Teething Troubles

A wee tip from my sister a mother of 4 ( a pro at this parenting stuff)...use Anbesol liquid for teething. Available at most pharmacies for approx £4.99.
Brilliant stuff and much less messy than chasing Bonjela around your knuckles.

Breast-feeding and Exercise

Each mother may vary in the responses with exercising in the breast-feeding period. Health and fitness levels prior and during pregnancy can effect how your body reacts in the post-partum period. Lower intensity exercise helps aid the postpartum healing process mentally and physically. It is fantastic  for improving bone density, weight management and mental health of mother.

Research shows that moderate exercise doesn't affect the milk supply, milk composition, or baby's growth. Lactic acid levels have been shown to increase somewhat when a mother exercises to maximum intensity but there are no known harmful effects to the baby. If baby does find the taste less appealing then leaving it 30 mins to 1 hour after exercise should be sufficient for acid levels to reduce back to normal. . Breast-feeding before exercise will satisfy baby whilst mother is away and empty the breasts make exercise more comfortable. Some babies may object to being breast fed after mum has been exercising due to sweating leaving the taste of salt on the skin. Ensure you drink plenty of water to keep hydration levels up before and after exercise.

Relaxin hormone may still be present throughout the duration of breast feeding, ligaments may not be as strong leading to instability of the joints. When exercising keep plyometric work low impact and avoid too much high impact exercise. For example exercises high impact exercises can be when both feet leave the ground at the same time such as skipping, running, jumping jacks, squat jumps and split squat jumps.

Prone lying exercises will be uncomfortable for a breast-feeding mother. Also vigorous/ repetitive arm work including lifting weights which may stimulate breast-milk or cause plugged ducts. Ensure a good supportive sports bra is worn to protect overstretching during exercise.

Our bodies and metabolism may change with pregnancy, childbirth and lactation. Go slow and listen to your body and ease into a healthy program.

Pre and Post Pregnancy Hair

Throughout pregnancy most of us are blessed with thicker hair that has volume and shine. You may have noticed that your hair may grow quicker and  falls out less too. The increased blood circulation and faster metabolism bring more nutrients to your hair.  Sometimes the texture may also change from straight to curly or vice-versa. Pregnancy hormones are the reason for all of this, especially  the higher levels of oestrogen which extends the hair growth cycle. From about 3-6 months postpartum your hair growth begins to return to normal speed.

From delivery day onwards oestrogen levels begin to drop back to normal, the hairs grown through pregnancy stop and remain dormant for a few months . Slowly a mother then begins to lose that extra hair, which can take a few months. Many mothers associate it with tiredness or stress but it is totally normal. For me I didn’t really notice it till about the 4 month mark, when areas of regrowth started to come through. Hair loss can vary from mother to mother, for some people it is gradual while others may lose handfuls. I am 8 months postpartum and the picture shows my current hair situation….which is far better than my first pregnancy. As you can see ponytails are not really an option right now.

This time round I wanted to be more prepared for the condition my hair would be in following pregnancy. So I decided to start taking a supplement as soon as I gave birth. This certainly didn’t  stop the hair falling but definitely kept my hair in good condition maintaining some of the thickness. I only noticed my  hair loss around my temples at around 4 months when it began to grow back through.

With my first child I never knew about hair loss, it is something you are not really told about. I remember loosing  clumps in the shower and at about 2 months postpartum my hair felt thin and flat and I couldn’t do anything with it. This is why I decided to be more prepared by purchasing a supplement (which I am still using today. They are a variety on the market but I chose a hair, skin and nail from Costco ,Nature’s Bounty High Strength Hair, Skin and Nail Food Supplement @ £14.89 for 250. It states you can take up to three a day but I usually stick to 1 or 2. They contain Vitamin A & c, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Calcium.

Tips On Buying The Perfect Pair Of Pregnancy shoes

There are 3 things I believe you need to consider when deciding on a good shoe to wear during your pregnancy.

1. Easy to put on

Your feet slowly disappear and reaching over your growing belly to put on shoes will become almost impossible.

Choose a shoe that you can easily put on without the need to bend down. Slip on shoes without laces are particularly suited for pregnant women. I had a lovely pair of gladiator sandals with buckles at the sides. Even sitting down and trying to swing my leg round to fasten the buckle was impossible

2. Supportive

From getting tendinitis with  one pregnancy and bad knees with the other I strongly recommend footwear with good support. With added baby weight, the joints are going to be under more stress than usual, especially in the later stages of pregnancy

By choosing a shoe with ankle and arch supports you can reduce joint pains associated with walking if not eliminate them all together.

3. A little extra room.

Be prepared for a little/ or a lot of swelling especially in the summer. You are going to want a little bit of extra room to compensate for the swelling. Try not to make the purchase too early in the pregnancy. My second pregnancy gave me more swelling across the top of my foot and at the top of my sock line. When i took my trainers off at the end of the day, I would have a bulbous ankle.

 Sorry to say swelling WILL occur to some extent

Jumping up half a size (or even a FULL size) larger than what you currently wear will allow you to remain comfortable when the swelling suddenly strikes. Until the swelling comes you can always wear an extra pair of socks to fill in the extra room.

