3rd Feb
Pregnancy is entirely personal. Women do it differently. Women experience it differently. And there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way – let no one cajole you into thinking otherwise.
Although it’s important to allow yourself embrace the feelings (both positive and negative) brought on by pregnancy, there’s no harm in hearing advice and listening to the experiences of mums who have ‘been there, done that’ or are pregnant as well.
In the name of a little female bonding and familiarity, here are some Mums’ pregnancy tips that other pregnant mums have learnt (are learning) on their journey:
Liz Azilagyi aka The Health Convert (27 weeks preggers) says:
1. Making bread is good for you – “I love the smell, and opening the breadmaker to see a fresh loaf makes me happy.”
2. Walk yourself happy – “I always go for a 30-minute walk in my lunch hour. It stops me feeling sluggish and gives me an energy boost.”
3. Treat your body – “I slather myself with Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter all the time, and I haven’t got any stretchmarks yet.”
Rachel Whitaker aka The Fashionista (33 weeks preggers) says:
1. Bumps should be flaunted – “I tie a slim gold belt above my bump on a black dress, rather than on the waist where I used to where it. It highlights my shape nicely.
1st Jul
July’s ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month’ title goes to Tasha; mummy and author of WahmBam.org.
Tasha is a business owner, a wife and mum of two lovely girls. In between her mad schedule she manages to find time to write a blog about parenting.
Wahm Bam talks about lots of different things, from the struggles (and benefits) of working from home to dealing with bedtime issues, temper tantrums and mealtime problems to baby stuff, like breastfeeding and baby-led weaning.
To find out how Tasha does it, read our interview and be inspired.
1. Is there such a thing as ‘too many bloggers’?
No. It was nice when there were only a few of us in the UK, and we had a little circle of friends, but I think that there is a much wider choice of material to read now that parent blogging has opened up so much. It does mean you can’t keep up with all of them, but it’s fun to discover new blogs from random tweets or links.
2. What is the biggest hindrance to keeping your blog up to date?
Mine is probably the business. When work is at a reasonable level (i.e. I can get the bulk of my work done during school hours), then I’ll write two or three posts a week, but when it’s busy (which it has been almost constantly for over a year now), I’m working most evenings in addition to school hours and what little spare time I have needs to go to my family, so blog posts can be more sporadic.
That said, I don’t think it’s essential to post any more than you’re happy and comfortable with (as long as you’re still blogging for you, rather than as a profession, of course), so there shouldn’t really be any guilt about not keeping up to date. Now and then, though, it helps to be organised.
I’m doing another Book Week at the start of July and am trying to get most of the posts written or edited and scheduled in advance – last time I was writing some of them on the morning of posting and it was a bit hairy.
3. What is your favourite family holiday memory?
As a child, it would probably be camping at Easter when we lived in Spain. We had a tiny two-man tent and were surrounded by these huge house-like tents with TVs and kitchen sinks (yes, really). We just had fun going to the beach and playing cards and reading. It was lovely, apart from ending up with serious sunburn (I got blisters all over my shoulders and my dad ended up in hospital and had whole sheets of skin peeling off his legs).
4. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
“Go back to sleep, Eleanor, it’s too early!”
5. What word or phrase do you find yourself repeating endlessly on a day to day basis?
“Stop it, please. Please? Please, stop it!”
Written by: Andrea Zanin
1st Jun
June’s ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month’ title goes to Elizabeth and Donna, the marvellous mums from Mummy Central. Congratulations!
Mummy Central was set up by two mums who met when their eldest children started playgroup together – and they ended up on the committee. Thrown together on fundraising and publicity projects, they came to realise their talents could complement each other while providing a useful online resource for busy mums.
Donna and Elizabeth update Mummy Central with topical blogs, cool new products and must-have trends, as well as recipes, crafts and child-friendly ideas.
Read our interview to find out more about the dynamic duo and what inspires their writing:
What inspired you both to start a mummy blog?
Elizabeth: Probably the caffeine shots in the soft play’s cappuccino!
Having worked together over the last 18 months campaigning and fundraising for a local playgroup, we knew we had something to say and that we could work with one another. So why not!?!
Putting Mummy Central together and sharing experiences with mums around the world has been more rewarding that I could have imagined.
Donna: I was a full-time journalist BC – before children – and needed an outlet which would allow me to use my brain, work from home, and open up a dialogue with other mums. Elizabeth kept telling me mummy blogging was the future – but I’m such a technophobe I was scared off by the prospect of having to set one up.
In the end, we realised we could work together. Elizabeth is the technical brains behind Mummy Central – I just faff around writing whatever takes my fancy.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
Written by: Andrea Zanin