Here's a requested post I've been meaning to do for a long while, so I've finally got round to doing it and it's of course a gift guide for new mums/baby showers. Now the question at baby showers is: do you get the mum baby stuff or mummy stuff?
I'll be honest I take baby showers as an opportunity to treat the MUM, seeing as when baby comes along that's when it will be showered with its own gifts?
Anyway, I've included some baby gifts too just in case you wanted some more ideas, but mostly think it's nice for a pregnant mum to have some pampering gifts as it'll be the last time she'll be able to have time to herself in a loooong while!  
The baby gifts I've included in this post can also make good gifts when the baby is actually born so I guess this is kind of a baby gift guide too in a way.. read on for more info!

Motherhood Mondays - Mummy Beauty Essentials

Hi my lovelies!

First of all I would like to point out the blog name and appearance; I've decided to go for a full revamp including a name change; I've been contemplating doing it for over 2 years now and have finally taken the plunge!

I realise that everyone is used to my "frootibeauty" name (tbh so am I), but I felt it's time I clarified things/matured as a lot of clients (and even friends) still call me "frooti" when my name is actually Safiyah - shock horror lol.

Anyway, I thought I'd update the mummy section of my blog too seeing as it's been a while and I've frankly been so busy mummy-ing I've barely had time to log all the huge milestones here on the blog (which is why I love the Lifecake app so much, read about it here).

This post is going to be a beauty related mummy post; products I find myself using on a daily basis - my essentials that might not necessarily be yours but hey, it's worth checking out if I constantly reach for these ;)

Motherhood Mondays - Baby Classes/Baby Sign

Hello my FrootiMummys!

This weeks Motherhood Monday post is about baby classes that may be available in your area. 
To be fair I can only really comment on two classes I've attended so far - Baby Massage and Baby Sign, however I've heard Baby Yoga is like Baby Massage but without oil, but now my son's a bit too old to attend haha.

Baby Massage

credit: http://raisingchildren.net.au/verve/_resources/PIP-massage-2.gif

My local Baby Massage class had a large group of babies, all laid out in a circle in front of their mummies/carers and we were told we could bring our own oil, otherwise an oil is provided (tested first before use). Also recommended to bring along: towel and change of clothes.
The class consisted of every carer singing nursery rhymes along with the teacher/instructor, whilst she showed us different massage techniques on a baby dolly.

I was lucky enough to sit next to the instructor for the first session, which helped my bubba focus on her face rather than whether he liked being stripped down to his nappy in front of all these babies or not!
We learned different motions for the full body as well as techniques to help ease wind. The fun part for my bubba was when he was on his stomach and able to look around at all the other babies whilst enjoying a nice back massage.

I'd certainly recommend going to at least one baby massage class if there is one held near you as I found it fairly helpful to try new techniques I wouldn't have thought of at home after a bath for instance.

Baby Sign

credit: http://www.babysignlanguage.com/signs/drink.gif

Baby Sign (or Sign Language) is a fairly new concept whereby the babies are taught Sign Language and yes whilst most people associate Sign Language with deafness, this concept is to do with babies learning to communicate before they're able to speak, to ease frustration.

I first knew about Baby Sign when I saw my friend Ayan's son sign to her before he could talk and I knew there and then that one day my baby was going to go sign class!

The course is held over 6 weeks (1 hour sessions), usually with two instructors/teachers and at the end the babies get certificates too which is quite cute despite the fact they have no idea they're on a course haha.

The first session covers why Baby Sign is handy;

• empowers babies to communicate earlier
• boosts self confidence - can allow a baby to communicate frustrations
• can help parents identify a baby's needs
• enhances bonding/interaction

I have to add my own benefit for Baby Sign too- 

• Multi lingual babies - if you plan on teaching your child more than one language, Baby Sign is a great way to use the Sign for an object/action in English, then reinforce it in the language you're also using (in my case Arabic).

I was quite impressed with this extra benefit when I discovered I could talk in both English and Arabic for the same Sign word and I'm interested to see if my little boy picks up on it.

