxing journey, mine was through a Rainforest onto a perfect beach, feeling the sun on my face and the sand between my toes....it was amazing, somewhere i would like to take myself regularly, and all it was all in my head, incredible really. The whole experience has made me really excited about the rest of the course, and has left me in utter wonder about the female body, what a clever machine it is, perfectly built to handle pregnancy and prepare for birth....how VERY new age i sound??<br />
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all together now.....ooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-42447399730127530562011-03-26T00:47:00.000-07:002011-03-26T01:03:55.764-07:00Faux Maintenance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsbLokGyElxj383XmwNDrFmfh-ZrBcL99n7E1Yu2rvQMcT8Q52E-Gq4zV5n41mIpoP07HyE2duCXQGfRdpAGT9xiLCB5Wv5DagP4-m13Jai4mMdJyjDAzhrIHbbRzAHMtdN_wC-CCCoGx/s1600/high.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsbLokGyElxj383XmwNDrFmfh-ZrBcL99n7E1Yu2rvQMcT8Q52E-Gq4zV5n41mIpoP07HyE2duCXQGfRdpAGT9xiLCB5Wv5DagP4-m13Jai4mMdJyjDAzhrIHbbRzAHMtdN_wC-CCCoGx/s1600/high.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I fight a constant battle with myself about being vain. I have the same desire as most women to look attractive, and think its only polite to make the most of what mother nature has given me. I would love to be taller, particularly to have longer (leaner, toned) legs, and could go on to list the improvements i would make to myself if it were possible, but i wont. But these feelings run in tandem with how grateful i am for having my health and mobility, whenever i find myself feeling sorry for myself for not having supermodel proportions or exotic looks it seems i am confronted with someone / something that reminds me how lucky i am, be it someone with a disability or disfiguired through illness or an accident, a heady sense of reality and guilt sweeps over me, most recently with programmes such as my beautiful friends, which features Katie Piper the model horrifically attacked with Acid leaving her permanently scarred. So what i am about to discuss isnt without fear of sounding vacuous or conceited. <br />
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I have always faked being high maintenance, a few heated rollers here, an eyebrow tint there, but i have never had the patience nor the energy to be truly polished. Its something i believe either you or or you arent, and i admit, with a heavy heart, I am not. This is something that i am perfectly happy with until i am confronted with someone who is the the epitomy of preened perfection, with manicured nails, perfectly coiffed hair and experty applied make-up, in the presence of someone like this, i feel like a tramp. And the worst of it?? its all my own fault, i know how much time and effort these beautiful creatures put into looking this way, am sure they wouldnt profess to rolling out of bed looking this way, if i was to sacrafice that extra hour in bed to make time for a blow dry, i too could join the church of the high maintenance.<br />
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There are 2 arguments for this, one being that its not "cool" to be polished, that a down town look doesnt call for colour co-ordinated nails and tamed follicles, I have never got the chipped nail polish and laddered tights look, i used to dab clear nail polish on my snagged tights to avoid further disaster, so its a mystery to me but i dont necessarily think polished has to mean prissy, nor does being low maintenence mean looking like a bag lady, subtly cared for cuticles have the same effect on me, some of the women i would put in the polished bracket would hate to be thought of as "done up" <br />
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I wonder where it all starts, is it a self esteem thing? Maybe the more confident ones are the women who step out wearing minimal make up and flat shoes? or is that an excuse for those of us who dont grin and bear 5" heels for the sake of their leg lengthening benefits? I am a fully fledged daytime flat wearer, I blame London, the tube, the walk to the station, i blame ANYTHING that lets me off the hook, i admit i am ashamed of myself, i spent years mastering the art of walking and driving in perilously high heels, even my boss reminds me i used to be a lot more hardcore when it comes to footwear (she is a 5" heel wearing devotee, who balks at the idea of wearing a ballet pump in public) <br />
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It was the sight of Abbey Clancy, snapped shopping 11 days after giving birth to her daughter looking spectacular in spray on jeans, high heeled Isabel Marant boots with her hair blow dried, that started this debate, if you can be glam days after giving birth you have what it takes. <br />
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I have begun to remember my pre pregnancy body & weight a lot more favourably, repeatedly asking the boyfriend if he think i will snap back to my previous shape, as if i looked like Elle Macpherson and i actually did any exercise, whilst i am carrying his child he doesnt dare set me straight, he wouldnt want to burst my dillusional bubble...bless himMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-72203326016340197992011-03-23T13:46:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:46:58.367-07:00Shake what ya mamma gave yaIve been thinking this week about the immense responsibility i have bestowed upon me by not only carrying a child but raising it too...its shocking that you have to have a licence to drive, scuba dive, have a television, you even need a license to keep a pet in European countries, yet anyone can decide to have a baby, even me! <br />
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I am taking fish oil during my pregnancy to aid my babies brain development, but then when the baby arrives its back over to me and baby daddy to ensure our little one gets the necessary stimulation to be able to develop. From building his/her vocabulary, to teaching them to walk and read, not to mention choosing a school, its all feels like a lot of pressure, exciting but scary. <br />
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To add worry to my increasingly furrowed brow, it dawned on me my little one`s personality and behaviour will be affected by me, baby daddy and the way we act around and treat them. Its easy for me to look at other parents in the street scolding their screaming child and cast dispersions on the desperate souls on episodes of SuperNanny failing to discipline their young, scarily now, the last laugh will be on me. Discipline is another thing i am keeping my opinions to myself on until i have mastered the art and have a perfectly behaved angel child! <br />
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One thing i am certain of is if not personality, then good taste (or lack of it) for things like music for example can most certainly be influenced by your parents, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason for my penchant for Patsy Cline other than the fact my mum liked her (I am particularly partial to a spot of Craaaaaaazy) whilst one of my childhood friends is blessed with an amazing eclectic musical ear thanks to her Dad (my schizophrenic musical taste spans from X Factor contestants to the Beatles) Thank Heavens then the Ying to my Yang (Boyfriend) has great taste in music, so that's one less thing for me to worry about. <br />
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I keep meaning to write a list of the things i want to make sure i teach my off-spring, the qualities encouraged by my parents that i believe have made me a better person, things like compassion and forgiveness (i NEVER go to bed on an arguement, after my mum told me the story of the old couple who rowed, went to bed not speaking, and the man died in his sleep having never kissed and made up...probably a lie, but it stuck with me none the less)<br />
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Then there are smaller things like the the importance of good table manners and remembering to cleanse and moisturise, both equally important for different reasons.<br />
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What life lessons (however big or small) did your parents teach you that have stuck with you to this day? I would love to add the good ones to my list.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-1499099241560944022011-03-20T11:36:00.000-07:002011-03-20T11:36:35.846-07:00Never say neverDo you ever impose a rule on yourself that you grow to resent ? I made a promise to myself i wouldn't buy any specific-to-maternity clothes, i felt i was cheating, that i should have been able to get through my pregnancy by adapting "normal" clothes, I have tried all possible permutations, but a recent mini shopping trip exposed a glaring flaw in my master plan. <br />
There have been a few solid wardrobe essentials i have been able to rely on...until now.....to cover my ever expanding bump, am 27 weeks now, with baby approximately the weight of a head of cauliflower, 2lbs to be precise.<br />
My most recent finding is maxi dresses need to be cut with a slight a-line, as straight up and down styles hug me in all the wrong places, not only does my VPL become public property, the ever popular racer back styles the high street churn out are deeply unflattering on my arms, I made a guilty purchase on my recent trip in New York, i snapped up this T by Alexander Wang dress from Barneys Co-op, which was expensive, but worth its weight in gold, flattering, comfortable and i have worn in so many times already its cost-per-wear just keeps dropping.<br />
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<a href="http://www.barneys.com/Asymmetric-Tank-Dress/501167944,default,pd.html"><img alt="" class="imgURL" jquery1300645097034="33" src="http://barneys.richfx.com.edgesuite.net/image/media/PG_501167944_TH.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.barneys.com/Asymmetric-Tank-Dress/501167944,default,pd.html">http://www.barneys.com/Asymmetric-Tank-Dress/501167944,default,pd.html</a><br />
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Top wise its easy to find long length versions, particularly in jersey, but i feel they need more than length, shape is important too (don't be fooled by pictures of pregnant Victoria Beckham in her just-on-the right-side-of-baggy-t-shirts) the problem i have is bottom halves...the options now are EXTREMELY limited...maternity jeans, maternity trousers or leggings, skirts don't work, at all, i attempted to wear my favourite pleated Acne maxi skirt for a night out this weekend, thinking i could pair it with long black top. Hair and make up done, i confidently pulled on my skirt and positioned it under my bump...my best description would be that i looked like a deranged belly dancer , all i needed was a veil and a belt of gold coins, i didn't even show the Boyfriend, i couldn't face his uncontrollable laughter at my naive attempt to incorporate my old favourites into my pregnancy wardrobe.<br />
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" style="height: 203px; width: 249px;" width="249" /><br />
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Not quite the look i was going for<br />
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Anyway, my rule, the self imposed ban i placed on myself on buying purpose built maternity clothes, i have broken it. Do i feel pathetic and weak ? No actually, i feel empowered and VERY excited to show off my new purchase...photos coming soon to a blog near youMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-34837304882971114612011-03-18T01:33:00.000-07:002011-03-18T01:33:48.069-07:00Do i make you broody..baby?<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week has been a trying one, pregnancy hasn't agreed with me for the past few days and has led to me feeling completely out of sorts, I've been assured my hormones are almost certainly to blame, so my guess is they are also to blame for my random outbursts of tears and self pity, which in turn lead me to feel guilty as I know how privileged I am to be blessed with pregnancy....like I said I am all over the place! </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather seems to be warming up, which I am grateful for, mainly because it means I have to think less about heavy coats and layering, which add bulk to my already enlarged shape, but also because the less I need to pack when shuttling from north to south on a weekly basis the better. Its time for me to start thinking about dressing the bump for Spring, how will i manage to wear less black, its my staple, pregnant or not, But i must embrace colour, block colour, maybe i can wear one colour the bump can wear another?? I long to wear canary yellow high waisted trousers with a skinny belt, or leather shorts and a sweater but i cant (for now) so i have turned my attention to more practical items........ </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Fine Gauge Double Belted Dress by Vanessa Bruno Athé" class="product_shot" onmouseout="this.src = this.src.replace('tm2_','t_')" onmouseover="this.src = this.src.replace('t_','tm2_')" src="http://cdn3.my-wardrobe.com/images/products/1/7/174912/t_174912.jpg" title="Vanessa Bruno Athé Fine Gauge Double Belted Dress" width="175" /><img alt="Beauty Tote by Anya Hindmarch" class="product_shot" onmouseout="this.src = this.src.replace('tm2_','t_')" onmouseover="this.src = this.src.replace('t_','tm2_')" src="http://cdn4.my-wardrobe.com/images/products/8/0/803000/t_803000.jpg" title="Anya Hindmarch Beauty Tote" width="175" /><img alt="Baniel Soft Striped Cropped Cardigan by By Malene Birger" class="product_shot" onmouseout="this.src = this.src.replace('tm2_','t_')" onmouseover="this.src = this.src.replace('t_','tm2_')" src="http://cdn6.my-wardrobe.com/images/products/4/7/474340/t_474340.jpg" title="By Malene Birger Baniel Soft Striped Cropped Cardigan" width="175" /></span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Delicious don't you think ?? the sweater dress is angora mix, i like things to feel soft, and the belt is suede, so its got a touch of luxury. The Bag i just love, for laptop now and picnics in summer. I really want to wear Horizontal stripes, but have been worried will they work? i wouldn't want to resemble a portly sailor, so i opted for a striped cardigan, my ability to compromise astounds even me sometimes! All the above from <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/</a> </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its been a busy old week in planet pregnancy this week, abbey clancy has given birth to a little girl, Kelly Brook confirmed she is pregnant and Victoria Beckham confirmed she is having a girl (in my head I still call her posh spice, I went through my teens with her pouting and pointing as a spice girl, and even bought her OK magazine wedding special whilst on holiday in Ibiza!) </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How amazing Mr & Mrs Beckham are finally having a girl after 3 boys, I would love to know if they used any new fangled fertility treatments to increase the possibility, although was she not rich & famous i imagine i would put it down to nothing more than lady luck, i love that Journalist Laura Craik told Posh during an interview her sophisticated theory on predicting the babies gender was how regularly a woman needed to shave/wax during her pregnancy, less frequently indicates a girl apparently, needless to say Posh was less than impressed, god forbid people should know her body functions like other mere mortals...excess hair? how repulsive and common! Dr Craik, gender prediction extraordinaire was asked to leave...genius!</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-16646277079508655052011-03-14T02:33:00.000-07:002011-03-14T02:35:27.953-07:00Baby BoresRead (another) article this weekend about the attack of the baby bores, namely celebrity new mums releasing their baby monologues (Myleene Klass, Denise Van Outen etc etc) the journalist actually went as far as to ask if perhaps first time mums are obsessed in their pregnancies and think that they are "the creators of the universe" Rude? maybe a little, True? totally. Its hard not to be, not a day goes by when you don't have a twinge, pain, movement, discomfort or a scenario which reminds you what your body is going through, physical & mentally, whether it be passing on yet another cold inviting looking glass of vino, or the fact your sleep is disturbed by a kick or even the random bouts of emotion brought on by raging hormones.<br />
