Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Lifestyle

lifestyle blog posts focusing on home, lifestyle, parenting, pregnancy, family life and home and style. Home decor and working at home, working at home as a self employed freelancer and blogger. Family lifestyle blog posts including family reviews, family products and saving money as a family. Being a more eco friendly family.

The Best Hypnobirthing Resources

Hypnobirthing is new to me in this pregnancy but something I am becoming quickly obsessed with. Hypnobirthing is helping me to conquer my anxiety, relax better during my pregnancy and getting really excited about the birth of Baby F which really isn’t very far away now. I’ve talked openly about this with my Doula who has even said that she has seen those that follow the techniques and recordings really positive birth experiences no matter what happens. For me it’s all about having the confidence to handle whatever situation, to cope better during labour and birth and to make my birth as positive as I possibly can.

What Is Hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is a toolkit of information, techniques and exercises to help you have a positive birth. Some people feel it’s too “hippy” for them and that’s completely fine but there is actually loads of evidence based scientific research that really supports hypnobirthing and the positive affects it can have on women when they go into labour and birth their babies.

Hypnobirthing is all about positive reinforcement, deep relaxation and getting your mind into the best state for labour. It can help relieve pain, has helped women avoid too much intervention and can help you prepare for whatever birth you are planning on having. It helps to tackle the fear surrounding birth and empower women with knowledge and confidence.

Where Can I Start with Hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is all about practise so starting soon in your pregnancy can be really beneficial however some women do look into it in the very late stages of pregnancy and still find hypnobirthing really beneficial to their birth and labour experience.

I would first recommend listening or reading some positive birth stories. I found YouTube a good place to start with this as well as Tell Me A Good Birth Story. Avoid highly dramatised shows full of tension like One Born Every Minute which are often not full of positive births. I found that the more positive stories I read the more confidence I had that I could also have a positive birth and so many of these women mentioned how much they loved hypnobirthing. I really recommend Lynn JT on YouTube who has a six step video series on the basics of hypnobirthing as a place to find more information and get started.

Free Hypnobirthing Courses

There is a free trial available on the introduction to hypnobirthing here which is another great place to get a snapshot into what you can learn by taking a hypnobirthing course or class. It doesn’t give you all the information but is another great starting point.

You can also look for a Confident Birthing or midwife lead Hypnobirthing class at your local birth centre or hospital. I am attending one on 25th August and as it’s run by the NHS it’s thankfully free. These classes book up fast so book in early as there is usually a waiting list.

Hypnobirthing Books To Read

Online Hypnobirthing Course

I have absolutely loved the Digital Pack available from The Positive Birthing Company. It’s a series of fantastic videos that explains everything you need to know about labour, birth, inductions and how hypnobirthing can help every scenario. There are over 40+ videos, a private positive birth story community, a guide on writing your birth preferences plan as well as relaxation scripts. The homebirthing course pack is a fantastic resource to download and hand over to partners too so they can read through everything and learn loads. The videos are short and easy to binge watch. You can watch them with a partner, they teach techniques and are really informative and interesting. Just watching the videos and listening to where I can find out more information has helped me to make informed decisions.

Deep Relaxation Hypnobirthing Recordings

Having private hypnobirthing sessions and buying the digital pack I have loads of relaxation recordings to listen to including one that has been personalised with my own birth affirmations. There are also plenty of hypnobirthing recordings available on YouTube and some of the books I have purchased have included links to pregnancy affirmations, birth affirmations and a deep relaxation recording too. The point is to listen to these as often as you can so that the message gets through to your subconscious giving you loads of positive reinforcement. If you are keen to get the labour process started then deep relaxation is a great place to start as it can really help get the Oxytocin flowing through you.

Private Hypnobirthing Sessions

I had two sessions with Positively You Hypnotherapy. Mandy came to my home as she was quite local and went through a fantastic presentation on birth and how hypnobirthing can really help including scientific evidence, breathing techniques, pain relief visualisations, positive reinforcement and relaxation recordings to keep and listen to before and during labour. It was lovely having the private sessions because these helped us get to know Mandy on a one-to-one basis. She listened and answered all our questions and went through absolutely everything in no rush.

