Trying to find breastfeeding tops that wouldn't break my budget has been a nightmare for me. I've not been willing to part with too much money for them as I'd rather save the ££ for when I'm free to wear whatever I like. It's been kinda strange for me getting used too wearing tops where I need to be able to whip my boobs out when they're needed, I was always a tight t-shirt kinda girl and didn't like to wear anything floaty or with buttons all over it.

I had my first experience of nursing tops when I was pregnant and won a competition over on twitter for a £50 voucher to spend at Funmum Maternity. I choose the pack of 2 maternity nursing tops. The tops were perfect for the rest of my bump days, I even wore one of them when I was in labour. Have been using them ever since Dylan arrived and we started breastfeeding, they are fab at allowing me to get to the boob easily and the fabric is soft and comfortable for us both.

But now I'm getting a little bored of them, I have been wearing them since I was pregnant and pretty much living in them ever since. So I took to town to check out what I could find at high street price and still remain some style at the same time. Now I only have a little town with the likes of New Look, Dorothy Perkins & Pilot, anything decent then I have to travel to other towns. At least this way I'm guaranteed to only spend a small fortune. What I love about these shops is that I'm always greet a with a sale rack, LOVE sale clothes. I'm not one for keeping up with the latest style so don't mind last seasons clothes. Great thing about being pregnant and making crimes to fashion is that in that time a fashion seemed to of sprouted which involved lots of tops with buttons down the front. See the following for prime examples.

Some of the choice from New Look...


Some of the choice from Dororthy Perkins...




Some of the choice from Pilot...



At the end of the day it's finding something which is comfortable for you and what works best for you and baby. I've found that I can still wear some of my original t-shirts and those tight tees that I like wearing if I stick a vest (bought for a few quid from primark!) underneath them.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

So I've reached my 35th week, am slightly leaning towards that freaking out stage especially as it only felt like yesterday I was tucking into that cake the man made me to celebrate turning 30 weeks. I'm as prepared as much as I'm not - if that makes any sense? Mentally I'm prepared that we're going to have another baby, mentally not prepared that I'm going to become a mother of two. Physically we're at the ready with the boob milk and the real nappies, physically not prepared with knowing what to do with these things.

The last week I've really started to get to grips with the fact I'm going into that heavily pregnant stage, I cant really deny it anymore. Really feeling the strain on both my body and the way I'm feeling. When pregnant with Oli I was often having afternoon naps, especially towards the end. This time around I'm having to be with Oli so nap times cant happen when I want them like I did before. Though even still with the opportunity to have naps I've not really wanted to take them. When he falls asleep after playschool or a good run around the park, I find myself sticking the kettle on and filling my face full of cake - I would still say this was a good use of time. Though yesterday I just HAD to have a nap come late afternoon, thankfully the man was home so I was able to do this. After waking up this morning feeling like I've not slept at all, I do think naps will be squeezed into these last weeks.

Read on...

Having a nightmare with trying to get the toddler to have his haircut, we have one of those breeds of toddlers that just don't stay still longer then 20 seconds. Though he has got much better at this and will stay still when told in a very stern way or when bribed with sweets or chocolate (we all do it at some point!) it wasn't more of a case of him not staying still this morning when we tried to take him, but more of a case of him being terrified.

He really does need it doing, you can see in the photo yourself that it is getting rather on the long side. Not a problem but it does get knotty quite easy (he's a big fan of jam!) It's getting in his eyes and I was told AGAIN on the train the other day how cute my little girl was.

What methods have you tried? I think I'm going to have to get a mobile hairdresser around the house again. Either that or attempt it myself.. Eek.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

This is really all your going to hear from me now for the next couple of weeks, I really do think it's important that I get it out there and not keep this bottled up. I'm writing this just moments after writing my last post about HG. I don't know why but I seem to be full of anger, anger at the denial I've faced with going through this Hyperemesis. Just having it brushed over for normal morning sickness, being frowned at or even made to feel guilty simply because I'm not having a 'simple' pregnancy. Pregnancy isn't simple, ok it can be for some people but not for everyone. It's not all bright lights like it's made to look like growing up. Take my last pregnancy, pretty ordinary and had normal morning sickness but ended up developing gallstones. I'm angry at those who think just because you choose to get pregnant doesn't mean you choose to suffer like this.

The only joy we've had so far in this pregnancy is the joy at the very beginning of knowing that us trying to get pregnant had succeeded. Since then that joy has been casted aside, at times I've regretted getting pregnant. Wondering why? Why did I want to become pregnant? Trying to stop myself from having those dreadful thoughts about getting rid of baby just so I could feel better, just so I'm not spending from 12-12 emptying the contents of my stomach even when it's already been emptied 40 times over. Just so I could spend time with my other baby who had been casted aside as I couldn't be anywhere but in the bathroom or in the bedroom attempting to get some kind of rest from the constant sickness.