Add to this the fact every single pregnancy is different, my little unborn has taken to doing full on somersaults in my womb, which looks like a 3D movie from the outside, other mums have said their kicks stayed under control and were pleasant and comforting, i think my baby may already be into body popping or break dancing. I am one of six children, so my mum knows a fair bit about pregnancy, i often think its a shame she didn't write a book, i think it would have been a best seller, her approach is very relaxed, i actually think she is a closet hippy, as not once has she shared a horror story about birth or pregnancy, she makes it sound like it was a bit of a breeze, or perhaps she just didn't make a song & dance about it like me, but she says one thing is for sure, if men had to do it, the population would be a lot smaller! controversial maybe, but who cares...its not like it can be disproved!!! I think i may get Joan to write down her Top 10 pregnancy tips......its never too late to get a book deal! <br />
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On top of the emotional rollercoaster i am on at the moment, i am growing at a rate that feels out of control. I have grown out of my dressing gown, it used to be a wrap over, now it meets at the seams. I put away 2 tops on saturday that fitted over my bump just 2 weeks ago, one of which actually made me cry as i remembered i used to wear it as a dress, and used to think it made my head look small because it was so baggy, i tried it on (why do i punish myself???) with the intention of layering it, i looked like i was smuggling a bowling ball swathed in chambray, i dont ever want to see that dress again until it makes my head look small again.<br />
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I see Rachel Zoe is opting for head to toe black to get her through her 3rd trimester, which is comforting to mere mortals like me, she has access to every maxi / empire / Aline dress and stretchy pant ever made yet she chooses the easy route, simple black layering, albeit she finished her emsemble off with super high leopard print Brian Atwood booties, which has had people calling for her head on a chopping board for being irresponsible whils pregnant...whats the problem here?? She is a top Hollywood stylist whose look is her fortune, she probably isnt walking further than a few metres from a car into her destination, its not like she is wearing them to do the weekly shop or run for the bus, AND she has a crutch to steady her in the form of her boyfriend....i think they should give the girl a break!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-66205512683165138522011-03-10T01:51:00.000-08:002011-03-10T02:27:29.862-08:00The BenchmarkI don't own a set of scales. never have, i have always used my skinny jeans as a benchmark, hence my jeans all being in storage since i was 10 weeks pregnant. Last week after a particularly heavy Croissant binge in Paris i decided i would see what i actually weigh, and jumped on my mums scales. They are clearly broken, i don't want to discuss details, but there is no way i actually weigh that much...mother i think you need a new battery.... i have 3 months to go, and people tell me i have the largest weight gain in front of me, now i never use this particular phrase, but in replacement of a profanity. OMG <br />
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Now in fairness people have been very kind re my appearance, telling me (now please try not to laugh if these are the usual words of comfort you receive in pregnancy) that i look really well and pregnancy suits me, one woman even told me i looked beautiful pregnant, she is French, so perhaps a little loose with such a compliment, where as in English she actually meant nice/cute/quite pretty, but she didn't she said beautiful, such an under used word don't you think?? one usually saved for brides and gardens.....i plan to use it more often, instead of my usual gorgeous/lovely/ amazing...it really made an impression on me!!<br />
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Back to the weight situation. Or should i say weight & size. A friend sent me the link to this article<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1364807/Women-injecting-illegal-pregnancy-hormone-dangerous-crash-diets-500-calories-day-doctors-warn.html?ITO=1490">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1364807/Women-injecting-illegal-pregnancy-hormone-dangerous-crash-diets-500-calories-day-doctors-warn.html?ITO=1490</a><br />
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The hormone they discuss is one produced by pregnant women, which tells their brain they are full, apparently women are using this hormone to allow them selves to consume only 500 calories a day<br />
500?????????? Show me a pregnant woman who consumes only 500 calories a day, and i will show you a fibber (i was temped to say i would show you a manicured middle finger but that's a bit uncouth for a pregnant lady isn't it??)<br />
My body is demanding carbohydrates in a way i have never experienced before, call it gluttony, call it greed, call it what you like, i call it fuel. A taxi driver asked me yesterday what my cravings were and i had to be totally honest, i haven't had any recently, not cravings, just moments of fancying certain foods, mainly beige foods, croissants and crumpets with copious amounts of jam, oh and potato cakes and sui mai, not together or with jam. Obviously i intersperse these beige foods with healthy and wholesome foods, but i am a little perturbed i haven't been given a strange fat free craving, friends of mine craved dust/charcoal even ice.....but me?? i want a Crunchie Ice cream.<br />
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Yesterday i was asked how many actual maternity clothes i had bought. the answer is Zero. I have resisted the urge or necessity and am rather proud of myself, i have adapted jersey, learnt the art of clever layering and even have a spring wish list of things from <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/</a> that i know will work and be practical post bump, maxi dresses, jewelled sandals and some knitwear. I also refuse point blank to succumb to buying a belly band. <a href="http://www.glowmaternityandbaby.co.uk/index.php/cName/belly-band">http://www.glowmaternityandbaby.co.uk/index.php/cName/belly-band</a> . My apologies to all those who have recommended one, but i cant do it out of principle. I must find a way of getting through the next 3 months using alternative methods of dressing my bump, the bump boob tube isn't on my wish list. Nor is this final suggestion (from a man, in fashion) which i guess was designed to detract attention from my body....."why dont you wear something interesting on your head?? erm like what, a fascinator like Anna Dello Russo? a lobster a la Lady GaGa? or maybe i am being too sensitive and he actually meant a nice fedora. I will keep you posted<br />
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I was sent a link today about how Facebook (or rather Facebooks robots who patrol the site for indecent or offensive material) are deleting images uploaded by pregnant women, namely pregnant women in a state of undress. One particular link included images of celebrities posing in all their enceinte glory, from Demi Moore in the famous Vanity Fair shoot to Christina Aguilera naked but for a leather biker jacket on the cover of Marie Claire and Britney Spears in a more risque pose in Q magazine, sucking provocatively on a lollipop, perma tanned in a polka dot bikini <br />
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<a href="http://jezebel.com/?utm_source=Jezebel+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e8aee40a62-UA-142218-20&utm_medium=email#!5776685/why-is-facebook-deleting-photos-of-pregnant-women">http://jezebel.com/?utm_source=Jezebel+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e8aee40a62-UA-142218-20&utm_medium=email#!5776685/why-is-facebook-deleting-photos-of-pregnant-women</a><br />
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Facebook have defended their actions saying their policy prohibits nudity, but do the same rules apply to pictures of scantily clad women posting pictures in their underwear / bikinis??, i have seen plenty of pictures of wannabe models on the pages of Facebook, is it that a pregnant women posing for pictures semi naked causes offense? or perhaps people are just uncomfortable with it ? <br />
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I can understand people saying somethings are private and should stay private, the blog (link above) speaks of women uploading of their positive pregnancy tests....complete with urine drops in tact..this for me is a step too far, is anything sacred? but a friend of mine loathes people using their scan pictures as their profile pictures, i think this is perfectly acceptable, although i didn't do it myself, i chose to text a picture of my 12 week foetus to my nearest and dearest....is that bad too ? i guess its horses for courses, and as i have learnt, you actually don't know what you will do, or how you will act until you are with child yourself. <br />
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I personally am even a little shy posing for photos fully clothed whilst pregnant, I am very proud of my mummy-to-be bump but am more than a little aware i am carrying a little extra weight on my limbs and face, now i am 25 weeks the grey cast I've been sporting has lifted and my skin and hair feel nice, i have decided this is mother natures compensation for the fact none of my clothes fit anymore. <br />
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I marvel at the pictures of pregnant women on the beach, albeit they are of the celebrity kind, but still, confidently striding around in their bikinis...i envy their body confidence, most recently Actress Toni Collette, pregnant with her 2nd child aged 38 was pictured on the beach in Sydney...i thought she looked fantastic, but decided there and then i wouldn't be comfortable in bikini right now, regardless of the fact i would have no paparazzi to worry about...this is in total contrast to how i felt pre-pregnancy when i vowed i would go on holiday as much as possible, i loved the idea of a lightly bronzed bump!!!<br />
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But if i was a celebrity would i seize the opportunity to pose naked with my bump? be it for shameless self promotion or just the opportunity to be captured looking beautiful with my bump in all its glory...is there such a thing as a tasteful naked pregnancy pose? Who did it best in your opinion? Claudia Schiffer? Demi Moore? Cindy Crawford? maybe Monica Belluci ?<br />
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Either way, if the urge should take me to get snapped with my bump is all its glory...rest assured it will be in private and stay in private, and never be uploaded to this blog or anywhere else for that matter, unless i wake up tomorrow morning looking exactly like Ms Schiffer!!<br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-47222191510864245982011-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:002011-03-07T03:50:32.035-08:00The Bump`s AW11 PredictionsPaul the predicting Octopus, made famous for correctly selecting the 2010 World Cup winners died peacefully in his tank in October last year, and since then various other invertibrates have tried to take his crown, well sorry people it seems a more warm blooded creature has pipped them to the post, my unborn baby has taken to moving about like crazy during buying appointments, particularly when certain items are shown, i get a thorough kicking at very specific points...Todays big AW11 predictions includes Charlotte Olympia siemese booties, her Evelyn shoes in red, and anything velvet from Acne, particularly the Lempicka trousers in Gunmetal...the kids got taste, i wonder if bookies would accept a bet on an unborn child predicting next seasons trends?? <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paul the predicting Octopus</div><br />
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Charlotte Olympia her self is expecting baby number 2 in August, she put me to shame today wearing a leather dress and super high heels, looking impossibly glamorous in her signature screen siren way, she is an amazing advert for early pregnancy, but the shoe designer admitted she would sucumb to wearing flats when she develops a prominant bump, not just for comfort, but because she thinks it looks odd, a big body totterring on little heels, a look i have coined as "le pig on stilts" as this i exactly how i feel in heels.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Charlotte Olympia</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-51493716136230425832011-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:002011-03-05T14:04:06.927-08:00The Bump goes to ParisThe bump and i are in Paris for the last leg of the AW11 buying season, not only is this one well travelled bump but its also a very informed bump...i wonder if sitting through dozens of buying appointments will influence his/her future career decisions?? A fashion designer maybe...or maybe the whole experience will have all been too much and my darling first born will grow up to be an emo or a goth, and be of the opinion mummy`s job is futile and vacuous! <br />
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The sun has been shining over Paris, and i found myself wanting to take a trip on the ferry down the River Seine, but i have a job to do off i went to view the Preen collection. Today i had the pleasure of being shown through the collection by one of the designers (Justin Thornton, of Thornton and Bregazzi) not only was it a knock out collection, but we were also treated to some inside insights from the fashion scene. Preen show at New York fashion week and Justin has met some of the industrys biggest players (Anna Wintour being one, while my claim to fame is walking past her once outside the Ritz, Justin has actually met and chatted with her, while this maybe of no interest to others, you might aswell know the majority of my "idols" are actually female fashion industry heavy weights, Jane Shepherdson & Hilary Alexander and people that first got me interested in fashion like Caryn Franklin, i am much more in awe of these women than celebrities) <br />
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Anyway as i was saying i had a fascinating appointment chatting about runway models and how important it is they are seen to walk the right shows, apparently having integrity early in your career in modelling leads to you being able to command huge sums of money, once you are seen to have "made it".... top models during fashion week can command tens of thousands of ££££...being genetically blessed with height, and a beautiful face/figure is very lucrative! <br />
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Preen are known for their amazing fabric, namely the power stretch from which their now iconic bandage dresses were made, this is a fabric they use each season in various guises, and can i have on good authority these dresses can make your waist appear an inch smaller. Now i wont be wearing this kind of thing for a few months, but the advice was to give in to the fabric, and size down, its supposed to be tight, pour your self in to it to really see the benefits...advice i shall store up and put in to practise post baby <br />