The sessions consist of starting by saying Hello to each baby, then on to learning words of the day in Sign (e.g. one week Animals, one week Basics/Meal Times, Nappy/Bath time and so on).
The Sign words are used within Nursery rhymes that we sing together in a group with the actions to reinforce it to the babies who sometimes stare mesmerised at all these mummies/carers doing all the actions and singing.

There are also various activities that the instructors then do.. much to their own amusement at times which is funny for us parents to see too. Things like "what's in the bag" (followed by more relevant nursery rhymes related to the object pulled out), musical instruments and then bubbles!
The babies love the bubbles, the way their faces are in awe when the bubbles are falling around them is priceless.

I'm currently on my third course of Baby Sign and at the first course I noticed my little bubs was deeply concentrating and taking it all in with an expressionless face (which is weird for him as he would usually smile at anyone and everyone).

The second course we started attending with my cousin and her baby who he is familiar with and it was cute to see my little munchkin act like a big brother saying "look, its my class!" 
It was at the second course that he began to get confident and army crawl away from me to explore with the other babies.

Now on the third course, he's definitely confident and knows the routine; actually playing instruments, grabbing objects and of course staring intently at the bubbles and waiting for the instructor to blow them.

Sign language wise - he certainly learned the Meal Times/food related Sign words ("drink milk", "eat food" etc) and would grunt impatiently if I mentioned "drink milk". I now have to mime the word "milk" or "eat" to friends/family for fear of him thinking it's time to eat or drink haha

"Bath time" is another favourite of his, he knows what's to come if I sign for "bath" and bounces excitedly. He understands "Change Nappy" and "Sit" as well as "Lie Down/Sleep" so it's quite impressive to see this.

Honestly speaking, I think my baby is developing verbally/cognitively more than physically, so I'm yet to see him Sign himself, but I think he'll actually speak words before he learns to sign; he's constantly babbling away with different tones of voice which I'm sure he thinks is actual words but it's just handy for me to Sign whilst I do an activity and helps him concentrate on what I'm saying as opposed to be oblivious to noises coming out of my mouth lol.

Anyway!! 
As you can tell, I'm definitely a Baby Sign fan and would recommend any parents to take their child along to at least two courses if it's offered near them.

It does take practising at home too though, but to be fair the words taught at the class are things we'd be doing on daily basis a fair few times anyway seeing as babies eat poop and sleep more than anything haha.


So that's my verdict on the classes I've attended so far, I'd recommend getting out and about to any mum (especially new ones), it's great to meet other mums/parents and also actually feels good to get out for you and baby too with the change of scenery.

I'd love to know if you're a mum/carer who has attended any baby classes and what you thought, and I'd love any suggestions too!

Motherhood Mondays - Apps

Hi guys!
First of all, I'd like to wish you all a belated happy new year; 2014 was a life changing year for me with the birth of my son; it's amazing how fast a tiny human grows, he'll almost be a year in March!

I've always been the type to take motherhood very seriously and like a lifelong project; I wanted to become an educational psychologist as a teenager but fell in love with Nutrition at college and pursued that at university (with the odd psychology module of course).
Being the most important and influential person in a child's life is a massive responsibility in my eyes and though it's never easy, watching them learn new things every day and form their own personality traits is so beautiful.. I can't help but wonder what my little bubba will be like when he's in school, when he's a teenager and one day a man! 

Seeing as time flies, I've been noting his developments through his health book, apps and occasionally on my social media pages (#frootibaby).. It's always nice to look back at photo albums and see how much you've changed, so I hope to do this for little man too.

I thought I'd write this post recommending some of the apps I use to note developments and also for general helpful information that may be useful to check out.

