RE-BLOG : Other peoples stuff I really like

Usually I write my own blog posts but here are some things I really like:

Things I Wish I Knew Before I had Kids

Nifty Calculators for Weightloss

Test : Are you ready to have kids?

11-things-the-parenting-books-do-not-tell-you-about-labour-and-birth/

Breastfeeding - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

There is a lot of pressure on the modern mum to breastfeed, after all "Breast is Best".  Or is it?

Let me tell you what your doctor won't.

Having just gone through those difficult first few months I now understand why bottle-feeding is so popular.  Breastfeeding may help you regain your figure, but it may cause you to lose your sanity.

However , it is a one time only gift that only you are can give your child.  It's short time to make some sacrifices so your little one may have the best start in life.


The Good -  This is the easy part, I'll start with this


Your breastfed baby is

• Less likely to suffer stomach upsets, coughs, colds, and ear infections
• At lower risk of developing diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure
• Not as likely to be obese in adulthood as a bottle-fed baby
• Less likely to develop skin conditions such as eczema
• Mentally developing quicker
• Developing better mouth formation and straighter teeth

Breastfeeding You :

• Lower your risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• Lower your risk of  osteoporosis/ brittle bone disease
• Regain pre-pregnancy figure quicker ( during the first few days you actually feel your stomach contracting back down)
• Bond with your baby better (while feeding happy hormones are released, helping bonding and preventing post natal depression) 
• Save money on formula
• Can feed anywhere anytime without preparation or sterilising equipment
• Breastfeeding alone can be over 98% effective as contraception (but use something else anyway)
• Probably won't get a period for a few months at least

The Bad - These are the things that will drive you insane

• There is no routine, your baby will graze throughout the day and night as he/she feels like.  You will find it difficult to make plans or stick to any kind of schedule.  You will also find it difficult to get a break as your baby will constantly look for you.
• You will have to watch your diet carefully, think of it as continuing on with your pregnancy diet, only probably a little bit tougher.  For example I've had to give up fizzy drinks completely in case it gives my baby wind, and caffeine so we are not awake all night.
• Headaches.   Breastfeeding headaches are common, during feeding be prepared for dull aches or sharp stabs.  This is normal. 
• Expressing.  A baby is at least 3 times more efficient at taking milk than a pump.  Lots of people will like to say to you "just express a bit and you can have a night out"  It can take hours of pumping for 2-3 bottles so this can be a frustrating one to listen to.  It is impossible to do in the first few weeks anyway, as you are struggling to keep up with your growing baby's needs

The Ugly - These are the nasty things nobody warns you about

you might also want to take a pic

• The Milk comes in:  On around day 4 your milk changes from colostrum to the mature milk.  On this day prepare to have the biggest boobs of your life.  Stretched completely to capacity they are sore and swollen, think: very fake boob job.  Around this time you will have to avoid hot showers as this makes the problem worse. 
• Active Let down:   Milk is produced on a supply and demand basis, so the more your baby feeds the more you produce.  If you have a lot of milk you can develop an active let down which means your milk can literally spray across the room ( embarrassing) or usually all over your unsuspecting baby's face.  
• Fussy Baby: It is easy to feed discreetly out and about unless your baby is being particularly fussy.  If your baby is starving, he or she may growl/grunt/snort at your breast, while clawing and hitting you.  Turning your discreet feeding time into a circus of mortification. 
• Sex: Your vagina has already been through the wars.  Breastfeeding will reduce lubrication and make the tissue more tender, so it will be even longer til you are back to your old self.

Like most first time Mums I was in blissful ignorance about how easy it would be to look after a newborn baby.  In the final weeks of my pregnancy I imagined myself coming home from hospital and spending my days dressing my baby up in cute clothes and heading out to show him off.  The truth is in those early days it was nothing short of miraculous if I made it out of the house.  And as for dressing up, yes there was plenty of that.  Not just for fun more out of necessity as Sam had just puked, peed, or pooed on his clothes.  Ideas of tucking my newborn into his crib at night and settling down for relaxing nights were put to bed, while we stayed up all night.


