How I plan to take better care of myself in 2009.

As a first time mum of 1 and ttc number 2, there are a few things I would like to change this year. I want to come out of the other end of 2009 feeling like a mum instead of  trying to feel the way I used to feel before I had kids. Pining for those size 8 tops and skinny jeans to fit me again; remembering the admiring glances that always came my way from the opposite sex. How many stolen minutes have I wasted in front of the mirror, pinching in my waist line or glancing at a pre-baby photo of myself? Tracing the silvery lines on my, now dimpled, thighs and feeling slightly less attractive, less deserving of my partners love and affection. I want to allow myself to overflow with love for my babies and their daddy, feeling proud of what I have and never feeling remorse for the body or the lifestyle I left behind - and this is how I plan on doing it in 2009…The Year of The Mom.

1). I will use my baby’s nap’s as “me time” and not “housework time”, to read a book, to take a shower, to have a nap…to do whatever I need to do.

2). Every Sunday afternoon I shall retire to the bathroom for 2 hours and shower, shave, pluck, brush, tan and manicure to my heart’s content. That way I will feel a little more attractive and a little less dishevelled each week.

3). Each time I look at my love handles or silvery stretchmarks I shall remind myself that a body is meant to be used. What good is a perfect size 8 figure when your dead? May as well get some miles out of this vehicle!

4). I will keep a stash of luxury cookies in the top cupboard where no-one will see them and I shall reward myself with one whenever I see fit.

5). Each morning, before I take one step out of my bedroom door, I’ll get myself dressed, hair brushed, make-up on, feeling ready to start the day.

6). After a stresful day with the sproglet, I will no longer turn to a bottle of wine and snacks for comfort – I will find comort in the arms of my partner, snuggled up on the sofa together.

7). Never again will I feel pressured to take part in the fashion show that is baby and toddler groups. I will not join in the competition of who can look their best, full face of make up, fashionable clothes, uncomfortable shoes. Instead I will put on my joggers and t-shirt and get down on the floor with my baby and take part in his adventure!

8). For 1 evening each week, I will go to an exercise class, where I can get fit, meet new people and spend an evening just being me – not mum, not housewife, just me! 

If I can keep these things up this year I will be much happier, you know what they say….If mum’s happy, everyone’s happy

This is 2009 – The Year of the Mum.

FREE NCT PREGNANCY AND BABY MAGAZINE.

All you have to do is give them the address you want it to be sent to and bob’s your uncle. I never knew all of this free stuff existed when I was pregnant with Harry. I must have spent a fortune on baby magazines and books. I shall be making full use of all this free stuff this time round!

Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the green box that says “Order your free copy today”.

http://www.nct.org.uk/info-centre/publications/view/4

We are so lucky to be women!

Firstly let me begin by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!  If you have kids and stil managed to stay up to see the New Year in, I am truely impressed. We were in bed by 10pm – Rock and Roll!

I have thought long and hard about this over the past few years and without being sexist at all, I  feelvery lucky to be a gal. Having stopped taking the pill (its been 4 days now) I am getting that special feeling back, just the same as when I was pregnant with Harry. The mere thought that I am going to be making a baby in the very near future makes me feel really unique. I know its the same for every women so I can’t be that unique but you must have felt this before girls.  When you are not pregnant you feel like everyone else, but when you are pregnant, people treat you differently. They make you feel precious and protected. You are carrying precious cargo and doing the most important job and everyone seems to respect that. Of course you get the odd chauvanistic pleb who will constantly remark on your ever expanding waistline (like my former boss, but thats another story!). In my humble opinion, we are the fortunate ones. It doesn’t matter to me how bad the stretch marks and saggy skin get after the job is done, its a small price to pay for the privilage of growing a little baby. If your partner is worth their salt then they will love every new mark on your body that each baby brings.

So the begining… urm…begins!

Sat here with my last bottle of wine for at least the next 2 years, I am thinking is this such a good idea? I mean I still have New Years eve to get through..surely that is a good enough excuse, if any, to get plastered. The mother in me says “No can do Jen, it won’t be good for your baby to be. Continue to drink if you want to rot in hell and feel guilty for the rest of your pregnancy. If you would prefer to do it right this time then pack it in!”.

So I have my Sanatogen pre-natal’s at the ready and take my first lot tomorrow morning. We had originally agreed to ttc on the 1st  January but unfortunately, it being my last chance to gorge this crimbo, I have put on a whole stone in the space of a month. To be fair, I have been trying to consume all of the crap food in the house so that it is gone and I won’t be tempted. Now I’m going to have to get this stone off before we ttc, I couldn’t bare it if I got preggers before I was back to my normal 9 stone. With Harry we only got to try twice and that was it. I had only just stoped taking my pill too. I put on a wopping 3 stone and it took me a whole year to shed so I’d like to give myself a fighting chance this time round. I plan on interval running on our treadmill every day for at least 40 minutes while Harry has his nap. Healthy eating too…a maximum of 1,200 calories should do it don’t you think? I’m not really sure what is a healthy amount? I’m guessing if I start running before we ttc then I should be able to keep it up throughout the pregnancy. Hmmm, not really sure if it would be safe to do that though, you know, in the first 3 months….I would really love to hear what you think or what you did to prepare your body for pregnancy.