LOVE TO DREAM SWADDLED UP REVIEW

When we finally got the OK to bring Max home from hospital, it was 8pm on a Monday night. We decided to bring him home that night once the hospital finally did their discharge and referral paperwork (knowing what we know now, we should have savoured one last night of decent sleep!)

The first few nights were horrible. He didn't stop screaming, he didn't settle and he definitely didn't sleep. I was desperate for ANYTHING that might help.

That's when I found his Love to Dream Swaddle Up that I had won via their Facebook page. I had heard great things about these... Apparently their arms being up is more of a natural position for most bub and promotes self soothing. 

The Swaddle Up is so soft, and really hugged Max's body. I think he did prefer his arms up, especially since his arms were not often "wrapped" in while he was in the NICU due to his IV lines.

It has a zip which opens both top and bottom which is super handy for late night nappy changes where I don't want to disturb him too much. 

The purpose of bottom opening zip, along with a clever opening in the back, allows for baby to be strapped into a 5 point harness (in the car seat or pram) whilst wearing the suit.

Was it the magic answer to get Max to sleep? No! But really... He is not going to be a great sleeper (I've come to accept that). 

It did help him settle a bit easier, and it great because I don't have to try to wrap him once he has already dozed off in my arms... I can simply pop him in his bassinet and hope and pray he stays asleep. 

Daddy Mummerina loves it because he could not, for the life of him, ever remember how to wrap him properly.

A few of the mums in my birth group swear by the Swaddle Up and say as soon as they started using them their babies were sleeping 5-6 hours at a time (yes, I am jealous!)

You can get the Love to Dream Swaddled Up from their store here from $39.95

Does your little one sleep in a Love to Dream suit?

Disclosure: I was not compensated or remunerated for this review, I'm just a fan who wan this product in a competition. This review is my own and honest opinion. For more information see my disclosure policy

OUR BIRTH STORY

One month ago, our lives changed. We knew the date that our little man would be welcomed into the world (thanks to a scheduled c section). What we didn't know was just how much a seven pound package could turn our world upside down several times over.

Little baby Max's birth was as planned and fairly uneventful. It was exciting & emotional for us, as it was our first full term baby (and the first which Daddy Mummerina actually made it to the birth). We had plenty of skin-to-skin whilst in the operating room and he breastfed right away. He came out crying and we both joked how loud he was compared to his older brother who was born at 31 weeks.

Soon after, whilst being weighed and checked, the midwife noticed some slight bruising (which was so light I hadn't even noticed). She mentioned this to the doctor once we got back up to the ward who suggested he go down to the NICU to get his blood work checked & rule out any infection. They told me he should be back up with me that night.

It wasn't long before my hospital bed was surrounded by nurses, obstetricians and the neonatologist who were rushing to take an epic amount of blood from both Daddy Mummerina & I. No one could or would explain what was going on but I knew something wasn't right.

I was finally wheeled down to the NICU to see Max and was bombarded with the news that he has Neonatal Thrombocytopenia. All I heard was snippets of the information that he had virtually no platelets in his blood, was at risk of fatal bleeding on his brain or vital organs, that he would require several transfusions and would remain in the NICU for quite some time.

This is when I came apart. The thought of going through another NICU journey broke me. This wasn't meant to happen this time... I carried him full term. I thought that is all I needed to do!

Once I was discharged from hospital, we spent the next week going to the hospital every day. Every day I would cry and just pray he could come home. We were told he may be there for up to 6 weeks.

Thankfully, Max only required the one transfusion and he slowly started "making" his own platelets. At 8 days old, the doctors allowed us to take him home, providing we return every 48 hours to have his blood checked. I was so happy I cried. Everything was going to be OK now. I would be happy again, and life would feel complete.

Except it didn't. Max came home and things got harder. Alot harder. Harder than I ever imagined. 

BIBS FOR A TEETHING BUB

Teething sucks... Any mother will tell you that.
Your baby may be unsettled, restless, sooky, clingy and possibly show symptoms of a cold and flu. But aside from all that... They will probably be dribbling and drooling as if they have completely lost their ability to swallow.

Some days, we would go through 4-5 tshirts which were all soaked in drool. Which makes it hard to dress your kid in any soft of coordinating outfit (not to mention, adds to the already overflowing baskets of laundry). In summer, I would just let Hank roam around in no T-shirts... But obviously that is not an option in winter.

Which is why I am building up a collection of bandana bibs, or dribble bibs. They look a lot more funky than a normal bib, and really do work better in terms of catching droll and stopping your little ones neck and chest from getting soaking wet.

Here are a few of my favourite bibs from Aussie retailers

Eden Baby Leopard bib $7.50

Kapow Kids cubic drib bib from Willow and Whimsy $15.95

Raenne Designs Tribal Bandana Bib $10.00
Gurt & Ernie shabby chic bandana bib

Functionality aside... Bandana or Dribble bibs are a cute and cheap way to dress up your little ones outfit.

