New Mum Fun. Guest post number 2 from Emily who blogs at Tea Lady Mumbles

The second in a series of guest posts where new mums online, share their Mum stories for #NewMumFun with me.  Enjoy!

Hi I'm Emily and I blog at www.tealadymumbles.co.uk. I am Mum to Nancy who is almost 10 months old. I started blogging in January this year (2013) and I started because I wanted to document how I experienced being a first time mum. I also wanted to share my experiences and pass on some advice I has come across about pregnancy and how I overcame an ectopic pregnancy. 

Was your labour everything you thought it would be?

I was 12 days overdue when I was admitted to be induced. 2 days and a bit later, and I had my little girl. Being induced was not a nice experience. Nothing in my birth plan happened! I wrote about my birth story on my blog ( http://www.tealadymumbles.co.uk/my-birth-story/) and I also also blogged about my feelings about the birth and what happened after - I was in hospital for almost a week due to feeding issues. It was a very stressful time for me and one I'd rather not experience again. 

Favourite products you couldn't live without?

I love my buggy - a baby jogger city mini GT. It has even great since the start, and should last until she is a toddler. It's so easy to use and fold down and fits in my tiny car boot! 

Muslin Squares - brilliant things that I use for everything! 

Bonjela Teething gel, calpol and ambesol - I always have these well stocked in my house for teething episodes!

Waitrose baby bottom butter - smells gorgeous and is so kind to baby's skin. 

Brother max bath sprinkler toy - this is so good, a toy and a scoop for water to wash them with, all at the same time. I love it, and so does Nancy. 

What do you wish you'd known prior to being a Mum?

I wish I'd known how difficult breastfeeding would be. I really struggled and I don't think the information they give you antenatally really prepares you at all for what breastfeeding is really like. I also wish I'd known a bit more about slings, and cloth nappies, as these are something I wish I'd tried from the beginning. I wish I'd been a bit braver and stuck to my own opinions and instincts, and not second guessed myself all the time! 

What you'd tell any Mum right now if they wanted top tips:

Follow your heart and your instincts, you are usually right.

There's no such thing as doing something 'wrong' when you're a mum. We all do things differently, it doesn't matter. 

Try getting out the house at least once a day - it makes all the difference.

I loved baby massage, it was a great first group to attend with Nancy. 

Anything you do differently, i.e. are you a Gina Ford or a Peaches Geldoff? 

I don't think I do things too differently. I guess I am a very laid back mum. I encourage Nancy to explore and experiment, and sometimes this includes things others may not let their baby use - for example the other day she wanted to eat off my fork, and recently we played with glitter. We are not very girly, Nancy doesn't dress up in frills or headbands (I've tried - she just takes them off and tries to destroy them!) and she hasn't worn any sort of shoe until very recently, as she has started to take a few steps. We don't care what colour her clothes are, she wears boys clothes as well as girls clothes, and she has a mix of toys from boyish to more girl focused. Nancy eats what we eat, we have done baby led weaning from the start, and she has taken to it really well. She has been bottle fed since 3.5 months, and she has a dummy she can't sleep without. We have a sequence of events, rather than a timetable or schedule. As long as she has her dinner, bath, bottle, bed routine at night, whatever the time, she will sleep. We just take each day as it comes, and take it from there really. I have taken bits and pieces of all sorts of methods and incorporated them into our lives. We take bits we like and give them a go. So far, so good! 

What's most rewarding about being a new Mum?

Surviving! Looking at your baby and knowing you're doing your best, they are clothed, fed, bathed, and happy, and you have done that for them. The sense of achievement and the bond you create, it's like a secret club and only you two know the secret language! I never thought a newborn baby would interact or give you anything back, so I was so surprised when I found out they do, they give you so much, and say so much even though they can't even speak! 

What's the biggest challenge? 

Sleepless nights, not knowing what to do to calm your baby, when they are upset. Feeling like you don't know the answers - you ask for advice and no one ever tells you what to do, you have to make the decision. Making decisions about your baby can be a big challenge - I'd never had to think about some of these things before such as immunisations, when hey are ill what to give them, what to feed them, etc. 

Does blogging give you access to an online village of Mums or is it a hobby? How is blogging part of your life as a new Mum?

