Homemade Ice Lollies

With the heatwave continuing in Melbourne, I thought I’d share a recipe for our favourite treat to help keep our toddler cool. 

Apple, Mango and Banana Ice Lolly Treat 

Simply blend 1 roughly chopped apple, 1 banana, 1 roughly chopped mango and half a cup of water. Place mixture into NUK ‘Fresh Freeze Pop’ Ice lolly molds. Leave overnight in freezer. To serve; firstly run mold under warm water, release lolly from mold and provide to toddler (tip: make sure you have a bib for them as it can get messy!).

These ice lollies can also be used for little baby once they are onto solids - or you can even freeze breast milk in the molds instead, to help ensure they are getting all those natural nutrients. As a bonus, these treats don’t only work well in the summer, but they are great all year ‘round for when baby is teething too.

Thanks for reading!  

Newborn Must Haves

My baby boy is now three months old, and although I think in ‘official terms’ that now makes him no longer a ‘newborn’ *wipes tears* he will always be my baby. Time to share my newborn “must haves” - a selection of the items I found I personally couldn’t do without during the first three months. 

Rattle and Toys

My little one is at that stage where he loves to grip rattles so I keep one in the nappy bag and one near the change table to encourage this skill. He also loves the noise they make and enjoys turning his head toward the sound.

Bibs 

Let’s face it, the first three months and beyond are messy for a baby (and for a mummy!). My little one has minor reflux so a good bib is never far out of reach in this household. For us, My Little Love Heart Bibs are the bibs of choice. Australian made with bamboo fibers, these bibs are soft and gentle for my newborn’s sensitive skin and by buying Australian made you are supporting local trade - win win. 

Swaddles and Sleep Bags

Swaddle wraps and sleeping bags help baby to sleep and keep them warm safely. Swaddles also come in very handy as burp cloths, and could even be used as make shift change mats in a pinch too. Our favourite sleep bags are from ErgoCocoon, these are made from organic cotton with super easy access for those middle of the night nappy changes. They also allow you to transition to ‘arms free’ once your baby has grown to this stage, so their range of sleep bags can grow with your little one.

Our favourite swaddles are from Aden and Anais - they are made with bamboo fibers so they are beautifully soft and gentle on baby’s skin. As a bonus, this company was founded by an Aussie and they have many gorgeous designs available.

Wipes 

With my youngest having eczema, Water Wipes are the wipes of choice in our household. As the name suggests they are made using purely water with a dash of essential oil (grapefruit), so they can be used from birth. No nasties on sensitive skin is always a good thing. You can also make your own version of ‘water wipes’ - keep an eye on the blog for more on that later. 

Creams 

This mummy loves Moo Goo for her own beauty needs but we also use Moo Goo for baby too. My little one is at the stage where he has started to get cradle cap so Moo Goo Scalp Cream has been our cream of choice to help combat this. 

Nappies

As much as we would love to do cloth diapers all the time, I find it somewhat impractical when we are on the go and also with a busy toddler. We have recently tried Eco Original Nappies and we love them - good for the environment and for baby’s bot! 

Bouncer

When baby is a little older they love sitting in their bouncer! Bouncers are a great way for baby to look out at their surroundings, chat to mummy while she finishes her breakfast and/or just have some fun between feeds and nap time! Our favourite bouncer is from BabyBjorn - and my tip would be to pick one in a neutral colour so you can use it for any brothers or sisters that may come along or you can lend to friends/a family member once baby has outgrown it.

Books for Baby

It’s never to early to start reading to baby. Reading to your baby helps immensely with language acquisition  and can also help with motor skills too - especially if you choose soft books with textures that baby can explore!

Baby Bath Products

Bathtime is a great opportunity to bond with your baby, for both mums and dads. You can chat to your baby, sing him/her songs and help them splash a little while you bathe them. We love the Skip Hop Moby Smart Sling Bath. We used it for our daughter when she was a baby, and now use it for our son. This bath gently cradles your baby and has two different ergonomic positions - so you can use it from newborn right up until 3/4 months (or possibly older if you have a small babe).

Baby Carrier

I’ve always loved using baby carriers. Look at countries around the word and how they nurture their babies - they keep them close and often use baby carriers when on the move. We use the ErgoBaby Performance Baby Carrier as we find it is great in all weather conditions and will withstand exercise and hikes with baby.