Hannah at Muddling Along Mummy wrote this post 'Would you abort your baby to stop feeling sick?' which just sums exactly everything I want to say and what I'm thinking. Why is it only now that I've suffered with this and that 10 weeks after becoming so ill that I on my way to being educated about this condition. Why doesn't the baby books tell you this when they so call tell you 'everything you need to know about pregnancy' I've certainly never heard of this, not with my first pregnancy and not over the last couple of years of being a mother. Did I turn such a blind eye myself when seeing and hearing mothers talk about their extreme sickness?


Everywhere I read about it, it says that hospitalisation should be the first step of treatment for it. I do wonder if at the same time as being prescribed medication for the first time if I should of had a drip alongside it, especially now after being in hospital and having the fluids and seeing how it helped. I still wont fault my doctors though, they did try there best to help find medication to help stop my constant sickness and to help me get better. It is serious, I know this even more after googling it. Just read the symptoms from the NHS website and tell me if you could go 10 weeks like this? Some go the whole pregnancy and some even continue to suffer after giving birth. I'm still hoping that my time with this is over, I do fear that I may be on this tablets now for the rest of my pregnancy to help combat it but then we'll see how I'm doing over the next couple of weeks.

I've not really blogged yet about this horrid condition I've developed called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I did include a link in my last post from Luschka who is also suffering from it, she describes it perfectly and gives you the perfect summary about what it's like to suffer from it. Thanks to twitter I realised I'm not alone and this isn't no made up condition, it really is quite serious. Hannah and Jen also suffered from it and through twitter I realised many others too suffered and some which were too afraid to admit it at the time. If it wasn't for Oli and this not being my first I don't think I would of been so quick to ask for help controlling this.

I'm on my second day today of no sickness and of being to eat and keep down breakfast, lunch and tea. May not sound like much to you or it even may be too much information but for me this is life changing. May sound a little over dramatic but when you've spent most days attached to the toilet or lying in bed like I've been doing the last several weeks, doing something as simple as getting up with boy and preparing his breakfast is a big achievement. Even more so is doing some hoovering and familiarising myself with the washing machine.

I'm really hoping this isn't just a one off and will continue now for the rest of the pregnancy. Its took several trips to the doctors and 2 visits to the hospital but hopefully I'm on the right medication now which has got my hyperemesis under control. I know I needed that hospital visit to help me on the road to getting better.

I did try to get myself the help I needed on Thurs night when come the end of the night and a day where every 10 minutes saw me throwing up, both physically and mentally I had had enough. My body was aching and my chest was hurting, which I'm pretty sure was down to the day of non stop sickness. I did first phone the maternity ward who didn't want to listen when I said I was only 12 weeks pregnant, they told me to phone gynecology emergency. So I did and was told I would need to referred by my GP.

I came off the phone feeling like I got nowhere. Thing is I would of been straight to my doctor if it wasn't so late at night. I phoned NHS direct who took concern about the chest pain which was the same concern that the doctors in a&e took on. No one wanted to hear about the horrid sickness which was making me so ill, after hearing about me not eating or drinking for the last few days I was put on a drip. Told I could I have a clot on my lung and that I was to inject myself for the next 10 days. I knew the chest pain was the strain that me being ill was putting on my body, just like I knew that pain before was thanks to the morphine - you just know your own body. I was sent home from a&e at almost 4am in a taxi.

The moment I walked back through the door I had my head down the toilet once again. That morning after a few hours sleep I was still unable to keep water down or even go near food. I got a emergency appointment with my GP, the moment he saw me he said he was getting me admitted. Says it all really! I could of cried with relief! He phoned gynecology and had them agree to see me, told them he had tried different medications but nothing was bringing it under control. The moment the doctors on gynecology saw me I was given fluids and admitted to the pre-natal ward so I could get constant fluids throughout the day and night. I was also given some anti sickness medicine. That evening alone I started to feel much better.

A woman visiting her friend opposite overheard that I was starting to feel hungry so kindly got me some food and fruit from the cafe. This really made me smile and the feeling of fullness I got from that food was extremely satisfying. The next morning I was greeted with no sickness but a hunger for breakfast! This has continued since I came out of hospital. They gave me some medication and have told me to go straight back in if they don't work and I find myself feeling as poorly as I did before. I do feel like a different person right now, Just so glad I nipped this in the bud now before I lost anymore weight and became more ill. I just really hope this continues for the next 26 weeks.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

A couple of weeks ago I attended a launch for Dettol's mission for health campaign along with some other mummy bloggers. Well today is the official launch of the Dettol's Mission for Health campaign and I want to share some information about it with you.

The reason behind the campaign is that Dettol want to promote a healthier environment in the home, community and beyond. This will be done through some key initiatives; Dettol’s new mums programme, healthy habits lessons in schools and through its partnership with Save the Children.

