Tag: pregnancy

Children, Families, Family Life, Parents, School, Siblings

The Pros Of Big Age Gaps

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on The Pros Of Big Age Gaps

With a fair few years between my older children and under two years between the youngest I often get asked what I think is the perfect age gap – in short I don’t think there is ever a perfect gap or a perfect time to have children, but I must say having a larger gap can come with its perks and here are a few for you:

Time To Get Into Routine – Having a few years gap gives you time to see what works and what doesn’t for your family. Getting yourself into some kind of routine with just one little one running around is mush easier to do then with two or more!

One On One Time – For me the most precious time is those first few years that pass within the blink of an eye. If you have one that is already at school or nursery then you can get to make the most of that time with just you and the baby.

Tricky Stages Are Easier On Their Own – Parenting comes with endless tricky stages, but if you can tackle things such as potty training and weaning one child at a time then the chances of keeping your hair a little longer are greatly improved!

Childcare Costs – For those of you that are returning to work, childcare costs can be a huge worry and by having a bigger age gap you can spread these costs more if you already have children at school.

Getting Out And About – Simply leaving the house with children can be a huge task so if they are a little more independent than this can be easier, as there is not so much need to take everything bar the kitchen sink with you.

Sleeping Through – Sleepless nights and children come hand in hand, and if I’m honest this tip shouldn’t come from me as I still have a nine year old that doesn’t sleep – that said, in theory if you can get a good bedtime routine set before another little ones comes along to turn this upside down again then at least you only have one you need to settle.

Older Ones To Lend A Hand – I have always been very concious that it was never my children’s decision to have a large family and have never agreed with them having to pick up the parenting because of that; but it is certainly handy when you have a little helper to grab the nappies or entertain the baby for you every now and then.

Giving Yourself Some Recovery Time – Having a baby puts a huge pressure on your body and I definitely felt this with my last two being so close. Having a bit of a break between children and having time to recover both physically and mentally is a definate bonus.

Less Rivalry – I’m not sure if it was more to do with the girl, boy, girl mix or the age gap between my first three, but there was definitely a lot less confrontation and fighting then with the last two. I think the fact they were at different stages and into different things helped with them not arguing over every little thing!

Having children is a huge blessing and whenever they happen to come along is a always the most magical but hard journey, so these really are only a few views on how I have perceived things over the years.

birth, Children, Education, Families, Family Life, Health, Parents

Supporting World Cord Blood Day

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Supporting World Cord Blood Day

Saving cord blood after giving birth is something that I have only heard about over the past few years and something that I wish I had known more about during my pregnancy with my last son as it is certainly something that I would have done due to it’s many benefits.

Its fantastic to know that 1 in 3 women are now aware of this option and many are adding this to their birth plans.

Although awareness of the option to save the cord blood is becoming a lot greater there still needs to be a little more knowledge out there on what it is and what it can do. I for one had limited knowledge and it was a real eye open to see what this wondererous blood can actually do. I have written a little about it here to make people more aware on World Cord Blood Day.

Cord blood stays in the placenta and umbilical cord after the birth of your baby. It is very rich in stem cells which are similar to those found in bone marrow(cord blood is however a lot easier to collect) and can be used to treat a whole array of problems such as genetic disorders, immune deficiencies and some cancers.

Stem cells are magical in the scene that they can develop in the parts of the blood that the body needs whether that be white or red blood cells or platelets which is very clever indeed. These cells found in the cord blood are more pristine than stem cells found in adults due to less exposure to environmental factors and illness.

Ordinarily after birth your placenta is thrown away with all the cord blood that is stored inside, but thanks to advanced reasrch in this field so many conditions and diseases have been treated with the stem cells found in this blood that more and more people are choosing to have it collected and stored.

The simple process that takes no time at all can help towards treating blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma, blood dissuaders like sickle cell and thalassaemia,immunodeficiencies, metabolic disorders and bone marrow failure.

For me saving this blood which is a such a simple procedure is a no brainer and I hope that this has given you an insight into just what it can do.

*collaborated post

Children, Diet, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Healthy Eating, Parents, Pregnancy, Reviews

MUTU System 12 Weeks On

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on MUTU System 12 Weeks On

After the birth of each of my first three children I seemed to manage to get back into shape within a relatively short space of time. I don’t know if this was my youth giving me more of a zest to get back to my pre-baby self, the boundless energy I seemed to have or just luck but it was never really to much of an issue.

Yes my body had changed in countless ways but I could deal with this and my body confidence(whilst clothed) wasn’t to much of an issue for me.

Along came number four and this is where things took a change in the way I felt about my body and how my body was now dealing with multiple pregnancies. If I’m honest the fact I was breast feeding a baby with multiple allergies and an impending wedding the weight loss and diet side of things were pretty on point but my pelvic floor was really feeling the strain from so many pregnancies and vaginal births and I suffered terribly with vaginal prolapse that I managed to improve a little myself before I fell pregnant for the fifth time.

