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Have You Seen The New Chicco NaturalFeeling Bottles?

chicco-naturalfeeling-pinWhen I was pregnant with BB it was always my intention to combination feed him. After my breastfeeding struggles with Lamb I wasn’t confident that I would be able to breastfeed my second baby. 

I was contacted by Chicco asking if I would like to review their new baby bottles, the NaturalFeeling range. Of course I was more than happy to give them a go when the baby was born. I wanted to be fully prepared for days and nights of round-the-clock expressing and bottlefeeding.

The thing is BB latched straight away and breastfeeding is going really well. In fact too well, and my little baby bear refuses a bottle. Refuses every bottle.

chicco-naturalfeeling-collageI have tried to Chicco bottle with him a few of times but we just haven’t got anywhere with it. This isn’t a reflection on the bottles themselves, I’ve tried numerous brands, but he’s all about the boob.

The bottles themselves are a great design. They are easy to hold, easy to clean and the angle of the teat means it’s easier for you to feed baby. Just unfortunately not my baby!

chicco-naturalfeeling-bbA little bit about the range.

The NaturalFeeling bottle range are designed to replicate the instinctive way baby feeds. The angled teat ensures correct and intuitive suction, just like at your breast, giving you peace of mind.

We were sent the Blue Gift Set which includes:

• 5oz/150ml bottle with slow flow teat.

• 9oz/250ml bottle with slow flow teat.

• 1x Physio Soft soother, made of 100% ultra soft silicone, perfect for night & day use.

As well as an additional 250ml bottle and extra teats, so I can offer him a faster flow if he needs it.

I will keep trying BB with a bottle, I’m not convinced he will ever take one, but I’ll try my best so I have the option to let daddy take over.

If you’re looking for a baby bottle or are planning on bottlefeeding then go and take a look at the new Chicco range and decide for themselves if they are the bottle for you.

 ~A~

*I was sent these products free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All words are my own.

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BBs 5 Month Update

BB'S-5-month-update-pinI’m a little late writing BB’s update. You see, my baby bear seems to have picked up feeding every 3 hours through the night again and I’m more exhausted than I was when he was 5 weeks old!

This update will probably be a bit meh as I’ve hardly had time to think about his developments this month. I can’t remember the last time he slept through until the early hours.

The past month has been probably my busiest of the year. At the beginning of September we went on holiday the following week I turned 30 but we can after that the slam had a stomach bug the week off to that my brother got married and the week after that I took a trip to London with BB by myself. 

Last month we were down to 1 night feed. He would go to bed around 7 then feed 5-7 hours later. Then again 4 hours later. While we were on holiday he actually slept through till 4:30 AM which was amazing.

But it seems he’s picked up several extra feeds and the 4 month sleep regression has most certainly morphed into the 5 month sleep regression.

According to the wonder weeks we were supposed to be in a sunny period and even though baby bear is happy during the day he’s just not sleeping at night.

I’ve put a lot of effort into our bedtime routine and it seemed to be working, but everything changed when we hit the four months. He goes to bed around 6 PM and has picked up his late evening feed between nine and 10. Hence why I’m struggling to keep up with the blog. By the time i’ve had my dinner and got my laptop out, he’s awake again. And of course only I can feed him.

Anyway, enough of the moaning.

Feeding

We are still exclusively breastfeeding. I am still trying him with a bottle but no luck so far (other than the one time he took the NUK bottle). Like I’ve mentioned above we are back to feeding every 3 hours at night. I’m trying to settle him without milk, but at the end of the day, he’s only 5 months old and growing fast. He may just need the extra milk.

I’m not ready to stop breastfeeding, but would just like the option to go out knowing I don’t have to rush back. But as people keep telling me, they aren’t little for long and I do love the extra cuddles when I’m feeding him.

Sleeping

Baby bear is such a light sleeper which means he rarely sleeps for longer than an hour. He’s completely different to his big brother.

I was hoping by 6 months we would be in a napping routine. 2 long naps a day in his crib. We are far from this. He naps sporadically throughout the day, either in the pram, on me or on the sofa. If I put him his crib he wakes up after 10 minutes. I wonder if my bedroom is too light? Maybe it’s time to bring out the GroBlind.

If you go back and read my 4 month update, you will see he was sleeping so well at night. I really hope we get back to this so I can get some sleep. It doesn’t help that I have an under-active thyroid which makes me tired anyway. Add sleep deprivation and boom, you’ve got a loony mum.

My goal is to have him napping upstairs in his crib by 6 months. Let’s see if I can achieve this.

Development

Sitting unaided is still a struggle, so therefore I’m not ready to start weaning. We will see what he’s like at 6 months and decide again then. I want to do baby led weaning predominately, but if his sitting seems to be slowly developing, I may begin with purees for the first couple of weeks. I think this will ease me in to the weaning process anyway.

He is showing a lot if interest in food. His eyes follow me with every bite, so I’m sure it won’t be too much longer before I give him his first tastes.

I just can’t believe we’re almost weaning already. What happened to my newborn?!

He is rolling all over the place and can do a full roll either front to back then back to his front, or visa versa. I can’t leave him for more than a minute or he will end up in the other side of the room!