Dr Dawn Harper, of channel 4’s ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ fame, along with the BBC’s hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley and Prima Baby’s expert midwife Nikki Khan are all supporting the campaign giving practical advice on how mums can improve hygiene at home especially for those mums expecting or bringing home a new baby, requiring them to be especially vigilant in the home. We got to meet these 3 different experts ourselves and we listened to what they had to say on the subject.

Talking about family health, Dr Harper comments: “Mums are naturally eager to do their best for their family, to keep them happy and healthy. But with our hectic lifestyles, standards may slip! How many of us mums know our kitchen floor or bathroom taps are not cleaned as often as we like? Even our computer keyboards could do with a good anti-bacterial wipe!”

“Dettol’s Mission for Health will help mums take back control, by suggesting quick and easy ways to keep their homes hygienic, helping to protect their family’s health and advising them on the tools to do it. By going online they can find out information about hygiene hotspots in the home, and healthy living advice for the family and in particular first time mums.”

 

 

 

We heard from Prima Baby’s expert midwife Nikki Khan who talked about hygiene during pregnancy and those first few years. We had a interesting discussion where someone bought up the topic of not keeping children away from all germs but Nikki reinforced to use how important it is to keep newborns away germs and healthy because of how their bodies are still learning to adapt to the world and that their immune systems are still growing.

 

Hygiene expert, Dr Lisa Ackerley is also on hand to offer her advice through informative and easy to follow videos which will be available on-line. She explains: “This campaign is really reaching out to give support to help get the fundamentals of good home hygiene in place. Mission for Health wants to give mums the knowledge and tools to ensure they can do their best to keep the home a healthier and hygienic place to live.”

Some great tips for those joining Dettol's Mission for Health

· Regularly disinfect commonly touched surfaces as some harmful germs can survive on surfaces for longer periods, which can then be transferred to other surfaces in sufficient numbers, representing a risk to catch them and develop an infection
· Use a surface cleanser with proven efficacy to kill 99.9% of harmful germs including E.coli, Salmonella, MRSA and the flu virus
· Practice good hand hygiene; wash hands regularly with an antibacterial hand wash and dry thoroughly.
· If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer. There are many gel and foam varieties available for use while out and about
· Practice good cough and sneezing etiquette - always cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and dispose of immediately
· Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with your hands. This will reduce your chances of getting infected

Every mum's top priority is their families health so as a mother to a toddler I am proud to back and support the Dettol Mission for Health campaign. You too can get involved by visiting Dettol’s new website www.dettol.co.uk/missionforhealth and dedicated Facebook page www.facebook.com/missionforhealth where for every person who “likes” the Mission for Health Facebook page, Dettol will donate 20 pence to Save the Children, aiming to donate £20,000 to the charity which supports community causes in the UK and abroad.

The Mission for Health Facebook page will also offer the opportunity to win one of 5,000 Dettol Baby Packs containing useful tips on getting ‘your home baby ready’, helping new mums be extra vigilant in the home. The pack also includes vouchers for money off Dettol Surface Cleanser Spray and Dettol No-Touch Hand Wash System.

Disclaimer : I have not been paid in anyway to back and support Dettol's mission for health campaign, I was however was given a goodybag which contained some of Dettol's fantastic products.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

 

Do...

• Pack plenty of toys to keep the child entertained, pack your whole toy be if needs be. Much easier then wrestling a screaming toddler. Failing that attempt to stream postman pat on your smart phone which will keep him entertained for all of 7 minutes.

• Use raisins and water as suitable snacks. Make sure the water isn't in a squirty bottle.

• Pack spare clothes in case of nappy leakage, messy clothes or general abuse of their clothes.

• Bring travel changing mat in case of toilet is out of order and you have to change on a seat.

• Try and take someone along with you, always handy having a extra pair of hands to help you catch flying shoes/toys/snacks.

• Try and travel when it's nap time leaving you hands free to chill with a coffee and muffin. Just don't expect people around you to be quiet, causing child to wake upon that first sip of latte.

Don't...

• Forget to put the breaks on, if you don't it means the pram goes wheeling half way down the train causing passengers to laugh and you much embarrassment.

• Think it will be ok to give child felt tips instead of crayons to play with, you will end up at your destination with a child covered head to toe in felt which may or may not come off with a baby wipe. In my case it didn't.

• Give milk chocolate buttons as a snack because its just silly of you. very silly.

• Sugary snacks? Sillier then silly.

• Bring packs of bacon flavoured crisp on board with you, these will stink the whole carriage out and cause passengers to give you the most disgruntled of looks.

