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Why I Support #FeedWithConfidence

#FeedWithConfidence

My breastfeeding goal for Baby F is to Feed with Confidence. When I had my daughter I really wanted to breastfeed but being young, a bit naive, and maybe not understanding how my body works as well as the societal pressures and feeling of ‘taboo’ within feeding in public, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to. I think that fear of not being successful and being afraid to feed in public or outside the comfort of my own home really made it difficult and actually affected my ability to feed successfully for longer than ten weeks. This time around I am determined to breastfeed with the combination of one bottle of expressed breast milk. My goal is to feed Baby F myself 90% of the time and have a bit of supply of breast milk in the freezer too.

I want to breastfeed because it’s going to be really good for us to bond, it’s going to help with my weight loss, it’s got so many amazing health benefits for me and its on tap nutrition and food for Baby F too. Whilst I’m not against formula or those that bottle feed I really want to feed him myself and I’m going to be striving to push through feeding him until he doesn’t want to anymore. I would absolutely love to get passed a year of breastfeeding and using the occasional bottle of expressed milk however that does mean I need to get over one of my biggest fears and that is feeding outside the home. Because of this I want to share my journey and I fully support Lansinoh’s Feed with Confidence campaign of which my lovely blogger friend Ami from Through Ami’s Eyes is an ambassador for – I’m so excited for her. I’ve been watching, reading and listening to Ami talk about her experience for combination feeding and seeing her confidence with her ability to feed new baby Smidge is just so amazing. It really inspires me and actually has started making me think, well, maybe I could feed in public, maybe I could too feed with confidence.

There are lots of reasons why people might not have the confidence to feed in public. I’m a 42H cup due to my weight and it’s not exactly going to be a discreet journey. I want to get myself some good fitting nursing bras and tops that make feeding as easy as possible so that I can feel a little less exposed. I’m not opposed to using a cover or muslin but hopefully my ability and confidence will grow enough that I will have the confidence to feed without. Another tip someone had was using a scarf which, with Baby F being due in the Autumn is a pretty good idea. I think practising with different positions and using a sling is also going to help me feed with confidence too.

Breastfeeding is hard. I remember being in tears the first few weeks with sleep deprivation which is why Adam and I have decided to introduce the odd bottle of expressed milk to help each other out a little bit. However, I do hope that by the time we get to six weeks, we might not actually need the bottle of expressed milk and I’ll be used to the frequent feeding, a bit tougher and, well, hopefully having a stretch of at least three hours sleep during the night (total wishful thinking there!) I really want to establish a good supply by feeding on demand and of course this means I will need to feed wherever I am. I think it’s important to have the confidence to do this and by reading other women’s stories, advice and seeing it happen that confidence is already starting to grow in me. I’m not expecting it to be natural straight away and I’m grateful for a supportive partner and family that are all really encouraging when it comes to feeding. I really hope that by sharing my own photos, journey and experience I can feed with confidence and give other mums the confidence to do the same.

You can find out more about Lansinoh and the campaign to Feed with Confidence here:

In 2016, just under 750,000 babies were born in the UK with over 80% of mothers starting to breastfeed their babies. However, according to Public Health England latest statistics on breastfeeding prevalence at six to eight weeks after birth, the number of new mums breastfeeding at this time is 43.7%.[1] This number is low, especially when compared to countries like Norway, which achieves rates of 80% at 3 months.[2] Why does the UK have some of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world?

To understand this issue, Lansinoh carried out research amongst 1000 people, looking at perceptions of breastfeeding in public. The study found that people feel uncomfortable with women breastfeeding on public transport, people over 65 are more accepting of mums breastfeeding in public spaces, and people in Wales are more comfortable with breastfeeding compared to other regions in the UK. The Equality Act 2010 made it illegal to ask a woman to stop breastfeeding in public, so why is breastfeeding in public such a national taboo?

A government study found that although 72% of the British public outwardly support public breastfeeding, over half of breastfeeding mums take steps to cover up and 34% feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.3 Research carried out by Lansinoh found that 37% of men and 41% of women find women breastfeeding on a bus uncomfortable, whilst mums breastfeeding on the underground were frowned upon by 34% of men and 44% of women.4 Although a third of those surveyed admitted that they were not comfortable seeing a woman breastfeeding in front of another woman, the research also found that the longer the journey, the less people find an issue with a mother breastfeeding in a public space.

People can nominate a person or a place for the awards here: https://lansinoh.co.uk/feed-with-confidence/

July 19, 2018
30 Weeks Pregnant Update

I am 30 weeks pregnant! My second pregnancy is flying past and I can’t quite believe it’s now just under ten weeks until my due date. I have to admit I’ve actually quite enjoyed this pregnancy so far and I’m so grateful that it’s been quite gentle up until this point. I think that’s largely down to trying to stay as active as possible and all the wonderful emotional support I’ve had from my Doula, Midwife, Consultant and friends. This sort of feels like we’ve peaked the hill and we’re now starting to slowly walk down with it getting steeper and steeper as September draws on in.

