Category: Lifestyle

it feels weird to be writing about normal things in this weird time but i thought it would be nice to share how felix is doing with friends, family and followers. these past 18 months have been a complete whirlwind and having little ones during this surreal time has been really strange, especially in our small space.

felix is now walking and running and climbing. he’s obviously gotten taller as he can reach the door handles, and tries to shut and open doors. he frequently opens up the cupboard and helps himself to a fistful of cereal much to everyone’s dismay. he hates waking up from his afternoon nap and is often hangry so we’ve started giving him something to eat around 10.30/11, a nap around 11.30-12noon and then more food when he wakes up, as well as milk with nap time. his favourite meal remains spag bol.

he loves building blocks with his toys, shaking a tambourine and playing the maracas. he’s also played evie’s recorder a few times right in my ear which is nice of him. he also loves music and dances with this cute little jump wiggle which is so funny. he also loves playing chase with evie, or trying to find us if we hide and say boo.

his most used word is no but he can also say mummy, daddy, narna, i know, i don’t know, where is he, (usually when adam has gone to bed after a night shift or is still in bed) hi and bye. he repeats things when we ask like pepper, baby and other two syllable words. he hasn’t managed evie yet, much to her sadness. he also screeches a lot. usually if we ask “are you okay” he will respond with yes or no but obviously he doesn’t know what that means. or maybe he does or at least he’s starting too. i know, however, he does not like being told no, and we have had a glimpse into those tantrums from the terrible twos.

i have to admit i really love this age. it’s tiring because you are constantly chasing after them and the quote ‘silence is golden, unless you are a toddler, then silence is suspicious’ is so apt for felix right now. he is so funny and his character and little voice is getting stronger and stronger. he’s begining to give big cheesy grins for the camera and he loves to give an arm stroke if he feels like you haven’t given him enough cuddles. he has started bringing us his coat and shoes when he wants to go out now we’ve let him walk outside although he is not very good at holding hands! i can’t wait until we can gake him to the park properly which will be in a very long time, i imagine he will have outgrown his shoes by then.

it’s very weird parenting during this time and we are trying to make the best of a weird and surreal situation. with easter being next weekend, a time we usually try and do something for if not see friends and family, will be spent at home with a pretty minimal effort egg hunt around the flat. i’m sure we will find a good film to watch and enjoy a lovely dinner together for a family. hopefully adam will be feeling up to a walk too.

high risk pregnancy is something i know a little bit about – because i’ve been there. i’ve written a lot about my experience of a high bmi pregnancy however i’ve never had to look at what that means for those experiencing a high risk due to bmi pregnancy during a global pandemic.

the truth is no one is exactly sure how long this will last for, but it’s predicted to be hitting us pretty hard in the uk for the next 12 weeks. many women are probably thinking what should i do if i give birth in the next 12 weeks? of course the first two things you need to be doing is washing your hands and staying at home. the most important things to attend are your planned or routine pregnancy care appointments or if you need medical attention. you should still continue to call your labour ward or midwife if the amount of kicks you feel change.

if you’re pregnant and think you might have symptoms of covid-19 then the advice is to access nhs 111 online for what action to take and to self isolate as much as you can for the next 7 days, or 14 days if it’s a household. if you start labour during that self isolation period, when you call the labour line to inform them let them know you’ve been experiencing symptoms.

pregnant and in lockdown, what should i do?

if you’re pregnant and in lockdown due to covid-19 then there are plenty of things you can do if you’re feeling well enough. there are plenty of pregnancy books to read to help prepare you for birth. you might consider writing your birth plan during this time. another option would be to try hypnobirthing. there’s an amazing online hypnobirthing course i did which went into so much detail about pregnancy, labour and included some great relaxation techniques by the positive birthing company. i really recommend the digital pack. you might want to do some pregnancy focused safe-to-do home workouts or yoga.

where should i give birth if i’m high risk?

this is going to be a tough one to answer if you’re due to give birth during a nation wide lockdown. it’s important to note that this still remains your choice and one you should make as an informed person from information you have read. you need to weigh up all the pros and cons to giving birth somewhere you feel safe and any previous pregnancy experience. if you decide to give birth at home then you need to be prepared for some friction against this because, during a pandemic, it will be easier for your midwives and obsetricians if you give birth in hospital.

some trusts are putting restrictions during labour which means only having one birth partner and not allowing any visitors, including any of your children, to come into hospital after birth. this is to limit the risk of the virus being carried around a maternity ward and further throughout the hospital. these are all things to weigh up in the decision making of where to give birth.

protecting your mental health if you can’t have the birth you want

taking some of these choices away from you can be really hard to get your head around and may have you feeling anxious or even depressed. it’s natural to feel that way and your feelings are completely valid. to protect your mental health there are some questions you might want to ask your hospital trust in advance so that you can have the best possible labour and birth experience. this is why a birth plan can be really helpful, you can plan for any and all circumstances. ask about having low lights and aromatheraphy, ask about birthing pools and balls. hypnobirthing will also really help here too as it can teach you some great breathing techniques that help through moments of anxiety.