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A couple of Previous Preen bandage dresses, just to illustrate my point..................<br />
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Inspiration is everywhere in Paris, Paris fashion week, and the tradeshows that are held here attract buyers and press from all over the world, there is barely an eye not hidden behind a designr sunglass nor a foot encased in something Made in Italy, it is a real melting pot of trends, with very few people seeming to be following the SS11 trends the magazines are screaming about, i imagine the cold weather has something to do with that, or perhaps they have moved straight onto the AW11 trends.....fashion is a fickle mistress!<br />
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The bump and i are doing out best to fit in among all the fashionistas, my stomach is now the main attraction anyway, it gets a pat or a rub from most people i meet, and people like to guess what i am having based on how i am carrying my baby weight...ive discovered chubby face and thighs = a girl, all bump = a boy, a lot of weight carried around the love handles = a girl, maybe i am having one of each as i seem to have all the symptoms!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-38021597017647605492011-03-03T14:17:00.000-08:002011-03-03T14:19:52.221-08:00Is there an App for that ?I have never been much of a planner, in all parts of life, particularly when it comes to getting dressed, and i have realised its actually one of my biggest weaknesses, its probably also the biggest contributor to my lateness, which has become something of a joke (even more so when my other half is painfully prompt)<br />
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I travel regularly for work and think i may have become blase about packing, i cant remember the last time i tried on what i planned to wear the night before, but now am pregnant i am forced to think a little about my working wardrobe in particular, I am off to Paris this weekend and i cant afford to arrive with a suitcase full of things that i am not 100% sure will fit and work well together. <br />
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So tonight that's exactly what i did, put together 3 outfits that i believe to be of a an acceptable standard for a weekend in Paris during fashion week, minus heels and with a sizable bump in tow, its made me think perhaps i should have spent more time in the past planning my "look". I often admire people who look like they have spent a lot of time getting ready, I am even aware that some women shop specifically for items to build an outfit, i have always enjoyed getting dressed a little more ad lib, am sure it has led to me looking a little thrown together, but perhaps its time for me to style myself a little further in advance?<br />
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I always wanted the computer programme from the movie Clueless, remember that ? there was a picture of Cher (Alicia Silverstone) on screen and she could drag items of clothing onto her figure to see what it looked like together without even trying them on...genius. Back in 1995, Clueless was my Sex & the City (minus the filth) i had a penchant for tartan (which will prove to be quite appropriate for Autumn Winter 2011) it definitely inspired one or two of my teenage outfits, all i need now if for some one to create this exact computer programme for me.....and include my bump....is there an app for that ??<br />
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Actually yes.....<br />
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<a href="http://www.stylebookapp.com/">http://www.stylebookapp.com/</a><br />
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oh dont you just LOVE modern technology !!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcKMxiMtP8CWDfLJ_J7S1Y7-t-erAuLsAFW8H18NXgGHlfUfGklkB1b-H3GoascbBQiJJNPcw7dK6D-KDA37bRMqmn0JrEvJoA4kEq2jYJP6UtRtSIgrknup0-eAcUpnBGmiBDR40ZWzN/s1600/clueless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcKMxiMtP8CWDfLJ_J7S1Y7-t-erAuLsAFW8H18NXgGHlfUfGklkB1b-H3GoascbBQiJJNPcw7dK6D-KDA37bRMqmn0JrEvJoA4kEq2jYJP6UtRtSIgrknup0-eAcUpnBGmiBDR40ZWzN/s1600/clueless.jpg" /></a></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-39609414049985863142011-03-03T03:35:00.000-08:002011-03-03T03:35:14.891-08:00Waste Not Want NotI have had a couple of what i hope were jovial requests to hand over my pre pregnancy wardrobe "until i can fit in to it again"<br />
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As i have previously written, a sizable chunk of my closet has been packed away to avoid any unnecessary distress or mini tantrums, this includes high waisted trousers & skirts, jumpsuits/play suits, all of my jeans and any dresses that aren't empire line or jersey, it was a sad day but a totally necessary exercise to keep my sanity intact. <br />
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I like my clothes, its a girl thing, they would be my chosen subject should i go on mastermind, now i am now historian, and by no means can i identify an item from McQueen Spring Summer 2006 collection at 100 paces but i know enough to talk about them knowledgeably, i buy them for a living, and a collect them as a hobby, not fanatically, but as much as the next woman. I would describe the size of my wardrobe as not as big as i would like, but more than i can physically wear....am sure that's the same for most of us ??<br />
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So when i read a recent article about a woman who had yo-yo dieted so much she had a wardrobe full of size 8 to 18 clothes, the majority of which were unwearable i was shocked, my wardrobe has temporarily been cut by three quarters and i am gutted, can you imagine having a wardrobe filled with things you are either too thin or too fat to wear ? A hideous thought, not to mention so wasteful.<br />
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Nothing gives me more encouragement to get back to a fairly similar post baby weight than the clothes i have acquired over the years whether they be expensive or from a charity shop ( for the benefit of any medical practitioners reading health reason come a close 2nd i promise, then reason number 3 is vanity)<br />
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I had a little spin in the my-wardrobe fashion cupboard yesterday (its actually a more of a showroom space, but fashion cupboard sounds a lot more Devil wears Prada don't you think ?) And my most recent findings include <br />
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* Never try and fasten anything double breasted over your bump, not even an M Missoni jacket, not even to see if it will fit post baby, you will look like Mr Ben vs Winston Churchill <br />
* That suede t shirt wont stretch, not even an inch, so during pregnancy don't even think about it!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-45498654053024127052011-03-02T13:24:00.000-08:002011-03-02T13:33:36.360-08:00Bump EnvyI have bump envy, there Ive said it. The owner of the bump is Miroslava Duma, she ex editor of Harpers Bazaar Russia. A picture says a thousand words so i am going to share with the cause of my envy (I say envy, as jealousy is a horrible emotion, and this is more admiration than jealousy)<br />
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Have you ever seen any one look so delicious when pregnant? demure, bohemian and effortless, roll on the summer so i can bust out a few of of these looks. Yum yum<br />
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I avoided doing an Oscars themed blog, images of the frocks are available within the speed of light now, and by now am sure everyone is more than a little bit bored of seeing pictures of these semi-mortal / semi-aliens staring back at them, looking impossibly preened and perfect. I feel compelled to give Natalie Portman a mention, i don't care how many people helped you get ready, stylists, manicurists, make up artists etc. rocking up onto the red carpet next to the likes of long limbed Gwyneth Paltrow while sporting a fully rounded bump and ever so more padded upper arms cant have been easy (i am not being cruel, i have added in previous years pictures below for comparison) but am sure taking home the best actress Oscar made every moment of effort worth while! <br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-37203501508580621842011-02-27T13:49:00.000-08:002011-02-27T13:52:55.047-08:00The Rules & Regulations<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I am pregnant while some of my closest friends turn 30, not since we were 21 has there been such a milestone birthday, there have been frequent nights out to celebrate this coming of age, and thankfully due to our age, the majority of these involve eating before the drinking till dawn commence, as at least i am able to participate in half of the festivities, before being packed off home, waddling back to my car feeling exhausted at 11pm </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Last night was another such occasion, a night out in Liverpool with the gang required me to spruce up my appearance for the evening. I duly obliged, donning heels and a dress (for the purposes of specifics i wore a "Scarlett Dress" from Bullet on Hardman Street in Liverpool, a short wrap vintage print dress with dramatic wing sleeves, black tights and purple suede peeptoe platforms, no pics unfortunately i was a little rushed) </div><br />
While i felt dressed for the occasion, and spent time applying makeup (flicked liquid eyeliner, nude lips) i still felt vastly different once i got out, my bump was visible but the flattering cut of the dress made me appear slimmer, so it wasn't that, Perhaps it was the fact i don't wear as much make-up now (having to remove it all just a couple of hours later makes it less appealing) or the fact i walk so cautiously on my heels, making me feel like a novice. <br />
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I discussed this with another new mum over a glass of cranberry & orange on the rocks, she assured me feeling like this is perfectly normal, apparently its due to the fact you subconsciously don't "do" yourself up in the same way when pregnant, you feel the need look more demure, vampish make up and sexy clothes look and feel wrong, remember Jordan exposing her bumpalicious body during her pregnancy, i rest my case.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjCZEPKP8pyH79KeI6QhYtp1W37XEATEUuasPX9hb32wRtPSLJd3-cccy1heim3bcQdftWHdb4fQzHmDhysrIxg1Vchi5bmJ4_Lo7EAjlFdfCVMi-LzACSdZUAIGUQ4B26xMxLVqhDckz/s1600/jordan+2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjCZEPKP8pyH79KeI6QhYtp1W37XEATEUuasPX9hb32wRtPSLJd3-cccy1heim3bcQdftWHdb4fQzHmDhysrIxg1Vchi5bmJ4_Lo7EAjlFdfCVMi-LzACSdZUAIGUQ4B26xMxLVqhDckz/s200/jordan+2.bmp" width="147" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM-nz9iGQG6H94GiNCmLul_v3qpF491PgE6bn5YHP9ZfjnNWqwdP9tYxtuGeD2vUB9OmfY4TIsOC1wUrExMChr49WMAyE2_ptfcG51s_6qnVq48Fri2Ebrim69Nb0Nu7NjPrXYvKJFdlN/s1600/jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM-nz9iGQG6H94GiNCmLul_v3qpF491PgE6bn5YHP9ZfjnNWqwdP9tYxtuGeD2vUB9OmfY4TIsOC1wUrExMChr49WMAyE2_ptfcG51s_6qnVq48Fri2Ebrim69Nb0Nu7NjPrXYvKJFdlN/s1600/jordan.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Before i left the house i even questioned wearing heels in case someone thought i was putting my baby at risk, the books tell me my centre of gravity is affected during pregnancy making my balance off, but physically i cant notice any different, I remember seeing pictures of Coleen Rooney, snapped by paparazzi heavily pregnant and wearing towering Louboutins platforms and being lambasted for being irresponsible, and thinking that surely navigating heels while pregnant and sober is far safer than the dozens of times i have worn heels while under the influence of Sauvignon Blanc ???? The way my feet felt just 2hrs into the night (sore/swelled) i can assure any one who is appalled at my heel wearing that it wont be happening again, or at least i cant see myself donning anything with a 5.5" heel again during my pregnancy. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But its not just the aesthetic image of a good mother to be i am conscious of portraying, i fancied a splash of white wine with dinner but was worried what other diners would think of me, am sure they were too engrossed in their own evenings, but i couldn't take the chance and ordered only fruit juice, and resorted to sneaking a splash of vino from an obliging friend!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">People have such strong opinions of child bearing, even childless men have been known to give their opinion on pregnancy, and i cant bear anyone casting a disapproving look, i even stopped myself from purchasing a lighter in the supermarket on Saturday, i cant find the one i use to light my scented candles, but i didn't want to chance the cashier assuming i smoked....oh lord this is getting out of hand!!! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Half of all my friends in attendance last night have babies so there is no shortage of birth & baby anecdotes, some make me howl with laughter, others cause me to cry with shock (it never fails to astonish me that my dearest friends have been through these life changing experiences, extreme medical procedures during child birth, and yet never feel the need to make a big deal about it, even jokingly referring to their horror stories to lighten up the story for my benefit) So by the time my due date arrives there will be no stone left unturned, i don't think there is a baby related question that between then they cant answer...i may have to give these personal pregnancy advisers a collective name....The Mummy Council perhaps....or even better The Labour Party???</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-58439529847782439682011-02-24T15:22:00.000-08:002011-02-24T15:22:27.673-08:00When i was a bumpI am the 5th of 6 kids, so by the time my mum was expecting me i am guessing she was pretty easy going about the whole pregnancy, i keep meaning to ask does she have any pictures of me when i was just a bump...but 29 years ago with 4 other rug rats running around perhaps posing for photos wasn't top priority!!<br />
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I do know that my nan used to make my mum maternity smocks, there were no trips to Isabella Oliver to stock up on jersey wrap dresses, and definitely no Dream Genii pillow to aid a good nights sleep.....was pregnancy easier back then....or are we modern mummies-to-be just pampered princess?? I jest of course, but it does seem that pregnancy in 2011 is given a whole lot of emphasis, when perhaps previous generations just got on with things without the drama? <br />
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I receive weekly emails from a pregnancy website keeping me updated on approx how big, how heavy and exactly what stage of development my little bump dweller is at, i have been given books on pregnancy/the birth and caring for the baby from day one through to.....well i don't know how far they take you, i haven't read them all yet! <br />
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My point is what happened before we had all of this information to hand? Did new mothers just ad lib? does your maternal instinct really kick in? <br />
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For all other aspects of pregnancy there is so much choice, the Menu for choosing your birth method just gets longer, the vitamins you should take, the food you should and shouldn't eat, the exercises you should do, and the subject that comes up time and time again, breastfeeding....the NHS slogan is "breast is best" however this is one subject i am not going to comment on...until i have 1st hand knowledge! <br />