Symptoms at 30 Weeks Pregnant

Since my 28 week update nothing has really come about thankfully although I’m starting to get more uncomfortable physically. I struggle getting dressed in the morning which must be quite a comical and glamourous view. My back hasn’t really suffered though, nothing seems to be swelling up and I haven’t seen any new stretch marks. Plenty of old ones, but nothing new!

Dealing with a Summer Cold

This has really got me down and has been so frustrating. I’ve had a bit of a cold and cough for a few weeks now that is fading very slowly. It’s just lingering on so I’m back to feeling quite congested and generally a bit rubbish. I’ve been having warm honey and lemon, paracetamol, cool showers and slathering my chest and feet in Vicks vapour rub. It’s been hard dealing with a cold and the heat as I just want to rest. I’ve been really quite lazy since we got back from holiday but now school for Evie is almost over I really need to get back on track! Hopefully by the time this is published my cough will have gone and I’ll be feeling much better and healthier.

30 Weeks Pregnant Bump: How Am I Looking?

I think my bump is becoming a bit more noticeable now although I still feel I have to make it known to other people that I’m pregnant because I just get so caught up with others thinking I’m just really fat. I don’t feel good about my appearance at all and I’m going to join Weight Watchers thanks to a free 12 week referral from my GP at my post natal check. I hope that weight watchers and breastfeeding as well as getting swimming again as soon as I can will all really help with weight loss.

Growth Scan at 30 Weeks Pregnant

I had the first of three growth scans on Monday. It was so nice to see Baby Boy again. I have another on 30th July and then again on 23rd August. This should give us a more accurate picture of his weight come the birth.

Upcoming Appointments

I seem to have appointments pretty much every week now with the Anaesthetist clinic, Growth Scans, Hypnobirthing, Confident Birthing antenatal class, Consultant appointment, routine midwife checks and another chat and planning session with my Doula and again with my consultant midwife. This is keeping me going until September so at least I’m keeping busy.

Any Concerns?

Not really. I do worry that because of my BMI my chance of a successful VBAC is really, really low but I would much rather try for a natural birth than not. I am just going to try and stay as active as I can and as things get closer look at ways to help my body spontaneously go into labour as well as accepting some cervical sweeps with the possibility of having waters broken artificially if they don’t go naturally. I also want to start paying more attention to my hypnobirthing book to relax, get some birth affirmations down and to find ways I can really help Oxytoxin do it’s magic come labour.

Home Birth/Hospital Bag

I am currently putting together a box for a planned home birth as well as preparing a bag for a possible hospital transfer or if things end up going to plan C a bag ready for a planned c-section. I’d love to know what you recommend packing?

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.

July 19, 2018
The Steamer Inn, Shanklin Sea Front

Dinner at The Steamer Inn

The Steamer Inn is situated on the Shanklin sea front and on our second night we had a lovely family meal there. It’s a really lovely pub and has a great menu. We went out for dinner here on our second evening, sitting inside the pub, before the England v Columbia football match so there was quite an atmosphere out on the veranda. It was a pub that came highly recommended when doing a quick Trip Advisor search and then having a browse of the menu. We saw that it was the sort of food we would really enjoy and had a walk down there from Landguard holiday park.

Walking down to the seafront is a good half an hour or so walk however it was a lovely warm evening and the sea breeze made it easier. It was also mostly down hill which meant I wasn’t struggling so much with the trek being 28 weeks pregnant. The walk along Shanklin sea front is really lovely and we got a chance to see what there was to do so that we could plan the next day down at the beach. Evie spotted the amusements and little fun fair as well as finding a soft play area that was actually open during our time on holiday so it was really useful to get our bearings. We did get a taxi back to the holiday park for £5 which was a pretty fair price for the distance.

The Steamer Inn is easy to find and has a lovely outside seating area which I imagine would be perfect in the evening with a Gin and Tonic however, I’m not really a fan of eating meals outside and happily the inside of the pub was nice and quiet with plenty of seating. This was relatively early at around 5pm though so I imagine this place gets really quite busy, especially during the summer holidays when there are more tourists around.

Food at The Steamer Inn

The food was really delicious and we all had a great meal here. The menu is extensive and features a lot of great flavours and options from starters and light bites to rich main meals. There is a great range of seafood available too including a pretty special Lobster seafood platter. The children’s menu had plenty of options too although Evie went for her standard chicken nuggets.

Adam loves getting a nice curry when we go out for a meal and I opted for a premium burger with red onion chutney and goats cheese. It was so delicious and really rich!

For pudding we shared an After Eight mint chocolate chip ice cream sundae which was delicious! It was a great size for us all to share as you can see!

The Steamer Inn is a lovely family friendly pub and a great place for a meal out when on holiday on the Isle of Wight. I would really recommend a visit to here if you’re in Shanklin or one of the sister pubs if you’re elsewhere on the Island. Later on in the week we headed into Ventnor and went to The Spyglass Inn for lunch. With it’s nautical theme you can tell they’re linked together and the food was just as tasty here. Again it’s located right on the sea front with a lovely big veranda and gorgeous views of the beach and sea.

