The Mum Tag

1. Favourite mum hack?

Distraction distraction distraction. And being funny. Distraction helps get me through most of E’s little tantrums. And it that doesn’t work I do something silly.

If that doesn’t work I just let her crack on with it. LOL.

2. Most embarrassing mum moment?

Oh there have been so many! I can be so wonderfully socially awkward at times. But some of my favourites have been when E, in her childhood innocence, has asked me questions in loud voices in public places. Like “Why has that man only got one arm?”. Yes, it provokes a discussion on diversity. But it can be quite embarrassing.

3. What part of the day do you love the most?

Any part of the day when I can watch my little girl getting to enjoy the world around her. Her delight and excitement at doing, making or playing really makes my heart sing. It makes me happy to see her smile.

4. What part of the day do you like the least?

The part of the night when E wakes up and demands to get into bed with us. Because I am the SAHM, my other half decamps upstairs. And I am left doing the 15 more bedtime stories, extra milk and possible singing of Disney songs that E now needs to get back to sleep.

5. The worst thing someone said to you while you were pregnant?

Ha. Ha. I had a lot of patients ask me, “Is it planned?”!!. Which I found amusing and insulting in equal measure. Because I’m an older mum, and was pregnant at 43, I guess I should have expected it. But it never surprised me that people could be so rude!

My take on being pregnant at 43.

6. Baby name you didn’t agree on?

Me and my OH always agreed on Elizabeth for a girl. But my OH wanted her to be a “Betsy”. We even started calling her Betsy at first. But I never liked it, and was glad when a few days after she was born we could decide that it wasn’t really right. She has been the full Elizabeth since.

7. Do you co sleep?

We do now, but it has only been a recent development. When E was a baby and small toddler, I was too anxious to do that. Now she often gets in with me. And ends up taking up the whole king size bed!

8. Something you bought but never used?

Oh so much stuff! A fabric baby sling. So many small baby outfits. I also bought a baby rocker, but E really didn’t like it.

My guide to the must haves – and don’t buys – for new parents!

9. Three hospital bag must haves?

Tena pants – a friend told me that they were a godsend after her c-section. And after wetting through everything in the first evening I couldn’t have agreed more.

Large and comfy nightwear – the roomier the better.

A fabric tape measure – they don’t always measure the baby when born, so if you want this for your memory book etc, you’ll need a tape measure of your own!

See here my tips for after a C-section

10. Are you a routine mum or a ‘go with the flow’ mum, and what does bedtime look like?

We are so routine in our house! I like a routine myself, and think to will help once we get to school days.

Bedtime involves a bath, milk, teeth brushing and lots of cuddles. We don’t actually routinely do a bedtime story, as we read so much most days!

11. What type of labour did you have? What pain relief did you choose?

I was induced. And although I had 36 hours of induction, I didn’t really dilate at all (4cm) – and in the end the baby and myself were not doing well, so they took me down for an emergency caesarean.

I did have an epidural, and gas and air. The epidural was excellent. The gas and air didn’t work for me.

Here is my birth story.

12. Have you ever been mum shamed?

Not really. And I am pleased to say that even though I struggled to breastfeed (only lasting 3 weeks), my midwife and health visitor were so understanding. Some people I knew had dreadful shaming when they struggled to breastfeed.

What to do when breastfeeding doesn’t work for you.

13. The biggest challenges you’ve faced since becoming a mum?

The lack of sleep has been a massive issue. Even though I was an insomniac throughout most of my 20s and 30s, I really need my sleep.

Plus my little one had a rough ride getting sleep herself. She had sleep apnoea. The stress and anxiety that this brought has been a real struggle. Happy to say, since her tonsillectomy this has been so much better.

How my anxiety has affected me as a mother.

14. The best bit of advice you have ever been given – biggest piece of advice you’d give to a new mum?

Don’t compare your child to others. They are all truly different. Don’t bother reading the books on getting them to sleep. And whilst it is useful to google a subject, you often get 20 conflicting opinions, none of which is correct. Trust your gut.

15. Who’s your mum crush?

I will have to say my own mum. Being a mum myself has made me realise just how much she gave up for me all those years ago. And how much she worried about me.

I cannot say that I am into the whole ‘celebrity mum’ thing. A lot of the celebs have nannies and cleaners and much more free time and money than us mere mortals. I’d rather crush on real mums! There are some great blogger mums out there which I follow.

16. And who do you nominate for The Mum Tag?

My nominations for the Mum Tag are:

Laura at www.lauraleanne.com

Holly at ImWithHolly.com

Emma at Lipgloss and curves

See some of my other Tag posts and find out more about me…

The Power of Education Tag

The October Tag

The Top 7 Tag