26 August 2014

Review: SewLomax Muslin/Swaddle Set

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SewLomax have just launched their debut baby collection and I was offered the chance to review one of the products in the range. Emma Lomax has been taking the fashion and beauty world by storm for the last two years (since 2011) with her ethically produced collection of wash bags & accessories, and this year has introduced her highly anticipated baby range. I was sent the Muslin/Swaddle set to have a look at so here are my thoughts.


First impressions are good although I'm not entirely keen on the packaging. It's a cardboard box and inside the muslins are kept clean with a plastic bag however the cardboard box is too big and flimsy for my liking. I think this product would benefit from a sturdier box. I do like the fact that they have a 4 step guide as to how to swaddle your baby on the back of the box though with a small diagram. I thought this was really good especially if you're all fingers and thumbs like me when it comes to swaddling babies.


SewLomax have this to say about their muslins: "For countless generations, mothers have swaddled and cared for their children with natural muslin. SewLomax helps continue this tradition with the softest swaddles and fashion-forward prints that say as much about your style as they do about practices that bind mothers together around the world."

The muslins themselves are beautiful, so soft and very big (100cm x 100cm). They're made from 100% cotton so perfect for delicate newborn skin. For the large muslins you get 3 in a pack and you can choose from three different colours; blue, pink or green. Since I'm not expecting my baby till next year and I want a surprise I asked if I could have the green set since it's more neutral. It's a lovely shade of green and would suit a boy or girl. I do think adding in maybe a pale yellow of some sort would benefit as well and may be quite popular with people who don't know the sex of their baby yet but want to be prepared or receive as a gift. The 3 muslin pack costs £26.00 which I think is reasonable considering you get 3 massive muslins, works out around £8 each. They wash at 30c too which isn't bad.


SewLomax also have a selection of other baby items in the range from Dribble Bibs (£8.00) to Bath Towel Sets (£26.00) and even a handy little Mummies Only Pouch (£20.00).

To purchase your very own set of Muslin/Swaddle blankets you can either visit www.sewlomax.com or pop into your local John Lewis store.



Overall the muslins are lovely and there's so much you can do with them. You can of course use them to swaddle your baby as they're big enough but they can also be used for helping to burp baby or used as a cover up if you're breastfeeding. Very handy. The pricing is fair but the packaging for me needs a little improving.

Mummies rating - 7.5/10

Please visit www.sewlomax.com for more products and information. You can also see what SewLomax get up to on Facebook and Twitter so why not pop over and tell them The Breastest News sent you.





24 August 2014

Silent Sunday

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23 August 2014

First Day at School

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It was Logan's first day at school on Wednesday, one which I had been quite anxious about for a while however it was totally fine, I shouldn't have worried at all. He woke up in a lovely mood that morning, all smiles and happy to climb into bed for a quick cuddle before getting dressed and having breakfast. There was a slight recognition of anxiety in his voice when he was putting on his black school trousers: "Am I going to school today Mummy?" for which I replied yes. He then proceeded to tell me that I was of course to take him to school and come in with him as he couldn't go on his own. After explaining that's exactly what I would be doing he was more than happy to finish getting ready and head downstairs for breakfast and a bit of play before walking the short distance to school.

After explaining we were going to walk up to school he decided he wanted the car but we stuck to our decision and walked up anyway. After a minute of moaning he was fine and enjoyed the walk up, finding a cool birds feather to play with and meeting my Uncle and his dog to which he got to give a doggy biscuit. This made him quite happy and we trotted on up to school.

Posing in his new school uniform
When the school gates were in sight Logan proclaimed loudly to everyone within earshot: "School!! Yay!" and ran up to the front reception door. We were asked to go in this door so that Logan could meet his teacher and his support worker and then head up to the sensory room to give him a quiet minute before going to his class as it would be busy. He only spent all of 2 minutes in the sensory room though and couldn't wait to get to his class to play games and be with his friends. He was the first there of course so popped into the class next door as they had more interesting games, haha, and brought that back to his class with the help of his teacher. Then his buddy arrived, a Primary 7 boy, he was lovely and Logan asked him if he would be his best friend. I almost choked and cried a river right there. I managed to hold it together though, just!