Emma's Diary (free)
Initially in my pregnancy I had a few apps I would read on a daily basis to check the development of the tiny foetus growing inside me; I was fascinated by the scientific side of what was developing and at what apparent equivalent size my baby was (a kidney bean, an apple, a watermelon etc); if you are a longterm follower of mine on twitter you now know why I tweeted a weekly vegetable or fruit coupled with an emoticon haha!
I loved that the Emma's Diary app also allowed you to keep a diary of all you're feeling (another great idea to read back to your child one day) as well as read "Emma"'s diary and see if you're feeling the same.

My Baby Today | BabyCenter (free)
After baby was born, the BabyCenter "My Pregnancy Today" app prompted me to download the "My Baby Today" app, which consistently follows on from the pregnancy app but is baby development related. I now use this app and like that it gives supportive, handy advice on yours and baby's life, as well as activities to do and "weekly giggles" based on your baby's age timeline.

Baby Tracker (free)
At the beginning of baby's life, you'll have constant midwife and health visitor appointments, so I liked to keep track of feeds and lengths of feeds etc and have this information to hand if needed. There are plenty of Baby Feed Tracker apps, and most allow you to record lengths of feeds (if breastfeeding) or amounts of feeds if bottle feeding, as well as wet and dirty nappies and sleep times. 

Growth Charts For Baby And Child Tracking (free)

Also handy to have is a growth tracker app that you can note down baby's height, weight and more, for those appointments with the health visitors.

The Wonder Weeks (£1.49)

For those who love checking out what stage your child is at cognitively, physically and emotionally, this app explains the fussy moments in relation to brain developments (or "leaps").

I like that this app has a personalised chart too, so you can see approximately where your child is - and also predict when they're next going to be Cranky, Crying or Clingy (the 3 C's).

Baby Weaning Recipes | MadeForMums (free)

The wonderful world of weaning is next; I've had a few people ask me what kind of recipes I recommend and haven't got round to replying, but from a Nutrition point of view, I like this app because it's got UK based recipes/measurements.

This app actually has many other points I like about it too:

• The recipes are easy to make (a lot with simple ingredients that I use for myself too) which is great for when bubba starts having "mummy's food".
• You can choose to follow the app "Week-By-Week" based on the weeks you start weaning (not age) or you can choose your own "Meal Planner" where you add the recipes you/your bubba will like to the days of the week
• Ingredients from a recipe can be added to a shopping list within the app
• You can add recipes to your/your babies favourites
• There are articles and tips to read within the app as well as "Help from Heinz" 

Of course there are other apps you can go for like the Annabel Karmel app (£4.49), but for a free app, this pretty much has the same concept (if not more features). 

Baby Sign And Learn (free for lite/£1.49 full)
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me post a picture of my bubba's certificate for attending Baby Sign Class (which I wholly recommend). I love that learning sign can help a baby communicate with you more effectively, even though they can't say proper words yet (so far my little man gets excited/impatient when I sign for "drink milk"!).
If you don't have a sign class that you can go to, this app is pretty helpful and teaches words that you would use on an every day basis in your routine with baby (drink, eat, nappy etc), which is always handy if it helps calm (or excite) baby.

Lifecake - Baby Photo Journal and Slideshows (free)
Last but certainly not least, is the Lifecake app; this app is one I've recommended to friends and family who've also recently had babies (of course we all want to see how each baby is developing so we can swap mum stories!).
I like that this app automatically puts any pictures uploaded into age/date order (from the date the picture is taken).
The pictures, videos and notes can be thus sorted in date or age order; or if your timeline has more than one kid on it, then just date order. 
Privacy is important and the pictures uploaded to the app are private (unless you choose to share the timeline with a member of family/friend), and if they have an account it doesn't automatically mean you see their pictures, they have to invite you.
You can upload up until 1GB (I think there's a premium version thereafter). And yes you can order a photo book too, which I certainly plan to do as a keepsake =)
Best of all, every so often, Lifecake email you a "flashback" to see how your bubba has changed (e.g. a picture at 4 months next to a picture at 8 months) and it's amazing because you don't see it when you're with them every day but you can see it when they're put together!

