The British Red Cross throws down the gauntlet to parents to take the First Aid challenge

Did you know that apparently two thirds of women don't feel confident in children's first aid? Well according to some new research by The British Red Cross that is the case and I have to say I do fall into the  two thirds category. 

It was only two months ago that I actually saw a man collapse on the street and had to administer CPR until an ambulance arrived. Whilst the whole scenario was absolutely terrifying when I looked back, at the time I didn't think twice because as a teenager the skills were drilled into me so I managed everything on autopilot. However, if that man had actually been a child I really don't think I would have had the same confidence and  therefore getting mine and my husband's skills up to scratch is something we have been discussing. 

So I was very pleasantly surprised that The Red Cross have also recognised the issue and will actually be running a campaign launching on Friday 26th October at The Baby Show, Earl's Court, which will then run until the end of the year. 

Joe Mulligan, British Red Cross head of first aid education, commented:

“We know that the majority of parents want to learn first aid, but may not get round to it for all sorts of reasons. We’re asking parents to set themselves this challenge – learn something, no matter how much time you have. Even 15 minutes is enough to learn something that could make all the difference in an emergency.”

If you're going to be at the show then they recommend paying them a visit for a quick training courses which will be running every hour. However, if you can't make it down there they also have a website launching with plenty of  free videos and emergency advice. 

I'll definitely be there learning what I can just in case something awful happens and if you want more info then just click here.  

My outfit for the season

Friday was a really special day for me because I saw one of my oldest friends get married in my home town of Northamptonshire, so it was of course an occasion I really wanted to look my best at and not feel like a whale.

I had actually spent quite a bit of time looking for a dress for this and other parties I've got lined up over the festive season and I have to say I did have a pleasant surprise in how choice there was. Considering how I've struggled with jeans and other parts of maternity wear I had been quite worried about finding a nice dress but most of the top brands have quite a selection. However I have to say the Crave line was my favourite mainly because they had such a huge variety of styles: short, long, round neck, one shouldered, plunge, empire...

Anyway this is the one I went for and I have to say it was absolutely the first time in my pregnancy that I felt like me again. 

I absolutely love getting dressed up and feeling glam for events and I wanted to feel like everyone wasn't just staring at my bump the whole time. I didn't want people to spend the whole day and evening just asking me about my pregnancy but also to be interested in me as a person as I am in them. Might sound a bit silly but it can get really tiring when all conversation just surrounds that and you get forgotten.

The reason this dress works so well is because of the way it's designed to really show your bump off at the front, so it keeps your sides looking slim. The fabric is also reasonably heavy so it falls nicely to the floor but keeps you relatively cool at the same time - a must for me because I do like a bit of a boogie. Furthermore because it's all one colour it's quite easy to accessorise. I actually took two pairs of shoes with me so I could look glam in big heels to start with and then slip into lower more comfortable shoes later (after about 10 mins). 

However in conclusion I felt great, for the first time in a long time and had an absolute ton of compliments with many saying they couldn't believe I was that far gone. So investing in a great dress for this season is something I'd really recommend because it's important you get spoilt too!! 

My dress costs £90 from Crave and for more information on this and their other dresses just click here. 

My maternity wardrobe top tips

As I now fly towards the 7th month of pregnancy I'm starting to get the hang of all these dressing business (family and friends could say differently...) so thought I'd pass on my top tips from my discoveries:

Red Herring Maternity Jumper for £22 at Debenhams

1) Buy maternity clothes if you can instead of bigger sizes: maternity clothes are designed to flatter and show off your bump whilst keeping your waist. The various pieces I've bought in larger sizes are also larger at the waist so you end up looking bigger then you really are and that gorgeous bump is flattened. 

Seraphine's Luxe skinny jeans £6

2) Invest in your maternity jeans: I found my skin became really sensitive during pregnancy and cheap, harsh materials made me itch and just feel uncomfortable. Plus pregnancy is harsh on your figure so a flattering cut in your trousers can do wonders especially in confidence. The rest you can hide with longer tops

Bump band from Red Herring for £7 @Debenhams

3) Get some bump bands for the 2nd trimester: You can get away wearing some of your favourite tops for so much longer with bump bands by using them to create a layering effect to cover any gaping flesh - never ever a good look. 