Blogging has helped me so much, so has being part of an online community through twitter. I have made some real friends, people who I instantly connect with, through blogging, and having people give me advice and support, especially in the early days, was invaluable. I love blogging, I love the sense of community, friendship and support. I love that there is always someone out there who has been in your shoes, who can relate, and who can help you. I have also found it very cathartic to write about how I feel, to discuss my feelings honestly and openly, and to just get it out of my head. The fact that people have read these mumblings of mine still amazes me!  

Emily

Blogger and Tea Drinker Extraordinaire 

Blog: www.tealadymumbles.co.uk

Twitter: @ladyemsy (personal) @EmilyTealady (blog account)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tealadymumbles

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Thank you Emily I really enjoyed that.  Here's me and my Aaron when he was a newborn:

Drop me a line at liska BB at gmail dot com if you would like to join in the #NewMumFun

New Mum Fun. Guest post number 1 from Kate at Family Fever

Hi, something quite new is happening on this here blog.  I am going to share with you, in their voice, via guest posts, the stories of other "new mums online". Join in the fun at #NewMumFun

Here is the very first one:

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I am Kate. I am 29, and have been married to Kevin for 7 years. We have been blessed with 3 lovely

little ones – Gemma is 7, Jacob is 5, and Max is 7 months.

Life with three children is, in a word, manic. There never seems to be enough time to do everything,

my house is messy untidy chaotic, and the washing machine seems to be on a permanent cycle. But

do you know what – who cares? My floor might be covered in toast crumbs, but my kids are happy,

and at the end of the day that is far more important.

I blog at www.myfamilyfever.co.uk and I started blogging a year ago. I started blogging as a way to

grab back a little bit of ‘me time’ – a bit of space that doesn’t involve dirty nappies, piles of washing

or demands for biscuits.

Being a new mum is hard work – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. None of my children had the

easiest start in life - (you can read their birth stories here: http://www.myfamilyfever.co.uk/p/birth-stories.html) but despite the fact that it is the hardest thing I have ever done, it is almost the most

rewarding, the most amazing, and the thing I am the most proud of.

So what things make my life as a new mum easier? I personally couldn’t live without Grobags – they

stop my littlest monkey kicking off the covers and waking up because he is cold, and they keep him

safe – no worries about blankets being pulled over his head. I also love my cloth nappy stash. They

are absorbent, comfortable and gorgeous, and have been on the bottoms of 3 babies now – and are

still going strong. Besides those two favourites, I also really like many other items, simply because

they make my life easier – bandana dribble bibs keep Max clean and dry, Cuddledry baby towels

make bathtime with a slippery baby much easier and sleepsuits for easy nappy changing – Max

wears sleepsuits far more than we wears ‘proper’ clothes.

Before I became a mum, I really wish that someone had told me to trust my instincts. There have

been so many occasions where I have just KNOWN that what I am doing is right for me and my

baby, but conflicting, well-meaning advice from family, friends and strangers in the street has made

me doubt myself. Trust yourself – you know your baby best, and the way you are doing things may

not be the same as someone else, but it doesn’t matter. You are doing it the right way for you, and

you’re doing a great job. For me, I get through the day with routine, routine, routine. I am not an

attachment parenting, co-sleeping mummy – that’s just not me. But that doesn’t mean that other

people who parent that way are wrong. Just different. And that’s more than OK – all babies are

different, all parents are different. You really do just have to do what works for you and muddle

through in your own way – there are no rule books!

Being a mum has challenges galore – just getting out the house with everyone dressed and fed

and school bags packed is an achievement. Keeping on top of the washing is a challenge. Keeping

on top of work is a challenge. But we do it – I might not hoover every day but, really – who cares?

We survive. And there are so many things that make it all worth it. The first time your baby smiles,

laughs, sits up, crawls – that’s all because of you and what you have nurtured. So you’re doing

something right hey?

Blogging allows me to record it all, and to waffle. Some days you just need to waffle. We are so lucky

that the last year has documented every stage of Max’s development, from the early days in SCBU

to the 7 month old who is currently pulling the tinsel off the Christmas tree. And for that, I have a

group of lovely ladies to thank. You know who you are – you got me in to blogging, you helped me

set it all up, and you were there when I got stuck (frequently). So thankyou – for the support, the

advice and the tech advice that has given me a record of my boy, and an escape from the mayhem.

Blog – www.myfamilyfever.co.uk

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFever?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/FamilyFever

Thank you so much Kate for being my first one.  I am so grateful that you have opened up to us in such an honest way about being a Mum.  Head over to Kate's great blog to find out more, and see photos of her gorgeous family.

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Me and Aaron:

Liska xx