Got to try on the gym kit too :)
Logan was shown where his peg was, with his name and picture on it, for his bag and coat and then he settled back down to play some educational games with his buddy. The OH and I chatted some more to the teachers and different people who would be looking after Logan then I gave him a kiss on the cheek, told him to have a good day and we were off. It all went so fast and Logan wasn't phased in the slightest so all was good. I got a bit teary after leaving the school, my little boy was now a big boy, going to school and growing up. Emotional but happy times.

When we went to pick Logan up is when he got a bit teary and cried however he normally does this when we collect him from nursery. I think it's his autism and the fact he's so happy to see us he doesn't know how to deal with that emotion yet and it comes out as tears. He also said it was too soon to leave, he was having so much fun. Hopefully as he grows up those tears will turn into smiles. After having a quick chat with his support worker and teacher and confirmed he did indeed have a lovely day we were happy to head back home. All in all a good first day I think.

Walking home after a good first day





22 August 2014

Pregnancy: 20 Weeks

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Another very busy week this week. Logan started school for the first time on Wednesday! He was raring to go and so happy, I got a bit emotional but what mother doesn't. I'll write about it in another post. Logan also started swimming lessons at our local pool yesterday. I was having a panic in case he didn't listen to the instructor (as he hasn't before) but to my utter surprise and joy he listened to every word and followed every instruction and loved every minute. I was very proud. It's a shame lessons only last 30 minutes though as Logan didn't want to come out at the end. We got there eventually though.

My 20 week anomaly scan finally came round and yesterday the other half and I drove to the maternity unit with reserved excitement. We couldn't wait to have a look at the baby again but I was worried just in case anything was wrong. I'm glad to say though that after twenty tense minutes of scanning the sonographer declared all was excellent and baby had behaved very well for the scan. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was so nice to see baby again and the scan was really detailed. We could see the heart, liver, kidneys, spine, ears, feet and hands in more detail. Really fascinating and left me a bit in awe of how the human body can grow something so complicated.

After the scan I had a chat with one of the midwifes and also to collect my notes. It seems they need to keep an eye on my iron count as it's normal but a little low. This happened when I was pregnant with Logan and ended up on iron tablets, not a bad thing but hoping I can avoid it this time if possible. I'll also be seeing my community midwife in a few weeks which is nice. She's a lovely lady and will be good to have a chat with her again.

Last week I said the OH couldn't feel the baby moving yet, well would you believe the very day after I posted my 19 weeks update he felt the baby move. It was brilliant finally sharing the baby moving with him. Logan still hasn't felt the baby move but I'll wait till the movements become stronger so there's no confusion for him. I'm still hungry and still feeling tired but can't complain really. All is going well so quite happy. Now I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend and sharing baby scan photos with the family.

20 Weeks Pregnant


Fashion Friday #22

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Long sleeved top: H&M
Jeans: H&M
Shoes: Clarks




20 August 2014

Recipe: Banana Loaf

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Now I'm not the best at cooking, in fact a lot of things confuse me when it comes to cooking. For example using herbs and spices! I have no idea what goes with what and tend to just grab a seasoning mix sachet from the supermarkets for certain things like beef casserole etc as I've no idea what herbs to put in it. Anyway one thing I think I'm pretty good at, or at least people have told me I'm good at, is making banana loaf or banana bread as some might call it. The recipe I use is so simple the kids could do it themselves but it's also super tasty, and if you're feeling adventurous you can always add in little extras to make it that much tastier.

What You'll Need:
2 Medium/Large Browning Bananas
1 Large Egg
100g Caster Sugar
130g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Powder/Soda
55g Butter + extra for creasing the cake/bread tin


Extras/ Finishing Touches:
Handful of Chocolate chips
1tsp Vanilla Extract
Toffee icing

How To Do It:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c.

2. Peel the bananas and place in a large bowl. Mash bananas with a fork until most of the lumps are out and your left with a thick sort of liquid.


3. Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and mix together until you have a loose dropping consistency with your mixture.

4. Take the extra butter and rub it over your cake/bread tin so the mixture doesn't stick when cooked.

5. If you're adding chocolate chips or vanilla extract best to do this now and give it a quick last mix then pour the mixture into your tin of choice.


6. Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes, when ready put a knife through the middle to check the mixture is cooked and nothing sticks to the knife and you're all done. Leave to cool in the tin for a little while before turning out or the banana loaf will break apart.


7. Whilst your banana loaf is cooking you can make a lovely toffee icing to go over it once cooled so it's like a lovely banoffee pie. I've used Glenda's Toffee Frosting recipe for this. Simple and works well. So tasty too.