Creating a Hypnobirthing Playlist

You can create a playlist for your labour and birth on YouTube or a music app depending on what you are looking for. I have found putting lots of hypnobirthing relaxation recordings together in one place is helping me to keep getting that positive message through and keeping the ones I like in a nice easy to access place. However, some women like to create music playlists to help Oxytocin flow, keep them at peace and relaxed throughout labour and birth.

My Experience with Hypnobirthing

I am hoping to update this part with my experience of using the techniques learned when I have had Baby F. For my pregnancy though hypnobirthing has helped me to relax, have a great night sleep and given me confidence in my body because as they say knowledge is power.

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.

August 22, 2018
34 Weeks Pregnant Update

I am 34 Weeks Pregnant, how fast has this come around? The last routine pregnancy appointment I had with my actual midwife was at 24 weeks, and honestly time has just flown past since that point. I’ve seen other health professionals and I of course had my blood test and routine appointment at 28 weeks prefer we went on holiday but it’s been ages since I’ve seen my actual Midwife so it was nice to have a bit of a catch up.

How Am I Feeling?

Honestly, as the weeks go past I’m just feeling more and more excited about the birth. I feel really confident that I’ll be absolutely fine in labour, I have so much more education behind me this time around. My environment is completely different and I’m trying to let go of the fear of having a c-section. I’ve been watching a few really positive birth story videos on YouTube which has made me feel amazing. I’ve created some birth affirmations, have a solid birth preferences list and I’m practising my deep relaxation hypnobirthing techniques. I’d like to try and listen to them as many times as I can between now and starting labour.

I am experiencing back ache, especially when walking too far, too fast. I’m really glad I’ve not had to do the school run and I can stay at home if I want. I would have liked to exercise a lot more but it’s been too hot! I am finding myself staying awake a lot longer at night and actually sleeping in a bit which is nice. I’m noticing pressure lower down in my bump than previously which is then putting more pressure on my bladder. I’m still feeling loads of baby movements which is lovely. He’s particularly wriggly at night time.

I started drinking red raspberry leaf tea at 32 weeks to hopefully help my uterus contract as efficiently as possible which in turn might help to shorten the second phase of labour. I am also enjoying smoothies for breakfast to get some extra nutrition and from 36 weeks I plan to start eating six dates a day to help make that first stage of labour go quickly. I want to enjoy labour, but I also want to make sure my body is in a relaxed, stress free state and full of nutritional goodness. I am planning on investing in some Boobix cookies and lactation brownies too to help my supply. I’d make my own but I just don’t have the time!

32 Weeks Growth Scan

The scan went really well to be honest. We got to see Baby F again and he is gaining weight at the right amount. We saw a different sonographer so the measurement was slightly over the 50th Centile line but nothing to really worry about and still well within what they are considering to be ‘normal’ for me. However, there is always a margin for error with scans so he will weigh whatever he weighs when he is born.

Hypnobirthing Sessions

My first hypnobirthing session was fantastic. I had a private hypnotherapist come to my home to do two sessions for us as a couple. The first session talked about relaxing in labour, breathing techniques and a guided relaxation session. The second session included a longer relaxation recording and going through down breathing, pain relief visualisation and a general run through on labour and birth.

My hypnobirthing sessions were booked through Positively You Hypnotherapy which is run by a really lovely lady named Mandy who is based in Winchester, Hampshire.

How I’m Looking at 34 Weeks Pregnant

My 34 Weeks Pregnant: My Midwife Appointment

My 34 weeks routine appointment was on 8th August with my midwife Debbie at the local birth centre. I really get on with Debbie, she has always made me feel listened to and respected. She is such a lovely midwife and I feel really happy to have her on my side through this pregnancy. We talked about my meeting with the consultant midwife and went over my birth preferences which was great and she was really happy with everything I have decided on. We heard Baby F’s heartbeat and it’s always such a lovely sound. My blood pressure was fine, my HgB levels were 135 and my platelets where over 200 which was great. All of these things are really useful for labour! I was awarded a gold star for being so well hydrated too which was good. Our next routine appointment is at 36 weeks.