July 16, 2018
Travelling When Pregnant
Travelling when pregnant can be really quite tough. We have just come back from a lovely holiday to Landguard on the Isle of Wight which was a four night, five day break. I think too much longer without my home comforts would have been quite tough and I think holidays in the later stages of pregnancy wouldn’t have been enjoyed as much. We are non drivers and so doing a lot of walking when pregnant can be really tough. As well as relying on public transport and the no guarantee that you’ll get a seat on the train to your destination.

To get to our holiday park on the Isle of Wight we had two short walks to and from train stations, three train journeys and a ferry to catch. This in itself is a long process and can be really uncomfortable. I get hot really quickly too and find I need to dress in light, comfortable layers that can be removed easily. Wearing dolly shoes or flip flops help a lot to keep me cool as I don’t need to be wearing socks for this. I also opt for dresses and leggings which keep me relatively cool.

For the actual holiday I find having plenty of rest breaks and staying out of the sunshine helpful. I also think it’s important to stay active during pregnancy so have done a lot of walking and swimming during out holiday. Some places have gyms and exercise classes as well if that’s something you frequently attend during pregnancy. However, remember it’s also time to get away from the daily grind and recharge your batteries. This has been our last holiday as a family of three too so it was really important to me to just spend a bit of quality time together.

I also think picking a place of familiarity has been helpful as we’ve been to Landguard before. We knew how to get there, what to expect and how to get to local attractions. This made planning the holiday so much less stressful.

Top Tips for Travelling When Pregnant
1. Stay hydrated. Have a big bottle of water with you and sip throughout the journey to remain hydrated. This may mean extra stops to the loo but your body needs it.
2. Bring healthy snacks to munch on.
3. Pack layers of clothes, especially when having a UK holiday. You naturally run warmer when pregnant and you will want to be able to cool down.
4. Take your maternity notes. Just in case. In fact, you should probably just take these everywhere you go in the third trimester of pregnancy anyway.
5. Have plenty of rest breaks. If you need to sit and put your feet up for a few moments then do so. A family holiday won’t be any fun if you’re in pain and exhausted.
6. Have rest days in between active days. The journey itself can be uncomfortable and tiring so having a day of rest before getting out and about to explore is important.
7. Take a pregnancy pillow with you. I got a small portable one to make sleeping in a caravan a little easier.
8. Reserve seats on public transport whenever possible. If someone is in your seat, tell them to move. Don’t be afraid of confrontation, especially when you’ve booked for comfort.
9. Can you travel out of term time? We did because being pregnant with lots of crowds wouldn’t have made for a happy time for us.
July 12, 2018
Beautiful and Exotic Honeymoon Destinations

There are so many beautiful destinations in the world and what better way than to visit somewhere exotic than on your honeymoon. I’ve never wanted a big wedding and if Adam and I ever do decide to get married it will likely be a quick registry office and minimal guests. I have no desire to have any reception or party because I’ve always believed that marriage is about the couple, not providing everyone else with a good time. I’ve been to some truly beautiful weddings where every guest was catered to and I just don’t know how people do it! I would much rather spend any money on an amazing honeymoon for us to escape normality and focus on what’s really important; our lives together and our little family.

This has often got me fantasising about the beautiful destinations we could explore together. One of those being the absolutely stunning Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The islands look so beautiful and the whole ideal of the Maldives makes me think of romance, luxury and relaxation. Destination2 Maldives Holidays showcase some truly beautiful parts of the islands and the exotic location is perfect for honeymooning couples. I love the idea of swimming in those beautiful waters and enjoying all that the Maldives have to offer honeymooners.

I am keen to visit the Caribbean at some point and St Lucia is another place I’d love to visit. The gorgeous sea and sands just make me think of a luxury couples holiday or honeymoon retreat and there are some truly stunning hotels to stay in too. I’d love to cruise around all of the islands if I could but St Lucia has been one of those destinations I’ve always wanted to visit and, to me, is the ideal place to visit in the Caribbean. I’d love a chance to zipline through the rainforest and see all those beautiful waterfalls.

Cancun is another place I would love to visit. I’ve heard so many amazing things about Mexico as a holiday destination and being home to the worlds second largest Barrier Reef it would provide so many things for us to see and do together, relaxation and trying something new.There are also things like whale shark encounters which is just a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I would really love to do. Not to mention seeing the Mayan temples and ruins which I imagine would just be absolutely breathtaking.

Lastly on my list of exotic honeymoon destinations is Bali, Indonesia which just seems like absolute paradise and a long haul flight that sounds so worth it. It has the perfect mix of tropical climate, relaxation and water sports so would be an ideal destination for many couples. I’d love to see the water temples and do one of the amazing sea walks. It sounds like the perfect place for adventure and so many beautiful things to see too. There’s also zoos and aquariums which just make me think it would be a lovely family holiday too if we wanted to take the kids!

One day I’ll get my exotic dream honeymoon but for now, at least, I can daydream. Did you have a long haul or exotic honeymoon? Where would you recommend?

This is a collaborative post.

July 11, 2018