Little L is 3 months

Oh where do I start.

L changed so much! She is still my little baby and since last weigh in put only 400 grams in a month.

We have finished a 5 weeks course of baby massage. The most successful session so far was the first one. As I feed her every 2 hours it is sometimes impossible to fit in activities or to make sure she won't be grumpy. Last session was yesterday and the whole session I was rocking her to sleep as she got tired while we were waiting for other mums to come.
L definitely started teething, at first I wasn't sure and didn't want to give her any medications till I'm certain. But as all signs are there- dribbling, fists in her mouth, chewing on toys and of course fussiness I started giving her Dentinox. I didn't work out yet if it helps, but she seems to enjoy licking it from my finger.

L also started to lift herself up by herself or whilst holding on to my fingers. 
Few days ago she tried to kiss me, it was more of a smothering her dribble kiss, but it was the best first mummy and daughter kiss.

I swear L talks!! On Saturday she was smiling at me and answering "Yeah" when  I asked her about things she did with grandparents, yesterday my husband asked her something and she said "Yeah" again!!

L has blocked tear duct for few weeks now, some days her eye will be teary with a crust on her eyelashes or a gooey stuff inside the eye.
On Saturday we had to call 111 and then to book an appointment in out of hours clinic to see a doctor as her belly button had a dry crust as well and looked fairly inflamed/infected. I panicked as I thought that it's my fault somehow, that maybe it's connected to her infected eye. Thankfully it is nothing to worry about and now we have a cream for her belly button and drops for eyes.

In couple of weeks we are going away for 3 nights, it's L's first local holiday. Apart from her first holiday last month she have been to the airport, shop, county park for the first time as well. We also used baby carrier for the first time. She likes to look around, very excited about new things, so carrier comes in handy and L doesn't mind it.

Clothing wise L just moved from sleepsuits size 0-3 months to 3-6 months as her legs and feet are getting longer. 

Routine wise during the day she can sleep till 8 am or 10 am then feed, play, sleep. She constantly wants to be picked up, I think I gave up and just let us go with a flow rather than being strict hence L is always in my arms. She is more fussy at night, she turns her head on a side and cries in this position which worries me a lot and I constantly try to check if she is breathing ok.

I'm more confident as a mum, but yet a worrier. Last month I had severe back pain, I couldn't pick L up, couldn't actually sleep, sit, walk, it was incredibly painful. As I'm 24/7 with L I needed a quick fix, thankfully my sister recommended a local osteopath. Straight after an appointment I felt much better, but after lifting L in a pram my pain was back. I had to cut out on heavy lifting and it seems to work. Hopefully it is sorted permanently! 

There is something else that upsets me- hair loss.. Other mums say it's normal, but I feel so upset about it. I have tried coconut oil on my hair they are definitely more silky, will just have to see if it helps with hair loss.

That's it for now.. And I'm looking forward what new 3rd month brings!

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. 

Pregnancy update 27 weeks

Visible changes in my body: still no weight gain, and my smallish bump is there, but others still can't see it :-(

Other: today I have an appointment with cardiologist, everything seems ok so far except from my blood pressure jumping a bit, so hopefully will see him next in 6 or 12 months.

How do I feel: started to have horrible pains in my bum area (only on one side)- when I'm sitting down, standing up, trying to move my leg when sitting down and sometimes when walking.

Cravings: still none

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

Baby: At 27weeks her nostrils have opened and her lungs are now capable of breathing. Her central nervous system can now control her breathing too. This week,  baby weighs almost 2 pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. 

Any recommendations what to do with my pain?

Pregnancy update 25 weeks

Visible changes in my body: upper part of the bump is sticking out more, didn't put any weight since my sickly first trimester

Other: had my 25th weeks midwife appointment where they were very concerned over my high blood pressure, after I visited hospital twice they didn't confirm it could be pre-eclamsia so told me to enjoy my pregnancy! I was also told that they are no NHS antenatal classes in my area, that they will only talk through about breastfeeding on one on one session, which is extremely disappointing as a first-timer I have no clue what to expect from labour.

How do I feel: all the headaches and sickness are gone (touch wood); feeling tired quicker, had a 4 hours walk on a weekend after which my back was killing me 

Cravings: still none

Fitness: Walking almost every day for max. 25 minutes and swimming once a week

Baby: At 25weeks Head to heels, baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — 1 1/2 pounds. Our baby can still turn somersaults but it won’t be long until there’s not enough room in there! They will be able to hear loud noises which may cause them to jump, and you may notice extra kicks when you’re in the bath or shower too. 

While your baby is in the womb, their temperature is maintained by the placenta, but by this week they will begin to develop fat which will help regulate their temperature once they are born.