What’s Next?

August is a really busy month full of appointments and discussing different plans with everyone. I have an appointment booked in on 17th with the consultant midwife to discuss my home birth plan which I am still very confident about. After that I have my third and final growth scan to check all is well and baby F is still growing as expected. Then we are booked in for the NHS run Confident Birthing antenatal at my local hospital which is going back over hypnobirthing and I’ve been recommended this one as I’m planning a home birth. We are also going to attend an antenatal breastfeeding information and support class on bank holiday Monday which will be a great chance to meet the ladies that run the NCT breastfeeding group too. Then we are back to hospital to see the consultant again to just see how things are going on. By the time we go back to see him there would have been ten weeks between our appointments so of course things might change or I might have questions.

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.

August 16, 2018
Kumi Kreator Cool Maker Review

We have been using the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker from Spinmaster Toys to design our own friendship bracelets. The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker is designed for children aged 8+ and with Evie turning 8 in just a few weeks I thought this would be something she would love. You always need a few rainy day activities and toys during the school holidays too and today being quite grey and stormy gave us the perfect chance to set it up and have a play.

Whats In The Box?

The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker Kit has enough products to make up to ten bracelets. It includes blue, pink, magenta and purple thread spools, the twisty friendship maker, clasps, end stickers and a bracelet measuring guide so that you can make your bracelets. It also comes with a handy design booklet, instructions and a leaflet pointing you to www.coolmaker.com which has a series of helpful videos helping you set you the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker. We found these really helpful alongside the instructions booklet which has a helpful checklist on making sure you are setting up the machine to prevent any jams.

Setting Up The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker

With the video and instruction checklist we found setting up the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker quote simple. Threading through the spools was a little bit fiddly but it didn’t take us very long at all. We followed the video instructing is to make the “Dream Beam” bracelet which features pink, magenta and blue threads. You first need to line up the two blue spools which remain empty and then follow the colours in the design booklet instructions. You bring the thread up and through the clear spool, through the small blue clip at the top and then into the white clip that holds it in place. Turning the spool will tighten the thread that you want just below the white arm.

When everything is threaded through you tighten it all up, check the checklist and that everything is in order to prevent any jams and then you begin turning the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker at a steady pace which starts braiding the bracelet for you. You keep turning until the three red lines are aligned and the white arm has flipped back.

Putting Your Friendship Bracelet Together

Firstly, tightly wrap a sticker around the top of the bracelet and then measure the wrist of the person the bracelet is for. Line this up with the braid and tightly wrap another sticker just underneath the right number. This will show you where to cut the thread and attach the clasps. The next step is removing the braid which is simple to do. You hold the braid in place and gently remove each thread from the remaining spool and pull through. You then cut the loose threads and attach the clasp for your finished bracelet.

What does Evie think?

Evie gives the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker two thumbs up. She really likes it and is looking forward to making her next set of bracelets. Most of the action she could do herself but having an adult nearby to help her was essential and to remind her of the next steps. She enjoyed twisting the bracelet into place but struggled attaching the clasps so I helped her with that.

Anything Else?

The Kumi Kreator Cool Maker retails at £ and is available to buy

You can also buy top up bracelt booster packs which make a further 12 bracelets for £ which gives you so many more designs to try and make with the Kumi Kreator Cool Maker

Disclaimer: We received a Kumi Kreator Cool Maker in exchange for this feature. All opinions remain my own.

August 10, 2018
Hypnobirthing with Positively You

Hypnobirthing is something I was really keen to find out more about early in my second pregnancy after having a difficult first birth and wanting to do as much as I could to make my next birth a really positive experience no matter how it happened. I came across hypnobirthing as a technique used to help mums labour naturally and then found out it had so many more benefits such as making labour shorter, less need for medical intervention and just helping women have better births. I contacted a local hypnotherapist Mandy on her Facebook page Positively You and queried about hypnobirthing sessions. This was done such a long time ago that when I initally booked them in for July and August I felt that was such a long wait. However, that time has flown by as I’m now 33 weeks pregnant and that due date is creeping so much closer.