• Think you can ignore a dirty nappy. For your noses sake and the passengers change it if possible.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

Do you ever just sit and think about how the world must look through their eyes? What the world must seem like to them? I sat and watched Oli this morning as he played and interacted with not only his toys but the world around him. They may only be small things to us but they can be huge to them, I watched as he learnt that the door handle moved and that moving it down and pushing the door meant that it closed and that pushing it down again meant he could open it. He looked so pleased with himself with mastering this and I was pleased that he was learning the way things work.

Sat in a trolley with his friend Mr A from Glowstars

This morning he said his first proper word of 'monkey' after a friend called it him, he didn't take it from me or his father who have been trying to encourage him to say lots of words but simply from a friend who said it once to him. It does show me that he is listening to what we say and that he is taking it in, I know it wont be long before he's surprising us with more words and then forming sentences with those words.

On the beach in Minehead

The outside world really excites him, he's constantly bringing me over his shoes or coat and grabbing my hand to lead me towards the door. His way of tell me that he wants to go out and explore the big wide world, running around the park brings him great joy and I've noticed that as much as he likes to play on the park equipment himself he also likes to watch others play, he takes in what they're doing and is learning for himself how others have fun.

Oli is a big fan of the beach which I'm guessing he gets off me, nothing brings me more joy then taking my shoes and socks off and placing my feet in the sand and looking out at the sea. He does exactly the same but he likes to paddle in the sea too but doesn't understand why I wont let him do it in this weather. He sees water as fun but it learning that it comes in many forms like at bath time and when Mummy goes to wash up.

Playing duplo with Mummy

He's noticing so much more about who I and how to interact with me, he's starting to realise that mummy has feelings and that when he kisses me and hugs me, it makes me smile and react in a positive way and show how much that small gesture of love means to me. I like trying to see what he sees and how he sees it, totally makes my day seem alot more exciting.

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

You just cant help but to read what Jan Moir writes, this morning was no exception to me when I read her article about how oh-so public tweeting of condolence by celebrities is offensive, narcissistic & trite. I wasn't too sure what to think, I shared it on twitter (as you do) to see what others thought.

Jan talks about the sad lost of Amanda's baby at 7 months, something no parent should ever have to suffer or go through. She waited until she was 6 months to announce the pregnancy as she had previously suffered a miscarriage at 4 months. Her husband has took her and their 5 year old away from the public eye so that they can grieve in private.

Something happened to me last year, it wasn't anything like a miscarriage. It still effected in me in a way where I was needing and wanted to be comforted, I didn't know who else to turn to so I told twitter and shared it with my twitter friends/followers who in return comforted, shared there own stories of the situation and gave me the comfort I sought. Should that of only been the case when James Cordon and Emma Bunton tweeted Amanda Holden sending there condolences, should they of only tweeted her if she sent out a tweet about it in which return they could of replied with there condolences?

To me I think it's down to the person and how they prefer to receive condolence, Amanda may log into her twitter account in the next few days and see these messages of love and support from both celebs and non-celebs and feel confronted by them.


Would love to know what you think on the matter, should condolences be kept personal and private?

I've been reading with fascination, this talk over whether strict Chinese mothers are actually the best kind of mothers because of the way they choose to bring up there children. Amy Chua sparked a online debate with her wall street journey essay on 'Why Chinese mothers are superior' which is a excerpt from her new book Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother.

Amy reels off a list of things her daughters were never allowed to do which includes being in a school play, complaining about not being in a school play, getting any grade less then A and playing any instrument other then the violin or piano. At the age of nearly 2 Oli has already done both sleepovers and watch TV something both Sophia and Louisa never did as young children.

This is where I disagree with strictness, there's being strict and then there's just simple spitefulness on the parents behalf. It's hard to comment on too much as there is a case of Western vs Chinese where each type of culture covers many different varieties of parents. There's differences between cultures/beliefs/upbringings that play a huge part on when it comes to parents and the upbringing of their children. I'm a western parent growing up in the 21st century in a environment which isn't riddled with war, poverty stricken or a environment where you need to succeed at a young age to get somewhere in life. To me being strict is a aspect which is only displayed when needs be. Strict is used when my child has done something wrong and needs a stern word on how naughty that is. Strict is a punishment in the form of time out or a few minutes on the naughty step.

What strict isn't to me is stopping my child from being a child. Of course I want the every best for him,I have done from the moment I found out I was expecting. I would love for him to grow a well educated, well spoken young man who has done well for himself. I will be there pushing him along, but from a back bench. University will be a option for him if he wants its to be and gets the necessary grades for it to be a option. How can any parent deprive there child of appearing in a school play? I have many fond memories of being a young girl playing many roles and even not so fond memories of me wetting myself on stage at the age of 6.