First Aid Products

One of the most used products for our newborn (and one that will no doubt be used time and time again throughout their childhoods) is our Cherubbaby Thermometer. Being able to take your newborn or childs’ temperature efficiently and easily helps you to monitor the overall health status of your child. This thermometer is the only one I would recommend to my friends and family - it is simple to use, gives temperature alerts, delivers readings fast and is hospital grade.

First Aid Training is also of upmost importance for any new parent, grandparent or carer. We completed a course with Tiny Hearts First Aid with our family when we were pregnant with our baby girl a few years ago, and we will also be attending a refresher course very soon. Tiny Hearts First Aid offer free training across Victoria, Australia, they stock child first aid kits in their online store and have some great online fact sheets and training resources - such as this video on YouTube.

What are your ‘must have’ newborn items? 

What’s In My Nappy Bag - Part Two

With two little ones to call my own (the eldest still in nappies, being almost two), I thought I’d share what’s in my nappy bag for two bubbas.

The Bag

First things first, a good quality nappy bag is a must. I knew I needed a bag that was durable enough to be plonked down in the tanbark at a playground, or thrown into the car at a moments notice. This time around I also wanted something functional and it was important to me that it still be stylish enough to double as my own bag - something that wasn’t your obvious logo embossed nappy bag. Being budget conscious I also didn’t want to spend a fortune, but wanted something that would last. With all that in mind, I opted for the Witchery ‘Harry Nylon’ tote and it has been fantastic.

Functionality

As a busy Mum of two, I need to be able to access certain items quickly - especially when I am out and about. This is where bag inserts came in handy. I use these from Target as they are water proof (not very sustainable, but very inexpensive and practical!), or you can purchase more of an insert style such as this one from amazon.

All The Essentials

I always keep my nappy bag pre stocked and ready to go, as you’ll never know when you will have to head out. I simply fill one of my bag inserts with snacks and a couple of medicinal needs (such as panodol and teething gel) and the other with all the nappy change essentials (think spare nappies, wipes, nappy disposal bags, nappy rash cream, disposable gloves for change time, change mats and hand sanitizer).

Speaking of essentials here are a few other items we always carry with us:

Small Toys

It is a good option to throw a few small toys in to keep the little ones amused when out and about. If you have a teething baby a good teething toy is a must.

Bibs

Our all time fave bibs are from My Little Love Heart Bibs. These are handmade bamboo bibs, made in Australia.

The bibs are amazing and are the only kind I like using on my babies. Our eldest had quite bad eczema, particularly from the age of three to six months, and these were some of the only bibs that didn’t flare up her super sensitive skin. She still experiences tiny flair ups of eczema now and then, especially in the heat or if someone with strong fragrance cuddles her. I am praying that our youngest does not have to go through the pain and discomfort of eczema but time will tell.

I continue to use these bibs all the time, especially for my youngest who is just three months as he is still at that posseting stage - and in a few months time he will be starting solids too.

Change of Clothes

This is vital! All mums live in fear of a ill-timed nappy mishap so it is essential to carry a change of outfit for your little ones. We pack a whole outfit for our youngest and a change of pants for our eldest. You never know when they will be needed!

Thanks for reading!

Postpartum Essentials

Admittidly I let my health slide down the priority list after my first bubba was born. As a result, my first postpartum recovery was longer than it should have been - both physically and mentally - but, as the saying goes once you know better - do better! It was so important to me to look after my own health this time to ensure a quick recovery from birth, a good supply and a healthy Mum!  

Nutrition 

For me it all starts with nutrition. Your body can’t start the massive job of healing tissues, supporting the reproductive system as it returns to ‘normal’ and making the milk it needs to nourish a beautiful growing baby without being adequately nourished. Ultimately it’s important to start focusing on nutrition and wellness prior to conceiving but it really comes into the spotlight again in the ‘fourth trimester’ (or those three healing and bonding months after giving birth). I knew my body needed plenty of water, some sunlight (haha I am making myself sound like a plant here!) and good food to heal from the massive miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. Even before I had two under two I knew that preparing and cooking meals was going to be next to impossible (let’s not kid ourselves here!) so I pre-ordered some delicious, and super nourishing, meals and smoothies from My Goodness Organics to last me the first few weeks home from the hospital, stocked the cupboards with healthy snack options, and also made sure to always have a bottle of water with me. 