Age was now not on my side, struggling to find a work life balance with caring for five children, weight gain and a completely shot pelvic floor left me in a place I wasn’t happy with and if I’m honest its taken me four years and the kick up the bottom I needed to get me back on track.

I had gone from a hugly active job as a personal trainer to writing my blog which I never imagined would be a completly new career path for me. All my time, love and passion were being ploughed into this new project and any form of exercise had taken a nose dive. This added to events with free flowing food and drink I knew something was going to have to give.

After going along to the Embrace Workshop with the owner of the MUTU System – Wendy Powell she opened my eyes to the way I looked at myself and was just the stepping stone I needed to get things back on track and my body feeling better both inside and out.

The MUTU Systems main aims are to strengthen your core and pelvic floor, heal your diastasis recti, lose weight and eat well.

The program consists of 12 modules with exercises lasting only 20 minutes or less. The programs can be downloaded to any device which makes it easy to keep up the program whenever and wherever you are.

As well as the exercise program there is an easy to follow food guide that promotes healthy eating rather than unrealistic, restrictive diets.

The plan offers realistic goals and allows the flexibility to fit around everyone. My plan still has a couple of weeks to go as I had a bit of a blip over christmas so stay tuned to see my final results…if I pluck up the courage to post them!

I am already reaping the benefits with a significant weigh loss, flatter tum and most importantly for me, less leakage. If you want to give this plan a try for yourselves then click HERE and use the discount code EMBRACE15 for your 15% discount.

*Collaborated post

Antenatal Exercise, Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Fitness, Parents, Pregnancy

We All Deserve A Body That Works:MUTU Embrace Workshop

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on We All Deserve A Body That Works:MUTU Embrace Workshop

“We all deserve a body that works” these are the wise words from the creator of MuTu System Wendy Powell who has put together a complete body makeover program to help Mums fell better about themselves.

I was lucky enough to be invited along to meet Wendy and spend the morning taking with a group of lovely mummy bloggers about body confidence and trying out a few components from the MuTu System.

The morning kicked off with a screening of the documents movie – Embrace. The movie was made off the back of two before and after photos that were posted by Taryn Brumfitt an Australian mother of three that took social media by storm.

The buzz around these photos was so great due to the fact that Taryn flipped the usual before and after images on their head by showing her honed, bikini competition ready body as the before picture and her softer, heavier picture as here after photo.

The huge media attention from this created such an impact on Taryn that she took off on a round the world expedition to see how woman from of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds feel about their bodies and the results were pretty amazing.

It was a moving, heartfelt and thought provoking movie that really made me think about the way the over 90% with me falling into this category are in fact ‘highly dissatisfied’ with their bodies.

Thinking about the way I perceive my own body I would certainly say that I have a huge amount of hangups and these actually go back to well before my child bearing years.

After childbirth I have gained and lost a lot of weight and really lead a very yo-yo style of dieting and exercising for the past 20 years and have forged a very unhealthy relationship with both of them that I have battled with for a long time.

I am a very all or nothing person and really want to find a balance of healthy, not restrictive eating that can go hand in hand with an exercise plan that is flexible and sustainable.

This is where I was pleasantly surprised what MuTu has to offer as it fits this criteria perfectly.

Simple exercises and easy to follow diet guidelines to fix your body from the inside as well as the outside.

This is where Wendy’s phrase ‘we all deserve a body that works’ really comes into play.

So much emphasis is put on looking good that we tend to neglect the issues that can appear after childbirth such and rather than take the time to fix this we just put up with it.

Carrying and naturally giving birth to five children has certainly taken its toll on my body and after a few pretty unsuccessful trips to my GP who simply handed me a pelvic floor exercise sheet and told me to get on with it, it is by far one of the most important things for me to rectify but I have never made it a priority.

Pantyliners are now just an everyday habit when in reality I shouldn’t have to go day to day with these worries when there are resources out there to help us women to live worry free lives and enjoy time with our family without worrying about any embarrassing leakage.

During our workshop Wendy showed us some simple moves that can be carried out pretty much anywhere with the use of very little equipment and time but could have a huge impact on your day to day life.

Armed with all this information, my MuTu kitbag and bundles of inspiration I headed home to embark on the 12 week program that aims to help you lose your Mum Tum, heal your core and pelvic floor and give you confidence from the inside and out.

The course is easily accessed online where there are simple to follow videos, week by week plans and a food ideas to help you along the way.

I am currently four days in and have already been feeling the benefits.

I’ve not been hungry or felt the exercises were a hinderance to fit in around daily life, in fact I have a new found energy and am hungry to see what each new week will bring.

I will keep you up to date with my progress and will report back here after my 12 weeks are up so wish me luck!