So here are some of my favourite apps that I'd recommend; of course there's a plethora of baby apps that you can download to even entertain and engage your baby, but for now I thought I'd share the ones that would interest the parents out there =)

Let me know which ones you'd recommend or really love and why; it's always lovely to discover new apps seeing as there are so many!

Motherhood Mondays: Breastfeeding Tips

Hello my lovelies!

I have to say I haven't been able to blog about Baby/Parent/Mummy things as much as I'd like to and the last couple posts have been a welcome break for me to enjoy makeup and reviewing again, seeing as I'm just getting on with the actual motherhood bit haha!

But I've had a couple requests for more baby related posts and I thought I'd feature a Motherhood Mondays post as much as possible, even if it means simply posting a picture.

Since my last post was about Caesarean Staples, I thought I'd follow in chronological order of what I'd blog about next (even though my bubba is now 9 months old!)

Probably the first and most important thing for me after giving birth was breastfeeding; I am so pro breastfeeding, not only after the antenatal classes but especially after studying Human Nutrition and the human body; the benefits are endless and I knew I wanted to breastfeed no matter what.

For those who think its a simple process and comes "naturally", I'd say the reality can be far from it and it takes a lot of work!  
Here are 10 tips/things I learned (some, the hard way):

1) Latching on  

Initial latching on can be painful; no matter how many midwives you confirm with, it's better to see an actual breastfeeding specialist in a class (if available to you) as they are a lot more supportive and helpful. Trying different positions helps and I found using cushions very helpful!

2) Creams & Pads  

Lansinoh was my favourite brand for nipple cream as well as breast pads; I tried a few other branded breast pads but these were by far the best! Can be bought from Boots, John Lewis, Mothercare.
[The best prices I found for the cream is £6.66 and for the breast pads £3.66 for reference].

3) Determination / Mentor

Breastfeeding requires determination, so I would say if you want to breastfeed, buddy up with someone who can push you when you feel like stopping (and believe me, there's so many times you feel like giving up).
I was lucky enough to have a family member to lean on at all sorts of hours who had recent experience herself and I would recommend the same for anyone else as it's still fresh in their heads (mums/aunts/grandmothers may have forgotten the struggle).

4) Eating/Drinking Well  

You have to keep your own nutrition up, but also bear in mind you have to be careful what you're eating as it affects the little one's stomach; you don't want to eat something too acidic or gassy or spicy for instance, but at the same time, you're pretty much using energy to turn food into milk, so you need to eat as many calories as you can and of course a lot of milk ideally. I found chocolate milkshakes did the trick for me and also somehow kept me awake for the many night time feeds!

5) Immunity  

Seeing as your chest is out a lot whilst feeding and your immunity is low, you can expect to get ill fairly frequently; so continue taking Pregnacare/pregnancy vitamins to try and keep on top of your vitamins and minerals.

6) Midwives

Some can be awesome, so ask as many questions as you can, but some can make you feel like giving up and formula feeding. Whilst I have nothing against formula feeding, I do think that it's worth pushing breastfeeding exclusively as much as you physically can, for as long as possible, purely because the health benefits for your baby supersede formula feeding massively.. I could write a post or even a book on breastfeeding benefits alone!

7) Expressing 

I started hand expressing but would wholeheartedly recommend an electric pump as it saved time and felt a lot more comfortable/no pain.
I used the Medela Swing, bought from John Lewis (also available at Boots and Mothercare) and it was probably the best breastfeeding product for me.
It can be disheartening expressing sometimes, because unfortunately it's not an accurate estimate of what your baby is drinking, but expressing is a great way to top up for night feeds rather than formula, or to give yourself a break at night time (and breastmilk lasts longer than formula).

8) Bottles 

The only ones I can recommend in conjunction with breastfeeding are the ones that require baby to suck as they do with breastfeeding. I came across the Haberman Suckle Feeder bottles at a baby show and was so impressed, I never bothered to try any other bottle (aside from Mam for feeding water).
Every bottle claims they're "anti colic" but I swear this one actually works as the filter works to get rid of air bubbles, as well as the fact that it allows the baby to control it's own drinking flow without any overflow or spluttering. It was tricky to get my bubs to understand the bottle at first but I'm glad I persevered because he's able to switch from bottle to breast and vice versa.