most importantly, talk after giving birth about how you feel. talk about your experience if that makes you feel better. let it out, even if it seems trivial. in this weird unprecendented time no one really knows what they’re doing but your health care providers are trying to keep you and everyone else safe. it’s a worrying and concering time for many expectant mothers, including lower risk ones, but how you feel is still worth taking the time to talk about.

one thing i have seen really paving the way for sustainability is period protection. there is more being done to make it affordable and help eliminate period poverty, companies are speaking to activists about making disposables plastic free and there are more choices which are becoming available to all menstruators which is great.

i got my period at 11 years old and the option was plastic pads or tampons. i didn’t like the idea of tampons because toxic shock syndrome fear was drummed into me and my mum used pads so naturally i used pads. i had really heavy periods that lasted the full 7 days in a month at first so i went on the pill to try and control them as well as having perscriped painkillers to deal with the cramps which kept me off school from time to time. there are now loads of great things about periods including books, protection subscriptions and campaigns for eco friendly plastic free period protection.

affiliate link –

when i got the implant after my daughter was born my periods vanished and so did my period protection. however, after having my implant removed and of course having my son, i didn’t want to go back on the implant and instead i started looking into plastic free period protection.

so far i have learned about cups, discs, period pants, plastic free disposables and cloth reusables. after felix was born i used disposable maternity pads but for each period since i’ve used cloth sanitary protection and have a really nice stash of pretty pads to bleed onto every month. i’m learning more about my cycle, doing regular pelvic floor exercises (thirties plus pregnancy means it’s a must) and still researching other methods because i still have a heavy period, i’d like it to be a bit more mess free and i really like the idea of using a disc but as a fat person with short fingers i’m not sure i can.

and then there is period pants. i want high waisted knickers please. midi briefs constantly ride up under my overhang and rub and irritate my now twice opened c-section scar. i want them up and over. i’m yet to find decent period pants that are for a size 24/26 – please reccomend some if you know.

there is a cup with a long stem and ring pull which looks promising but i’m not sure i’ll work well with a cup. i have tried and inserting it was just difficult and left me frustrated. so i’m currently looking into using a menstural disc but i don’t know if i’ll be able to use one and get it in position properly. it’s really frustrating.

i like the thought of a disc because it sits higher than a cup so hopefully i won’t feel it but i can’t actually reach my cervix so i’m not sure i’ll be able to reach the pubic bone to tuck the disc behind. i would be happy to hear any recommendations!

we have all seen no doubt the devestating images of vulnerable, elderly and emergency worker photographs trying to shop from empty shelves in supermarkets. grocery stores and supermarkets are trying to put measures in place to prevent stockpilling but it’s got out of hand. we have been told that there is enough for everyone but yet people are panic buying all sorts of weird things.

i understand in times of panic the need to control something, anything and perhaps this is why so many are stockpilling. the uncertainty, unknown prospects for the next 12 weeks is concerning however we really don’t need to be preventing the vulnerable from getting their basic shop. i have had plenty of worries and anxieties during this.

if you have excess supply of anything or more than your family needs please consider donating any of the following items to your local food bank, shelter, refuge or making care packages for vulnerable people:

• sanitary and/or incontinence protection
• personal hygiene products particularly soap
• nappies and formula
• tins of anything
• uht longlife milk
• biscuits
• easter eggs
• packeted products like noodles, soups and pasta

do not take advantage during this time. people are being made redundent, work places are closing, people are vulnerable, scared and many are losing money. be kind.

if you are in a position of priviledge and able to change how you shop i have a few suggestions of reusables and subscriptions that are helping me and my family during this time of uncertanty.

• reusable wipes. we use cheeky wipes personally which are great. they have a backlog at the moment but they are worth it. they will save you quite possibly hundreds in pounds on wet wipes in the long run. theres a video below in how to use cheeky wipes. they’re much better at cleaning babies up than regular wet wipes. they will save you money. they will reduce your plastic waste. alternatively, you can cut up old towels, flannels or make your own if you can sew.

• reusable nappies. try switching out one disposable for a reusable each day. these can be bought second hand on ebay, facebook groups and you might find some great deals on cloth nappies right now. we have a great stash of these including tots bots, baba + boo, bambino mio, tickle tots and close pop-ins. i’ve written up a bit more about cloth nappies and how we use them here.
• cloth sanitary protection. this is also known to some as csp. other options of reusable period protection include menstural cups and discs. put a cup in it has a great quiz to find out what might be the best fit. i get most of my cloth protection from etsy.

subscriptions that are helping me feed my family

get £20 off with hello fresh – this is a box we are buying weekly. it’s currently costing us around £35 a week for 4 meals for 4 people. there is enough food from this box for us to make leftovers which are substantial meals for lunch. there are plenty of options, fresh vegetables and we are trying lots of new recipes especially now i have the time to cook. i have a referral code which gives you £20 off your first box. you can sign up to hello fresh here.