Similarly my preconceptions of breastfeeding were way off.  Imagining a few simple minutes suckling every few hours turned out to be completely ridiculous.  Breastfeeding constantly, days and nights became a blur. I struggled to stay awake, hallucinating as I tried my best not to fall asleep with my baby latched on. 

so it's less like this

.....and more like this

I would still recommend every mother to try breastfeeding.  Although it is extremely tough it is probably the most rewarding thing a woman can do in life.  Unfortunately it does not work out for everybody, and as someone clever once said to me.  "If you went into a classroom and looked at 30 healthy children, could you tell which ones were breastfed?"  Probably not.  

In my case I wasn't handed my baby straight after the birth, as he was taken by paediatric doctors for extra care.   Feeding Sam myself definitely helped us bond straightaway.  As he spent his first couple of days in the special care unit, breastfeeding gave me the power to look after my baby myself.   It is easy to be left out of the loop by doctors and nurses who are only too happy to take over and bottle-feed your baby.  Even though I could have probably done with sleep at this stage I'm glad I persevered.  

Despite the bad and the ugly I would do it all over again. They are short-lived really and the benefits can last a lifetime.  Although its very hard not to be able to hand your baby over to someone during the first few tiring weeks, it is also very satisfying to be the most important person in his life.  Mammals make milk for a reason, the reason being that it is the perfect food for your baby.  Changing on a daily basis it contains exactly what your little one needs.  

Now that I have introduced some bottles into Sam's routine, it is plain to see that bottle feeding is about 10 times easier.  It gives a lot more structure to the day and I can understand how bottle-feeding is the clear choice for many.  The argument is a good mother is not an exhausted mother.

Looking at bottle-feeding vs breastfeeding, I think I would breastfeed again.  Better the devil you know and all that.  

Breastfeeding + all its benefits = Happy Baby

Bottle-feeding + well rested mum giving more quality time to baby = Happy Baby

Either way your baby will thrive, so there is no wrong decision.

I wrote this piece as I haven't found much honest information about breastfeeding.  It has been a great experience for us, but also one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life.  In fact a couple months of breastfeeding is much harder and exhausting than the pregnancy twice over. So next time you see a crazed looking woman with her boob out in public give her a warm smile.  Her poor head is melted.  LOL

The Worst Thing Since Sliced . . . .

Bread was always a big part of my diet growing up. Toast for breakfast, sandwiches for school and more toast before bed. In between that any amount of slices of bread and butter. The food triangle was sitting on top a large sliced pan. Unfortunately good as it tastes, bread is possibly the worst foundation for a healthy diet, so after switching to brown bread a few years ago, I have now completely cut it out.

You often hear people talking about gluten/wheat intolerant. But our bodies will tolerate things that really aren't good for them, such as bread.

So. What's wrong with bread?

Is it because it is white?

Yes. Processed bread is full of chemicals, including some that are used in a “bleaching” process. Your body does not need or want these.

Is it because it is fat?

Yes. Bread is naturally flat but yeast makes it rise. Yeast causes most people to bloat. It may also be the blame for stomach cramps and indigestion.

Most people lose weight when cutting out bread. There is evidence to show that some of the additives in bread actually slow down your metabolism, making you gain weight easily. Could your sliced bread be the achilles heal in your diet? Then give it the boot.

I have replaced bread with many different healthier options and these are a few of my favorites.

Tesco Brand Chilli Rice Cakes

Ryvita Sweet Onion

Lidl Wholewheat Pitta Breads

5 Top Zero Points Tips for my Weighwatching friends.

1: No Point Jelly : My favorite is the Hartleys sachets of sugar free in raspberry flavour. I would advise any weight watcher to have a batch made at all times in the fridge to snack on alone or with fruit.

2: Butternut squash : This is a points free veg. My favorite thing to do is par boil these and cook at 200 degrees for approx 25 mins until nearly burnt. Usually I put them into a lunch box with some sprays of the 1 calorie oil and salt and black pepper first, shake them about until evenly coated. These are very sweet alone but if you can allow yourself a certain amount of points for your dinner this is a way to bulk it up for free. (If you have a Tefal Actifryer you can cook them in this alternatively.

3: Bananas : Are now zero points and are great for filling up. Use one spoon of nutella, 2 slices of Nimble Hovis bread for a delicious sweet snack at only 3 pp.