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John Lewis even gives you a step by step guide on how to decorate your nursery <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/Magazine/Feature.aspx?Id=320">http://www.johnlewis.com/Magazine/Feature.aspx?Id=320</a> from black out blinds to babies first wardrobe (did blackout blinds exist when i was a baby? perhaps we had thicker eyelids back then or did my mum give us all baby sunglasses?) <br />
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I have so many questions, i think i better get asking. How did you mum get through her pregnancy? Any funny stories? Does you mum / nan / auntie think young women these days are weaklings when it comes to pregnancy ?? Most Mums i have come across during my pregnancy have acknowledged me with an understanding and a special camaraderie.....does this extend the generations, i would love to know <br />
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xMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-34757952955429438932011-02-23T05:20:00.000-08:002011-02-23T05:20:55.223-08:00The Name GameAm fast approaching what my friend calls "count down", the 6 month mark. While in Calender weeks i have 17 weeks left, once February turns into March in months i only have 3 to go, which to non child bearing folk may seem a long time, if you have a holiday booked in 3 months it feels like a life time, but for me i feel that not only do we have a lot to prepare, the nursery being the biggest thing, mentally i have to get my head around i am going to be a mother and on top of all of this we have to choose a name this little person will bear forever..the responsibility of this feels huge, a name that will not only suit perfectly, but carry him/her through school without ridicule, through its career and be taken seriously, and work just as well as an adult as it did as a child, oh my word, making this decision without the help of alcohol (a crutch in times of pressure for me) is going to be tricky!<br />
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I have been warned by those in the know that half of the battle is getting both expectant Mummy & Daddy to agree on the name, but before we even get to that we have to pick some names we actually like. Everyone has name association, this is where we automatically connect the name with someone or something we dislike, be it someone we went to school with/worked with, it could be a family member or even a character from a book/movie or TV programme which makes you automatically and unequivocally veto that name forever...believe me its happened already. <br />
Take for example Carrie, my dear Nans name, a name i cherish and would love to bestow on my child should i bear a girl....my other half's opinion, yeah great name, but his name association??? Carrie Bradshaw, neurotic fashion mad sex columnist from a very well known TV programme and movie. Point taken (this battle ain't over, i have 3 months left to fight this one)<br />
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I love the idea of carrying on a family name, another close friend of mine plans to use her fathers surname as her child's christian name, as when she and her sister marry the name will be lost, now i am sentimental (and hormonal) but it gives me a lump in my throat just thinking about it, a name with history that means a lot to her, what could be more appropriate?<br />
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Taking into account your child's future is important, a little story i repeat every so often tells of how my friends who shall only be known as Lord & Lady chose their sons name on the basis that the alternative name that had been in the running since day 1 would hinder his chances of ever being a lawyer, the successful and losing names shall remain a secret, but i genuinely believe its true. Could you imagine being introduced to your barrister with a name like Tiger Lily or Peaches??<br />
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I have Name books at the ready, one of them has 7000 options, surely one of them will be suitable ?? Since the sex of our little one will be a secret until D Day we will need options for both,<br />
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There may be trouble ahead.......MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-20377302108330167502011-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:002011-02-22T14:30:10.653-08:00Watching from afar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K3S8JKDlJSN1haHu7KncQHlRjRnDy1-RKSrL2F_14IIrUcNe5rwa_SIgohCTT29r1qPgWmUqI-cIULJ8-_i-ho4HXLqCSRyKMdRZvEG01mBoPI9Dx3Fa9EAwARvfZnpn7X1SCFp8EvMy/s1600/Le+Bump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5K3S8JKDlJSN1haHu7KncQHlRjRnDy1-RKSrL2F_14IIrUcNe5rwa_SIgohCTT29r1qPgWmUqI-cIULJ8-_i-ho4HXLqCSRyKMdRZvEG01mBoPI9Dx3Fa9EAwARvfZnpn7X1SCFp8EvMy/s320/Le+Bump.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Back from New York, and my usual method of staying awake and getting straight back into routine, didn't quite go to plan, 14hrs after going to bed i finally woke to the sound of my phone ringing, who knows how long i would have slept uninterrupted! <br />
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Its been a busy week on planet fashion, London fashion week came and went while i was still in NYC, with the help of the Internet I've been able to keep up with the daily events, on as well as off the catwalk, what the FROW (front row dwellers) wear is as important as what designers send down the runway these days. Fashion editors and celebrities alike nestle together in their current and future season attire, these people are under immense scrutiny from journalists and bloggers and their pictures feature in as glossy magazines as the models themselves.<br />
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Vogue.com are the creme de la creme for me when it comes to staying in the loop, their catwalk reports and runway photographs are uploaded at the speed of light, and their commentary is honest & precise, just what i need, not yarns and yarns of pointless babble. <br />
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Fashion week outfits require quite some thought for those who will be judged (buyers tend to play it safe, and wear a lot of black) some say the higher the heel the closer to heaven, in the case of fashion week, the higher the heel the closer to the top of the fashion food chain ie CEO/Editor as they are likely to have a car ferry them between shows (this isn't a set in stone rule of course, as I've spotted young bloggers in towering platforms, but its a good rule of thumb)<br />
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My pregnancy wardrobe for this buying season has at times really left me feeling flummoxed, i see myself one way in my head, but the reality is somewhat different, high heels, even wedges are just too uncomfortable for me to wear while i am running from appointment to appointment during 10hr days, i hate to sound defeatist but its true, thank god for my Acne boots <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/acne/black-pistol-leather-knee-high-boot-257497">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/acne/black-pistol-leather-knee-high-boot-257497</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/</a> are holding their relaunch party tonight at Sketch <a href="http://www.sketch.uk.com/">http://www.sketch.uk.com</a> my travel schedule meant i couldn't attend (yes i am a little crushed) and i am waiting with baited breath to see the pictures of the big event, through the voyeur's dream that is twitter i know CEO Sarah Curran chose to wear M Missoni, so just another 249 party attendees outfits to get the low down on, there i go again watching from afar!<br />
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I haven't finished going through the London Fashion Week shows, its quite a task, but have managed to watch a good selection, and have started logging my favourites, since i wont be pregnant by the time AW11 comes around i have been thinking about how many of the trends will fit into my new life as a working mum....its going to be a whole new world!!<br />
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MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-67074251992907486032011-02-21T07:44:00.000-08:002011-02-21T07:44:42.056-08:00What would you wear????Now this piece is probably more suited to my friend over at <a href="http://bespokendreams.blogspot.com/">http://bespokendreams.blogspot.com/</a> as its about this years big weddings, but i am thinking more about the guest list than the bride. I refer of course to the battle of the Kates, Moss vs Middleton. <br />
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While i was in New York i lost count of the times i was asked about the Royal Wedding, the Americans refer to the princess in waiting as Katherine, and the hype about the occasion is incredible, if possible they are more excited stateside than we are. The US glossy magazines are gearing up for a blitz of coverage in March and April, Jewellery designers like Kenneth Jay Lane have been asked to select their fantasy wedding gift and replicas of the infamous engagement ring have been reproduced and sold in their thousands. <br />
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The invitations to the royal day have gone out (i wonder to they go 1st Class with Royal Mail?) and rumours are in overdrive that Mr & Mrs Beckham are on the guest list, even for a seasoned event dresser like Victoria Beckham, this will mean some extra planning time....as protocol and the magnitude of the occasion must be considered., Mrs B knows better than to cause a spectacle, unlike Liz Hurley who once attended a friend wedding flashing leopard print knickers to the waiting paparazzi. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uF-NKbQDsO7wPgV0U_HObq5cx7xjCNps-RH4Y3jC0hLduKgNaHMfdjj-1QkMme1X3wgNjYqOD9K4Nsg-RN461E9l-Yg8XmIvkugP9siBA1TlZq422rg0mE2yO5_PfrwdyeQrrW63c1lg/s1600/liz+hurley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uF-NKbQDsO7wPgV0U_HObq5cx7xjCNps-RH4Y3jC0hLduKgNaHMfdjj-1QkMme1X3wgNjYqOD9K4Nsg-RN461E9l-Yg8XmIvkugP9siBA1TlZq422rg0mE2yO5_PfrwdyeQrrW63c1lg/s1600/liz+hurley.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Although the eyes of the world maybe on William & Kates nuptials, the eyes of the fashion world will be firmly fixed on another Kates big day, the icon that is Kate Moss. Not only will we be feverishly looking to get a glimpse of the brides chosen dress, but the guests too, the star studded attendees from fashion and music will provide a mighty spectacle, i do hope she doesn't keep it all under wraps.<br />
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What does one wear to a wedding of someone with such style credentials, i would look to the bride her self for inspiration, some of my all time favourite outfits have been inspired by Ms Moss, this velvet cape she wore to the 2008 wedding of Rock royalty Leah Wood, led me to pick up a label called Kite & Butterfly, who do amazing fringed devore capes (available at <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/kite-butterfly">www.my-wardrobe.com/kite-butterfly</a>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1mLSnxUdt6VwvMgcTcIEmvt8lLMyInZplAUPnAifjCw9zEAbEKv8W2KEP0dS7LYG0xqr4_w5VneRwFDbrB3GMQh2FnDWtNUIYjFwhJR6h96zIJKCVZH5Y2SjMkC7tK22-hgPnyqMfx4L/s1600/Kate+Moss.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1mLSnxUdt6VwvMgcTcIEmvt8lLMyInZplAUPnAifjCw9zEAbEKv8W2KEP0dS7LYG0xqr4_w5VneRwFDbrB3GMQh2FnDWtNUIYjFwhJR6h96zIJKCVZH5Y2SjMkC7tK22-hgPnyqMfx4L/s320/Kate+Moss.bmp" width="155" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In 2nd place i couldn't decide between the following 2 outfits, both pretty for summer weddings, and the latter even works with my bump....now all i need is the invitation!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUicUjkTLQ0fnMDHK_s7ubJItrqCMUVcLF8LNC1CuJxA1RRGmerSkW-8Zp4DFIjaUaXWHn2gofWdysKvPERl2ac8AIjjFgw82aOVUMxBkM-KqQMymiv_gUHfLL3t9RZYqK89cu2fy1LMR/s1600/another+one.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUicUjkTLQ0fnMDHK_s7ubJItrqCMUVcLF8LNC1CuJxA1RRGmerSkW-8Zp4DFIjaUaXWHn2gofWdysKvPERl2ac8AIjjFgw82aOVUMxBkM-KqQMymiv_gUHfLL3t9RZYqK89cu2fy1LMR/s320/another+one.bmp" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-39020096549982786172011-02-19T06:09:00.000-08:002011-02-19T06:12:28.766-08:00Beauty Matters<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Have been in New York a few days now, and now have a fully fledged cold, red nose and all. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Now in New York this usually doesn't pose a problem to me, i would pay a visit to my reliable friend Duane Reade (the pharmacist from heaven) and stock up on what ever drugs necessary to get me back on my feet, followed by a trip to Vitamin Shoppe for some high voltage vitamin C, i usually rattle around Manhattan filled with remedies, but this time i have to grin and bear it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I turned to Google (other wise known as my mobile physician) and looked up what i can take to help me feel better, the options during pregnancy were fresh orange juice and rest....not easy with my work schedule.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I must have been feeling very sorry for myself yesterday morning when the waiter brought breakfast to my room (i admit i have a tendency to walk with a self pitying stoop when i am sick) as he asked me if i wasn't feeling well to which i unashamedly replied "no, i am not, i have a cold and a cough". On my return to the room last night i was greeted by a tray of herbal teas, mini pots of honey and lemon slices, and a note to wish me get well soon...blame the pregnancy, or maybe i was tired, but i burst into sobs of tears of gratitude, God Bless America !</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The changes in my appearance are sometimes a bit of a shock to me, not just the growing bump, but when i catch glimpse's of my self in the mirror i actually think i look totally different than the not pregnant me. Not long after finding out i was expecting i had a fringe cut in, i felt like i needed more hair covering my face to combat the days i look particularly tired, this in hindsight may have been an irrational move my fringe now frames my more filled out cheeks......but does come in handy when disguising my dark circles. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I have to admit being surrounded by wafer thin models on a daily basis, parading through in incredible samples size clothes has got me feeling a little frumpy..towering heels and leather trousers don't feature in my pregnancy wardrobe (Victoria Beckham doesn't seem to be having a problem rocking them at 4 months gone)....so i have been thinking about other ways to make me feel nice.......</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">My friend arrived in New York last night, so we took our annual trip to the nearest Spa Belle for a Manhattan style mani / pedi, i was feeling more in need of pampering that usual so decided to go for the full spa pedicure where i was soaked, scrubbed and slathered in lotion from the knee down...bliss </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">On a day to day basis, other than my skin care regime i am not very high maintenance, eyelash extensions and false nails haven't featured for some time, so while i was there i started looking at what else i could have "done". Now i am no stranger to the beauticians chair, but this time i started thinking about the long term, when the baby arrives, i am going to have very little time, so anything that needs regular upkeep wont work, no one wants to see a new mum with spidery false eyelashes hanging off and a patchy spray tan, its not what mother nature intended.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">As if on cue, i turned on the television and Death Becomes her was on, for those who haven't seen this movie, its a comedy with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn who are desperately trying to achieve eternal beauty...very funny and usually wouldn't contain any hidden messages, but this time it made me feel guilty for trying to prettify my pregnant self instead of concentrating on keeping my self in tip top health...fresh orange juice and rest here i come.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HCr0pBdIols7uOa5KZOwBRgg4tvDHlVXmXILouKAoy_hV5CFjvLy-SK1Spt7e1uWlVvaeZZNpOMMds52XPUm2mB80rI8ow-O2GprkH7zfOn1vRyd8jXosRI5uETWdqPOrz9CJ90sKqav/s1600/death+becomes+her.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HCr0pBdIols7uOa5KZOwBRgg4tvDHlVXmXILouKAoy_hV5CFjvLy-SK1Spt7e1uWlVvaeZZNpOMMds52XPUm2mB80rI8ow-O2GprkH7zfOn1vRyd8jXosRI5uETWdqPOrz9CJ90sKqav/s320/death+becomes+her.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-40923391352079071042011-02-17T19:17:00.000-08:002011-02-17T19:17:06.184-08:00The city so great they named it twice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RXBLv4a-kT2JlOFNHWKir5XbwCY0RwEQnNc16m8b3kyp9ghEx63zt94RwE6tggKsvmPseCgHTEaXY4zzpEH3ERHF0vxuQaHY4TmqVlsSs_1URG7Wh57zNOJjAB8-n4ug6u683h713Jj_/s1600/ny.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RXBLv4a-kT2JlOFNHWKir5XbwCY0RwEQnNc16m8b3kyp9ghEx63zt94RwE6tggKsvmPseCgHTEaXY4zzpEH3ERHF0vxuQaHY4TmqVlsSs_1URG7Wh57zNOJjAB8-n4ug6u683h713Jj_/s1600/ny.bmp" /></a></div><br />