I understand Amy's parenting though, as much as a disagree with it and no its not a path I could go down, I understand her need for her children to succeed in life, what parent doesn't share that kind of aspiration for their child. But childhood only come along once in a lifetime, I want my son and any other future children to look back on there child days with fond memories of fun and play and not having a strict mother breathing down there neck. If Oli wants to learn to play drums at school like both me and his Father did then he can, if he doesn't want to play any kind of instrument that's ok with us - after all its his life and his childhood.


What do you think? Are strict mothers the best kind of parent?

Emma @ Me, The Man & The Baby

It started when I saw a post from Sally over on the Blogger.Ed Forum asking if any Mummy Bloggers were interested in running the London Marathon. It's always been a kinda dream of mine to run this marathon ever since I won my first race at primary school and this dream carried on when I ran and held the school record at secondary school for both the 800m and 1500m, which was still in place when my younger brother entered secondary school.

I pondered for all of 3 seconds about if this was something I could do and how it could be a now or never seeing as places for the Marathon are rather difficult to come by. I showed interest and just before Christmas I received a phone call from Nestle Pure Life who is the water sponsor of the London Marathon who said I had a place if I wanted it.

I will be working with FullPotential who will be drawing up the best training program for me as well as attending training programs and consulting with and receiving dietary recommendations from Anita Bean who is Nestle Pure Life nutritionist.

As well having the support of these guys and my friends and family, I would love all your support! If you see a twitter status from me hinting at giving up - give me a virtual slap and tell me to get on with it. I know a couple of other Mummy bloggers are running it too and I'm excited that we can share our training both online and hopefully offline. I remember following Rachael's Marathon Mummy blog last year so have a glimpse of what to expect but would love to hear from anyone else that has previously ran the London marathon or any kind or Marathon or even running.

Since becoming pregnant and having Oli I've not done any kind of running at all (unless you count running after a toddler!) so I really do have a mission on my hands. I have my first night at the local running club tonight and I am bricking it. Not only am I nervous about all the running, it's being in a social club again. The kinda social aspect I've been used to for the last 2 years has consisted of conversations with 2 year old's. So am really nervous about going along and introducing myself, I guess it will be a good idea to tell them from the start that I'm aiming to run the London Marathon in April and that I need as much training and help on hand.

Me and Jon made a pact last night to give up both chocolate and take-aways until I've completed the marathon. I'm not sure if it was the wine we consumed that thought it a good idea but we'll still going strong today even after craving a few cookies. We did consider giving up alcohol too but thought that might of been taking it a little too far!

Emma from Me, The Man & The Baby

That's the golden question which is being chucked around like brandy on a Christmas pudding. Are you ready for Christmas? Are you actually ready for the 25th? The BIG day?





I guess when people ask this question they are actually asking if you've finished buying all the presents, putting up the Christmas tree and all the other Christmas decorations, finished plans for what you are actually doing for Christmas and if you have the Turkey in the freezer ready to be violated and stuffed.

I've been guilty of asking this question 3 times already this morning. It sounds like most people are pretty much ready for all the upcoming festivities. I'm not jealous at all. Nope. Not.Jealous.One.Tiny.Little.Bit.

You see I'm not ready at all, the furthest I've got with any kind of Christmas activity is day 13 on my chocolate advent calender. All the Christmas decorations and the tree are in the attic where they will stay until the other half borrows a ladder to get them down. I have a few presents which we've bought over the year/from eBay for Oli but that's about it. I still have all of Jon's family to buy for as well as friends and each other. The only thing we have decided about Christmas is that we will be at his mum's for dinner. So I guess we're just not ready. If I'm quiet over the next week you know why!



Are you ready for Christmas?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

According to a report in the daily mail almost half of parents have to result to bribery to get there children to read, bribery methods including TV, the computer and sweets.

This kind of information actually scares me, as someone who has boarded the journey of Motherhood is this something I'm really going to be battling with when Oli (and any siblings that come along) hits reading age?



Am I going to have to bribe them to read homework books with chocolate and the promise of half hour on that games consoles but only if they sit and read for 20 minutes. I remember as a child I used to enjoy sitting down to read a book, you didn't have to bribe me at all. I flew through all my stage books at school and I was so proud of myself when I graduated onto the 'read any book' from the library because I had finished all the school issued ones.

Its amazing how in 10 years technology has become more & more part of our lives. As I look around I can see a Xbox which belongs to Daddy, he also countless more games consoles upstairs. A BT box which allows you to pause and record TV, Oli is currently using this to watch Waybuloo. I myself am sat on my laptop catching up on emails and checking my eBay. As much as I depend on technology myself I for for what it might do for my son's future and what kind of impact it will have on things like reading.

Is technology to be blamed for this need to bribe children, is the ever growing list of gadgets and game consoles taking the place of the book? I suppose it wont be long before I add reading books to my farewell cassette walkman post. I guess it will be up to me as his Mother and main influence in his life to make sure he doesn't get essential reading time mixed up with a hour's Nintendo ds game play.