Exercise 

It is a task to get out of the house with two little ones, even more so in those early days as your newborn feeds every few hours. I always feel better once I get out of the house and get a little sunshine and exercise, so I knew I had to concentrate on this again this time around (once I received the all-clear from my obstetrician postpartum). My husband and I made it a priority to go for a walk around the block every afternoon (apart from when it is raining, or when there is a heatwave - which is more likely because it is summer here). I also manage to get a good amount of exercise in by heading to different parks and walking trips over the weekend.

Rest 

Lastly, that brings me to the point of rest. As a busy Mum of two it is sometimes hard for me to get my rest in, but it was particularly important in the first 6 weeks after the birth to not only allow my body the respect and recovery it deserves, but to have that quiet time to bond with the baby. I was lucky to have friends and family around to take our gorgeous toddler on adventures and play with her at home to help her have a fun filled month - which really helped her adjust well to becoming a sister (without the sibling rivalry) and it also afforded me some one on one time with my newborn, plus some downtime to rest. 

If you are reading this and are pregnant or in your early postpartum stage congratulations and I wish you a happy and healthy recovery!  

Disclaimer - I am not a medical professional, so please do not take my post as medical advice for your postpartum, this is purely my own experience. 

Thanks for reading! 

My Birth Story - Baby Boy

We recently welcomed our second baby, a gorgeous baby boy, into the world! We are thrilled that he is here and that he is happy, healthy and thriving.

While I was pregnant I loved reading birth stories (I did with my first baby too), I found them to be so inspiring - so I thought I would share mine with you. 

Stop reading now if you are squeamish. Also a warning - long blog post ahead! 

I was induced just shy of 39 weeks due to a pregnancy condition called cholestasis of pregnancy/ICP. Obstetric cholestasis is a liver condition occurring in pregnancy, that may cause harm to the baby and increase the risk of complications. I had been diagnosed with this condition in both pregnancies, suffering from severe symptoms with my first baby, but symptoms were no where near as severe with this baby (enough to scare me though). I was so pleased to be induced both times to ensure the safe arrival of my babies.

At The Hospital 

We knew slightly in advance that I would be induced, and after a rough pregnancy (including a ptl scare) the day couldn’t come soon enough - we were so excited to meet our baby boy. I arrived for our pre booked hospital appointment a little after 7am and was shown the room I was going to give birth in - I was beyond happy when it just happened to be birth suite number 4, the same birth suite I had my daughter in!

While waiting for a midwife to arrive I watched tv and had my breakfast delivered, which I gladly enjoyed. They were quite busy at the time I was admitted so the midwife arrived a fair bit later, around 8am. She reviewed my notes with me and hooked me up to the ctg machine to start some monitoring whilst we waited for my obstetrician, who was going to "start the ball rolling" so to speak. All of this was easy, as I knew exactly what to expect given I’d been through the same process with my daughter.

My husband arrived just after 8am too, after dropping off my daughter. We were excited to meet our little guy soon. 

Induction Begins 

My obstetrician entered at about 9am and started me on the artificial prostaglandins and also hooked me up to the juice (pitocin) via a drip - no messing about here, straight onto the big guns! 

I watched a bit more TV and chatted away with my husband in between strolling the room and being monitored via ctg. At this stage contractions were very minor and not a problem at all. Before we knew it, it was lunchtime, so we ate and I had a quick nap.

After my nap the obstetrician reviewed things and the pitocin was increased. At this point I wasn't feeling much but decided to put my TENS machine on and chill out on the birthing ball, which was a nice distraction. The ctg monitoring showed contractions, but not consistent so it was decided to up the pitocin dose again.

At this point I asked for the gas and air machine to be switched on as I knew that given the dose being administered things will be starting very quickly thereafter. The midwife showed my husband where it was and he got it all set up for me, so that it reached me both on the bed and also near the side of the bed where the birthing ball was set up.

On His Way 

Before long my contractions still weren't that bad, but I all of a sudden (TMI warning here) I needed to go to the ladies room. I realized quite quickly that the baby had descended and that it was time to push. Game on! 

