Baby Shower preparations

In less than 3 weeks I'm going to have my own baby shower, yes I'm organising it myself! I thought it would be easier to be in control of all things, such as food preparations, decorations and entertainment if I rely only on myself (I had few let downs in the fast from family members).

As a baby shower is not a traditional English even I decided to keep it that way- I'm not planning to have a party just for girls, we invited couples, as I would like it to be as a “get together” day with some possible activities throughout the day.

Our baby shower invitations were kindly provided by Zazzle, a website where you can find almost anything and not just buy items you see on their website but personalise them as well. 

“Zazzle is the world's leading platform for quality custom products. Zazzle’s rapidly expanding product base covers every topic imaginable and includes t-shirts, business cards, invitations, in addition to a variety of custom gifts. Upon creation, products are instantly and accurately visualized on the site and offered in the Zazzle marketplace. When ordered, each product is made on-demand, typically within 24 hours. Launched in 2005 and based in Redwood City, California, Zazzle’s vision is to redefine commerce, powered by the world’s imagination”.

I have spent few hours just browsing the website as I couldn't pick 1 design, I had tabs opened with few variations of the card we picked, a card with a very cute things hanging on a laundry line and Vintage Alice in Wonderland card, in the end we picked this (I just love it, this little girl is so cute):

Cards were delivered within a week and a half (according to website it could be 5-12 business days). I am very happy with the quality of cards as well as picture, font and colours look exactly as on a website. 

I am also making my own bunting (wall decorations) with a small help of Google, thankfully I had some bits and pieces left from our wedding, such as favour bags and ribbons and I'm planning to use it all for wall and table decorations.

Entertainment part I would like to keep as a secret for now, but hope it will fit well.

I'm so nervous for some reason, just want it all to look well and be organised, still have to think about our menu and table decorations.

Any suggestion as to what else I can do and plan for the day?

DISCLAIMER: I was sent  Zazzle voucher for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinion are my own. 

Book review "Babies All Wrapped Up" by Dr Claire Winstanley

At the beginning of my pregnancy my sister-in-law brought me 5 different pregnancy books. I have narrowed our night read to 2 books and every night I was reading books to my husband and other nights when I was tired my husband was reading them to me. Soon we realised that it will take us ages to find information we are after, I started picking bits to read and then just stopped reading at all.

When I was offered to review "Babies All Wrapped Up" by Dr Claire Winstanley I was open- minded but didn't expect miracles from the book as previous 5 didn't impress us.

To my surprise "Babies All Wrapper Up" is very "light", very easy to understand, it's one of those books which you just can't stop reading. For me as a mum-to-be a found lots of useful information (e.g. baby essentials, how to handle your baby, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, medical information as well as information for fathers and much more) and took lots of notes, which I am planning to put in areas where I will be most likely to notice them.

What I like the most about the book it is written not just by a professional but by a mother too, it has important tips on every page, you don't need to read half of the book to find those answers they are all there.

As we all have something to do during the day it took me 2 days to finish reading the book and maybe some of you may think that it's sounds naive but I do feel a lot more confident that we can do it (with help from my notes taken from this book, relatives and professionals of course).

I'm not quite sure I like the presentation of the book and the fact that some information may seem repetitive from chapter to chapter (i.e. the front picture is not "catchy", looks basic) but overall I enjoyed reading it and it is very useful indeed. If you are intrigued about the book, you can buy it here.

Disclamer: "Babies All Wrapped Up" book was kindly sent over for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are honest and my own.

Bath accessories Wish list

This week it's all about Bath accessories. I won't be mentioning bath thermometers as we already have one from Ozeri.

1. Mothercare Baby Grooming Set- £5.99

2. 99p. store Baby grooming Kit- £0.99

3. 99p. Store bath sponges- £0.99

1. George Home Bear Hooded Towel- Asda £4.00

2. George Home Pink Patchwork Hooded Towel- Asda £4.00 (comes in blue with pick up truck print)

3. Mothercare Little Circus Cuddle 'n' Dry- £4.99

4. George Home Pack of Two White Hooded Towels- Asda £5.00 (comes in blue, pink, white)

This list below is slightly over my budget but I just love this cute towels: 

1. LollipopLane Lady Bug Cuddle Robe & Wash Mitt- £6.79 (comes in pink and blue as well) 2. LollipopLane Upsy Daisy Cuddle robe- £8.93

3. LollipopLane Tiddly Wink Safari Cuddle Robe- £8.93

4. My 1^st years Personalised Baby Hooded Towel- £20

Disclaimer: I have a written consent from all brands mentioned to use above pictures.