An added bonus to comfortable shoes is that they will allow you to remain standing for longer periods of time before your feet begin to fatigue.

Wearing The Correct Footwear

If your are exercising or have got to a point in your pregnancy where comfortable footwear is essential. I advise wearing a good pair of comfortable trainers.

In my first pregnancy it was summer and I ended up wearing ballet pumps, which led to me getting tendinitis in one of my feet. They offered me no stability and support to my feet as my bump got bigger.

In my second pregnancy I opted for a nice fashionable pair of Nike free runners. A style you could where with fashion clothing in the daytime. I loved these so much I ended up wearing in the gym for my workouts too. Unfortunately these didn't offer me the correct support while training, which has now caused ongoing discomfort in my knees.

I would advice getting your gate done, this is when a specialist looks at you running and walking. The specialist analyses your ankle stability and arch positioning and can advice the perfect type trainer for you. Don't opt for fashion when it comes to using trainers for exercise. You can get your gate analysis done at various running and sports stores and there is no obligation to buy.

I went to RUN 4 IT IN Glasgow

The conclusion is that I am neutral on my right foot but cave in on my left foot, so my arches are not supporting my feet hence the added pressure on my knees. My current Nikes offer my no support at all. I have been told I need a stability 3 shoe if I am purchasing running shoes. I was offered two style of trainers to try on Brookes Ravenna £114 and Asics 1000-4 £99. I tried both on and tested them out on the treadmill, obviously the more expensive pair were more comfortable!
Being on maternity doesn't give me a disposable income to buy a pair of trainers at £100,
IF YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY I ADVISE ASKING IF THEY HAVE LAST SEASON COLOUR, AS THEY ARE USUALLY HALF PRICE.

I choose the Brookes Ravenna I managed to get them for £60. They felt amazing on and very light and springy. I cannot wait to get out on a run in them.

1st Trimester fitness

There are many websites and articles on exercise throughout pregnancy, which I did look over for personal information and gain more knowledge. But I can only speak through my experiences through both pregnancies and how I was previously active before, which does make a different how you can train.
For me in the first trimester the biggest challenge was fighting off fatigue in my first pregnancy and headaches and morning sickness in my second. There would be days or even weeks I couldn't face the gym, but it did pass. Incorporate a walk within your daily routine would substitute the days

*The occasions I did manage to exercise I felt a million times better and it did  help increase my energy levels and minimize many pregnancy discomforts.

*A tip I discovered to ease the nauseous I ate a small snack within the hour before I started any form of exercise.

My main focus was to keep my strength, stability and overall fitness. Continue with what you had been previously doing and amend where necessary. 

If you are at a gym or looking for the support of a personal trainer, I would advise you seek a professional who has pre and post natal experience.

Most important thing to remember when your exercising for two, is especially important to warm up. When working out, going from zero to 100 is never a good idea. It's especially not a good idea when you're pregnant. "The ability for your vascular system to react quickly is not the same as it normally is," says Geralyn Coopersmith, Director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. Therefore, you need to give your body at least 10-15 minutes to warm up before performing any exercise. If you are still comfortable running then a gentle jog is great. I preferred the cross trainer as I found running uncomfortable. Mobility exercise are a great way of warming the body up too.

Plan a simple workout: If you are a non-exerciser start with brisk walking or take up a prenatal yoga class under supervision of a certified instructor. If you have previously been active, continue with adaptations. Seek professional advice

Be regular with workouts: Always make it a point to spend at least 30 minutes working out during the initial months, do something you feel comfortable doing. Intensity can be gradually built up. You can still challenge yourself with exercise.

Warm-up: Always warm-up before you start to exercise, either walk on treadmill at a slow pace if you are doing weights at gym or go for a stroll in the park to prepare your body for exercise. Remember to wind down and stretch too post exercise.

In another Blog I will talk about my training schedule and the exercise that are do's and donts.

My History

I thought it would be a good time to talk about what I am all about and my experience and vision for the future.

I am a mother of 2 beautiful girls a 4 year old and 7 month old.

I have always been very active since a child. I competed in swimming for county from a very young age, so became exposed to strength and condition from the age of 12. Athletics at school brought out my natural talent for long distance running. I began competing in County level for cross country and track athletics. This grew into competing in biathlons,  where I came 3rd in the British Schools.

As I grew out of my teens I found a passion for the gym which I've continued to this day. In my early twenties, I then began running again while living in London and competed in a few road races. I also discovered Ashtanga yoga, which I did twice a week.

When I moved up to Scotland I continued long distance running and obtained some fantastic times in my 10km and half marathon distance.
I turned 30 and was physically looking for a new challenge and started kick boxing. My fitness excelled and my body shape changed and really toned up.
I began competing and did really well in the short time I was in this sport. I achieved Scottish Champion 2 years in a row and silver in the English championships. This then opened eyes to try boxing and thai boxing. This is where I met my partner. I also found all these sports very sociable and found life long friends while training.

I was completing my fitness instructor course when I fell pregnant. I was probably at the peak of my fitness and I continued to train until 38 weeks pregnant. Returned to post pregnancy weight by 6 months postpartum. For my second baby I also trained but very differently and got back to post baby weight within 6 months again. This is where my passion began ...