So there you have it pretty simple and super tasty. If using choc chips I don't normally use the toffee icing but feel free to do whatever you think is best. You can also use this recipe to make banana cupcakes and toffee icing on top. Good for taking to school bake sales etc when you have to donate something.



17 August 2014

Starting School for the First Time - Basics for Boys

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Logan will be starting school for the first time next Wednesday and to say I'm a little nervous is an understatement. He seems completely fine with the idea and he's had a good few visits so knows where he's going and what to sort of expect. I'm just worried it'll be a bit much for him and maybe too noisy or he gets frightened by the school bell. I'm sure everything will work itself out in the end and I know I'm not the only parent to worry. It's just a new chapter in his life.

Anyway, so my main point of this post was to advise on the basic things boys need for starting school. I know every school is different so here's my take on it.

Polo Shirts x6
One of the first things you'll need is polo shirts. The school that Logan is attending has a standard uniform of yellow polo shirts (thank you lord) as I'm not sure he'd survive with white. He likes to get very messy, and although he might not be as messy at school as what he does coming home from nursery I can never seem to keep whites looking white so yellow is perfect. Since you have to put your child's name on everything as well I've ordered polo shirts from a local embroidery company and asked them to put the school logo/ badge and also Logan's name on the top. It seems to be the popular thing at the moment. I've ordered 6 polo shirts as well as hoping they'll last him into next year at least and there's one for every day he's at school plus an extra just in case I can't get everything washed quick enough. I haven't bought any shirts only for the reason I worry Logan won't be able to cope with a load of buttons just yet. He can get quite frustrated. Maybe next year.

Trousers x5
I've went for some hard wearing black trousers from Debenhams, around 5 pairs as I'm sure at least one or two of these pairs will have the knee taken out of them in a few months. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen but I thought best to be prepared! I've heard that M&S, Sainsbury's and Asda are also really good and reasonable for school trousers/ uniform.

Jumpers x3
Now that the Autumn/ Winter months will be rolling in I thought it sensible to order up some jumpers in the schools maroon colouring. Same as the polo shirts I'll have the school logo and Logan's name stitched onto the front. I've went for 3 jumpers for the whole cleaning/ washing aspect as don't want to find myself short.

Socks x6 pairs
Neutral socks maybe best for school but I like to see a splash of colour now and again as well. I quite like the socks from Sainsbury's but H&M boys socks are also really nice and well priced. If you're lucky you can normally pick them up in the sale.


Shoes x1 pair
Taking Logan to get new shoes can always be a bit of a battle. He's got his own ideas and likes now on what he wants so plain old school shoes don't quite cut it for him. However even though getting school shoes was stressful it needed to be done and since we're used to the Clarks layout we went there. It was a busy day but eventually we found some nice shoes we all liked that were easy to put on i.e. velcro. They're lovely and smart and one pair was plenty as little feet grow quickly.

Gym Kit x3 t-shirts, x2 shorts, x1 shoes, x1 drawstring bag
For this school Logan's attending they have a dress code for gym kit. Basically white t-shirt, plain dark blue or black shorts and black non-marking gym shoes i.e. plimsolls. So I managed to find some adidas white t-shirts for £2.40 each, bought 3 as would be rude not to. Whilst Logan was getting his school shoes in Clarks we also bought a pair of their black doodle plimsoll shoes (£6.99) as these seems to be most popular. And we've noticed other kids having theirs personalised so we'll get that done as well. As for shorts I've had a nightmare of a time trying to find any and I still haven't got them. I've searched the web and H&M seem to have a good select in the right colours so I'll be nipping there at the weekend. Last but not least we're required to have a drawstring bag to put it all in for the kids to hang on their pegs. The embroidery company had ones in the school colours so just bought that and got it personalised with Logan's name.


School Bag x1 & Stationery
Every child needs a school bag even if they’re little. It's like a right of passage and it doesn't have to be expensive, yet! We're all about the super hero's at the moment so purchased a Spiderman bag from Sainsbury's which was about £9.00. I then saw a cool marvel super hero bag on Amazon for £7.00 so bought it as well as it's always handy for us to take out and about and keep the school bag separate. As for stationery I kept it minimal with a marvel pencil case from Amazon and a matching stationery set from Amazon as well. It includes; 1 pen, 1 pencil, 1 ruler, 1 rubber and 1 sharpener. I'm sure if he needs anything else the school will supple or let us know.