31 weeks appointment with a midwife

Last Thursday I had my 31 weeks appointment. That was one of the quickest appointments I had but I had to wait 30 minutes for midwife to finish off with the previous lady, I know circumstances can be different. 

As last time I was worried with my bump measurements she measured me few times to make sure all is correct and said that I measured slightly more for my weeks, which is weird as I have one of the smallest bumps in the world. 

As you know I have joined C&G Baby Club Community and as I chat to other mums-to-be and read about their experiences with midwives, mostly not so positive ones I now started to be more skeptical towards what midwives say. For instance, I have asked her about my baby's position, she said that baby is head down when though she used doppler to check heartbeat said that baby is actually all over the place, well that's not very helpful! I'm so happy that we booked a private scan for this Saturday and sonographer will tell us everything about our baby. 

Then she weighed me and said that I lost weight since booking appointment, I actually lost weight even more since then, they just didn't monitor it at all. But again she wasn't worried and said it's all due to me exercising, she actually looked relieved that she didn't have to do anything about it as I came up with an answer for her.

Then she said that we will discuss baby sleeping, by that she actually meant that she will quickly mention that after baby arrives they will asses sleeping arrangements, no co-sleeping, bed should be by my side and gave me Lullaby Trust booklet as it has all needed info. Extremely informative discussion! And I was surprised why my very first midwife ticked boxes in discussed sections as if we discussed it and we never actually did.

I started thinking that with useless midwives like this one and previous ones I could make a better one, shame I don't want to be a "forever student".

I really think I'm wasting my time with these appointments and not learning anything new, I have learned much more by reading comments, blogs and participating in chats with other mums (to-be) online, that's a shame that midwives don't want to really perform, but at least everything is going well in my pregnancy!

Green Earth pan by Ozeri review

Few years back when me and my husband started living together we agreed that he cooks and I clean. I had few attempts when we were dating, I guess it's not the best idea to cook something for the first time for a man you are trying to impress. 

Well I can cook, but let's say I need to work on my skills. I thought that the fact that I can't do something complicated can't stop me from cooking simple things, e.g. egg and sausage sandwichб to help me with that I used Green Earth Pan by Ozeri 8 ''/20 cm (£24.95, available in different sizes from Amazon).

• Utilizes an ultra-safe ceramic coating derived from nature which is 100% PTFE and PFOA free.
• Delivers unprecedented non-stick performance without releasing harmful fumes or toxins at high temperatures.
• Features a scratch-resistant 100 ceramic coating as found in nature (no heavy metals or chemicals) that is super easy to clean.
• Made out of durable heavy-gauge pure aluminum with no heavy metals or harmful chemicals.
• Boasts a comfortable heat resistant Bakelight handle, and a magnetized induction stove safe base for rapid heat transfer.
  

First things you would notice is the colour-it's bright green, which looks funky in our dull kitchen. Handle is made of rubber material and it wont burn you hand if a pan is on a high heat.

Incredibly easy to clean, I just use a tissue to wipe off all the grease and vu a la it looks as new.

I would like to see a variety of colours, but at the same time the name of the pan reflects in it's colour.

Disclamer: Ozeri has kindly sent me Green Earth pan for the purpose of a review. All views and opinions are honest and my own.

Baby baths and bath supports Wish List

This weeks I am starting new section "Bathing" and our first feature- Baby baths (budget £10) & Bath Supports (budget £10). 