New York, New York is my home for the next week, a trip i do seasonally as part of my job, only this time its a little different, i have company, the bump. (My little unborn will be a seasoned traveller before the day of its birth) <br />
I heart New York, even when i come here alone, the people are so friendly and i never tire of walking past sites i recognise from movies (and Sex & the City!) <br />
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From the moment i boarded the plane i knew this trip wasn't going to be like the previous visits, no little glass of fizz to settle into my flight, when i arrived at the hotel at midnight no sleeping tablet to combat the jet lag, the following morning, no turbo charged coffee to kick start the day.........and finally no end of day Mojito...i hadn't realised my New York trips ticked so many naughty boxes !<br />
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New York calls for its female residents to be polished, there are more nail bars in Manhattan per square metre than in Liverpool, and that's a lot. It also seems to call for heels, i see more women in perilous heels here than in London, and not of the platform variety, thin stiletto heels with a thin sole, hard core. <br />
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New York like London also has a postcode divide that affects the way you dress, uptown vs downtown. Uptown Manhattan ladies are likely to be sharper dressers, coordinating their outfits with accessories, and possibly even wear more high end designer labels, Downtown dwellers on the flip side are likely to be more adventerous, fashion forward, wearing contemporary labels and, mixing them up with vintage with confidence. <br />
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I took a quick spin today around Barneys coop, the uptown store that boasts a downtown feel, the department stores here are loving the French labels as much as the rest of the world right now, Isabel Marant and Carven featured heavily, but it was American label Vince that took pride of place, not to mention more space than any other label. Its easy to wear, stylish knitwear and jersey is according to the Barneys changing room assistant "selling its self" so i indulged in a little trying on session, and planned my dream post baby wardrobe, filled with cashmere mix seperates!!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-48584572108896699942011-02-13T03:51:00.000-08:002011-02-13T03:51:22.692-08:00This seasons coloursMy job allows me to be privy to the upcoming trends well in advance. For Summer 2011 the magazines are featuring bright block colour, as seen on the runway at Prada, among others, and as I am expecting a summer baby, June to be exact, the timing will be just right to introduce a splash of colour, am thinking tangerine orange, hot pink or maybe ocean blue.....<br />
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</div><div>I have allowed myself to begin looking at baby furniture, in the words of Stevie Wonder, i am Very Superstitious, before now felt i was tempting fate, i still do a little. But in the next few weeks i will be travelling so much with work that February and March will be over , so little by little i am introducing myself to the world of baby brands. </div><div><br />
</div><div>No matter what the product is, nothing is safe from the hierarchy system branding creates, baby stuff is no exception, as i am discovering. Brands previously unknown to me, such as Bloom, Stokke and Bugaboo are now being bounded around like new comers at London Fashion Week. </div><div><br />
Price structure too works in exactly the same way, there are designer brands, which are top end, if they were a fashion brand they would show in Paris, contemporary, which is still high price point but more accessible, and i have even discovered the baby equivalent of the high street, own branded products at affordable prices but without the aspirational feel, and just like fashion all of these brands are available to buy on-line, making browsing easy. But I am new to this game, and being a buyer being at a loss as to what choice to make feels foreign to me, are there trends in the baby world? Will the other mums snigger at me if i make the wrong choice? oh the pressure!!<br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-32088135822794433922011-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:002011-02-12T12:53:28.766-08:00My HeroIts Valentines weekend and the shops are filled with present ideas, Chocolates, Champagne, Flowers and underwear, in my current condition, Chocolates are a daily occurrence, Champagne is off the menu, my recent hospital stay earned me several bunches of flowers and as for underwear, i have just purchased new bra`s, (less Agent Provocateur more Granny chic) Now, my beloved and I aren't avid followers of the feast of St.Valentines but this year he bought me the most thoughtful present ever..............<br />
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I have lusted over many things in the past, shoes, handbags, even kitchen utensils (i have a particular weakness for anything by JosephJoseph) but the discomfort i am experiencing when trying to sleep has led me to lust after something a whole lot more......comfortable<br />
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I was presented with my Valentines present early, thankfully, as its mere existence in my life has brought me joy, even my boyfriend was surprised at my delighted response<br />
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<img alt="Pregnancy Support & Feeding Pillow" src="http://www.dreamgenii.com/images/product/listing/dg_lilacimage_lr1.jpg" /><br />
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This funny looking snake shaped pillow has to be used to be appreciated. I have always slept on my front, with my fully rounded bump this is impossible, as not only is it uncomfortable but i find myself levitating above the bed.<br />
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Know someone who is pregnant?? Make their Valentines Day and buy them one of these. Sleep TightMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-5236237215459126412011-02-12T02:14:00.000-08:002011-02-12T02:15:28.458-08:00The pregnant princess<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">Pregnancy is a funny thing, warned by my doctor not to lift a lot after my little op I have found people in general being wonderfully helpful and almost stern in their pursuit to stop me straining myself. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">I regularly have a little suitcase in tow, my working week is in London while my weekends are spent in the place I call home, Liverpool, add this to my various international buying trips you could say I get around a bit. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">I've tried to keep what I carry to a minimum, a laptop and a handbag, but this week I am off to New York where its minus temperatures require the bump to be well layered to keep warm, so am taking a few things home from London (I pack in Liverpool, complicated I know but stay with me) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">So, I cram my little suitcase with required high tog items and call a cab to take me the short distance from my London home to the local train station, now this particular morning I decided to not to wear my usual pregnancy work uniform of maxi dress and cropped jacket, in favour of an Acne dress I am rather fond of, black of course, above the knee, Aline, but more importantly to the story, loose with varying levels of layers all over. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">My taxi arrived and so I popped my case outside the front door and went to grab my handbag, when the driver didn't retrieve my case and put it in the boot, I assumed he hadn't seen it, so I politely asked him if he would bring it down the stairs and put it in the boot, he got out of the car, and I saw the look, the look that told me knew couldn't tell I was pregnant, the look that said he thought "why would a young able bodied young woman not be able to lift this minuscule object?"(now the case is small but deceivingly heavy) that's when I knew I had made a huge wardrobe error, on a day when I needed pregnant woman induced chivalry I had unwittingly hidden by secret weapon, my bump. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">And so it began, at the train station I stood at the top of the staircase and when a helpful looking gentleman came along I asked him would he mind helping with my case, first came the look, then loud and clearly audible tut/huff, he took my case, but unlike previous occasions when my bump was clearly visible there was no "yeah no problem" . Usually my case is whisked away and given back to me at the bottom of the stairs with an understanding smile or a "there you go luv", this makes me feel better for asking a complete stranger to help me with something that's totally not their responsibility. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">But this time, said gentleman took the case, left it at the bottom, and walked away without waiting for my thanks, I was mortified, its not his fault of course, he didn't know my predicament, It was hidden under several layers of Swedish design, he probably thought, who does this Scouse princess think she is asking me to carry her case??? and I wouldn't blame him! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">Now London gets a bad rap, most visitors to the capital mention the lack of manners they experience when using public transport, the pushing and shoving on the tube, and more importantly the fact hardly anyone uses the words please, thank you or even sorry when they elbow you in the ribs. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">The uncivilised way commuters are forced to travel around London squashed into one another does not inspire goodwill, and furthermore in the defence of native Londoners, one third of people living in the capital were born abroad, so the chances of bumping into someone who was born under the bow bells are slim. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;">Anyway, my day pretty much followed the same pattern, with my bump under wraps my damsel in distress act was dismissed, i was even asked by a supplier if i had a big lunch!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The moral of this story is when pregnant, do the right thing, wear clothes that show off your bum it generally ensures you a seat on the train/tube/bus and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">prevents any misunderstandings about your expanding shape! </span></span><br />
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</span>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-5251018623280115462011-02-08T13:50:00.000-08:002011-02-08T13:50:49.794-08:00The first event of springOne of the favourite traits of my fellow Liverpool ladies is the effort and planning that goes into various events, most of all the outfits. It is at this time of year, that thoughts turn to the years social calender, and for a large majority it starts with Ladies Day at Aintree races, home of the Grand National (which for those unfamiliar with horse racing is commonly known as the worlds greatest steeplechase)<br />
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Ladies Day for me always signals the beginning of spring, swiftly followed by Easter, both of which if you are a native liverpudlian indicate the turn around in your wardrobe from Winter to Summer (this is with a total disregard for the actual temperature outside) which may seem crazy, but at least you know exactly where you are, its like an unwritten rule..Grand National weekend = Summer Clothes....I imagine in other parts of the country, women hesitate about when is the right time to debut their new spring summer wardrobe, as lets be honest we don't get any good weather until at least June!<br />
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I wont be attending Ladies day, not just because of my pregnancy induced sobriety but because a day like that takes stamina, 10 + hours on 5" heels is army standard endurance! But i love hearing about people outfits, so much thought goes into the look for this one day, retailers and dress makers must hold this particular occasion on the same level of importance as christmas, from high street to designer, vintage to bespoke, the liverpool lovelies leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting the right frock!<br />
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There is however one part of this whole occasion that annually makes me fly into a rage, the vile, catty and offensive coverage of Ladies day by some national press. Year after year they select innocent victims to publicly humiliate by printing unflattering photographs of them, unlike wannabe celebrities, these women haven't put them selves in the public eye, they are merely enjoying a day out with friends.<br />
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My main issue is that no single magazine or newspaper covers Ladies day fashion in a fair and objective way, i would love for just one fashion journalist to showcase and highlight some of the best outfits, rather than focusing on the worst.<br />
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This year we have the ultimate fairytale fashion event to look forward to, a royal wedding, now this is one frock i cannot wait to seeMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-54854163205884948762011-02-07T13:41:00.000-08:002011-02-07T13:41:07.796-08:00The Object of my DesireOnly those living in my home town (of Liverpool) will appreciate where i eventually found the object of my desire, the dark chocolate sensation i have been craving for the last 2 weeks. Home & Bargain, home of cheap toilet rolls and Mr Muscle for £1......i had to share my joy in eventually satisfying my craving for these toffee treats, and in true Home & Bargain style they were 29p.....so i stocked up.<br />
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<img alt="Download photo.JPG (140.6 KB)" src="http://sn113w.snt113.mail.live.com/att/GetAttachment.aspx?tnail=0&messageId=f6833784-32fc-11e0-9827-00237de3362a&Aux=4|0|8CD9520DDCC8C10||0|0|0|0||&maxwidth=220&maxheight=160&size=Att" /><br />
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i even have a little song i like to sing whilst devouring my new favourite food.....i hope you like it<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZNOUrB2aUY<br />