Leggings from Jojo Maman Bebe at £20 (also available in navy and charcoal)

4) Leggings!!: Buy several pairs of leggings as they really are a pregnant woman's best friend. They're comfy and can be worn under long tops and dresses whilst hugging your legs to show off their slimness in comparison to your top half. However please make sure your bum is covered at all times, it's not a look anyone but your partner wants to see no matter how great it looks. 

Evening dress from Crave for £90

5) Empire line dresses and tops: Are by far the most flattering look for you during pregnancy because they have heavy fall on your sides, keeping your waist looking small and clearly show off your bump in front. They dresses are particularly useful in summer and to wear to weddings as made in the right material they can keep you cool and looking elegant. 

6) Check the label: Your thermostat can go through the roof during pregnancy making sure you wear breathable fabrics like cotton is so important or you could end up in a rather sweaty, not to mention embarrassing situation. I've been disappointed that this isn't more of a consideration amongst a lot of the brands I've checked out. 

JoJo Maman Bebe 4-way maternity cardigan for £39

7) Layer: Particularly towards the end because you'll be constantly taking things off and putting them on again as your inner temperature likes to play tricks on you. Plus it helps you to look slimmer. 

8) Get yourself measured: a comfy bra is an absolutely must as well as losing the under wiring. You'll find you change sizes several times so don't invest loads in the beginning and make sure you keep going back. I've had some really nasty marks left on my rib cage where circulation has been restricted when I grow.

Dune's MAP Tall Knee High Riding Boots at £159

9) Flat, comfy shoes: I still love heels for meetings and evenings out but they can put an added strain on your back so should be worn for minimum periods. The rest of the time flat shoes are your friend but make sure they've got some room as your feet can grow during pregnancy and towards the end they might start to swell - nice. 

Seraphine nursing top £49

10) Think slightly longer term: the frustrating thing about dressing for pregnancy is that all your clothes have such a short shelf life and can still cost you a fortune. So look for items that could also work when you're getting back into shape and for nursing. That way you can get more for your money. 

Take care,

Mrs W xxx

Tangle Teezer review

One of the pregnancy symptoms you might be suffering from with extra hair, everywhere! I've been really lucky in the fact that I'm naturally very fair so the very fine extra layering I've acquired everywhere and particularly on my tummy (??!!!) is barely noticeable.

However the one place I was really looking forward to seeing a bit more hair on was my head. I have seriously thin hair which has always been a complete nightmare to volumise. The only think I found that helps using highlights to give more texture. Anyway the point is because I use bleach it's a nightmare to untangle, something I have in common with my pregnant girlfriends who did get the head hair fairy. So after talking to a hairdresser friend I was recommended to try a tangle teezer and boy has it made a difference!

I'm not 100% sure how it works but according to their website it's to do with the spacing between the teeth and the fact that they can flex over tangles instead of getting stuck in your fragile hair and literally just pulling it out.

It's not perfect in that you do still have tug occasionally and I do notice that it misses quite a lot of the tangles if you go over it again with a proper brush. Also because of the high gloss finish there isn't a huge amount of grip which as meant it's gone flying out of my hands on several occasions, particularly if my hands are wet. However it is pulling my hair out a lot less and it takes me only a couple of minutes to brush through it instead of the five or ten minutes it used to. I have a feeling that this is something that this saving in time is going to be a life saver when munchkin arrives.

I also read in a magazine that they're suitable for use on babies which is useful. They do have some childish designs on their website too which is perfect for a girl but what about the boys???

The biggest selling point though is how reasonable priced they are. I have an original which is only £10.20 and even their professional Salon Elite brush is only £11.20.

Anyway it's suffice to say that I'm a massive fan of the Tangle Teezer and would definitely recommend it to anyone who's struggling to get their ordinary brush through their hair. If you want more info then you can check their website out here.

Take care,

Mrs W xx

26 Weeks - feeling pretty great

Wow I'd definitely say that this week has been a good week. I'm finally beginning to really understand what everyone mean's when they talk about the the great side of pregnancy. I just feel like I have a lot more energy, I'm waking up early in the morning feeling refreshed and I generally have more of a can-do attitude as opposed to "I'd much rather be snuggled on the sofa" one.