1. Wilko Baby Bath White £5.00

2. Mothercare Snoozie Safari Baby Bath £8.99

3. Mothercare Baby Bath £7.99

4. Mothercare Little Circus Bath £9.99

5. Karibu Folding Bath- Tippitoes £9.99

6. Kiddicare.com Deluxe Baby Bath £7.99 (comes in blue, pink, white)

7. Baby Weavers Premium Baby Bath Silver Lining- Kiddicare £8.99

8. Emmay Baby Bath- Kiddicare £9.95 (comes in blue, pink, white)

1. Disney Minnie Bath Chair- Kiddicare £8.99 (comes in blue, pink)

2. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather – Asda £10 (comes in blue, pink)

3. Emmay Baby Bath Seat White- Kiddicare £9.95

4. Mothercare Fabric Bath Support- £9.99 (comes in white, stripy pink)

And last but not least, my favourite (slightly out of my budget unique baby bath)- Shnuggle bath

Disclaimer: I have a written consent from all brands mentioned to use above pictures.

Pregnancy update 30 weeks

Visible changes in my body: about the weight- I went to see cardiologist and I was shocked- as my home scales are broke, I don't even know now if I lost or put on any weight; my bump is there and I love it, but just hate moment when someone saying "nothing there".

Other: I have seen physiotherapist, it was a quick appointment where lady talked us through how we should sit, how is best to lie on your side and how to easily change sides, how to get out of the car and bath etc and at the end gave us a bump band, which in all honesty made me feel no different. I have my 31 week appointment tomorrow with a midwife, booked a private scan for next weekend

How do I feel: where do I start..I have weird pains in my chest from time to time and at the back, they are so strong sometimes I just can't sit properly or breath; I also had I think Braxton Hicks (but I'm not sure) it took my breath away and it was painful in downstairs department and bottom part of my bump; I can't sit leaning forward as I can feel discomfort due to baby; my headaches are back, not every day, but once I had them in 3 waves in one day; and I have spots, hate them!); I also have very weird sleeping pattern-sometimes I woke up at 6 am and some days at 8 am.

Cravings: still none, well I don't know if it's a craving really I just wanted ice-cream, and finished a box in 2 days, I blame weather!

Fitness: The same routine- walking every day for max. 25 minutes and swimming once a week

Baby: At 30 weeks baby now measures a little more than 39cm from crown to toe. Her growth in terms of her length will soon slow down but she will continue to gain weight until she's born. She probably weighs about 1.3kg at this stage.

Baby’s brain, nervous system and organs continue to mature with every day she spends in the womb. If she was born now she’d still need specialist care as her lungs are not fully mature to breathe on their own and she lacks the body fat to regulate her body temperature.

Do you think I had Braxton Hicks?

Let's raise awareness of Bacterial Vaginosis Day!

This special day was created to help increase awareness of BV, educating women about the facts and removing the taboos surrounding women’s health. Every year on the 16^thApril, women are encouraged to talk about intimate health issues and fertility repercussions, coming together to openly discuss and share something which is normally a subject of avoidance.

It would seem that women’s intimate health is a secretive topic with over a third of women admitting they would feel more comfortable getting health advice online and a fifth saying they were too embarrassed to speak to a GP.

So, have you ever heard of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)? Or, more to the point, have you ever had Bacterial Vaginosis? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Over 61% of women in the UK are not aware of this common and easily treatable condition, and yet it is the most usual cause of abnormal vaginal discharge.

Reports show an estimated one in three women in the UK are affected by BV, twice as many as Thrush, but two thirds misdiagnose their symptoms.

If you’re trying for a baby, it is crucial to ensure your body is as healthy as possible and vaginal conditions are something which should be checked for during one of the most important times of your body’s life. If you want a happy healthy baby, then brushing up on your vaginal knowledge is one step to helping create this.

Often confused with other vaginal conditions such as Thrush, BV often goes unnoticed or untreated. If left untreated, BV can increase the risk of miscarriage and premature birth in pregnant women.

Simply raising awareness of this condition could help save babies lives and reduce the amount of premature births.

 

So let’s talk about the symptoms and causes of BV, BV Symptoms include:

• a fishy odour not found with Thrush
• abnormal discharge usually thin and grey
• vaginal discomfort caused by increased moisture/discharge.

BV is caused by a disruption in the pH of the vagina, when this happens the number of good lactic acid bacteria decreases and the bad bacteria multiply creating the odour, discharge and discomfort found with BV. Put simply, BV is an imbalance in your pH levels and is easily treated,

So what causes BV? Contrary to popular belief, BV is not from poor hygiene, but can be caused by a number of everyday things, which means experiencing regular reoccurrences of BV is very common.