4: No added sugar Drinks : As a fizzy drinks junkie, I find a good way to get the H20 in is to add some Mi-Wadi no added sugar.

5: 1 Calorie Oil Spray : A bottle of this lasts me forever, they say up to 19 sprays does not have to be counted but it is rare you will need this amount, use it anywhere you would usually use cooking oil. I even make fried bread with this if i'm having a cooked breakfast.

Who the Hell is Clare Nasir? God knows but her fitness dvd is ok.

When I seen the amazing transformation of this lady from a size 16 to a size 6 on the front of her dvd at HMV, well I couldn't help but splash out with the euros.

Clare's Bootcamp video promises "lose up to 4lbs per week", and I imagine that is possible alright if you do the whole thing everyday which apparently burns 1000 calories. But hey I don't think any of us are training for the olympics. I reckon one or two of the four workouts 3-4 times a week will give noticeable effects for everyone.

There are 4 twenty minute workouts; punch, kick, tone, and crunch and cool. You will need to invest in a set of dumbells, I would advise up to about 1.5kg each for ladies unless you are going for the Arnie look around the biceps.

So the punch section is fun, with little sprint intervals. I enjoy raising my heart level this way, it gives you that exercise buzz. You can really feel the kick section in your arse and legs, my own particular problem area, so I imagine I will be using this one most. The tone section seems the toughest, but when you know something is only twenty minutes long then you can just get on with it. The crunch section obviously is great for the abs, but I would advise an ab-roller if you have a dodgy back like myself.

This is not my favorite fitness dvd by a long shot, it will take some woman to steal Davina McCalls place in my heart but it is nice for an occasional change. The three in it aren't half bad looking so that's a bonus, and also an incentive.

This dvd could be improved, because although it advises you to warm up there is no section for this like most of the ones I am used to. Also the cool down section is halfway through the crunch section so you cannot flick to it without manually forwarding your dvd, this is a major design flaw. Some people are blessed with flat stomachs so therefore won't be doing this section everytime.

I definitely felt a buzz after doing this dvd, but stick your ipod on soon as you know the moves, the music and accents can be cringeworthy at times. Pick a couple sections, and be happy in the knowledge that you are burning 250 calories every twenty mins. That's three galaxies an hour.

A BIRD WITH A WAX IS WORTH TWO WITH A BUSH

Summer is coming ladies, it will be goodbye to leggings and tights, and hello to bare legs again. So what are the options.

The quickest and cheapest option is shaving. It is a good investment for any lady to invest in a men's Mach3 razor. You will get a smoother finish with this than any woman's razor on the market, in my opinion. This is my personal choice for both legs and underarms, these are not areas I am willing to grow to waxing length. Shaving is instant, easy, cheap and painless. But it doesn't last.

Depilatory Creams are still big sellers. Veet being the most popular one on the market. If you can grow the hair a little you will get a longer lasting result than shaving. However, though they've improved these products, I still don't like the smell. I find the regrowth itchy and can come back as stubbly as shaving.

Waxing is one of the oldest and most successful forms of hair removal. Ancient Egyptians were doing this on their lunch breaks from building the pyramids. (Now they have bigger fish to fry than unwanted hair)

Waxing at a salon will always be more thorough than what you can do yourself. Though it may not be in your budget. Having tried many salons, I have found Lily Lee beauty salon in Dun Laoghaire the best, particularly for bikini line waxing. Her prices are competitive, and I have never left her salon with irritation. She has a technique I find quick and relatively painless.

What if you can't handle the pain?

It is not a bad idea to take two paracetamol before a waxing to take the edge off. People have been known also to apply bonjela to sensitive areas to numb the skin slightly. (This is not the purpose of such a cream and instructions should be followed) There is a product called Emla cream, which is a local anaesthetic cream. I have used this product for both waxing and piercings, however it is becoming increasingly difficult to get from pharmacies without prescription. You can chance your arm.

So what do you ask for? A regular bikini wax does what it says on the tin, everything that can be seen around the perimeter of a bikini. A Brazilian leaves a small strip, and for those willing to got the extra mile a Hollywood will leave you bald. Most salons will do combinations of waxing packages for legs and bikini which will work out cheaper. I find these great value before holidays. Plan to hold off with the razor for a few weeks before a trip to the sun.

