Make, Do & Push!

Life in the Motherhood Wilderness

Motherhood // Bepanthen… not just for bottoms!

Which products do you swear by as a parent? My list includes baby wipes (which I use for everything!), Ewan the Dream Sheep, and Bepanthen.

If you’ve never heard of Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment before then you’re probably wondering why it’s on my list. (But if you have heard of it – and used it – then you’ll know why!)

Bepanthen is an ointment containing pro-vitamin B5. Pro-vitamin B5 is a magical ingredient, which gently aids natural skin recovery – while keeping the affected area moisturised. [Read more…]

Breastfeeding // Is this goodbye?

goodbye to breastfeedingDear Breasts,

You’ve done well. You’ve served your purpose for three and a half months now, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.

From the early days with Indy suckling; the tongue-tie, the cracked nipples, the bleeding. I slathered lanolin cream all over you and you healed beautifully. You got used to be pulled and sucked (for what felt like) hundreds of times a day.

We got through the blocked duct saga swiftly with the help of Dr Google. I thought child birth was uncomfortable, but milk stuck in ducts? Ouch! Thank goodness for cooling gel pads and hot baths.

We reached the “Holy 8 weeks of breastfeeding” stage, where the uncomfortableness of you filling with milk passed. Where I no longer curled my toes during every feed, dreading the moment Indy would de-latch himself so I’d have to re-latch, and feel the sharp pain course down my body once more. [Read more…]

Indy // Bubbaroo Baby Sleep Diary Entry #1

bubbaroo baby sleep diaryAfter our initial consultation with Annie from Infant Sleep Consultants (you can catch up with that post here) I talked Nick through our conversation that evening, and planned to start implementing the new structure the following day.

Day One: Friday 18th September

Indy had five feeds every three hours today. I alternated each feed between breast and bottle, and he hasn’t been as fussy or angry with me as I thought he would be! I’ve also found it easier to implement the three hour structure than I thought I would – I thought that having Busby around too might complicate matters, but actually it took some of the anxiety away because I was so busy with her that I had to pop Indy in the sling and get on with things. We even made it to soft play (with 20 minutes to spare – but nonetheless, we did it!). [Read more…]

Indy // The first sleep consultation and a realistic wake-up call…

I don’t think I realised quite how bad the Indy sleep situation had become until I’d written it down on paper. Reading back through the questionnaire I’d filled out for our first consultation with the Infant Sleep Consultants, I could have cried. Over the past 3 months I’ve made many a jovial/desperate status about how little sleep I’ve been on the receiving end of, but I’ve muddled my way through with the help of my friends: Tea and Cake. And one fabulous Husband, of course!

indy yawn

However, 12 weeks on and the need for more than three hours sleep in a row is taking its toll. As my Mum said the other day, after we’d stayed with her: “You seem very flat”. And I feel flat. I feel like a grumpy, miserable mummy, who spends the day downing tea and shovelling food in her mouth in an attempt to have enough energy to do something other than put CBeebies on the television and collapse on the sofa with a giant baby quite literally eating the life out of her…  [Read more…]

Review // Fisher Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym

Review // Fisher Price Newborn-to-Toddler Play GymWhen the courier knocked on our door on a very wet Friday afternoon, I was overjoyed to see the large box in his hands. By that point we had exhausted most avenues of play, we were all tired after a rough night, and we’d reached the point in the day where CBeebies had started to repeat itself…

Enter the Newborn-to-Toddler Play Gym from Fisher Price.

Busby helped me piece it together, which didn’t take longer than 10 minutes, and once I’d located some batteries (3 x AAA) we were ready to roll. [Read more…]