• having the IUD inserted
• excessive washing
• the use of perfumed intimate products
• antibiotics
• your period
• vaginal douching
• washing with strong scented or fragranced soaps/gels/bubble baths
• and even semen

No need to worry though, the good news is BV is easily treatable.

When to seek medical advice

See your GP or visit a sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic if you notice any abnormal discharge from your vagina, especially if you are pregnant. It is important to get this checked to rule out other infections and prevent complications.

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and they may examine your vagina. In some cases, a small sample of the vaginal discharge will be taken using a plastic loop or swab so it can be examined for signs of BV.

Treating bacterial vaginosis

BV can usually be successfully treated using a short course of antibiotic tablets or an antibiotic gel that you apply inside your vagina.

In most cases, you'll be prescribed antibiotic tablets to take twice a day for five to seven days.

However, it is common for BV to recur. More than half of women successfully treated with BV will find their symptoms return, usually within three months. Women who have frequent episodes of BV may be referred to a genitourinary medicine (GUM) specialist.

You can chat about BV by using #NationalBVDay hashtag.

Disclaimer: Information was kindly provided my Balance Active.

Nexcare Maternity Support review

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know that I have experienced some pains in my bum area, when I mentioned this for the first time to one of the midwives she said that it could be due to baby's position, in one of my latest updates on the blog some of you lovely readers suggested it could be sciatica, which wasn't confirmed, I was told it's SPD and luckily was referred to see a physiotherapist.

In the meantime I decided to try Nexcarematernity support. The Nexcare™ Maternity Support is a latex-free, elasticated support belt that can help to ease some of the physical discomfort associated with pregnancy. It provides gentle but firm support underneath your bump to lift the extra weight, relieve pelvic girdle pain and reduce pressure on the lower back.

Maternity support itself consists of 3 parts (it looks complicated but very easy to use if you read instructions beforehand): Abdominal Support Pad (ASP), Back belt and Tummy strap.

How to put it on:

Firstly, you would need to place ASP (consists of a a wide "wavy" part and elastic thin strap) under your bump (if you feel that it is uncomfortable you can lift the pad slightly) and wrap the strap around your body by attaching it to the Velcro part of the pad.

Secondly, you would need to take the back belt (it is the widest part of the support) and stretch it forward from your back to the front and attach it to ASP (please note it suppose to feel comfortable and not too tight).

And lastly, for an extra support you can use the thinnest part of the support- tummy strap, which goes over the top of your bump and attaches to the Velcro "squares" on either sides of the back belt.

Features and Benefits:

• A support band to be worn around the abdomen during pregnancy
• Helps to reduce pressure on your lower back and tummy
• Latex free, whisper-soft elastic provides gentle, yet firm support
• Lifts the abdomen to achieve relief from sagging weight and leg pain
• Expands to accommodate your baby's growth
• Suits pre-pregnancy dress size 18-28

You can also buy Nexcare postpartnum support, ColdHot back and abdomen belt, ColdHot maternity compress for breastfeeding mothers and much more.

You can purchase Nexcare Maternity Support from: Amazon, Mothercare and 3M Direct websites.

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the above item for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinion are my own. 

Travel cot Wish List

This week it's all about Travel cots- budget £25 (travel cot can be very useful in case if we decide to have a small break or have a sleep over at in laws house). I have browsed different websites with lots and lots of different Travel cots, but I can't say that expensive ones any different from cheap ones, and as my budget for Wish List is always with reasonably prices items-something I can definitely afford here is my small wishlist, but deep down I also dream about MagicBed Travel Cot).

1. Chicco Goodnight Travel Cot Graphite Kiddicare- £24.99
2. Kiddicare Kip Travel Cot Black- £24.99
3. Babies"R" Us Travel Cot in Granite- £23.99
4. Koo-di Pop-Up Travel Basinette Cot- £24.99

Disclaimer: I have a written consent from all brands mentioned to use above pictures.

Maternity Unit Tour and questions to ask

Couple of weeks ago I have booked our maternity unit tour and last Saturday was THE day. We were greeted by a lovely midwife who I met before when I had high blood pressure problems. She explained at the beginning that it will be around 40 minutes tour and that we will be able to ask our questions at the end (I had 2 pages of questions). 