The midwife and my obstetrician came back into the room and saw that I was on the side of the bed swaying and now using the gas and air - they knew it was time as I had said to them at the start of the day that I hadn’t used gas and air with my daughter until I was 7cm or so dilated. I sat back on the bed, my husband sitting next to me, and now I could feel the contractions (which was actually a great thing because I did not feel them with my daughter so it made it very difficult to know when to push, and this is also what made me not want any epidural this time).

I felt my first big contraction, let my midwife/obstetrician know and then pushed. Seriously - this stage of labor is like running a marathon: you really use all your strength and it is a primal strength you never knew you had in you. 

The obstetrician saw that baby was posterior (as was my daughter) and needed some help, so I had an episiotomy and she used forceps to assist (honestly, the forceps was the most painful part of it all as I was only on gas and air, but was over so quickly). A few more big pushes and baby's head was delivered, and then in one small final push he was here!!! 

He’s Here! 

He was born in the late afternoon that same day, just after 5.30pm. He let out a cry and it was just the most beautiful sound! The obstetrician placed him on my chest and baby boy and I said hello for the first time. 

We had lots of cuddles while his daddy and I both chatted to him. He was very alert and had perfect Apgar scores, just like his sister did. While I was pushing I had heard another midwife in the room put a call out for my blood type, in case of transfusion, as I had lost a lot of blood during the birth and was close to hemorrhaging - which was a little scary, but I didn't let that get to me as I was too busy enjoying all that newborn goodness.

The midwife let us cuddle for a while before weighing him. He weighed 8 pounds at birth. He was much bigger than what we thought he would be, even the obstetrician was a little surprised! Straight after he was weighed the midwife brought him back over to me for more skin to skin and so that I could feed him. 

We cuddled and fed for quite some time (I think it was maybe an hour, but I honestly lost track of time there) before the midwife popped back, got him dressed and he then had cuddles with daddy while I had a nice shower - honestly one of the best showers of my life! We then made our way to a private room for the night and I travelled in a wheelchair just in case - I guess because of the blood loss. We got settled into our room, baby boy sound asleep in his bassinet. 

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better birth experience.

What’s in my Hospital Bag?

As we prepare for the arrival of our second baby, and having already had a pre term labor scare, I felt it important to ensure that my hospital bag was fully packed and ready to go. 

Here I share what’s in my hospital bag: 

Nursing Bras and tops

Two or three supportive nursing bras and tops are a must.  

Postpartum Lady Products 

As much as I wanted to glaze over what to me is the toughest part of pregnancy, birth and postpartum - the recovery stage in the days straight after the birth - I did want to share my favourite postpartum ‘lady product’; TOM Organics Maternity Pads. These are a godsend and being made from organic cotton they are not only hygienic but with no nasties. There we go, I said it. 

Snacks 

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be sleep deprived, healing, trying to breastfeed a ravenous baby, establishing milk supply AND hungry. So with that in mind I made sure to pack a range of nourishing snacks in my hospital bag so that I didn’t have to reply on a couple of salada biscuits or the junk food in the vending machine to get me through.

Spare Clothes 

In private hospitals in Australia, we generally have a hospital stay of 3 nights for a normal birth (unless you want to discharge yourself early - but who wants to give up on room service and assistance from on-call midwives when you can have them right?! I know I sound like a brat there but you should use the help you’ve got while you can). Because you’ll be staying a few nights in hospital spare clothes are an essential. After all that you’ve been through it is lovely to be able to have a nice shower and pop on a new change of clothes to feel fresh. I pack a few extra than what I will think I’ll need in case of baby spit up or other accidents. 

Technology 

As my husband was going to be home with our eldest child this meant a lot of down time for me in the hospital. I am an introvert at heart and I love spending time re charging by reading info online or watching a tv show. It was important to have my iPhone with me to share the all important news once Baby arrived and to capture pictures of those first moments. For those middle of the night feeds, or times when I was eating a meal, I knew I wanted to have my iPad with me to be able to catch up on a quick favourite tv episode. I made sure to throw in a charger as well. 

What are your must have items for your hospital bag, fellow mummys-to-be?  

Pregnancy Essentials

Pregnancy is such a special time. Although in the early (and last) days it may be a little rough, I don’t think there is one pregnant women out there that takes for granted the miracle of the life she is carrying. During both of my pregnancies I found I relied on a couple of essential items to really get me through. Today on the blog we reveal them.   