Getting your eyebrows waxed, plucked or threaded at a salon is one of the cheapest ways to dramatically improve your profile. To get this done a few times a year is an investment that you can maintain between treatments yourself at home. I recently got a new tweezers with a light like these, and it has made my job much easier.

I'm not a fan of moustaches on men. Ladies a ronnie is just not acceptable. Some women like to use a bleach, but I've seen girls with illuminious white hairs around their mouth and it will only clash with the trowelled on tan and foundation. Using these once a month will keep the whiskers at bay.

If you are going to wax at home:



-Use Veet microwavable wax, it is fool proof
-The more you wax the better you will become start with small areas
-Do a patch test first
-Apply the wax the direction the hair is growing
-Apply the strip the direction the hair is growing
-Rub until you think it is stuck (don't wait more than a few seconds)
-Pull quickly and firmly back the opposite direction
-Quickly apply your other hand to the area, this is a way of avoiding the sting
-Use a tweezers to pluck any hairs that are too short to wax
-In the box you will only get a small amount of strips, however there is wax to last a long time, buy yourself a pack of 100 paper wax strips from a salon supply shop for when you run out. It should cost around €6.


Laser hair removal is the most expensive option, and still a relatively new treatment on the market. I have a feeling that like teeth whitening this price is going to drop dramatically in the next few years. My advice is to wait if you are thinking of this as an option.

Make everyday a Good Hair Day - How to give yourself a blowdry

Many people find it difficult to get the right finish on their hair. It can be the scourge of every girl's Saturday night routine. This is the best way to tackle your mane.

Always shampoo your hair twice. Squeaky clean hair is easier to style. Use some conditioner to de-tangle, but avoid the roots if you have oily hair.

Most people should wash their hair every second day, very oily hair might need to be done everyday. Some people can get away with twice a week, for the health of your scalp I would recommend no less than this.

If you want volume apply a non-sticky mousse. I find the Wella one great for a lighter feel, and it smells fantastic. If you have really curly hair a straightening product such as Redken Align will help you out.

You will need to invest in a good professional hair-dryer such as Parlux or Turbo-Stratos, even a qualified hairdresser would find it hard to style their hair without one of these. Use the nozzle this will give you better control.

If you have a fringe dry this first.

Always blast all the heavy wet off roughly, you are fighting a losing battle if you start using your brushes too early.

When your hair feels at the dryer end of damp, start sectioning the hair with some hair grips. Nobody can dry their hair properly in one go. You will miss sections underneath.

Think of your hair in 3 sections, back and sides. Start at the back and divide this area into 3-6 sections depending on the thickness of your hair. Work from nape to crown, then repeat the process at the sides.

I like to use various sizes of round brushes. The centre will heat and help you in styling. Dry the hair from root to tip, paying special attention to the root area. If you want extra volume, simply pull the brush directly up from the head as you dry. For straighter styles pull down.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE ROOTS ARE DRY BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT SECTION, ANY MOISTURE LEFT ON THE ROOTS WILL LATER TRAVEL DOWN THE HAIR AND CAUSE THE COMMON PROBLEM OF FRIZZING.

Usually when I finish drying my hair, I leave it while I do other tasks such as tan and make-up. Returning to your hair and quickly blow-drying through the dry hair again should give a sleeker finish.

If you must use straightening irons on your hair, GHD is your only man. The ceramic plates will not damage your hair in the way a traditional straightener would. And it really is the best straighter on the market. If your hair is curly or frizzy, although expensive this is a worthwhile investment.

A cold blast of air from your dryer will set your style.

I love L'Oreal Elnett hairspray and the big bottles are great value.

There are many great serums on the market to keep your hair frizz free.
What not to do:

Do not ignore the back and over-dry the front

Do not use the straightener until your hair is COMPLETELY dry

Do not wind very small brushes into long hair unless experienced, you may end up in a huge mess



AND FINALLY :

Do not stress if you can't do your hair like your stylist, remember he/she has done 4 years training to be able. If you have something important to go to or you want to treat yourself, let the professionals do it for you.

I love doing blow-drys at work in Rhona's hair Salon