Midwife started the tour from explaining how to get to Delivery Suite from the main entrance and from A&E side after hours. She also mentioned that our partners can drop us off closer to the entrance and then to park their cars on the hospital territory, which is by the way very expensive (we won't be parking there anyway as we found a spot by residential area).

We followed our midwife to Delivery Suite itself (we can use stairs or the lift) and that's where it is more blurry, please don't blame baby brain (I do have it from time to time though), the reason is we heard someone giving birth, it was very loud and distracting for us all and possibly very painful for her (I had tears in my eyes that's how real and scary that was). 

While we were walking to the Suite we were "greeted" by Winnie- the- Pooh cartoon characters on walls which I thought was very cute. To get in to the Delivery Suite we needed (and will need to use in the future) to use intercom mounted on the wall, as all entrances to and exists from the Suite are locked for the safety of mums and babies. 

Midwife showed us waiting room and toilets for visitors, which are right by the entrance/exit door, we are allowed to have 1-2 people with us in labour with visiting hours 10 am- 10pm. Birth partners can stay over night with a mum-to-be as long as it is agreed beforehand but they say on a first comes first served basis as they can't really find space for every partner. There is one more "luxury" for our partners- kitchen with fridge, water cooler or they can use cafe and vending machines outside of the Suite.

Delivery Rooms: during our stay we will be in one room all the time, there are 6 delivery rooms with shared bathroom facilities and 2 birthing pool rooms with en-suite which can be used on a first comes first served basis (I would love to be in one of these rooms and will definitely mention this in my birth plan). Every room has a bed, gas and air (I didn't know it makes a "Darth Vader" noise), baby resuscitaire, cot, a chair for a partner, monitors including wireless monitors, entertainment unit with USB port plus each birthing pool rooms have a birthing ball and some other weird equipment a mum-to-be can hold on to. We had a quick look at a Maternity Theatre room but we didn't go inside, I think it scared a little most of us.

During  and after labour & birth: I was happy to know that hospital will have a whole set of midwives (work 12 hours shifts from 8 am to 8pm), consultants, pediatricians, obstetricians available if there are any complications to mum or baby, hospital now has a new policy and they delay cord clamping, allow lots of bonding, skin to skin time and do monitoring only when necessary in case of any problems. 

After birth mum and baby are transferred to the Ward or baby can be transferred to newborn intensive care unit (NICU) in case of any complications. All postnatal rooms are shared, midwives can do exceptions with rooms if mum wants to be alone, but they do not recommend it (I think it's because they want less hassle for themselves) and again those rooms are on a first comes first served basis. They provide menu for mums but we are allowed to bring our own food ( I need to write down a list of junk food I want to eat).

We were also told that we will have lots of leaflets and information about breastfeeding , that there always will be someone who can show us and direct how to do it, and we also will be showed how to express milk by hands. With regards to discharging minimum is 6 hours, but they recommend to stay over night, for those who had c- section it is 2-3 nights stay and if we want our friends and family to see us they can come 3pm- 4pm or 7pm- 8pm, but it can be more flexible. 

I almost forgot to write about emotional bit of this story, when midwife showed us the Ward she also took us to see a mum holding a newborn in her arms. That was so sweet and magical it made me cry, I just couldn't stop, I was thinking how cute this little girl is, how I want to see my little one, that soon enough our little creation will be in my arms as well, it was so overwhelming I just couldn't stop crying, I guess I was the only emotionally not stable out of all couples as no one else cried. Some midwives passing by tried to cheer me up, which was very nice of them.

At the end of the tour I was the only one (again) left to ask  questions and as midwives saw me before I think after “the interview” with one of them they have a picture of who I am and what I'm going to be like during labour, my husband made a joke about it, said that midwives possibly have a nickname for me “Victoria- the worrier”. 

Now to my questions, these are the questions I have used to "interview" my midwife and you can use them for yourself if you are planning to have Maternity Unit Tour.

Admission

1. Do you have a list of what we need to bring with us?
2. Where is the entry after hours?
3. Where's the nearest place to the entrance I can be dropped? Does my DH/birth partner have to pay normal parking rates while I'm giving birth or are there special parking spaces/a permit scheme for him while I'm in labour? Is it the same out of hours?
4. Where is the waiting area for other family and friends? How many people can be with me?
5. Do we need to complete any paperwork upon our arrival or during the stay?
6. What is their "routine" on admission in labour- straight into delivery suite or are we put into a waiting room until labour is more established where will I initially be examined?