Will the future for our kids be all about ebooks? Will our children be bringing home reading books on kindles?

Would love to know how you parents with older children tackle distractions such as TV and games consoles when it comes to reading and homework. Do you bribe your child to read?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

The latest baby competition to hit the scene has been causing controversy. You know those competitions where you submit your cutest photo of your little cherry blossom and then get every Tom, Dick & Harry that you know or even don't know to vote for them.

People who mainly the mothers of these Cherry Blossom's are outraged at the cheating that is going on. They are claiming that online groups that are being set up are unfair because strangers that don't know each other shouldn't be swapping votes. After all it's a competition of 'vote for the cutest baby' and not a free for all as some of the complaints are suggesting.

Comments about 'peedo' groups being set up online to look at the photos are being typed and disgusted Mothers are posting messages addressing the company asking them to take down the picture they submitted of there child. Why surely they should of thought about this before submitting a photo?? If you place a photo of your cherry blossom online then it's out there for EVERYONE to see.

Anyone that is worried about this, The company have said this on the subject - Safety is our primary concern and for this reason we moderate every image before it appears in our competition gallery and monitor the page 24 hours a day. The nature of modelling means that a child model's image appears in the public domain be that on TV, press or online.

But then the T & C's state that photos should be a colour photo and can not include any other person in the photo. Going through the photos I can see rather a few that are black and white and contain pictures of brothers and sisters.

You only have to go over to there facebook fan page to see how this has all unfolded.

If they're entering the competition and are following the T & C's then surely they are doing nothing wrong??


I personally wouldn't enter my Son into it, I'm just not a fan of competitions where I need to get people to vote for my child. I don't need votes to tell me that my child is the cutest one around. I'm not a fan of the pressure and the herding of every Tom,Dick & Harry to go click/email/like to get me one step closer to winning. My town like most has a newspaper competition where you go have your baby's photo taken and then a few weeks later it appears in the paper where you then get everyone you know to vote for your child. I enter his but not for the actual competition, we got a good deal on the photos that get taken. I think I bought like several half decent photos of Oli last time for like £10. His image went into the paper, but I didn't give it another thought after that.

The town I used to live currently have there competition going on and by gosh don't I know about it, my facebook wall has been filled up with begs of votes, constantly getting invited to facebook groups and I'm even getting txt messages ask for to vote for there child who I've never even met and never even seen a photo of myself!


If you are that serious about having your child become a child super model then why not enter them directly yourself into a agency.


Would love to know what you think - Are these Mummy's being silly over nothing and would you enter your child? Do you think it's a fair competition?


Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

It's no secret that the Internet is a big BIG place , which is and can be just as scary as the real world. I know we all want to pretend that it's as safe as being wrapped in cotton wool, but the truth is it's not.

I admit to having a large presence online , I am a member of many websites such as facebook , twitter and forums. I've always been a 'online' person since a young-ish age but I never went into a chat room or abused the Internet in a way which alot of other youngsters do these days. But then technology over the last 10 years has become more 'in your face' and it is simply everywhere you turn. Most mobiles are now smartphones which allow you to access the Internet just about anywhere , and even popular kids gaming devices such as the nintendo DS let you access the web with its built in wi-fi capacity.

The Internet is a place you cannot trust, I learnt this for myself the moment I first logged on to the world wide web. At school we used to outsmart out teachers with what we could do when it came to the Internet , we knew all the hacks to get onto our social networks and no matter how safe the safe search was we could still access pictures we shouldn't of seen at our age. The Internet should carry one huge safety precaution because of the dangers it contains and can create.

Only just a few months ago I was slagged off like crazy by a mums internet forum after they got wind of my social services post. Not because of the situation but because they saw my blog and saw that I write about my child , can you believe it? A mummy blogger writing about her child? Shock! Horror!
Yes I call my son Oli in my posts but how do you know that's even his real name? How do you know the pictures I post are even of my child? More Then Just A Mother has recently posted about How To Blog Safely.


I know the risks I take with blogging , by using 'real' names and 'real' photos. But how about the risks with something like foursquare?



I got caught in the excitement of foursquare , I though cooool.. I can let everyone know where I am. That was until I really thought about it. Why would I want to let people know where I am?? Ok I suppose foursquare has its advantages - I can get 20% off at weatherspoon or even a free pizza at domino's if I become mayor but apart from that what else does it have to offer?

Oh yeah.. it lets potential thief's know that you're not at home , foursquare-ing from my exotic holiday in the Caribbean is not exactly a smart move when potential thief's are scowling foursquare or wherever I publish my foursquare feed too for empty houses to ransack.