What's your best teething advice?

WHY I AM SCARED TO BE A MUM THE SECOND TIME AROUND

I think the worst thing about being an expectant mum for the second (or third, or forth) time is that you are expected to KNOW what to do.

Midwives, friends, and even our husbands assume that all our insecurities and inexperience we have the first time around have disappeared.

But they haven't. At least not for me. I'm scared.... Shit scared!

I'm scared of having a full term baby. Obviously I don't want a preemie baby again, but a full term newborn is foreign to me

I'm scared to bring home a newborn. Hank didn't come home from hospital until he was 6+ weeks old, and whilst that was still before his due date, he has 6 weeks to sort his feeding & sleeping schedule out

I'm scared of post natal depression (PND). The first week of Hank's life was one of the most horrible of mine. I am so thankful that I didn't suffer from PND for long... But I don't ever want to feel like that again

I'm scared that having a full term baby does not necessarily mean he will be healthy. Maybe it's because I've learnt so much from being apart of the premature/sick baby community that I know too well that even full term babies can have health issues beyond our control

I'm scared that having this baby will change Hank. I mean, I know it will change him... But I don't want him to be any less awesome than he is right now

I'm scared that I will become complacent. SIDS, hygiene, choking hazards, safe milk storage... All things that  I've finally been able to relax about

I could honestly list 50 more things I am scared of. I don't remember being this scared the first time around.

What where you most scared of as an expectant mum? 

REVIEW: WOW CUP

If you’ve ever watched an infant or toddler attempt to drink out of an ordinary sippy cup, you will probably have witnessed their frustration at not being able to find the mouth piece, or get any liquid out (because said mouth piece is around the wrong way)

There is a fine line between a cute little confused look, and a full blow toddler tantrum… and Hank has crossed that line many times due to him not being able to work out why he can’t get any water from his cup (and yes, I have taken photos of these tantrums to document as part of a ‘why my toddler is crying’ collection…mean Mummy!)

Enter the WOW Cup. It’s a 'sippy' cup with a 360 degree drinking edge. The innovative edge opens when you suck on it (yes, I’ve tried) and closes again after drinking, which means... NO SPILLS, halleluiah!

266ml WOW Cup from Howards Storage World

 

It is designed to help toddlers learn the skills to drink from an ordinary cup. It is free from BPA and you don’t need to worry about the risk of your little one causing themselves any dental problems due to prolong use of bottles with sprouts or teats.

Hank loves this WOW cup because he thinks he is drinking out of a cup like Daddy, and Mummy loves it because I don't have to worry about any spills or an impending 'Why-Can't-I-Get-Any-Water tantrum'

The WOW Cup is available from Howards Storage World and is $14.95

Has your toddler tried the WOW Cup?

Disclosure: I was not compensated or remunerated for this review, I'm just a fan! This review is my own and honest opinion. For more information see my disclosure policy

BABY SPRINKLE

Generally speaking… Baby Shower’s are not my idea of fun. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to go to shower my female friends and family when they are expecting… but it was never something I wanted for myself.

When I was 30 weeks pregnant with Hank, a close friend organised a nice day at the races for me and 8 other friends, in my (and Hank’s honour). We had some rattle adorned cupcakes… but that was about as maternal as it got. It was a lovely day (despite the fact that it was outdoors on a 40+ degree day and I was, unbeknownst to me, suffering from severe pre eclmapsia). We finished the day by spending the afternoon/evening in one of the girls pools. 4 days later, Hank was prematurely born.

 

 

Fast forward to my current pregnancy, and I didn’t have to think twice about saying “yes” when my best friend asked if she could throw me a Baby Sprinkle (well, after I had asked WTF is a Baby Spinkle? – it’s the new name being given to a baby shower that is thrown for someone who already had kid/s, in case you have been living under a rock, like I obviously had)

Since Hank’s birth, I had always felt like I missed out on a lot of the ‘normal’ things one would normally experience in the third trimester… heck, some professionals would even say I was ‘mourning the loss of my third trimester’… a proper baby shower was one of those.

I gave my friend strict orders that there were to be no pegs involved, or sniffing of chocolate smeared nappies. I also expressed my concern that some ladies might not have heard of a baby sprinkle before, therefore may think it is odd to ask people to attend a baby shower for your second child. But we decided that if people had that much of a problem with it, they could decline the RSVP.

The invitation had a cute little saying explaining that ‘this sprinkle was just to show that we care’

 

 

 

 

It was low key, relaxed, but still plenty of ‘little man’ references – the perfect way to celebrate a baby sprinkle if you ask me. Bubba got very spoilt, and even has a collection of hand decorated bibs that my guests made for him.

To see where most of the inspiration came from, check out our board on Pinterest

Follow Corinne Anderson's board Baby sprinkle on Pinterest.