He really wants to crawl too. He can actually get across the floor by raising his knees and pushing his body, but just hasn’t figured out what to do with his hands yet. I’m pretty confident we’ll have an early crawler. Wish me luck!

He’s still such a happy baby and is always laughing. The boys are still besties. There are moments when Lamb is playing with BB and they are genuinely looking at each other and laughing together. It’s like their special way of communicating and it melts my heart.

I’m going to wrap it up there. Hopefully the next update will be all about how well he’s sleeping, and you never know, we might have some first tastes to talk about!

~A~

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Sleepyhead Deluxe Review

sleepyhead-review-pinYou may have seen on social media Baby Bear has been sleeping in a Sleepyhead Deluxe. I’m a huge fan of baby nests and when he was close to outgrowing his previous one I knew I wanted to try the Sleepyhead.

I only had one concern when our gorgeous Sleepyhead arrived. Does it fit in the Snuzpod?!

Answer. YES. Phew.

sleepyhead fullOne thing parents worry about when they have a new baby is sleep. Will they sleep, how long will they sleep, are they sleeping safely?

The Sleepyhead Deluxe (0-8 months) offers your  baby a secure and snuggly place to sleep, ensuring they feel cuddled and comforted. Not only does it offer a safe place to sleep, it can also be used in several other ways.

Take it downstairs and put under a baby gym and use as a play mat. Lay them on their fronts during tummy time. Take it with you when staying away and pop it next to you in bed giving them a place to sleep if you don’t have a crib. It has a convenient carry handle for transportation.

As well as having multiple uses, there are also multiple advantages to using a Sleepyhead Deluxe. The security it offers helps reduce startle reflex which happens in babies aged 0-6 months. Meaning they sleep more soundly. The design of the Sleepyhead and materials it is made from helps reduce the risk of flat-head syndrome. It also reinvents the womb offering a snug and soothing environment.

img_6102Using the Sleepyhead pod has definitely become part of our routine. If we ever stay anywhere and don’t have it with us, BB definitely doesn’t sleep as well.

I have had people ask me on social media if the Sleepyhead is worth the money it costs, and personally I think it is. But I think anything that helps a baby sleep soundly and safely is worth the money!

Although BB isn’t sleeping through the night yet, we are still in a good bedtime routine and he goes to sleep by himself pretty well.

A combination of lavender bath products, white noise, GroBag and the Sleepyhead in our Snuzpod, all contributes to my baby boy sleeping happily. (Even if it isn’t for very long!)

sleepyhead & ewanThe Sleepyhead Deluxe is definitely on my list of recommended baby products. Whether you have a new baby or are currently expecting, you should definitely consider putting this on your wish list or gift list. Why not ask the Grandparents to buy it for you?!

Oh, and I’ll be definitely upgrading to the Sleepyhead Grande when he’s bigger.

~A~

* This product was sent to me free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All words are my own.

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Our Baby Bedtime Routine #BepanthenBedtimeChallenge

baby-bedtime-routine-pinA few people have told me breastfed babies can’t get into a routine, but I disagree. Of course, any routine with a breastfed baby isn’t set in stone, but BB has definitely got a rough routine as to when he feeds and sleeps.

For example, he almost certainly has a feed around 6 am but always goes back to sleep afterwards.

He then feeds again around 9 and then needs a nap.

Throughout the day is more sporadic. He could go 3 hours between feeds, but it’s often more like 2 to 2 1/2. However today he fed much less than normal. Soft play is rather distracting to a 4 month old…

He doesn’t have any sort of daytime routine yet. No set times for naps. I can certainly tell when he’s tired though. However I am seeing similarities in when he falls asleep each day.

I’ve tried my hardest to get into some sort of bedtime routine so I can have a few hours to myself before I go to bed.

When he was a little younger he couldn’t go to bed before 8pm. If he did he always woke around that time for a feed.

As he’s got older and is engaging with things more; taking more in and moving more, I’ve been able to slowly bring his bedtime forward to around 7pm.

Like I said earlier, nothing is set in stone, but we do have a routine we follow, however the time will vary depending on how tired BB is.

Our Bedtime Routine

img_60476-6:30pm – Daddy is in charge of bathtime. His new job means he gets home from work around 5pm. This allows him to spend time playing with Lamb, then he takes BB for his bath. If BB seems extra tired we will begin the bedtime routine at 5:45, but just take our time so he’s not in bed too early.

Last night, for example, we had an early bedtime. BB was pretty grizzly by 5:40pm so after Daddy and Lamb finished their shower, Daddy bathed baby and I got his PJs etc ready. We always use a bedtime bubble bath (one that’s lavender scented). Either Johnsons or Child’s Farm. At the moment we are using Little Angels Vapour Bath as we all seem to have picked up colds recently. Honestly you need to try this when the kids (or even you) have the lurg!

Lots of splashing around hopefully tires the little boy out some more…

Once Daddy has finished he will pass BB to me. I always use bedtime baby powder, not only to help dry his skin, but to also add the lavender scent. Scent can also be part of a routine.