9) Breastfeeding Cover

When you're out an about, the last thing you want is a hungry screaming baby, so I would definitely recommend the Bebe Au Lait breastfeeding covers (also available at John Lewis, Boots and Mothercare. You can of course use a large muslin cloth or scarf (or express) but the reason why I think the Bebe Au Lait is worth it is because the neckline has a curved semi rigid band in it so you can see directly down at baby (and them up at you) as well as letting air in, but without anyone seeing from any angle. It also has a bit of towelling on the corners and a pocket which are cute and handy features. 

10) Relax

Finally, the best tip that I could give (and try to still give myself) is - relax! Stressing in any form is not helpful at all for milk production (not to mention the stress hormones affect baby), so it's best to just switch off as much as possible and enjoy baby-mummy time, especially as exclusively breastfeeding is only around 6 months! <3

I know I probably haven't covered half as many things as I could have regarding breastfeeding, but feel free to email me if you have any questions or comment below if you have any tips of your own!

 

Caesarian Staples

So as you may or may not know, I recently gave birth to my little baby boy and have decided to add a parent/mummy/baby blogging section, where I hope to write helpful posts and reviews of products.

I cannot believe how fast time has already flown and getting to know him is an amazing and exciting experience for me, despite the initial sleepless nights!

I've been more up to date with posting quick little pictures on my Instagram, and if you follow me you may have seen my quick "instablogpost" on my "hospital bag essentials", which I will now rename as "Caesarean staples".
I thought I would do an official blog post here on the blog for those who may want to refer back to this post for future reference, but essentially I'll be repeating what I wrote on my Instagram picture:

I had a planned (elective) caesarean, so of course I had time to prepare and some of the products I recommend here may not be suitable for a natural birth, so bear this in mind!

In true MUA/bblogger style I had to of course try and look my best for my delivery with bare minimal products as you're not actually allowed makeup as they need to monitor your skin colour whilst operating; so that meant to me that face products like foundation, bronzer/highlight, blush etc were a no-no.

The midwife did say I looked "far too glam to be having a baby" but she clearly didn't know she was speaking to a makeup addict haha.

So these are my basic staples with links of where to buy them (mainly Boots links below):

• Carmex/lip balm - hospitals are very warm places and dry out your skin especially the lips as you get so thirsty; any lip balm in stick form is ideal so you're not faffing around with fingers once baby is born! If you want a 2 in 1 rather than using a separate colour for the lips, the Moisture Plus Tints will probably serve you best. 

• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable lip stain - I wanted something that lasts much longer even after drinking etc, so I applied some of this lip stain whenever I wanted to perk up a bit for hospital visitors too.

• Benefit Fake Up concealer - This hydrates the eye area and conceals in one; again, the hot hospital air can affect your skin hydration and depending on how long you're in the hospital for, you may need something quick to hydrate and conceal in one go, particularly with the sleepless nights! (More suited to C-Sections)
• Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer - for more coverage and longer lasting power or to top up your under eye/face areas (if needed). I prefer the Double Wear High Cover concealer (available at Debenhams) as it has a drier texture so sticks better to the skin or on top of the Benefit Fake Up. (More suited to Natural Births)
• Maybelline Big Eyes/Waterproof mascara - a good waterproof mascara will last long through tears (or sweat if natural birth!) and this particular one can coat top and bottom lashes. The best waterproof mascara I've tried to date is the Urban Decay Cannonball mascara, review here.
• Kiko Eyebrow Marker - a quick and easy application without looking too overdone; also doesn't smudge or stain.

And there you have it; my most essential products I'd recommend. I'd also suggest going for multitasking products like cheek and lip tints or cream blushers so that you can add a bit of colour to your cheeks and lips for photos after birth if you wanted!

Any mums out there who had some beauty essentials they couldn't live without? Would love to make a collective list!