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Breastfeeding the Early Days
Breastfeeding is so special and I wish more women got the support they needed to get through the first few weeks which for some can be difficult. Im not a location consultant but below are some things I found helpful in my first few days/weeks of feeding my two girls, Eden is now 1 month old and feeding like a champion, Iza is no longer feeding however did continue to breastfeed until she was two years old ( & I was six months pregnant with Eden, did you know you could feed whilst pregnant?). There are so many cool facts about breastfeeding and its benefits for mom & baby, which…
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Preparing for a Smooth Birth
The last few weeks in pregnancy are my favourite, I finally have a bump and gain all the benefits & spoiling that come with it, I’ve finished up work (I finished up 5 weeks before my due date this time = best decision ever!) and I feel I really get into the head space for birth. I believe birth takes preparation and is not something to be ignored or handed over to medical staff (unless theres a medical reason), women know how to birth babies but we do need to prepare physically, mentally & spiritually. Below are a few things I try to incorporate into my day as I near…
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Enrich your work day
Doing the 8 hour day, 5 days a week can be pretty draining but for some its a necessity even for a short period for time to get to were they want to be. I work as a Social care worker and love the helping others and social aspect of my work, however when I got pregnant I was put on health and safety placement in an office as the house I worked in was deemed too high risk. I found the transition back to 9-5 office life pretty hard and felt very out of sync with my naturally rhythms. But I made a conscious decision that these work days…
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Pregnancy Health Hacks
Pregnancy is a weird and wonderful mix of excitement, magic, exhaustion, discomfort and a lot of the time puke. Ive been lucky to have experienced two pretty good pregnancies in comparison to how hard some women find it. I have however suffered from the exhaustion, morning sickness (all day sickness as it should be called!), extreme aversions (I lived on plain potatoes and pasta for the first three months), low mood to the point you wonder if prepartum depression is a thing? And the general discomfort that come with growing a human. There have been a few things that have been saviours along the way and tips I picked up…
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Cloth Nappies, are they worth it?
Everyone looked at me with slight scepticism when I told them id be using cloth nappies with my first. I didn’t know anyone else using cloth but I knew the alternative of using disposables didn’t sit right with me. As I began my research I was surprised to see how much information was out there. Apparently cloth was pretty popular! As I researched further the pros of using cloth just increased. Cloth nappies are way cheaper (like 1000 euro cheaper!), better for the environment as disposable are made from plastic and don’t actually breakdown, cloth nappies are more absorbent (no night time changes!), cloth nappies are made from natural fibres…
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Sleep deprivation: How to survive it
Sleep deprivation is one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with over the last few years. It sneak’s up on you and is on joke. Its debilitating and affects almost everything, your mood, your appetite, your motivation, your ability to have a conversation. Its like a black fog and you don’t even realise your in it until its lifted. Sleep is one of the most vital elements to our day, its your reset and without it your bodies can become completely out of sync. From partying, to working waking nights, having a young child I’ve had to deal wth my fair share of sleep deprivation. I’ve picked up…
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Homebirth: Resources preparing for birth
I feel very blessed to have had the prenatal, birth and post natal experience I had with my first. It was all very smooth sailing (of course there were hard parts but I was supported) and I believe it was due to the ground work put in place before hand. I was blessed with an incredible support network and a lot of knowledge. I did my research and my mother spoke to me about birth, she had a home birth with me and I was always mesmerised by the story. When I became pregnant I knew I wanted to have a Homebirth but didn’t know where to start, or if…
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Why we love our small home & Tips for planning a small space
We closed the sale on the cottage in the countryside when Iza was just 6 weeks old. It was a crazy time of dreams coming true. I had a baby in one arm and the keys to our new home in the other. We had done it, we had managed to buy a house mortgage free. Ive had this thing about wanting to own my home since as long as I can remember. I wasn’t fussed in what form it manifested, a piece of land, a co op, a garage tucked behind someone else house. It wasn’t about the house, it was about the freedom it would give me. As…
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Festival season with a baby? Tips & tricks
Most people act a little shocked when we tell them we bring Iza along to pretty much everything including all the festivals. But why wouldn’t bring her, festivals were part of our lives before she came along (having a musician husband is ace for this!) and I really don’t see why that should change now she’s here. We get to see all the deadly acts and hang out with our mates whilst she’s happy bobbing about to the tunes and making friends with every stranger that paces by. Also festivals are an escape from the real world, its a weekend without rules, everyones more free, open and theres so much…
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My go to Vegan Banana bread
If theres one thing I love to make its banana bread, its a one bowl mix, uses up all your old over spotty bananas, is healthy, tastes delish and great for making with little ones! My recipe changes depending on whats in my cupboards meaning no loaf is ever the same, this weeks was an almond, raison and nutmeg banana loaf. To make it you’ll need: one bowl, one bread tin and a hot oven. 4 spotty banana’s Soya milk (enough to moisten the mix) 4 cups wholemeal flour 1tsp baking soda 3 tsp of dark brown muscovado sugar Options Nutmeg Raison’s Almonds Mash all your bananas in the bowl…