Postnatal fitness – 5 quick workouts for new mums

Forget ‘bounce back’, think gradual deflate. Make way for a marshmallow belly where once a perfectly taut bump resided. And expect things to wobble in an unfamiliar way. For a little while, at least.

This is the reality of a postpartum body. Prod it, celebrate it, be grateful you can see your toes again! But don’t feel you must commit to it as a form of life sentence. A little movement can go a long way in helping you shift back into a more familiar shape.

Swapping 'the pump' for a bump – prenatal fitness tips

My life before motherhood was an active one. Morning yoga, gym five days a week, a run or bike ride at the weekend… I was – am – one of those irritating people who actually enjoys working out.

But when I discovered I was pregnant, I rashly called time on my fitness habit, fearful that my baby might somehow drop out if I moved too vigourously.

An unnecessary – and brief – hiatus, it turned out.

It's just you and me, kid – when paternity leave ends

Those first couple of weeks as first time parents are perhaps the most special of all. Demanding, yes, as you and your partner navigate myriad learning curves, often on the back of little (read: no) sleep. But aside from studying a language or taking up a new sport together, there are few other occasions when you embark on something as a couple from the same standing start. Whatever baby throws at you, you’re in it together – the good, the bad and the downright disgusting.

Mr R and I were equally clueless when Teddy arrived.

Breastfeeding in public – what I've learnt

Let’s face it – no one really wants to get their boob out in public. Especially in those early postnatal days, when learning how to breastfeed can be challenging enough. But short of rendering ourselves housebound until weaning, getting to grips with nursing in front of others is just another module to master in the New Mums Curriculum.

I’m lucky, Teddy has been a great feeder since day one – a real guzzler (a relief, as I know it can be a stressful time for some). And aside from a little soreness, I was pretty comfortable with it too, learning his hunger signals. A stir, a cry… there I was armed to feed.

But venture away from the comfort of home and suddenly unleashing myself on cue became a more daunting prospect.

Getting pregnant with PCOS

This time last year I was hopeful. Hopeful that we would soon have a baby. Hopeful that the 18 months of fertility acupuncture and seven months of actively trying to fall pregnant would pay off – and the prospect of more invasive treatment wouldn’t need to materialise.

I was lucky. I did conceive without intervention – just two weeks into 2017, in fact. And it was the most wonderful revelation. Who knew peeing on a stick could be so thrilling!

Getting to that positive pregnancy test had been emotional at times, as I imagine it is for many couples, complications or otherwise. We hadn’t told anyone of our efforts, so trying and failing to get pregnant as the months rolled by was a silent struggle. I think I’d even managed to convince people – my parents included – that I didn’t want children, favouring the stoic over the sob story. Cue excitable (shocked?) wails upon sharing our happy news.

Creating festive family traditions

Our Christmas tree fell over this week. Twice. Add to this a handmade wreath felled just hours after hanging thanks to an unprecedented dumping of snow, my festive cheer was teetering.

Deep breath, move on.

My rational self tells me it is, after all, just a tree (never mind that it was the White Company baubles and not the Ikea copycats that shattered). No one was hurt, it was easily fixed etc etc.

But the sentimental (or perhaps hormonal) part of me wants everything to be perfect – this year more than any. Not only is this our first Christmas as parents, but it’s also the first time we’ve decided to stay home and do it our way. Both mine and Mr R’s families live up north, and much as we love celebrating the big day with them it feels like the right time to break that tradition and start a new.

There’s no funny in perfection, though, is there? Perhaps a wobbly tree and a diminishing number of decorations will be ‘our thing’? And what’s Christmas without just a little chaos.

But I do have some ideas to at least try and weave into our festivities this year and in those to follow. Traditions I hope, one day, Teddy will associate with our family Christmases and look forward to.

Some are old, some are brand new and others a tad ambitious. Perhaps they’ll inspire your own family rituals, too…

Baby's first Christmas: a gift guide

It’s a fine line isn’t it – ensuring your baby’s first Christmas is special without going OTT on the gift buying. Teddy will barely be three months old come December 25th and will be oblivious to the festive merriment, but I still want the day to be memorable – for my sake.

So I’ve been on the hunt for gifts he can (attempt to) unwrap that will both entertain him now and aid his development in the months to come. Here’s what’s on his Christmas list this year…

Newborn 'essentials' and other useful kit

Having a baby presents an entirely new shopping list. An extensive, expensive shopping list. The spreadsheet we created for all our ‘must haves’ could have spanned our kitchen wall – how on earth did my grandmothers manage with little more than a pram and tin bath?

Looking around our house now, though, in practice some of those ‘must haves’ are more ‘little luxuries’. I seemed to have forgotten that we have a washing machine the day I ordered 20 muslin squares – ‘But they’re organic cotton!’ was my justification to my baffled husband…

There are a few hero items I really couldn’t do without, though – the Ranson baby essentials. 

The lineup below is by no means exhaustive but it does contain things our family has found invaluable, and which may help shave a few items off your own to buy list.

Hypnobirthing – why it worked for me

It’s a message passed on to us from a young age – pregnancy is arduous, childbirth is painful, breastfeeding is toe-curlingly uncomfortable and those first weeks of parenthood known colloquially as ‘The Fourth Trimester’ are the toughest you’ll face. The message becomes the opinion, even before we’ve experienced it for ourselves, and the result is trepidation or worse, total abstinence. Fear feeds pain, meaning those hand-me-down tales of woe have the power to shape our own experiences – which is a little unfair, don’t you think? 

Stop. Rewind. Flip the script.

Wouldn’t it be better to approach the journey to motherhood with optimism – or at least an open mind? This is, after all, a milestone in your adult life. Your body is capable of growing new life and delivering it safely to the world. You’re about to meet a tiny human who will teach you a whole new meaning of what it is to love and be loved. And the experience, though challenging, will be your greatest achievement yet.

Let me tell a brighter story. 

I loved being pregnant and had a wonderful birth. My little boy arrived just seven weeks ago, so I can’t even float the idea that time has erased any trauma – there really wasn’t any! I was lucky that I didn’t face any complications – let’s not ignore that some births can be tricky – but I entered my labour day armed with the tools I felt would help me whichever direction it took.

I hope that my story will close your ears to the negatives and help you find your way to the birth you wish for.