*collaborated post

Children, Families, Family Life, Grandchildren, Grandparents, Large Families

I’m Going To Be A Nanny!

by thejoyoffive29 Comments on I’m Going To Be A Nanny!

Yes and not a Nanny of the childcare kind…a real life Grandma in my late thirties!

When someone says Nan or Grandma the immediate image that is conjured up in my mind is a grey hair lady with fluffy slippers on and a set of knitting needles in hand.

Of course I know that this is far from the truth these days and probably a small minority fit this stereotype, but I for one didn’t feel ready to become part of this category.

When my eldest came for dinner with her partner a few months ago my heart told me that the news of the pregnancy was coming.

Those glances to each other, egging one another to break the news was apparent before they had even muttered a word.

The mixture of worry of my reaction and the excitement of their impending arrival was written all over their faces and although for a good few hours before they broke the news I knew what was coming.

Although Alice is only 19, having her own family has been on her mind for a while now even if she had never admitted it to me. 

She has proved me wrong over the past few years by going it alone and creating a life with her partner that I thought would fall at the first hurdle but they have worked hard and created a home together and for them this was the obvious next step.

I was a young Mum myself and know only to well the troubles, isolation and unimaginable life change a new baby can bring.

That said youth does give you that carefree optimism and fresh outlook at everything that is sadly taken away with age.

So many things have been wirling  through my mind for the past few months and having my daughter’s baby shower at the weekend made everything that little bit more real.

All those worries are still in my head about how she will cope and what is she going to miss out on by having a baby so young; but selfishly I wondered where it left me.

With my youngest bearly out of nappies and my life still revoving around mums and toddler groups and school runs I didn’t feel ready to move onto that next phase in my life.

I am quite content with being a mum of young children and had hoped that as mine grew and that empty nest feeling began to set in I would then be able to sit back and enjoy my grandchildren, not whist I’m very much in the preschool phase of my life.

All this said I know this is the right thing for her and once my first grandchild is born I will not look back and will be there to love and support them every step of the way.

I am however still trying to find a slightly cooler name than Nan as this is still not sitting well with me!

Antenatal Exercise, Exercise, Pregnancy

Exercise In Pregnancy Was A Must For Me

by thejoyoffive28 Comments on Exercise In Pregnancy Was A Must For Me

  
Exercise in pregnancy is a much talked about subject with many pros and cons and lots of contrasting information being thrown around.

During my first pregnancy I had very little information on the benefits of exercise and just followed the age old rule of eating for two and putting your feet up.  I gained quite a lot of weight and had a seventeen hour labour which resulted in a forceps and ventouse delivery.

With my second and third I was much more careful with my diet, swam a few times a week and walked regularly.  These deliveries were a lot shorter and were much more straightforward with little pain relief.

I was convinced that keeping active during pregnancy was a factor in this and from here I grew a passion for the subject and went back to college to retrain as a personal trainer specialising in pre and antenatal exercise.

I found the training fascinating and went on to open my own personal training company geared towards mummy’s and mummy’s to be.

During this time I have had another two children with great pregnancies and good labours.  I even managed to have a water birth with my last which is not normally allowed as there are higher risks with your fifth labour.

Here are few benefits of keeping fit and healthy whist carrying your precious cargo.

Smaller Weight Gain

Let’s face it one of the things we all dread during pregnancy is putting on to much weight.  You should not be training to lose weight during this time but keeping it stable during your pregnancy will make it much easier to get back into shape after the birth.

Keeps Your Enery levels Up

Pregnancy can really take its toll on you and the last thing you probably want to do is get up and start jumping yourself around, but even twenty minutes of raising your heart rate can give you a real burst of energy for the rest of the day.

Less Likely To Need Intervention During Labour

You are 75% less likely to need the use of forceps and 55% less likely to have to have an episiotomy; which lets face it we would all rather avoid.

Give You the Energy To Get Through Labour

I’m sure if you signed yourself up for a marathon you would never think about going into it with no training.  Well labour is called that for a reason.  It’s a long hard slog that takes both mental and physical energy.  You need the strength to get yourself through it.

Keep Those Happy Hormones Flowing

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happy!  What could you need more when you’ve had a hard day and things are taking there toll.

Reduce The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes

Your can reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes by up to 27%.  This is a condition during pregnancy that can cause problems for both mother and baby; so if it can be avoided by getting up and exercising a little everyday it is so worth it.

To me exercise is as important during your pregnancy as your midwife check ups and antenatal classes.  It offers so much that it really shouldn’t be over looked.

If you are already a regular exerciser then it is fine to continue your usual routine and for those of you that are not active it’s never to late.  It’s not advisable to start a new exercise program whilst pregnant but gentle exercise such a walking and swimming are completely fine and if nothing else give you some much needed me time.