Water Bottle x1
School nowadays seem to like the kids drinking water throughout the day to keep their little brains alter. Our school sells water bottles for around a couple of pound however Logan already has a Spiderman one which will go with his school bag so no point getting a new one. Sainsbury's have a lovely range though and are good no spills ones. Hate leaky water bottles!

Name Labels
Everything your child owns needs to be labelled in some sense as things will constantly go missing. If it’s anything like nursery I'm sure it'll happen at school too. You can either go for a laundry marker pen which can be purchased from Amazon, Mothercare etc or you can buy labels that stick on.

Coat x1
It was hard deciding on a school coat. I wanted something that was light weight, water resistant, could keep Logan warm and also had a hood. In the end I went for one of the coats that the Debenhams designers have. It was either Jasper Conran or John Rocha but the coat is lovely. Navy blue with water resistant material outside and a fleece lining plus a hood for when it's raining. It's very plain but perfect for school.



I can’t really think of any other basic items that a boy would need for starting school. If there's something I've missed out please let me know or if there's something you would include do tell. I haven't included a lunch bag and box only for the reason that some kids may have school dinners so wouldn't need it. Logan will be having school dinners so he won't need one at the moment. When he's older and takes an interest in having a packed lunch then of course I'd get him a lunch bag and box for him to use. For now we'll stick to the dinners though.

Ready for the big school!


Silent Sunday

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15 August 2014

Giveaway: First Day at School Personalised Book

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A lovely little giveaway just in time for the young kids starting school for the very first time. Logan and I reviewed this book recently and found it to be rather brilliant. Such a great way to prepare your little one for starting school and help ease their anxieties.

So if you would like to win your own personalised First Day at School Book for your little one then follow the below steps.



How to Enter:

Basically all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is follow The Breastest News on Facebook and leave a comment here telling me you have done so. As simple as that! If you'd like an extra chance of winning then simply follow The Breastest News on Twitter as well and leave a comment telling me you have done so. That's all you have to do, very simple.

This is a UK only giveaway, closing date is 22nd August 2014 at 12 noon.

Winner will be chosen at random by my 4 year old son.

Good Luck everyone!!

Pregnancy: 19 Weeks

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There's been tons going on this week with trying to get Logan all organised for going to school next week, booking swimming lessons, cramming in our last days of the summer holiday and physio appointments. It's all been full speed ahead here.

Pregnancy wise I've been feeling very tired and major hungry. All I want to do is sleep and eat. I'm putting the tiredness down to running around like a loony and also the fact that my body has increased it's blood count by 50%, wow! The eating, well it says on the NHS website that I'm more likely to be hungry at this stage so I'm going along with it, haha.

I can feel the baby moving a lot more now which is lovely, still can't be felt on the outside yet but I'm sure in the next few weeks it'll happen. I've got my 20 week anomaly scan late next week and I'm feeling a little nervous about this. Just having a panic I think and hoping that the baby is growing normally. For those of you that don't know the anomaly scan is carried out between 18 - 21 weeks of pregnancy and is a detailed scan which checks for any major physical abnormalities in the baby, although it doesn't pick up every problem. Fingers crossed all goes well.

My back has been hurting quite a bit as well in the last few weeks so yesterday saw a trip to the physio. The physio department at my local hospital hold pregnant women groups now to show you how exercise and posture can help with your sore back. I was a bit sceptical at first however the lovely Lynne, physio, was great and showed the group lots of different exercises. She also explained why and where we'll be getting back pain/ pelvic pain with the help of some handy props. Apart from the room being far too hot the session was really good and I was reassured to hear that if my back pain does get any worse I can have a one to one session if I want. My friend, who has just had her baby, also suggested reflexology so I'll look into that as well if need be.

I'm looking forward to the weekend now with a lovely relaxing meal lined up with friends and a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival lined up for Logan. Should be fun.

19 Weeks Pregnant


Fashion Friday #21

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T-shirt: Pumpkin Patch
Jeans: Next
Socks: H&M
Dog: Staffordshire Bull Terrier
iPad Case & Stand (in the background): Big Grips




11 August 2014

Review: First Day at School Personalised Book

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Your first day at primary school is always a bit daunting. I remember mine quite well when I was 5, lots of hustle and bustle, parents crying, children crying as their parents left! It was all a bit new and kinda frightening but you get over it don't you, it's part of growing up and joining the big wide world. So when Born Gifted asked Logan and I to review their new 'The First Day at School' book I happily accepted. Logan doesn't seem nervous about going to school however with Logan being autistic explaining to him what will happen when he's at school and what he might encounter is the best way to keep him relaxed and prevent any anxious, scared or melt down episodes.