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I digress, after helping my sister choose an outfit for her Saturday night on the town , i have to admit to feeling a little fed up with the limitations on my wardrobe. A jumpsuit is totally out of the question during my pregnancy, a bump causes some serious issues in the crotch area, which is a real shame since there are so many amazing `70s inspired versions around for this Spring Summer. Flares too are just not going to work for me either, which is a personal disappointment, my job inevitably leads to me to have wish list, top of this list was a pair of MIH Marrakesh jeans, which will now have to wait in the wings till at least July...when i will immediately spring back to my pre-pregnancy weight.....wont i ???<br />
The ever reliable Google provided me with some comfort, AKA pictures of stylish looking pregnant women...this is my recent No.1<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4ZZKm2HevhHW635YU_jdZYjgf3AlY2RWJoxWvVETxeQFOHQMbR8RczNJIk5l9HYBgZCPcccnvkOfNqs48K95SpyN0oiCTjY3_l_1sDWji6DdtIo1XyBoQD0h8MPJ9Beoho93tKXS_ol1/s1600/nicole_richie_bump_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4ZZKm2HevhHW635YU_jdZYjgf3AlY2RWJoxWvVETxeQFOHQMbR8RczNJIk5l9HYBgZCPcccnvkOfNqs48K95SpyN0oiCTjY3_l_1sDWji6DdtIo1XyBoQD0h8MPJ9Beoho93tKXS_ol1/s320/nicole_richie_bump_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nicole Ritchie, a layering master at work </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I saw a great picture of another pregnant LA resident, now i know i said i wasn't going to use celebrities as a bench mark, but minus the heels (which are too high to be practical for me) i thought her look was simple and very flattering on her growing bump</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oaSfDR_aM2Dj9LhcFkF47h-MC8xTvcErJBD-VtRVILlwCOiIxM98mzuUc1n8STDP3DecC5I6O1wGFVk9Kf5gsvAzSiCOXkBMtmmtLr3f2xg92XciiaCcsGSNfSCGNhOfqHSNT-9J8JUq/s1600/rachel-zoe-baby-bump-robertson-boulevard-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oaSfDR_aM2Dj9LhcFkF47h-MC8xTvcErJBD-VtRVILlwCOiIxM98mzuUc1n8STDP3DecC5I6O1wGFVk9Kf5gsvAzSiCOXkBMtmmtLr3f2xg92XciiaCcsGSNfSCGNhOfqHSNT-9J8JUq/s320/rachel-zoe-baby-bump-robertson-boulevard-08.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rachel Zoe </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-82981867281763212532011-02-06T05:31:00.000-08:002011-02-06T05:31:43.756-08:00It hadnt even crossed my mind!On my way to Copenhagen, I wandered into the Harrods store at Heathrow Terminal 5, only to be faced with rows upon rows of bikinis, kaftan's and every manner of cover up known to woman ( complete with bells, shells and whistles, this was Harrods after all) There i was innocently browsing the rails, admiring the brightly coloured pieces of holiday wardrobe heaven, when it dawned on me...i cant wear any of them!<br />
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I have been harping on and on and about wanting a beach holiday before D Day, having some sun on my bones as well as the possibility of a healthy looking tan are hugely appealing. I hadn't given a minutes thought to the fact swimwear would be on the menu, i don't even know if maternity swimwear exists? More importantly is sun bathing when pregnant allowed?? I have seen pregnant celebrities on the beach, but you cant take a blind bit of notice to what they do, as civilian rules don't apply to them.<br />
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Needless to say i left the store empty handed, with a tinge of sadness, some of the swimwear looked like sultry dental floss draped around the hanger, with nothing more than an eye patch of fabric to cover your modesty, will i ever be able to wear anything like that again ? Not that i wore anything so racy on the beach before i fell pregnant, I am a modest bandeau bikini wearer, but when you can`t wear or eat something you want it more....which explains my occasional craving for shellfish and soft poached eggs (not together), both of which are on the naughty food list during pregnancy.<br />
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Speaking of cravings, i have had my first one, toffee, specifically Reisen dark chocolate toffees, nothing else will do, the problem i have is my body has chosen to crave something that isn't available at your average sweet shop. One night last week we drove to 4 different shops in the hope they would stock this elusive chocolate covered treat, with no luck, if you have ever had a pregnancy craving you will understand my frustration....i promptly took myself off to bed feeling totally irrational but very sorry for myself, why could my craving not be for something easy to obtain and healthy like ice or tangerines?? Although i guess i should count myself lucky, a colleagues mother craved carpet underlay!! It must have tasted horrific, but at least it was calorie free! <br />
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Am 21 weeks now, and our baby is the length of a carrot, i like having a point of reference for the size, but does it always have to be a vegetable? I can feel him/her moving around all the time, they started as random flutters and are now regular little thumps, which come more frequently when i am relaxing or trying to sleep, i think baby is preparing me for what lies ahead, sleepless nights and no "me" time!!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-61827328172588581782011-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:002011-02-01T13:58:58.893-08:00Home of the Beautiful People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsNJTEY-qMs_HF5LVFSmHvoQNjZMVIbnevBKQpQw6gA7JfG1YOH9diybX9tCGiihe1JsAZXMcH43GOisM7PIu2wkuLjH8rQC1O-xx7FwEvX0kA26yNtr4Jqny2IzP2TIFQEdwCsX4Zdo2/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsNJTEY-qMs_HF5LVFSmHvoQNjZMVIbnevBKQpQw6gA7JfG1YOH9diybX9tCGiihe1JsAZXMcH43GOisM7PIu2wkuLjH8rQC1O-xx7FwEvX0kA26yNtr4Jqny2IzP2TIFQEdwCsX4Zdo2/s320/1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By Malene Birger Spring Summer 2011. A dress fit for a bump? I think so.</div><br />
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I am off to Copenhagen Fashion Week in Denmark tomorrow, the place i call "home of the beautiful people" no where else on my travels do i see so many naturally beauties. California may be wall to wall with attractive people, with their gym honed bodies and beachy waves, but there must be something in the water that makes the Scandinavians so fresh faced and bright eyed, and i am yet to spot a hint of false tan nor a chemically straightened follicle, their "look" isn't about that, I wonder what they make of Gypsy Weddings? <br />
From a style point of view, less is most certainly more for Nordic, Swedish and Danish fashionistas, they aren't slaves to trends, favouring muted colours and simple shapes, layering is key with scarves featuring heavily. They are also a very loyal bunch, home grow brands such as By Malene Birger, Acne, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, flourish. <br />
This time my professional eye will be firmly fixed on 3 things, finding the next big brand, emerging trends and last but not least.......how the Scandinavian women dress to flatter their bumps, fingers crossed i see plenty of fellow mums to be!MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-6412496619025600172011-01-30T11:37:00.000-08:002011-01-30T11:37:05.911-08:00Half way there!Bump and I have been on an enforced sabbatical, we spent a night in Hospital, nothing too serious but enough to require a few days bed rest and make me feel very protective over my lovely bump.<br />
The ward i was admitted to was a pre -delivery ward, filled with ladies in the first throws of labour or waiting to be induced, there was a lot of puffing and panting, as well as plenty of bump rubbing, these were proper bumps, full on 9 month, full term HUGE bumps, which made me look and feel as though my enlarged stomach area was merely the result of mild gluttony, i even found myself puffing out my micro bump like a peacock expands its feathers, to prove i was actually in the club!<br />
Seeing these ladies and their ginormous baby bumps made me realise how much fuss i have made about dressing my current shape when i have a whole world of trouble ahead of me when i get to the later stages, no longer does head to toe black have a slimming effect, plus when your bump enters the room a good 30 seconds before you do, i guess comfort comes before style??<br />
I am 20 weeks into my pregnancy, half way through, and according to my weekly e-mails from <a href="http://www.babycentre.co.uk/">http://www.babycentre.co.uk/</a> baby is now the length of a banana. My superstitious mind is finally allowing me to start thinking about the birth, there are so many choices, water birth, home birth, hypno birth, scientologists advocate a silent birth, i wonder if the leader of this church is female? A good friend of mine recently confided that she made a conscious effort to stay dignified during her labour, so no swearing and no berating her partner for getting her into this mess, which really struck a cord with me, i like the idea of keeping my cool as much as possible, and i dont want to be the screaming banchee the midwives roll their eyes at, the problem i have is clearly wasnt available when mother nature gave out pain threshholds, so i have along way to go before i deal with childbirth!<br />
My favourite peice of advice i have been given to help me prepare for the birth is to ensure i book in for last minute beauty treatments the week before my due date, eyelash tint / eyebrow shape / pedicure / manicure that sort of thing, as you dont get a chance once baby arrives and it helps you look a little more together in the photographs, we women are nothing if not practicalMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-5439115453337626372011-01-20T14:16:00.000-08:002011-01-20T14:17:55.953-08:00This seasons must have accessory<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">The exclusive club they call pregnancy also earns me an exclusive accessory, the very stylish, very "now" Baby on Board badge by London Underground. </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">For those of you who are lucky enough to not have to get the tube regularly or even better,ever, this sexy little number is provided by Transport for London for those of us commuting with bump in tow to encourage those lucky enough to be sitting down on the tube to offer up their seat to someone who is less able to stand...namely a pregnant woman. </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">The tube at rush hour is so undignified i am just happy to not be squashed under the armpit of someone who has made a valiant attempt to mask the fact they haven't washed that morning by drenching themselves in copious amounts of antiperspirant...(the lynx effect has me balking into my scarf) or worse still, enduring the stench of a stranger who is suffering from a severe garlic hangover, so a seat is a huge bonus but certainly not a necessity or a given....until now!</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">I am feeling a little more tired than usual, i guess i am carrying around an extra pair of arms and legs, as well as an array of mini vital organs so its understandable, but the idea of displaying my badge not only makes me cringe but makes me wonder is it necessary yet???</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">Since working in London and taking part in the rat race that is the daily commute i have made it my personal duty to give up my golden ticket (tube seat) whenever possible to those less able to stand than myself OAPs are top of my list (people who know me well know i have a crushing weak spot for elderly people, veterans are my particular nectar) so i keep an eye out for any that might find themselves having to stand on a busy train, pregnant women have also benefited from my personal crusade to "seat the needy" but while pensioners are generally easy to spot and very grateful, pregnant women i find are more of a minefield....unless they are displaying their (baby on board) badge of honour you run the risk of offending a woman who may just have a little more junk in her front trunk, and not be with child at all. </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">As far as i know there aren't any other badges like this in circulation, for those with ailments that may require them to sit down where possible....does it seem a little unfair that we breeders get a special badge when we have our bumps as indication?? I have done a little research into this, well i have asked 2 people who have been pregnant, and their reaction is that the badge is VERY necessary as they have had to endure multiple tube journeys whilst heavily pregnant when not a single person offered up their seat! </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">As you can see from my picture, the badge is in my possession, i have yet to wear it despite having been on the underground a lot today, the main reason for this is on my journey to and from work i have been offered a seat almost instantly by a kind fellow traveller, this makes me very optimistic that chivalry and good manners are not dead and buried...and that perhaps my crusade to "seat the needy" hasn't been a solo quest.</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-8227372428106206382011-01-19T13:23:00.000-08:002011-01-19T14:08:57.072-08:00From she who knows..................<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After a visit to the a well known high street Maternity department (Oxford Circus branch, i meant business so only flagship will do) i could not contain my disappointment, i was told on good authority by some PPFs (previously pregnant friends) that they had the best Maternity offer, albeit the best offer in the long line of pathetic attempts at Maternity clothes from other high street retailers, but i still wasn't prepared for the poor selection, i didn't expect haute couture, just perhaps a few maxi`s with extra bump room and some long length jersey for layering, there were maternity jeans and leggings so not totally useless - oh and there was a peacock feathered bolero, which i am sure all pregnant women will find comes in handy at some point ???? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Working in fashion has led to me meeting some <em>very </em>stylish folk, one particular fashion bunny friend of mine has popped out 2 babies, and managed to maintain her incredible style and humour so rather than selfishly keep all her wise words on pregnancy fashion to myself, i have asked her to put together her Top 10 survival tips just for you.....take it away Mademoiselle H </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fabulous Foundations- great dressing always starts with the foundations, as the proverbial ‘Wise Man’ will tell you. Opt for seam-free underwear that will sit comfortably around the base of your bump (in a size (or two) bigger). Sloggi’s are never an option!</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Easy Breezy- Bumps are prone to settling into unusual shapes, especially later on, mine saw a tight knot of angled lumps on its left side, Glorious! Stick to light, breathable fabrics that will drape and fold around your bump, flattering its many bizarre silhouettes.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Savvy Separates- Undoubtedly, they’ll last longer and will alter around your growing expansion? Mix’n’match to make the most of your capsule wardrobe.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blazer Glory- A fitted blazer is a great way to give shape and structure to your ensemble, nipping you in at the ‘baist’ (baby waist). Go for a slightly longer line that finishes just under your bottom for a more flattering shape. Wear open at all times unless you are The Fat Controller.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Layer Up- Ever prone to a hot flush and/or wave of nausea, you’ll have approximately 5 seconds to strip before you spontaneously combust. FACT! However, layering is the best tip in trans-seasonal styling to get you from hither to tither come rain or shine.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jean-ius- Maternity denim no longer requires bib and braces, but a fabulous pair of jeans will take you from day to night without a hissy fit. Tried and tested (twice over), the bump bands continuously drove me to distraction with their tendency to slide down leaving me with nothing more than a baggy crotch. Unwilling to glue myself into my jeans, my next best option came in the form of maternity jeans with belt loops which mama could secure in place. Ta da!</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scarf Wars- My favourite multi-functional life saver- the scarf of wonderfulness. O’ item of brilliance, not only did you breech the gap in my coat during the cold spell, but gave me a splash of seasonal colour, style and bump camouflage. Aaaaaaamennnn!</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Those Extra Inches- Let’s face it- flats don’t cut it like <metricconverter productid="5”">5”</metricconverter> heel but unless you have the stamina of an Olympic athlete, leave them safely in their boxes where they can be admired from afar. Instead, make the most of this seasons and invest in some super-comfy wedges.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Accessorise All Areas- Well maybe not all areas…just the bits you can see. Adding some statement jewellery is the best way to dress up for evening without squeezing into a corset beforehand. Avoid long necklaces in later pregnancy as they simply won’t sit over your bump and will draw the eye line to your largest part (thank God it’s no longer your bum).</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Curb the Splurge- I’m not talking about containing your growing tum, but the tendency to splurge on an item that will fit you for a month simply for the feel-good factor.</span></li>