And how about the lack of age restrictions? Yes I know anyone can lie about there age , but at least the warning would be there when they go to sign up. The current age related message which pops up when you sign up is 'Foursquare requires all users to provide their real date of birth to provide only age-appropriate access to content. This information will not be shared with other foursquare users.'
The terms state that the service is available to 13 years + . So your 13 year old who's been given a mobile for safety reasons could be using the foursquare app to let those 'naughty' people know exactly where he or she is at anytime they update it.

It's not just foursquare which gives us the option of people knowing our whereabouts Twitter & Facebook have also got in on this craze by installing places on to your page. I quickly opted out of this on both twitter and facebook. After all why would it interest my friends for me to say I'm at the dentist? If they wanted to know I'm at the dentist all they have to do is check my twitter timeline where I would of most likely tweeted 'Am off to the dentist , am crapping myself' .


I've not deleted my foursquare account yet, But it's not been updated since I came to my senses and asked myself why I was doing it.

What do you think? Is foursquare fun or is it dangerous?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

The 'tantrum' fairy has recently hit my house and I'm not liking. Not one tiny bit. I had my third tantrum from Oli at 4am this morning. It's the 3rd one we've experienced in the last couple of weeks.

The first one happened whilst we were away last week , I put him down to bed as usual and a few hours later he started to cry/scream. Different to the usual cry he gives , he didn't want milk nor cuddles. Because it was different to usual we left him in the hope that he would soon settle. I spoke a couple of weeks ago on how I despise controlled crying so it was tearing me apart listening to him cry. He wasn't settling, I left it as long as I could and I went and got him and bought him downstairs where he continued to pull a tantrum. He was in a state and it destroyed me seeing him like that.

It felt like he was angry at me for leaving him so long , this really upset me and I cuddled him and helped to calm him down. This may be the wrong thing to do according to the 'baby books' but we both needed that comforting. I calmed him down , gave him his bottle , took him back to bed and then he went straight back off.

It's happened again since and last night being another occasion where I couldn't just leave him. As much as it was hurting me to hear him like that both Me & Jon are full of colds so were not fans of having our sleep disturbed, I got him up bought him downstairs and stuck TV (I heard you gasp!) on for 20 minutes and then gave him a bottle and took him up to bed.

Now I'm no expert with tantrums, he could be having nightmares for all I know. Are there signs to tell what he is doing. Is there a friendly approach to deal with tantrums other them to let them tantrum it out?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

I'm not a fan of controlled crying , I've never tried it and I never want to. I have nothing against people who use this method. I even don't have anything against my neighbour who I assume does controlled crying which means I have not slept at all for the last few nights due to the sound of her little boy's constant cries.

I personally cannot leave Oli to cry longer then a few minutes , as a parent you can tell the difference between cries. When we tell him off he cries and as much as it hurts me to see him crying I leave it be , he usually stops after a minute of so and carries on. Other times are different like when it comes to the middle of the night and he wakes up , I cannot lie there in bed and let him cry it out. I have to go and see what's happening , see to his needs. See I think babies have a reason for crying , they need something.





Of course a baby will stop crying after a while , sheer exhaustion and knowing they're not going to get that help will stop them. I know a certain book by a certain baby author advises it controlled crying as a method and advises it to be used with baby as soon as possible. But is that the way to get a baby to sleep? Leaving it to cry its little lungs out? Sheer exhaustion?

Oli still has comforts in the middle of the night if he wakes, this is usually in the form of either a bottle , a hug or a story. Knowing he's been comforted leaves me comforted and happy. I would rather do this for a lifetime then leave him feeling un-comforted and wondering where Mummy is when he needs her. I know this may be developing a habit (thought I would mention it before somebody else does) but if you were to hear him cry and then see the relief on his face when he gets what he needs. You probably think I'm a fool but this is what makes both me & baby happy at the end of the day and isn't that what its all about? I would just rather be knackered for a few years and let him learn to enjoy a good nights sleep at his own pace.





No matter what the books/'experts' say I will be straight by his side when he cries , seeing to his needs. Like I said at the beginning I have no issue with people doing this method and maybe it's worked perfectly for you but it's one method that I know isn't for me or Oli. Maybe because I'm in a position where I don't have a job to go to in the day and I only have one child , maybe this might have a effect on my views of it. They say it's better for them in long run but is it really?

Are you for/against controlled crying? Did it work for you?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

Apparently us Mum's do the jobs of 23 professionals according to the Express and this is one newspaper article I don't disagree with. I would say I did at least 5 before breakfast this morning. I remember blogging before about all the different roles we take on as Mother's.

It's true though isn't it, us full time Mother's work a 12 hour day everyday. That's 7am to 7pm of keeping the children happy and entertained and completing our never ending lists.

I used to feel ashamed when asked what do I do for a living and I responded that I'm a stay at home Mother , I didn't want them to think that meant I was a lazy person who stayed at home. Before I became a Mother I would of shrugged it off as a easy job , after all the only job you have is to look after child and home. How wrong I was, I would say I'm just as tired running around after a toddler as I would be chasing up a client.
It may be poor pay and the jobs may be endless but the rewards are great.