"The Born Gifted story began in 2002 when founders Penny and Jim Wilson decided to leave behind their normal ‘9-to-5’ jobs and embark on the exciting new challenge of starting their own business. They chose to focus on e-commerce in the baby gift and toy sector because there was a real lack of exciting products available to the online consumer.  It was obvious that there would always be a large market for these types of goods - people keep having babies and others love to purchase something nice for them - Born Gifted fulfills that need!

As with any business start-up it was challenging to begin with, but perseverance, hard work and a talented, driven team of people ensured that Born Gifted is now one of the market leaders in online children’s gifts and toys."


On the Born Gifted website the book is described as: "This charming personalised book tells the story of bunny’s first day at school – perfect for reassuring pre-school children before their big day! Bunny is understandably nervous the night before the first day of school, but this book shows that there is nothing to worry about. Bunny ends up having a wonderful first day and can’t wait to go back!" So basically a nice simple book showing young children starting school that school is not scary but actually quite fun.

It wasn't long after agreeing to review that the book actually arrived, maybe 3-4 days at most which is great for a personalised book. I opened the packaging which was sturdy and minimal, just the way it should be, and had a quick scan over the book. First impressions were good. The book is colourful, has lots of lovely pictures and doesn't have too much writing on each page so sure to keep your little one engaged at the age of 4-5. I decided to keep the book until bedtime when it would be nice and relaxed and Logan and I could enjoy the book together without distraction.


That night I told Logan I had a very special book for him all about school and that if he looked closely he would see his own name in the book. He was very excited and couldn't wait for me to start reading. Straight away when I began to read Logan noticed his name from the front cover to each separate page all the way through. I was surprised to see that even the pictures in the book had his name incorporated into them somewhere. For example on the first page it has Logan the bunny in his bed and the name "Logan" is written across his bedsheets. Other examples are "Logan" written on the bunnies school bag and "Logan" written on the school peg where kids have to put their coats and bags. It's fab and made things so much easier to explain to Logan throughout the book as when he goes to school he will indeed have a peg to put his coat and bag on etc.

This book really is lovely and explains the basics around starting school. Things like arriving at the school gates and how busy it may be, where to put your bag and coat, how to ask to go to the toilet if you need, standing in a queue at lunch time to get food, assembly etc. All very relevant and important things that need to be explained before starting school.


The First Day at School book costs £11.99 direct from the Born Gifted website and can be personalised with your child's name. You can even put a message on the first page, after the front cover. I put "To Logan, Good luck for your first day at school.". My son loves it when I read that part to him first. The book will be dispatched within 3 days of order and delivery is also free across the Born Gifted site with Next Day and Saturday Delivery optional. Although just to point out because this book is personalised it does take the 3 days turn around. You can't get Next Day delivery on this item. Not to worry though, it's definitely worth waiting for.


Overall a brilliant, colourful story and very relevant and to the point for children starting school for the first time. Logan really enjoys this book and we've read it every night since receiving it and I'm sure this will continue to be a favourite for a long time. It's a bit on the pricey side but your child's name is incorporated into the story and into the pictures which is really nice. This would make a perfect gift from parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. It's something really different and quite educational so I like it.

Mummies rating - 9/10
Logan's rating - 10/10

Please do visit www.borngifted.co.uk for more lovely products and information.




10 August 2014

Silent Sunday

5 comments





9 August 2014

Pregnancy: 18 Weeks

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This week hasn't been too eventful really. I've managed to purchase some maternity clothes from Next however their leggings are major see through, I mean if you didn't wear a long top down to your knees practically then everyone will be seeing your bottom! They're comfy though so may just wear them around the house, we'll see, or might end up taking them back if I feel too self conscious. I got a couple of maternity tops from Next as well and I'm a normal size 12 but my lord these tops where huge. I know I'll obviously get bigger around the tummy but I'm hoping my bingo wings and back won't get any bigger haha. Maybe it was just the cut of certain tops but they were like sacks. They of course went back, just felt so frumpy in then *sigh*.