</ol>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-90767129903856274702011-01-18T12:58:00.000-08:002011-01-18T13:22:42.209-08:00The Baby Bag Debacle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPflyHd3fmEYZl0ouMpo3Y3-6AkNGTaMZP1xG29ZKkH0gJf5jMiU61gI9BHzvNTyimBzsl7NXZIvxitZ1NWV3yeyxUybsqCsPBtLOgWc_duPsZWati2FI3Y9JFZlv-RP36bVxSaCbzJ_W/s1600/194808f77adf4b3db7c19b04d99d4448%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPflyHd3fmEYZl0ouMpo3Y3-6AkNGTaMZP1xG29ZKkH0gJf5jMiU61gI9BHzvNTyimBzsl7NXZIvxitZ1NWV3yeyxUybsqCsPBtLOgWc_duPsZWati2FI3Y9JFZlv-RP36bVxSaCbzJ_W/s320/194808f77adf4b3db7c19b04d99d4448%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <strong>Baby Bag of my Dreams <a href="http://www.anyahindmarch.com/prod/Totes/Handbags/Oakley/40764/">http://www.anyahindmarch.com/prod/Totes/Handbags/Oakley/40764/</a></strong><br />
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I was selfishly poring over this seasons new handbags, and while I was thinking practically about what I could fit in it, how comfortable it would be to carry and how much of my wardrobe it would coordinate with. It had to be pointed out to me that perhaps I should be considering not buying a new handbag just yet as I would be buying a baby bag very soon.....it hadn't occurred to me my accessories would be affected by the baby, of course I knew I would need something to carry his/her things in, and of course I wouldn't expect baby to carry its own bag (not at first anyway).<br />
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So the handbag purchase is on hold for now (although June is a <em>long </em>way off isn't it ?) and I am giving the baby suitable bag some thought. I am about as far from cute as you can get, I admire feminine earthy types who can wear dizty florals and ironic accessories, but it just isn't my bag (pardon the shameless pun) and as much as I admire Cath Kidstons Antique Rose print on bath towels, I have trouble imagining myself carrying one of her nappy bags, <a href="http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/c-487-nappy-bags.aspx">http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/c-487-nappy-bags.aspx</a> I would feel like a fraud, pretending I am an organic bread making earth mother...or will I automatically become one once I become a mum ?<br />
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Baby is due in June so does that mean I should buy a light coloured baby bag, won't I still be using it in winter so therefore to get a dark one is more practical, non ?? or will a black baby bag earn me frowns of disapproval from the mummy mafia? will I look like the princess of darkness in a sea of rainbows and puppy dogs tails??<br />
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Another question I haven't been able to find the answer for in any of my many baby books....is when do you stop having to carry baby things around ? (was that a guffow I heard at the back?) or do you graduate from a baby bag to a baby truck to cart the little darlings bits and bobs around?<br />
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I think I am in for quite a shock!<br />
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<a href="http://www.anyahindmarch.com/prod/Totes/Handbags/Oakley/40764/">http://www.anyahindmarch.com/prod/Totes/Handbags/Oakley/40764/</a><br />
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<div align="justify"></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-75873073718621836012011-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:002011-01-18T05:39:16.637-08:00Back to realityAfter the fun of dressing up on Saturday, I realised how liberating stepping out of my style comfort zone was, I have already confessed to wearing too much black, pregnancy has only made me stick to this even more rigidly, but the clashing colours and carefree attitude that comes with fancy dress is something i want to replicate....perhaps not on the same scale!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e7eSdC5gs1ZnbfkJzTBXQzJ4ijGLe8TNwo1Wl8Kk-0CObOv9kZp0sQJZgj7OAAxhmINPVyzNi2dHWcaU-f0YGf3EZBUy-xx30k_ozPc_9xuQ1WZYYvLbcSKVjbdUJb4SlbBo1WXR9muW/s1600/autumn-de-wilde-black-swan-4%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e7eSdC5gs1ZnbfkJzTBXQzJ4ijGLe8TNwo1Wl8Kk-0CObOv9kZp0sQJZgj7OAAxhmINPVyzNi2dHWcaU-f0YGf3EZBUy-xx30k_ozPc_9xuQ1WZYYvLbcSKVjbdUJb4SlbBo1WXR9muW/s320/autumn-de-wilde-black-swan-4%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I have been looking in awe at the pictures of the Black Swan movie, and the fashion shoots inspired by it, my bump now completely rules out the majority of flippy chiffon skirts (the nicest one i have seen ? <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/d-g/blush-hand-ironed-pleated-skirt-201116">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/d-g/blush-hand-ironed-pleated-skirt-201116</a> ), i can wear them of course, but i cant do them justice, so i bow out gracefully..ballerina stylee<br />
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This had led me to think think about what else i cant / wont wear whilst pregnant......and wonder if i am imposing too many limits on myself?<br />
As the weather gets warmer i can`t stick to wearing black maxi dresses, so i am creating a wish list of things that i love for the summer, like short suits and wide trousers and see how i can tailor them to my bump<br />
Watch this space.....MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-79965988954799057352011-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:002011-01-16T06:09:00.545-08:00Girls just wanna have fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G-0V3wkoqwRKd5qBLrlrvO2j5xw3LZ5o_oa1n9LbMiBWjV9Tx47uf8QXK86fatwoWGdwsM_bpZWIKpRvYJcrBvO10j1hNKEPjOT0A3mS1_YZ39OlTyvioDt3_dCl3jU5Ti755NcnfQS_/s1600/SDC13820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G-0V3wkoqwRKd5qBLrlrvO2j5xw3LZ5o_oa1n9LbMiBWjV9Tx47uf8QXK86fatwoWGdwsM_bpZWIKpRvYJcrBvO10j1hNKEPjOT0A3mS1_YZ39OlTyvioDt3_dCl3jU5Ti755NcnfQS_/s320/SDC13820.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Parties and evenings out in general are the most difficult for me to find suitable attire for. This Saturday however was a little different, it was fancy dress time. <br />
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</div>My friends and I take fancy dress VERY seriously, so no half hearted effort will do, I knew i didn't want to go to the expense of hiring a costume, my weekend bed time sans alcohol is no later than 12pm (1pm at a push) so hiring seemed extravagant, i also didn't want anything involving me being spray painted (like i said, we take fancy dress seriously) I also of course had to take into consideration my new shape, a visit to my parents to dig out some of my vintage clothes (you could say my mum curates my archives) reminded me just how big i am now, I tried some possible options (velvet dress and fur stole for Cruella de Vil, ballroom dress for strictly come dancing) my mum was polite as always, even stifling her giggles as i squeezed into a white conical busted tutu dress for my best Madonna "like a virgin" impression...there are some things a pregnant woman shouldn't be seen in, this is one of them. <br />
After spending an hour or so ploughing through my old accessories, my character for the night revealed its self, tonight Matthew i am going to be Cyndi Lauper....because girls just wanna have fun !<br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-30701666124741582052011-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:002011-01-13T14:06:52.554-08:00My pregnancy work uniform, black and stretchy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUF5EuYsivJDZjAdO53viB3efDZTdw-P98jqTmG9AN1uDh5PzSePgTulSyFVezcve1zbnKnCdSefaibm_xYdDWT6vKsoxUPSpKfIKoEsEt41xHsqSP8i61Fet9fvFr5BsYI_eVM73iaJr/s1600/me+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUF5EuYsivJDZjAdO53viB3efDZTdw-P98jqTmG9AN1uDh5PzSePgTulSyFVezcve1zbnKnCdSefaibm_xYdDWT6vKsoxUPSpKfIKoEsEt41xHsqSP8i61Fet9fvFr5BsYI_eVM73iaJr/s320/me+2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-33519988657009457542011-01-13T13:49:00.000-08:002011-01-13T14:21:32.147-08:00Is it wrong to try appear slimmer when pregnant ?I went on to the Guardian website to read an article I had been told about titled "would you squeeze your bump into control pants?" <br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/09/pregnancy-maternity-control-underwear">http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/09/pregnancy-maternity-control-underwear</a>, my favourite part of reading articles on-line, is the comments that follow it, particularly those commentators who are VERY vocal in their opinions. This particular subject provoked quite a response, as pregnancy tends to, with the comments ranging from opinionated to viscious, how appalled they were that women would dare to want to avoid having lumps and bumps during their pregnancy...how dare they want to feel attractive!<br />
I am at week 18, and there is no denying I am pregnant now, my bump is prominent enough not to be confused with bloat, but the side dishes that have turned up uninvited with my lovely bump are a few extra unwanted lbs around my middle, commonly known as love handles. Dressing to flatter this area can be difficult, so I can get my head around these pregnancy Spanx tights pretty easily, personally I am avoiding anything that makes me even slightly uncomfortable, belts/tight trousers etc. but I wouldn't veto the idea of trying them out if the occasion arose, and if they work for other pregnant women, and make them feel less lumpy then what is the harm ??<br />
I am not at that point yet, I am still pouring myself into my black Falke 100 deniers<br />
<a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/falke/black-pure-matt-100-denier-tights-210799">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/falke/black-pure-matt-100-denier-tights-210799</a>, but I will keep you posted.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-27128386829078234132011-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:002011-01-12T11:36:28.535-08:00I love fancy dress...but pregnant fancy dress? god help meTo celebrate 3 decades on earth my friend is throwing a fancy dress party, the thought of dressing up without the aid of carbonated dutch courage is filling me with dread! Its not that i am shy or alcohol dependant its just that i find it easier to look tragically unattractive when under the influece of something cold and wine flavoured. <br />
My ever romantic beau (yes, you lover) has suggested i go as Vicki Pollard, complete with exposed bump and chavtastic leisure wear, other suggestions have included a bunch of grapes...can you imagine me poured into a green leotard and tights covered in balloons, hoping i am not attacked by a pin weilding menace who leaves me deflated and vunerable covering my lycra clad lady lumps ??? terrifying. Fruit has been a popular suggestion, particularly circular shapes (a reference to my increasinly rotund looking figure perhaps?) oh and another helpful friend suggested i go as an egg, boiled i imagine as runny eggs arent reccommeded during pregnancy. <br />
Ive been thinking about going as an over grown baby, complete with babygro and dummy, its on my mind a lot for some reason, and sounds like a comfortable option, will it look as wrong as it sounds ? I hope soMyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-63436016320554205952011-01-11T12:23:00.000-08:002011-01-11T12:27:34.375-08:00I wore leggings, dont judge meAfter making a personal vow to myself not to wear leggings to my hospital appointments on the basis that I should know better, I did it, i wore leggings. My pathetic excuse being i have been feeling very tired, I don't want sympathy (well maybe a little) i just felt i couldn't keep this to myself.<br />
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I didn't go the whole hog and team threadbare leggings with UGG boots (i will save that tasty morsel for Week 38) they were actually rather fetching Acne ruched seam leggings, worn with wedge ankle boots which i think redeems me a little ?? I wouldn't usually bother with a wedge for a hospital check up, but since i was wearing comfy / cozy leggings i felt compelled to put myself through just a little discomfort. <br />
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I have been giving leggings some thought, as ive been warned by existing members of the motherhood that during the cold months they are going to become an essential, but would the most sensible thing to do be to keep for emergencies? a bit like a hat on a bad hair day ?? pre pregnancy its been a while since i have worn them, due to the fact they aren't the most flattering item for a girl with a healthy thigh circumference, especially leggings that could be measured in denier. <br />
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Many a time I have a caught sight of an unwitting bottom being partially exposed by the lack of denier being stretched accross the buttocks and thigh of its owner, the owner having been brave enough to have chosen a short top, this really isnt something i want to put my rear at risk of, so for the next 5 months ( or until i have the baby and my body miraculously morphs into the shape of a young Elle Macphersons, or an old one for that matter) I will be putting all leggings to the denier test, and sticking to this motto "if in doubt dont wear it out"<br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-81718338613436654272011-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:00:29.064-08:00Another member joins the club...again!This wasn't my planned subject for today but the news that Victoria Beckham is to be a mother for the 4th time cannot simply pass without comment! There is no denying she has really defined her style over the past few years, the Fashion media are in Luuuurve with her and her Victoria Beckham label is flying high, being nominated for a British Fashion Award this year. <br />
But how, pray tell me...will she choose to dress her bump this time around?? Her previous pregnancies cannot be used as a benchmark, as not only do they span over the last 10 years and fashion and trends have changed drastically but they were all before her transformation as a style maven was complete. <br />