I had an initial consultation over the phone with Mandy discussing my previous birth and expectations for hypnobirthing. She informed me that the sessions could be done at my home with my partner with a small increase in price to cover travel expenses which lead to £95 per 90 minute session. There are lots of other options for hypnobirthing such as classes that you can attend and if you are able to attend a Confident Birthing NHS antenatal class this does have an element of hypnobirthing – I am booked in to this at the end of August and really looking forward to just having another session to reinforce all those positive birth messages in my subconscious. I found Mandy really lovely and easy to talk to. She was so honest and open about how hypnobirthing could be used to really help me have a much more positive birth. She is really into mindfulness too which is something I’ve always been interested in and this lead to me booking in the two sessions with her. I was really excited and felt that hypnobirthing as well as hiring a doula could be really beneficial to me.

Hypnobirthing: First Session

The first session was on Friday 20th July and both Adam and I were there. We went through a few basic questions about ourselves and Mandy went in depth about hypnobirthing and hypnotherapy. Adam was a little sceptical at first thinking it would be a bit more ‘WooWoo’ but actually it was really nice to get a feeling of understanding more. Hypnobirthing is all about helping mum get into the deep relaxed state that really aids childbirth and to give the birth partner a chance to help keep a peaceful environment and be able to be my advocate so I could be left to birth as undisturbed as possible.

We discussed the power of positive visualisation and really getting in my mind the best birth experience possible and what a positive birth would mean to me. I think a lot of people get fixated on how unpredictable birth can be and Mandy agreed. She said that’s the time to really focus on mindfullness and being in the moment, taking each contraction and breathe at a time because that was going to keep me in that relaxed state and being relaxed, calm and confident would help me make any decisions that needed to be made when it came to childbirth. We did a lovely, calming breathing exercise and then went on to do a the first of our relaxed hypnobirthing sessions of which I know have the recording and Adam and I are going to try listening to it as many times as we can between now and labour. I think I read once it takes doing something 16 times to form a habit and then continuing to 30 times really gets that positive reinforcement message through to the subconcious. Of course I can listen to the session without Adam but it is nice to have that time together and connect with each other.

Hypnobirthing: Second Session

Mandy arrived again at our home on 3rd August to complete our hypnobirthing sessions. There was a two week break between sessions as recommended by Mandy to give us a chance to start putting the tools into place before moving on to the next stage which was going in more depth about labour, birth and pain relief. I was really excited about the session because I really want to avoid having an epidural if I continue to have a VBAC birth so tapping into those natural endorphins was a skill I really wanted to focus on. Since then I’ve been focusing on finding positive birth stories, positive birth affirmations and trying to play the relaxation recording in the background. Everything helps to get those positive messages through.

This time we talked much more about labour, birth, expectations, managing pain as well as breathing techniques. It was great for Adam to do as well because hopefully it can help him guide me in labour and avoid him feeling like a third wheel so to speak if he has something to focus on. We ended the session with another relaxation script and I really felt myself relax so much deeper this time. It was really enjoyable and now I feel pretty good actually. I feel like these sessions really help me to feel good, calm and relaxed. I sent over a few positive birth affirmations before hand for Mandy to include in the script which I feel are really relevant to me. Our plan now is to try and listen to the relaxation scripts as many times as we can. I am going to try using them with a drop of my favourite essential oil as well so that I can anchor the relaxation with a scent. The hope is that with the scent my mind will be able to get into a deeper relaxed and calm state.

Hypnobirthing: Is It Worth It?

I will obviously give more of an update in my birth story but for my pregnancy, I really recommend hypnobirthing. It has taught me a lot about labour, what to expect and ways to naturally relieve pain. I feel it’s given me some great tools to help me anxiety and to help me be a bit more in control as well as making more informed decisions. I feel that no matter what type of birth I have it will generally be a positive experience but I really believe that I will spontaneously go into labour this time around. I don’t feel the need to rush to induce, I don’t feel the need to worry about when it will happen and I am just looking forward to the last stage of my pregnancy. I can’t wait to share my birth story soon!

