BABY MASSAGE

Today I was invited to a taster baby massage class hosted by Cosy Hands Baby Massage https://cosyhands.com/ in the Discovery Room at John Lewis Cardiff.

Emma Bidhendy, is a qualified massage therapist and founder of Cosy Hands Baby Massage. Emma is also a busy mum of two and her main job as a Maternity & Breastfeeding Support Worker, she has done for almost 20 years.

In her words, Cosy Hands is something that has come as a natural extension of her main role, not just as a compliment to traditional post-natal care but as a way of helping to develop strong bonds between parent and baby in a natural and organic way.

Emma started off the session explaining what baby massage is and where it originates from.

Massaging children regularly from just a day or two after they are born is a centuries-old tradition still practised in many cultures.  In India, for example, up to 96 percent of care-givers practice traditional oil massage on their newborns.  

We stripped our babies down to their nappies to begin, with a lovely calming atmosphere and ideally low level lighting.  (Today we couldn't dim the lights due to John Lewis' lighting system) and asked our babies if they were ready for us to start.  Hugo was too busy rolling and cooing to the other babies to worry about what mummy wanted to do!

We used coconut fractionated oil to massage, just a pea size amount, (we patch tested first just to ensure they weren't allergic).  Emma guided us a through a full body massage, explaining what movements benefitted different ailments.

Baby massage can help with congestion, help relieve colic and constipation, improve sleeping patterns, plus much more.  It's also a wonderful way to bond with your baby.

Emma runs classes at Hot Yoga Health Newport and Mothercare Cardiff.  Please contact her for dates and times.  She can also offer 1-2-1 sessions within your own home.  Classes are suitable for babies between 6 weeks of age and crawling stage.

If you are unsure about joining a baby group then this is the ideal class.  Small class sizes, a warm, friendly environment and amazing bonding time with your baby.

If you've never done baby massage before, I highly recommend it.  I completed a course when I had Harriet and I continued throughout Harriet's baby stage and I can't wait to continue with Hugo.

Victoria
x

PREGNANCY STYLE

You're pregnant! Congratulations!  Once you are passed that first trimester and the tiredness and the sickness and the hormones then hopefully you can start enjoying the pregnancy.  

You may find it hard to accept your changing body sometimes and I totally get that.  You may well still be exercising and still putting on weight in areas that you feel you shouldn't be.  For me it is my legs.  I've gained weight there on both pregnancies but in my first I swelled quite a lot too.  Please don't worry and do not diet whilst pregnant.  Just eat healthily for you and the baby and do as much or as a little exercise that you feel comfortable with.  You will have plenty of time to get that body back in shape afterwards and for me personally, breast feeding made the extra weight literally drop off.

 

You now have the fun bit of styling the bump!  I know some high street and online retailers now do amazing maternity ranges (thank god) but remember, you will probably only be wearing it for less than a year and maybe only once or twice again if you decide to have more children in the future.  Don't go crazy like me on my first pregnancy and buy literally the whole of the Asos maternity range!!! 

The one thing that you must buy when pregnant is decent underwear!  You don't need to spend a fortune but I would advise getting measured a couple of times throughout as your boobs just won't stop growing and your rib cage will probably expand too.  Non underwired bras are essential and you can get some amazing ones on the high street.  I tend to stick to good old Marks & Spencer as I have quite big boobs which become ginourmous when preggers and I know their will always fit. 

Make sure you get comfy pants too!  Those lacey thongs you usually rock will probably feel like cheese wire after a few months and there is nothing worse than seeing too small underwear digging into a woman's flesh underneath her clothes.  I bought my normal size but in regular, sensible pants and then bought a size larger as my hips widened.  You'll thank me after the baby is born and you have to wear those enormous gross pads!!!!

Lets move on to comfy basics and if you have one, your partners wardrobe.  Whether you are a leggings lover or not, leggings and joggers will seriously be the comfiest thing you can throw on even if you only wear them around the house.  Sometimes we have to switch up our style whilst pregnant because not all of our old favourites are practical.  I'm the crop top queen but I didn't fancy wearing one with my big belly hanging out (think All Saints circa 1998 and Melanie Blatt rocking the cargo pants and crop top with her baby bump!!)  Don't be afraid to raid his wardrobe.  My favourites have been my husbands hoodies and his shirts.  Hoodies are great for everything.  If you feel a bit too casual add a tailored coat or blazer over the top to sharpen the look.  I have also fallen in love with wearing his shirts underneath a jumper with a pair of jeans.  Again, this look is great with heels or trainers.

Look through your wardrobe for bump friendly items.  You'll be surprised what you can still wear well into your pregnancy.  Wrap dresses are great.  You may need to go up a size or two if the skirt section doesn't completely wrap around you, unless you're happy flashing the world whenever the wind blows!  

Any dresses that have an elasticated waist or have an empire line style are winners especially in that second trimester.  None of these dresses are maternity, I have either gone up a size or just pulled the elasticated waist up slightly above my bump.  

If you have loose dresses just add a belt above your bump to synch it in.  Blazers look great over nearly everything so don't be afraid to layer and if you want to wear a heel, add a smaller chunky heel.  Dresses of all lengths look great with trainers too if your feet have started to swell.  So much fun being pregnant isn't it?!?!? 

I have got to the stage now at 33 weeks pregnant that I have had to invest in a few proper maternity pieces.  You can get some amazing pieces online at amazing prices now.  My favourite go to brands for maternity are Asos, New Look and Boohoo.  They always have offers on so check regularly to bag yourself a bargain and happy shopping!

Victoria 

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WHY DO YOU BLOG?

It seems that everyone is blogging (me included) these days; businesses and personal blogs, on platforms like Wordpress or Blogger or on social media. But why? What do you blog? What's the point? Who cares? I get asked this all the time by my husband. He isn't a massive fan of social media. A business minded, hardworking man who thinks it's a pointless task unless it's making you money.

My blog hasn't been touched since August. I kind of know what I want to write but taking the time to sit down and execute it is never top of my to do list when I'm looking after my family and home.

Do I blog to get paid? No. Do I blog because I want free stuff? No. (Although I won't say no 😉).  I do it because I love writing. This is my creative outlet. I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea. You may think it's boring, not well written, or not enough images and that's ok.  I blog because I like it, but if one person gets a style idea, or some confidence to try something new or it even just makes you smile then that is ok with me.

Blogging is a huge industry that is constantly growing. There's no right or wrong way to do it. It's something anyone and everyone can do.  I find it engaging and supportive. Other bloggers inspire me and give me ideas.

I'm trying to make my blog more interesting with different sections; mum life, fashion, lifestyle. It takes up quite a bit of time because I'm not that tech savvy and I'm still learning.  I'm just a mum, with a passion for fashion (cliche I know 🙈), that enjoys writing and wants to share my ideas with whoever wants to read them. A bit of me time, to shut off from the mundane and use my brain.

So if you take the time to read this, please comment and say Hi! If you also blog let me know your blog name as I love to read others too.

Victoria

Xx