Her own collection of body skimming tailoring is far more suited to her existing figure, complete with washboard tum, but somehow I cant see Mrs B letting herself go entirely, gorging on chips and ballooning in size, so perhaps her style wont alter too much, just a few adjustments for the bump...as only A listers can! <br />
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The only side physical side effect of pregnancy I have been looking forward to its getting a (slightly) bigger bust, having never been blessed in that department...now that mother nature has bestowed my share (I am not quite Pammy Anderson, but an extra cup size will do me) I have realised that this in itself holds wardrobe challenges, i have a new found empathy with naturally busty women who in the past i thought were being ungrateful...buying clothes for a living means i have always taken into consideration varying shapes and sizes, selecting flattering necklines and shapes for bigger busts, but the fact they can throw your entire proportions out of sync, forcing you to size up when buying clothes is something i will now be a LOT more sympathetic to...all that remains for me to do is replace my flimsy brassieres with some shiny new "over the shoulder boulder holders" (well, almost) MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-75222130935049724292011-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:002011-01-09T08:01:37.245-08:00The Bump & I get dressed up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZA2uZRlxqGr9w91eQ3bMQyswzLywVqSaHNtN_TKuxngrACOxgxLf9o8Ge8kDnDl6qjNAc0BIXZK1VvsWbXCY42kTycLaDqNsJRsJC34TJohLZwwa6fV6UsLl1NZpIJev7d4XFdFJZP1h/s1600/SDC13808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZA2uZRlxqGr9w91eQ3bMQyswzLywVqSaHNtN_TKuxngrACOxgxLf9o8Ge8kDnDl6qjNAc0BIXZK1VvsWbXCY42kTycLaDqNsJRsJC34TJohLZwwa6fV6UsLl1NZpIJev7d4XFdFJZP1h/s320/SDC13808.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cleverly orchestrated pose i plan to adopt for the next 5 months demonstrated above...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The first week in January brings with it my dear friends birthday, so there is no hibernating in my pyjamas this Saturday night, its off out with the girls for dinner & drinks (nachos, washed down with lime & tonic, if you, like me, require details) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So my task for tonight is to find an outfit that; a. fits and b. doesn't make me feel frumpy along side my fabulous cohorts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The baby books tell me my balance is affected at this point in my pregnancy so heels are not advised, I don't seem to be blessed with that particular symptom (yet) nor have my feet swelled beyond recognition (which apparently i have to look forward to) so high heels it is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my New Years fashion resolutions (i haven't made any lifestyle resolutions, i don't smoke and cant drink so cant see whats left to give up?) was to wear more colour. My wardrobe is dominated by various shades of black, black/black, barely black and not forgetting, almost black, which i have to say is helping me at the moment, as it is the most slimming colour. Its not that i am trying to hide my bump, quite the opposite in fact, i want to look pregnant and not as though i have eaten too many mince pies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the early lessons i have learnt is to remember to balance out my proportions, some of my lowest moments (when getting dressed) have involved attempting to pull off anything over sized, the lack of silhouette rather than looking cool and effortless just looked shapeless and painfully unflattering.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now i am not pretending to have found the answer to dressing a pregnancy bump, my findings are a work in progress, which i am sure will change with the seasons, not to mention my expanding waist, but up to now getting a balanced look for my new shape and height involves 2 simple calculations that look like this;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maxi dress + Cropped jacket</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Long length loose top + Leggings </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For last nights celebrations i chose the former, (all from my existing wardrobe) an ankle length maxi (Topshop) it was fairly sheer so i layered it over Wolford footless tights and a long vest (H&M) worn with what has been and will continue to be a wardrobe staple, a black cropped leather jacket ( Day Birger et Mikkelson from <a href="http://www.my-wardrobe.com/">http://www.my-wardrobe.com/</a> ) i added a (vintage) statement necklace for a little bit of sparkle and off i went. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-31363239419604781282011-01-08T01:25:00.000-08:002011-01-08T01:25:17.192-08:00What not to wear!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Am now approaching the 17 week mark, work know I am pregnant, and am ready to show off my bump.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other breeders have been very generous and given me their baby books to read, so after looking up how big baby is this week (the size of an avocado) and what stage his/hers development is at (baby`s ears are now in the right place apparently) i flicked straight to the “what to wear during pregnancy” pages and was mortified to read some of the advice; raid your partners wardrobe..? erm, now i am as partial as the next girlfriend to stealing my mans sweaters occasionally, but seriously considering wearing his jeans and shirts as maternity wear? I somehow can`t see that being the most flattering option for the next few months! I would look like Tom Hanks at the end of BIG. No, that will never do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to the books advice, the other suggestions were to “choose horizontal zips and buttons as they create the illusion of a slimmer silhouette” I had visions of myself going to work wearing zip through hoodies desperately trying to appear slimmer but instead managing to look like I had an ASBO and a penchant for dodgy sportswear! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The one piece of advice i did agree with was to wear one colour top to toe, this is something i would advocate pregnant or not, should you be trying to look a little leaner, other than that, the majority of the pregnancy books should stick to giving out the medical and practical advice, which i am totally in awe of, as it`s a subject i know next to nothing about, as for their fashion suggestions, they could do more harm than good!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For work i am encouraged to wear stock we sell on the website, which i have to be honest is usually no hardship! I aim to continue to wear stock we sell until my due date, but my purchases will have to be a little more considered. Having spent from June-October last year studying the trends and buying all the amazing stock for Spring Summer 2011 i am loathe to think that that i can`t wear any of it! My plan is to identify what i can wear without looking like a hippo in 70s fancy dress, and I don`t mean taking the easy way out and buying hats and earrings, i mean genuinely embracing the trends without fear of people laughing at me in the street...I will keep you posted on how i get on.</span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-19199026704466729432011-01-06T14:09:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:16:38.091-08:00Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgRfqEUP0MUMB9wS5ESdFqm8RQRAaaV5nbMIEZ9zujFitcwq6XM05jwPYuf4h9-rWIijzfvf6MIQxx6ari1X7XKRiYhIDE1SCtiQMtdWnXeCoJGlJ_ag93oIPxcn8VZFTzn7xdCSoI4im/s1600/want+not+to+wear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgRfqEUP0MUMB9wS5ESdFqm8RQRAaaV5nbMIEZ9zujFitcwq6XM05jwPYuf4h9-rWIijzfvf6MIQxx6ari1X7XKRiYhIDE1SCtiQMtdWnXeCoJGlJ_ag93oIPxcn8VZFTzn7xdCSoI4im/s1600/want+not+to+wear.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The perfect outfit for when you totally run out of options </strong></div><br />
So, along with my skinny jeans, went anything that had previously only been saved for "thin" days (i cant say they had been worn a lot in recent months) and any other high waisted separates.<br />
High waisted i discovered is not a look a woman in her 1st trimester can pull off, the necessary proportions have all been thrown out, this was the first hurdle for me as higher waist lines flattered my pre-bump shape (pear shaped with a relatively flat stomach) and some of my favourite outfits consisted of this look so it wasn't an easy revelation, but i had to keep calm......and carry on! <br />
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Before i caused myself any more distress i did some "research", this involved trawling images on-line of pregnant celebrities. I set criteria they had to meet, I had to admire their personal style, pre and post pregnancy, Supermodels i could look at but not beat myself up over as they aren't "normal". And i also had to consider the time of year they were pregnant, for example i had always admired Nicole Ritchie's laid back LA style but most of her pregnancy pictures were in the blazing Californian sunshine so, i will only be able to steal her style on holiday. And finally, how pregnant they were, it isn't fair for me to judge an outfit worn at 3-4 months and one at 7-8 months as the challenge is totally different.<br />
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Unfortunately for me most of the celebrities I Googled ( Elle McPherson/Kate Moss/SJP/) seemed to have hibernated for the majority of their pregnancies, so i was forced to broaden my search to include people i wouldn't usually look to for style inspiration; Victoria Beckham/Heidi Klum/Gwen Stefani. I also looked at celebrities who are pregnant right now; Abbey Clancy/Holly Willoughby/Myleene Klass to see how they are doing in the style stakes. <br />
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My findings? Celebrities aren't the ideal benchmark for dressing my bump, they don't have to think practically about their work wardrobe, getting dressed on cold mornings or using public transport and they don't have a limited budget so the comparisons aren't fair (on me, and its my experiment!) so I've decided to only use them as reference in extreme circumstances.MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-77899317878186930392011-01-06T12:16:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:20:13.707-08:00First things first...<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwfSmhYxFQ24cknplGruiwlkab1G3zlWhtrv8nKsf-D-d6vECTaj36wFzbqLA4IDPciF_jo85uq9BFaickIirFbrt7fozDtd-k2S9CH0a2akYeh2mVxQC55A0-uSWdb4RZLtXj0LIqnWb/s1600/J+Brand.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwfSmhYxFQ24cknplGruiwlkab1G3zlWhtrv8nKsf-D-d6vECTaj36wFzbqLA4IDPciF_jo85uq9BFaickIirFbrt7fozDtd-k2S9CH0a2akYeh2mVxQC55A0-uSWdb4RZLtXj0LIqnWb/s1600/J+Brand.bmp" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <strong>Goodbye for now, my faithful friend x</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like I said, my first wardrobe casualties were my skinnies,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(gorgeous black high Waisted J Brand majors) although I could get them on, even zip them up, the marks left across my stomach could be described as minor lacerations, and the zip was straining under the pressure, my first thought was of the baby I was growing, and how cruel it was to limit the size of his/her temporary accommodation, my 2nd thought was of how I didn't want to damage my jeans beyond repair<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as I intend to pour myself back into them one day. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With my priorities straight I carefully placed my jeans into a storage box, shedding only a crocodile tear. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My main observation about the afore mentioned jeans is had they of been low rise they may of been able to accompany me on my pregnancy journey for a little longer, i remember seeing pictures of Kate Moss wearing her skinnies well into her pregnancy, the paparazzi caught a rather mean shot of her wearing her trusty grey skinnies with the zip undone to allow her bump room, am 99% certain the photographer responsible was a man and therefor had never faced a pregnancy related wardrobe conundrum. My point is, if Miss Moss with her all fashion accolades<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not to mention access to clothes beyond most women's dreams or financial means came unstuck, then I, a mere mortal not blessed with supermodel proportions was prepared to bow out early with my dignity and my zipper, in tact. </span></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-34299781517147684772011-01-05T14:03:00.000-08:002011-01-05T14:03:06.424-08:00I promise not to upload any serious pregnancy photos....just a few fun ones x<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszChbuOjzeNvbHIlFSl8vFRhpxPPU0lUzqLxtTs7dotKiwRNrLfW1SdHrUUxh8-pb4M8aUeVf3LsWDsMsb_uRQtJUIT7RqSUTp7INfMbSs5QrOCvPHIXB_l5AzR0VUHAZRr6qtwDlJx7r/s1600/pregnant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszChbuOjzeNvbHIlFSl8vFRhpxPPU0lUzqLxtTs7dotKiwRNrLfW1SdHrUUxh8-pb4M8aUeVf3LsWDsMsb_uRQtJUIT7RqSUTp7INfMbSs5QrOCvPHIXB_l5AzR0VUHAZRr6qtwDlJx7r/s1600/pregnant.jpg" /></a></div>MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3736939717726753532.post-4935835985402086032011-01-05T12:53:00.001-08:002011-01-05T13:57:23.187-08:00Introducing the bump..........I have joined the realms of expectant motherhood, my due date is 18th June 2011, so for the next 6 months i have decided to put my fashion skills to the test! <br />
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I am a Womenswear Buyer so on a daily basis I look at amazing clothes and choose the ones I hope our customers will fall head over heels in love with, the challenge for me is can i continue to dress myself in a stylish yet comfortable way now my shape is changing beyond my control??<br />
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Like most women, the first 12 weeks I kept my pregnancy and my bump under wraps, luckily the temperature's were below freezing, so concealing my bump under chunky knitwear was pretty easy....feeling and looking stylish was another thing all together!! <br />
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My first pregnancy weight gain came in the form of a rather unflattering bulge on my lower back (aka my love handles) then came the enlarged but not yet bump shaped stomach...all of which made wearing my trusty black skinny jeans awkward, not to mention VERY uncomfortable ( now when it comes to jeans, i am a creature of habit and own multiple pairs in the same size and colour) and this rendered me helpless, with no bottom half attire! Sound dramatic ? well, maybe a tad, and a little untrue, i did have other things i <em>could </em>wear, but the reality was i was struggling to get dressed on a daily basis, as the the items i regularly wore were no longer suitable, and my inner brat wasn't ready to accept i had grown out of them so soon.<br />
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After a couple of mini tantrums, both brought on by attempting to wear things that bore a size small label, whilst my waist line (make that waistline/bum/thighs) were clearly yearning to be clothed in something a little more spacious. I decided drastic action was necessary. <br />
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Luckily my moment of clarity came whilst at home for the Christmas Holidays, I had a little time on my hands, so i took my self upstairs to my wardrobe and set to work. <br />
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My first task was to be brutally honest with my self about what i didn't have a hope in hell of fitting into for the next 6 months, and gently wish them arrivederci, this is NOT goodbye may i stress, as this is simply a case of putting them away for now.........MyStylishBumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04129128749373293384noreply@blogger.com0