A survey said that 'Six in 10 of those surveyed wished their partner would help out more.' Do you wish yours helped out more with the everyday tasks? I count my lucky charms that I have a rather helpful partner when it comes to the necessities around the house. He's totally useless at DIY but when I need him he's there , I've done my knee in recently and have not been able to put much weight on it and he's been a star with all the tidying/looking after Oli he's been doing.


We are cooks , cleaners , builders , entertainers , gardeners , decorators , hairdressers , first aiders and teachers (Just a shame we don't get all the wages for all of it!)

The article didn't mention all the jobs of the 23 professionals.. I've came up with a few of what they could be myself but what do you think the others could be?


Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

I read a article in the Guardian yesterday which was about a survey claims over home birth being more of a risk then a hospital birth. Apparently a home birth carries three times the risk that the baby will die then if you were to have the baby in hospital. I do not believe this to be true , I believe that both have just the same risks. Which the Royal College of Midwives has confirmed.

It got me thinking about my own thoughts on home birth. I never really knew my options when I was pregnant with Oli , I think even with the choice of a home birth I would of still gone to hospital through those first labour fears and because I just didn't know what to expect , I always assumed something like giving birth to a child should be handled in a hospital around medical equipment/doctors.

After giving birth it was only then I started to find out more about different birth options and actually hear real life stories about mothers giving birth in the comfort of there own home and surrounded by there family. Luschka's homebirth story bought tears of joy and happiness to me, It sounded just simply beautiful the way she had total control and power over what was happening. Reading about Amy's preparation for her planned home birth got me excited and made me think of home birth as a safe option to choose. She even shared what she got in her homebirth bag.

I've decided that I want a home birth with the next one (when the time is right!) for many different reasons. I wouldn't fault at all the treatment I was given when I gave birth to Oli in hospital. The midwife was there with me from the moment I arrived to the moment I gave birth, this is one reason why I think a home birth may be for me next time - I had a straightforward simple & quick (don't hate me!) labour which was done with one woman in the room.





It went downhill after I had given birth and was put down on the ward. I had no support with me not being able to breastfeed and even though I was in shock , they kicked Jon out. This still upsets me to this day. He should of spent that first night with his son like I did. I didn't want to be away from him. I wasn't allowed to discharge myself because of the set hours you have after given birth and the fact there wasn't a pediatrician handy to do some checks.
That was a horrible experience and like I said still upsets me today , I felt alone in a strange place once everyone had left me. I don't like overnight stays in hospital so why do it if I have other choices available to me.

I will look into my options come the next birth and I will be the one in control , after all it is my body and I am the one giving birth.

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby

Before I turned off the TV this morning , I caught a question from a breakfast show that really did get me thinking. I turned the TV off and didn't continue to listen to what was said. But I sat down to think about the question Are parents that smoke child abusers?

I have both the answer of yes and no to that question. I would or course say yes if a parent was to smoke within distance of a child which allows the child to breathe in the smoke or even get a whiff of it.

Breathing in other people's secondhand smoke can damage almost every organ in the human body. Breathing secondhand smoke increases a non-smoker's risk of lung cancer by 24% and heart disease by 25%.
Breathing in secondhand smoke makes the blood more sticky, meaning there is an increased risk of blood clots forming. A blood clot can block an artery and cause heart attacks, strokes, angina, or even complete heart failure. Taken from NHS Smoke Free.





I'm surprised that I'm not already hooked up to a gas tank or that my lungs are damaged due to my parents. From the moment I can remember I was constantly around smoke, they smoked a hell of a lot and it wouldn't surprise me if they did it around me when I was a baby. I was forever breathing it in, had no choice to when you sat on a sofa next to them or holding hands through town whilst your mother lights up. I will never be able to tell if they've damaged me until I die. I did have times of needing a inhaler whilst growing up due to stints of not being able to breathe easily, I do put this down to the 13 or so years I had of inhaling second hand smoke.

But I would say no though if a smoker was to do it nowhere near a baby/child and was to do it outside (smoke can linger for up to two and a half hours inside) . I know you have you rights to smoke as much as we have our rights to protect our health as well as our children's.

It is harsh words to say that parents to smoke are called child abusers , I know myself that those are harsh words to say to any parent. But anyone who freely lets there children breathe in there smoke are harming there child. Surely there isn't anyone silly enough to do that?

I know both non-smokers & smokers will have different opinions on this. How about is someone your close to smokes? Does that change what your answer would be? You can see I said yes because I grew up with that second hand smoke and looking back on those days now as a adult I see my parents as abusing my right to a smoke free living. What do you think?

Emma @ Me , The Man & The Baby