I feel I'm starting to eat better now and get back into eating meat where as I couldn't at the start, any type of meat or meat smell made my stomach turn especially pork. I think I'm over that now and have went back to normal. I might be indulging a little too much though as over the past 6 weeks I've put on 6lbs!! I can’t keeping putting on 1lb a week till January next year or I'll be like a beached whale. In fact I'll have put on around 2st! I know I shouldn't be worried about weight but really don't want to look bloated and super wobbly. Time to maybe take up some aquanatal classes I think.

Oh one thing which has definitely changed in the past week is good old constipation. Yes, it's started already. I've been eating my fruit and veg and drinking plenty of water but it's not helping at the moment. At one point this week I was so constipated I thought I was going to push the baby out! Fear not, I didn't of course, I was just sick in my mouth instead! I know, delightful right. Apart from that exciting bit of info not much else has been going on.

Still looking for decent maternity clothes so if anyone has any suggestions please say, desperately need trousers for work etc.

18 Weeks Pregnant


8 August 2014

Fashion Friday #20

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T-shirt: Bluezoo at Debenhams
Trousers: Ted Baker at Debenhams
Trainers: Nike

7 August 2014

Dogs and Kids

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That good old touchy subject of dogs and kids eh, what am I thinking! However Logan is being a right little pest at the moment always hassling the dogs any chance he gets. I know he doesn't do it to be mean or nasty, he does it to get a reaction and by this I mean a chase from Tulli (French Bulldog) as she will chase him around the house and he will chase her. Logan is so high energy though that poor Tulli gets fed up pretty quickly and tries to hide, and Logan being how he is just doesn't get the message. Our other dog Lexie (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) is much older and wiser than Tulli pie so tries to avoid all contact with Logan when he's in a hyper mood. Good on her, I try to hide too but it doesn’t work.

The other half and I have been trying our best to stop this 'pestering the dogs' naughty behaviour that our son seems to have undertaken at the moment and I wanted to share some of things with you that have worked best so far. I'm sure we're not the only ones who's child pesters the dog/cat/hamster/lizard/giraffe whatever, you know what I mean.


The Naughty Step
This never ever worked when Logan was younger. I think he just didn't understand the whole concept and even when explaining to him in simple language it didn't sink in. He would scream, cry, thrash around and generally be very unhappy. He wouldn't even sit on the step, instead insisting on being defiant by sitting on the floor near the step. Any how roll on a couple of years and the naughty step seems to be working. He understands that when "go and sit on the naughty step right now please" is spoken he has done something really wrong. It takes a few attempts of saying these words before he'll slump off and after a few minutes (mostly just 2 as he wouldn't sit for 4) I'll go over to him and explain what he did wrong i.e. you pulled Lexie's tail or you tried to kick Tulli and didn't stop when I asked. This general gets the message through with a lot of explaining about how he wouldn't like it if someone hit, kicked, prodded, annoyed him etc.

Distraction
OMG WOW LOOK AT THIS!!! You thought something exciting was happening there didn’t you *sneaky grin* well so does Logan when the other half and I say something similar. If we notice him acting up and pestering the dogs we generally try a distraction, sometimes it work sometimes it doesn't and that's when the naughty step comes in as a last resort. When the distraction does work though it means we can pull his attention away from the dogs and they slink off whilst we produce a game or toy from his stash that he hasn’t seen for a while to play with.

Showing Lexie his iPad

A Stern Word
Sometimes all that is required is a stern word such as "that's not very nice, please stop that" or "how would you like it if the dogs hurt you" etc. Like I've said before he has no real idea he's annoying or hurting them and when he gets very hyper he just loses all trail of rational thought. I think sometimes it has to do with his autism and tunnel vision. A few times he's even said to me "Mummy? I don't know what happen." So it seems sometimes he doesn’t even understand why he does the things he does. We'll get there though.

Aww cuddles for Lexie

Showing the Proper Way to Pet the Dogs
If I'm quick enough when I recognise the pestering behaviour about to begin I can turn it around into a heavy petting session for the dogs, which they absolutely love btw, and saves any fall outs. Logan seems to really enjoy this as well especially when the dogs roll onto their backs and Logan gets to pet their tummies. It's loving seeing them like this and hopefully as Logan gets older it'll be less of the pestering and more petting.