Have you, or would you, have a baby sprinkle?





 

MY MINI MUMMY MELTDOWN

Last night I had a mini Mummy breakdown. The combination of being 32 weeks pregnant, working full time, and Mr Hank suddenly not sleeping properly all finally got to me.

To make matters worse, this week Mr Mummerina works afternoon shift, which means a) we don’t see each other and b) I have to do the evening parent shift solo.

This is how our evenings have been this week…

I finish work at 4pm, and usually take advantage of the fact that Hank is still in day care and stop off to buy some groceries, or run a quick errand or two.

I get to day care around 5pm and am greeted by a cheeky, but tired looking boy.

Hank’s carers tell me he hasn’t slept for more than an hour all day, but that he has had a great day. Awesome.

Leaving day care usually results in a minimum or 3 tired toddler tantrums (otherwise known as TTT’s). One when we put away whatever toy he was playing when I arrive, one when we say good bye to his carers and friends and try to leave, and one when I insist he sit, not stand, in his car seat. Mean Mummy, I know!!

We get home and attempt to avoid another TTT whilst we unload the car, check the mail and walk inside.

I try to find the quickest (yet still remotely healthy) thing I can for Hank to eat, and put him in his walker or high chair to eat his dinner. I use this time to run his bath, unpack our things, or begin to prepare my dinner… until we are hit with another TTT

A combination of Hank screaming and trying to eat results in a guaranteed choke ‘n’ spew. A mess which I, somewhat shamefully, let the dog in to clean up while we retreat to the bathroom.

We have a rare window of happiness in the bath, providing I don’t try to even contemplate doing anything other than playing peek-a-boo with the face washer.

I get Hank out of the bath and attempt to dry and dress him ready for bed. This, obviously, results in another TTT. It soon becomes a race of how quickly I can put him in his sleeping bag, make his bottle and put him in bed.

 

How could this sweet little face cause a Mummy-Meltdown?

 

The rest of the night does not consist of much more than me sitting on the couch, eating cup of soup and toast for dinner, and telling myself I really should be nicer to my husband considering he did a general tidy up before he left for work that day.

The last thought obviously didn’t sink in well, because as soon as Mr Mummerina called me whilst he was on a break at work, I was in tears asking him ‘what we are doing wrong?’, ‘why is Hank so sooky with me?’ and ‘surely other kids his age don’t act like this’. Poor guy probably wished he never went on his dinner break!

I sent a long winded message to a friend on Facebook who has 4 boys (all of whom are very active boys) and she assured me that, although Hank is a true “boys boy”, he is not unlike her boys were at his age. She told me her house is always a mess, her boys are always loud, and at least one of them will always be covered in a bruise, cut or graze from rough play 

I felt a thousand times better; having been reassured from an experienced Mum that there isn’t anything wrong with Hank, or how we are parenting him… he is just a typical toddler. A very active, little boy toddler at that.

I had a nice, hot and peaceful shower before retiring to bed for the night (well, until 11.30pm when hubby got home and Hank woke up and my heartburn kicked in!!!)

REVIEW: MUMAFIT APP

Some women are just made to be pregnant. They have a cute, yet distinguished baby bump. They feel amazing throughout their pregnancy. Their hair becomes thick and luscious. Their skin glows. They sh!t rainbows, basically!

I am not one of those women. I am the furthest from it. I do not, will not and can not enjoy being pregnant. I am eternally grateful that I am able to bear a child, and I am mindful that others would kill to experience what I am… but I won’t apologise for saying that pregnancy and I just do not get on well together.

I am at that stage of my pregnancy (and weight) where I want to be able to re focus on my well being goals. I want to get back on the health & fitness wagon (don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to get off said wagon… trust me, you will regret it!). However, at 30 weeks pregnant with sciatic nerve pain and Braxton hicks contractions... it would be medically unsafe for me to start pounding the pavement in order to lose the excess, non baby weight that I am carrying.

Which is why I am loving the Mumafit IPhone App.

 

 

The app is the brain child of Fiona Trewhitt (who is a mum to 3 kiddies), and has been designed by exercise physiologists for pregnant & post natal women. Mumafit helps you safely exercise at home during and after pregnancy. No gym membership or expensive equipment or work out gear required (literally… I do my third trimester stretches in my underwear some days!)

Both the stretch and toning chapters have done wonders to help my back pain and general tightness that has come with months of using my pregnancy as an excuse to be a sloth. The app also has a GPS prameter which maps your cardio workouts and daily tips which relate to your pregnancy.

 

Mumafit app is available from the App Store for $3.79, which is the equivalent to my daily weekly chocolate fix, and is worth every cent.

 

Does you have any favourite pregnancy related Apps?

 

 

Disclosure:  I was not compensated or remunerated for this review, I'm just a fan! This review is my own and honest opinion. For more information see my disclosure policy