On top of that my skin is looking really good, it's really clear and I'm not needing as much make up in the mornings - bonus. My nails are growing really well and had there first manicure in awhile and I've still been lucky enough to avoid stretch marks, so feeling pretty smug on that point.

Although the other thing I've noticed is my emotions are still on a real seesaw. It doesn't take much to make me cry or really angry. In fact I've woken up a couple of times in the night just feeling really cross about silly things that have prevented me going back to sleep. The only things that seems to calm me down is the This Works Pillow Spray I've reviewed previously.

I'm also struggling to get comfortable at night as I've always slept on my front and can't help but roll constantly back onto it causing muffin to kick me like crazy. I've tried the pregnancy pillows but they're just a bit too big for me to get my stomach onto so I just stack loads of normal ones either side now. On top of that I also keep waking up with cramp in my calf which is really painful but if you react quickly and just flex your foot as strongly as you can it disappears in a couple of seconds and you just fall asleep again.

Baby

As for muffin it seems to be all about brain development at the moment as it's activity increases. If you ever heard your mum talk about how you used to be quiet all of sudden when the theme tune of a certain TV programme came on, then this is when you can start influencing your own little one. I don't really watch anything regularly but I'm singing quite a lot to him - only in the confines of my car when I'm on my own - which is worrying me because although he loves it I'm worried he'll come out as tone deaf as I am ;-).

He's also almost at maximum length and beginning to feel cramped. Apparently my uterus is around the size of a basketball which is quite scary but very believable judging by how weak my bladder is (three times I had to get up the other night!!). So he'll begin to get all snuggled in the fetal position now as he just gets ready to start piling on the weight. Therefore I think this is also the stage where mother's begin to just balloon out and lose that lovely blooming feeling. Oh well as long as he's healthy I can cope with just three months of looking like an inflated version of myself.

I also had my check up with the GP where they look at your urine, blood pressure, bump size and have a quick listen to their heartbeat (my favourite part). Finally I was given my flu jab and information on the whooping cough one I can take in a couple of weeks. I know there is often a lot of concern around jabs but the GP explained that there is a real risk to both you and baby if you catch anything like whooping cough or flu because you mustn't forget that your whole immune system is suppressed at the moment. So for me there was never a question on whether to go ahead.

Next week sees the start of the third trimester - whoop whoop!!

Take care,

Mrs W xxx

My dream nursery - if money was less of an object

Thought I'd do a quick post to share with you my dream nursery range which although unfortunately fall out of my price range, I still continue to hope a lottery win will allow me have them in our nursery: 

The Orchid Collection from Mamas & Papas

The Cot

I absolutely love the sleigh style of cot and this is by far my favourite of all the designs. I actually took a look at it in store and the quality and build are also of pretty high quality i.e. it's pretty sturdy. The cot will convert into a toddler bed and has four different positions depending on your little one's growth stage. The only thing I think is missing is a drawer under the cot. There is just so much paraphernalia that comes with a baby that the more storage you can get the better in my opinion. This cot bed is currently on sale at £356.

The chest of drawers / changing table

 This piece is the absolute winner for me. I've spent a fair amount of time researching nursery collections and I always find the changing unit the bit that let's it down. The majority just look so cheap or weird and I personally love more classic designs and overall looks. Anyway I not only love this for it's style but also because it has four drawers! Babies need changing several times a day so having lots of clothes easily to hand is a must. Again I've actually taken a look at it in store and the quality is fab, the only disappointing feature is that the drawers aren't soft closing, which would be helpful when little one is missing. This changing unit is also currently on sale at £416.

The wardrobe

 Whilst the wardrobe is quite princessy (something I worried about a bit with having a boy) it offers quite a bit of space with two rails a shelf and a drawer so perfect for hanging your special items and storing bedding. The perfect third piece to complete your set at £548 in the sale but wait their collection offers still more pieces...

And if you need more storage space...

 ...you can add to your nursery with the above pieces:

Tallboy £356
Toy box £220
Bookshelves £296
Shelf £68

Right I'm off to play tonight's Euromillions...