Saying all of that it sounds like Logan can be a right terror and he's not really, the other half and I just don't think it's fair to let him pester the dogs and he should be taught some respect for them like they are taught respect for us. We're lucky in the fact that our dogs are great with Logan. Tulli will try to nibble his toes if he's annoying her but poor Lexie just doesn't rise to it at all, she'll walk behind us when Logan's becoming too annoying for her and she knows we'll make him stop the pestering. Most times if the dogs get a telling off for doing something they shouldn't Logan's the first to rush to their defence "don't shout at my doggies Mummy, they're sorry, they didn't mean it". So he does love them really, maybe he loves them a bit too much! They do say love can make you do crazy stupid things...

Asking the dogs to play cars with him





5 August 2014

Breastfeeding is Hard Work

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Breastfeeding is hard work. No one however seems to tell you this!? I remember being pregnant with my son and being determined to breastfeed him from the get go. One - I liked the idea of it being healthy and only me feeding him, and Two - I was far too lazy to make a bottle. Sad but true. If of course I needed to give my son a bottle for any reason of course I would have done it without thinking twice, luckily though I could breastfeed.

Anyway back to breastfeeding and hard work, so yeah I was determined to feed my son by myself so when the midwife asked how I was going to feed my baby before she could jump down my throat I replied - breastfeeding. Oh lovely she said and not another word was uttered. No word about how babies don't actually know how to breastfeed and how they have to learn, yes it's instinctive but it requires work and patience. No word about how emotional it can be or how it feels when you can't get your baby to latch on and they just become so hungry and frustrated all they do is scream no matter how hard you try. No word about how your poor nipples will become cracked and bloody even when you have the latch right. Your nipples just need to get used to it and harden to the feeding, like an old leather shoe! No word on how difficult it is to master a feeding position, it took me a good few weeks to feel comfortable enough to feed my son sitting up. No word on how if you miss just one feed your boobs will feel like they're about to explode. They get so hot too I'm sure you could fry an egg on them!

Logan and I, yes I look knackered it's hard work!
It all sounds a bit depressing but if someone, i.e. one of the many midwives or health professionals I'd seen, had just informed me that yeah it's fabulous that you want to breastfeed but it can be hard work to start with but so rewarding in the end, I would have been more prepared. Maybe they're scared that if they tell expectant mothers breastfeeding it's hard work we'll all just give up and say feck it, give me a bottle. And like I said there's nothing wrong with bottle feeding but people need credit where credit's due and breastfeeding mothers I salute you. It's no walk in the park.

So ladies breastfeeding is hard work and so many people have said this to me recently or they can remember back to when they did breastfeed their child and how much of a struggle it was to start with but with patience comes reward and after a month or so of practice breastfeeding should become a breeze. Your baby will learn how to latch on easily (with a little help from you of course) and no need to carry any feeding equipment around, you're all your baby needs. It's so rewarding as well knowing you're feeding your baby from your own body, it's amazing really. There's so many benefits of breastfeeding too, even if you only do it for a little while.

My happy breastfed boy.

Benefits of Breastfeeding
  • Breastfeeding helps to protect your baby from infections and diseases.
  • Breastfeeding provides health benefits for both mum and baby.
  • It's free.
  • It's right where you need it to be at the right time. Always ready.
  • It makes you feel good, you're giving your baby the best start.
  • It's always going to be at the right temperature.
  • It can build an amazing bond between you and your baby.
  • It can be comforting for your baby, sometimes they don't feed they just need some comfort.
Health Benefits for Baby
  • Less chance of constipation or diarrhoea.
  • Less chance of vomiting - which I can totally vouch for.
  • The NHS says: "less likelihood of becoming obese and therefore developing type 2 diabetes". I didn't know that one so great stuff.
  • Less chance of developing eczema.
  • And less chance of getting ear infections which seem to be quite common in children.
  • It can protect your baby from developing allergies.
  • It can help to protect your baby against SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Health Benefits for Mum
  • Burns up to 500 calories per day so help you get back into shape quicker.
  • Reduces your risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.
  • It is said that it can reduce your stress levels and thus your chances of postpartum depression.

There's a lot of great benefits there for you and your baby and yes it'll be such hard work to start with but know that in yourself you're doing the best thing a mother can do for her baby and there's probably another mother out there somewhere going through the hard work of breastfeeding just like you. If for whatever reason you have to bottlefeed, don't get upset with yourself. You tried your best and that's all that matters, bottlefeeding doesn't mean failure. It's just another way to make sure your baby is getting what they need.


3 August 2014

Silent Sunday

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