Rooms & Logistics

1. Will I be in one room during my entire stay, or will I be moved to a separate room after birth? Can DH stay in this room with me? Private room hire for after birth? Bathroom? How to secure a room? Can DH stay in a private room with me? Birthing Pool rooms?
2. Can DH stay overnight with me before and after birth? When is “kicking out” time? Visiting hours?
3. Are mobile phones permitted in the room?

Food

1. Do you have a kitchen where DH can make himself a cup of tea, make himself some toast or put some food in the fridge if needs be.
2. Would hospital provide me with the food or I have to bring my own for before and after? Can I eat during labour?

During Labor & Birth

1. What birthing equipment do you provide e.g. birth ball etc
2. What doctors, specialist will be available if there will be any complications with me or baby? Are there any doctors available on call?
3. What sort of monitoring, etc do you have? When and how they do monitoring?What is their standard?
4. Do I need to bring my birth plan with me?
5. Am I allowed to move around freely and go to shower during labour?

After Birth

1. Will they allow immediate skin-to-skin contact (postponing the initial check up)? Can we delay all procedure/exams for baby until after some bonding time?
2. Do you let the cord finish pulsing before cutting? What’s the policy on delayed cord clamping?
3. Will they bath baby straight after delivery? Can DH or birth partner accompany the baby at all times while it's being bathed, etc.?
4. What sort of breastfeeding support is offered? How does it work?
5. Is there a newborn intensive care unit (NICU)?
6. Are there any situations where my baby would need to be transferred to another facility? Will I be notified about it?
7. Where are the toilets and showers ? Do I have to take the baby with you each time (or will they look after him/her for you), if so can I manoeuvre the cot on wheels in there?
8. What time of day does discharge generally occur? How long do you expect me to stay in? 

Vital Active Maternity compression tights review

Couple of weeks ago I've noticed that even with my exercise routine on a treadmill, when I have to physically walk to places (e.g. to see community midwife, hospital etc) my legs get tired quickly (I guess it could be also due to me walking faster than I normally walk on a treadmill) and sometimes I have heavy knees even though one of the community midwives couldn't answer why.

I came across Vital Active which was created by the founders of Compression Advisory as an online shop to allow consumers to access the benefits of compression for travel, sport, day wear (fashion), maternity and healthcare.

They have sent me a pair of tights to review and I must say straight away I never saw a pair like this one before, they also smell nice (I know it sounds weird but that's true).

"Our VR range of maternity hosiery gently squeezes sensitive parts of your legs to give you support where you need it, reducing swelling, easing aches and tiredness, while reducing the risk of unsightly varicose veins.

It's all down to our graduated compression technology, recommended by doctors to ease the pressure of pregnancy on your legs by improving your circulation and discouraging fluid retention". 

VRClara 140 Maternity Tights (£27.50 in black, sand, mink colours)

• The finest grade Italian made hosiery
• Proven medical grade compression reducing leg swelling and thread vein development
• Made with the highest quality yarns
• Available in black, sand and mink
• Hand finished, individually inspected, designed for comfort
• Adjustable tummy support allowing your bump to grow naturally

Before tights were sent over I had to provide my thigh, calf and ankle measurements in order for tights to apply the right amount of pressure to the leg. When I put them on, they felt a bit tight in the ankle area, but I was told that “compression is intended to be tighter/firmer than normal hosiery in order to improve circulation”, the pressure got less tighter in ankle area and not so tight at all in thigh area.

I don't think tights by itself can be presented any better without putting them on, but I just honestly prefer not to show by body parts hence pictures.

I have found few differences to normal tight: I thought the way they look (texture) is slightly different, more breathable even though they feel thicker; tights have a special adjustable belly waistband, which can be adjusted with the same colour buttons; they certainly feel more durable and comfortable which is very good for a daily use; support my bump and I just feel comfortable in them as I didn't have any problems with my legs since (touch wood).

To top it all off, Vital Active are offering you all 10% off their products by using the code MYLITTLEL on their website. 

Have you ever tried compression hosiery?

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the above tights for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinion are my own.