Vitamins

Vitamins are a must for your pregnancy. Personally my go-to are the Blackmores Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Vitamins and I tend to take these at night to help minimize any additional reflux I may experience. 

Snacks 

My top snacks during pregnancy are apples, bananas and wholegrain muesli bars (and let’s face it - the occasional chocolate bar!). I tend to feel much better if I always have something in my stomach, so I make sure I’m having something to eat every two to three hours. When I needed an extra boost come snack time (especially in the early days of pregnancy when snacking helped to keep the nausea at bay) I relied on Franjos Kitchen Belly Bump biscuits. Made in Australia, these gems are packed full of extra vitamins such as Omega 3, iron, calcium and zinc, and are an added source of fibre. 

Hand Sanitizer

Confession time! I am a bit of a germaphobe. Even more so when I am pregnant and have another life growing on board. I always carry a travel size hand sanitiser with me to keep those germs at bay. Not all hand sanitisers are created equally though, and some actually do more harm than good, so I stick to a natural brand - my favourite being Squeaky brand’s Natural Hand Sanitiser (the perfect size for your purse and/or nappy bag).

Stretch Mark Oil

I’m very much prone to stretch marks, and I honestly don’t mind because to me they are a badge of honour for the life I have brought into the world. Also, there are some great products on the market to help minimise stretch marks and help them to fade over time such as Badger’s Organic Pregnant Belly Oil and Weleda’s Stretch Mark Massage Oil.

Leggings

Given this was my second pregnancy my muscles (or lack thereof) certainly needed a helping hand this time around to support my growing bump. SRC Pregnancy Leggings were a wardrobe staple on my days out of the office, perfect for chilling at home or running around with my toddler. 

What are your pregnancy essentials, mummas? 

What I Ate Wednesday

For the first few months after giving birth to Itty Bitty Green (earlier this year) I was not eating well at all. We were relying on takeaway and microwave meals most nights to get us through those newborn foggy days. In hindsight I would never do that again! It made both my husband and I feel so much worse (on top of the standard sleep deprivation) and probably made my postpartum recovery even longer (even though I was lucky to have a relatively straightforward birth with no complications and very little pain medication required). The next time around I will do a little meal prep, and I will also purchase home delivery meals to see us through the first few months. There are some great organic options on offer nowadays, rather than your standard "lean cuisine" type junk. 

Once the newborn fog had cleared us I started to take control of what I was eating again - back to healthy, natural foods that would nourish my body (aside from the one night a week we get to indulge in takeaway - everyone needs that one night!). I made a meal plan (which was especially important for myself, given that I was partially breastfeeding and often eating at home) and stuck to it.

Even though I have started gradual weaning at nearly 11 months postpartum (to prepare for my return to work), feeding bub still makes me extra hungry!

I thought I'd share with you what I ate today (Wednesday). I am a creature of habit, so for the most part this is normally what I eat every day - apart from lunch (if I am going out, and I also like to change up options every few days) and dinner (which usually changes each night).

Breakfast: Bowl of buckwheat cereal topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries and peaches and a dollop of organic vanilla yoghurt. Two slices of sourdough toast with vegemite. Small cup of grapefruit juice. One large cup/mug of green or peppermint tea. 

Morning snack: Whole apple, sliced with organic vanilla yoghurt to dip. Wholemeal roll with almond butter or marmalade jam (no peanut butter in this household due to bubba's allergies). Half bottle of water.

Lunch: Bowl of quinoa with mixed vegetables, mini roma tomatoes, canned salmon and kidney beans (you can certainly have lentils instead if preferred). Cup of peppermint tea (optional). Bottle of water. 

Afternoon snack: Half very ripe banana (other half for baby!). Handful of dried fruit (such as apricots or cranberries) and mixed nuts (cashews and walnuts are my fave! No peanuts in this household due to bubba's allergies). Half bottle of water. 

Dinner: Spelt pasta served with tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, carrots, celery, green peas, chickpeas and a splash of balsamic vinegar (served with mince beef for husband's dish!). Bottle of water. Two squares of Lindt dark chocolate with almonds for dessert.

Bon Appetite!