For more pregnancy content please head to my hub post which contains links to all my relevant pregnancy based blog posts. My second High Bmi Pregnancy.

August 9, 2018
Stylish Prints & Frames with Desenio

Desenio specialise in posters, prints and picture frames for every room in the home. If you’re looking for ways to add extra style and colour to your home then Desenio is a perfect place to start. I managed to find a great range of gorgeous prints for the whole family and for each room in our flat. It’s added a little bit of colour and just transformed our walls.

Desenio prints can be hung up, stuck up with washi tape, placed in frames and styled exactly the way you want them to be. There is a huge range of gorgeous prints and frames to fit so that you can get exactly the right image for your home. I choose to style mine as creatively as possible with Washi tape as I live in renter accocomoration and currently I can’t hang things up on the wall. I wanted to get these up before I got too far along in my pregnancy and help just create a more homely environment.

Evie really wanted to select a poster for her room and choose this lovely Baby Giraffe picture which she proudly helped me to tape up on her wall. The quality of the paper is excellent and despite being rolled up when delivered there are no creases in the paper. The poster has a matte effect finish and is something that Evie looks on really fondly because giraffes are her favourite animal.

Baby Giraffe

I’ve wanted some form of artwork in the kitchen for quite a long time now and as Adam and I are both coffee lovers the coffee menu was really apt. I think it looks really stylish in the lovely white frame and just adds a bit more to our kitchen. It’s a great size for this kind of art work too and the size is ideal for the kitchen.

Coffee Menu

I wanted to give our bathroom a bit more of a tropical theme and looked for posters that made me think of far away places. First though we really need to re paint the bathroom walls and wait for them to try before adding our prints up. I love the palm leaf print in particular and I think these choices are really helping me to create a more spa like feel in our bathroom. We’ve got quite a big bathroom fortunately so getting something up on the walls to make them look just a little better was key for me.

Unwind, Palm Leaves Pattern and Ficus Exposure

Our bedroom is purple and I absolutely love owls so I couldn’t resist putting up this super cute owl print! Again I’ve used washi tape and styled the print on our wardrobe door because it was such a stark white in the room. Alongside my make up I’ve added this quote in this frame because I do quite like an inspirational quote from time to time.

Little Owl

Desenio really do have so many lovely prints that you can use all around the home with big posters to quotes and sayings. This can make it really personal to the family home and really help theme a room If thats what you’re looking to do. I loved looking through the inspiration section on the website to get a feel for the types of prints available and found this really helped me when making my choices.

I quite love quotes and as I’m planning a home birth I wanted a few quotes in the living room as well as some pictures that made me feel calm. The beach and the sea really bring me to a happy mental place and being able to look up at these on my living room wall make me feel happy as they’re the kind of places I would love to visit. Again this have been put up with washi tape. I would have liked to create a nice frame around the images with the tape but actually I’m quite happy with them like this!

Posters are Beach Umbrella, Standards High and Colourful Sky

I also work from home so I like to a quote to make me smile on my desk. I’ve decided to add this one into a frame to place on my desk, right next to my cup of coffee because that is the vibe I need on a Monday morning to get back into the swing of things!

May Your Coffee Be Strong Poster

Quote Posters

If you like what I’ve pictured above you can take advantage of Desenio are offering 25% off posters from their website using the code “candyflossdreams” from 7th until 9th August. Please note this discount code is not valid on frames or collaboration/handpicked posters. The code “candyflossdreams” gives 25% off posters* on all of our sites between August 7th and 9th.
*Except for frames and handpicked-/collaboration posters.

Do you have any posters or prints in your home? How have you styled them?

Disclaimer: this post is in collaboration with Desenio and I received the prints pictured in exchange for this feature. All opinions remain my own.

August 7, 2018