Did you feel comfortable when you decided to stop having more children? Back when Phil and I were discussing our plans to start a family we had pretty much decided to have four. Then we had one. Our gorgeous, funny, incredibly clever little dude is frankly amazing. He’s also the most challenging child I’ve ever cared for outside of those with behavioural conditions. This has been backed up by several other people and anyone who has said “Oh it’s always harder with your first/boys/redheads” is met with a look that implies the response I haven’t quite got the nerve to actually say. We adore ou ..read more

When I was pregnant with Toby I just knew he was a boy. We’d picked a girl’s name just in case (Martha) but I *knew* I was carrying a boy even though we didn’t find out at the scan. I saw myself as a mummy to boys and I was really comfortable with that. With Martha, I didn’t have that sixth sense of our unborn baby’s gender and with my stress levels rising over what to do with Toby’s newborn clothes, we decided to find out. But I didn’t think I wanted a daughter. No offence to the incredible women in my life, because I love them dearly, but I’ve never been a fan of girls. Bullied as a child a ..read more

Postpartum hair loss is one of the less dreamy sides of having a new baby – somewhere up with extreme sleep deprivation and poosplosions. If you don’t know that it’s a ‘thing’ it can be quite terrifying to suddenly pull what seem like clumps of hair out every time you run a brush through. So is it normal to lose hair after having a baby and is there ever a point at which you should worry about the hair loss? Around 3 months after birth you will probably notice that you are shedding. Your pillow, plug holes, clothes and baby’s fingers are covered in strands of hair and it feels like you’re los ..read more

When I was pregnant – and when my SPD would allow it – I did some pregnancy pilates through an online course by pregnancy and postnatal fitness expert Dr Joanna Helcke. With the help of some fellow pregnant and new mamas, I’ve compiled some questions about pregnancy and postnatal fitness, which Dr Joanna has kindly answered.  1. What’s your top tip for gently getting back into exercising after having a baby? My top tip when it comes to rebuilding postnatal fitness is to ensure that you get the fundamentals in place rather than rushing in at the deep end. What do I mean by this? Preg ..read more

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