On goes his nappy with a layer of Bepanthen to protect him from nappy rash. (FYI the new flip lid is sooooooo much easier to use than the screw top!)

If I take too long dressing him, BB gets rather agitated. He knows what’s coming and he hates waiting for it… milk!

bedtime routine bath

The lights go out apart from the soft glow from our Gro Light. I switch on the white noise and we snuggle in bed while I feed him. My favourite time of day.

BB will almost definitely fall asleep on the boob. Once I feel he’s finished his feed I prop him up onto my shoulder and hope he does a little burp. Sometimes this wakes him up and he looks up at me and smiles. Those big blue eyes melt my heart every time he smiles at me, and all of a sudden the exhaustion and stress seem a million miles away.

baby bedtime routine feedNow that the weather is a little cooler we have added one more product to our bedtime routine. The Gro Bag. We have used a summer one a few times, but it’s now time to use the 2.5 tog. BB is then put into his sleepyhead which sits in his SnuxPod and he sleeps soundly (most of the time) until his next feed.

Which at the moment are every 2-3 hours during the night. Damn you 4 month sleep regression.

baby bedtime routine sleepRoutine Summary

  1. Bath with bedtime bubblebath.
  2. Dry with bedtime baby powder.
  3. Protect little bum with Bepanthen.
  4. Lights out. Gro Light on.
  5. White noise playing.
  6. Breastfeed.
  7. Burp.
  8. Gro Bag.
  9. Sleepyhead & SnuzPod.
  10. Lots of night feeds… *yawn*

Although a breastfed baby may not be able to feed at set times, they can certainly be put into a bedtime routine by repeating the same steps each night. BB is proof off that.

Like with any baby, there are many reasons why a routine could be broken. However, I’m confident that we are definitely in a bedtime routine and we are both happy with it.

As BB gets older we will adapt his routine to suit his age, for example, we will start reading a bedtime story to him with his brother. Which I’m really looking forward to. Family snuggles.

Do you have a bedtime routine?

~A~

*This post is an entry for #BepanthenBedtimeChallenge, sponsored by Bepanthen. Learn more at www.facebook.com/Bepanthen or www.bepanthen.co.uk

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Ewan The Dream Sheep Review

ewan-review-pinAfter BB was born it took us a few weeks to realise how vital white noise was. I always knew it was something parents used to soothe their babies, but it never crossed my mind to try it. Boy do I wish I used it with Lamb…

One random evening when BB was proving quite difficult to settle in his crib, I searched for white noise on youtube and began playing it on my phone. Within seconds he was hooked on the sound and slowly falling asleep. It was honestly like he was drugged or hypnotised! Since that night I’ve used white noise on a daily basis. It’s got me through fussy evenings, long car journeys (we all know how much BB hates the car) and sleepless nights.

It’s safe to say I’m indebted to white noise.

If you haven’t heard of Ewan The Dream Sheep and you have a new baby then you need to read on.

Award winning Ewan is a favourite with parents for helping their little ones relax and settle at night. Available in purple or grey (of course I have grey), the dream sheep emits 4 different sounds and and has a calming pink glow to help soothe baby.

What I find fascinating is the sounds from Ewan are actual heartbeat and womb recordings so you know what baby is hearing is the real deal and extremely familiar!

ewan cribThe 4 sounds are all mixed with a recording of a heartbeat, meaning no matter which one you play, it will have some sort of familiarity to your baby.

At the moment we only use the sounds and have switched the light off. This is my personal preference as I don’t want the light to distract BB when he’s nodding off (something I’ve noticed happen when I’ve put a night light on).

Using his velcro tail, Ewan can be fastened to a cot bar, car seat or pram, ensuring he stays safe and by baby’s side. His tail can also be used to attach a dummy or teething ring.

One tip is to play Ewan from day 1, even in the hospital. That way baby gets used to the comforting sound straight away.

We take Ewan everywhere. Literally. I panic if I don’t have him.

ewan pram

As well as Ewan the Dream Sheep, we also have the Ewan Snuggly. A comforter version of Ewan. In all honesty BB fell in love with his Snuggly straight away. His face lights up when I give it to him.

Like Ewan, the snuggly has a velcro tail meaning he can be tied to the pram or attached to a dummy, so nothing gets lost. We all know how easy it is to lose things, especially baby stuff.

What’s great about the Ewan products is the fabric. They are seriously soft and cuddly, and can even absorb a parents scent to offer extra reassurance.

ewan snuggly

To prove to you how much Ewan is loved by families I’ve asked a few of my blogging buddies to tell me why they love Ewan.

“I ❤️ Ewan. We had one with our first baby and couldn’t have lived without it. We had to buy a second one for baby two as it was still very much in use! I loved the lullaby too 🙂 ” – 2 Boys 1 Mum

“It literally changed our lives! We had a baby that wouldn’t sleep anywhere but on us and my sister bought us Ewan in the hope that he’d fix that. And he did! Zach suddenly started sleeping better and Ewan became his (and our) best friend. He still has him 4 years later although some of his legs no longer work! We just bought a brand new one for our newborn (who typically loves sleeping!)” – Mumma Scribbles

“Ewan has the ability to bring calm in the midst of a storm. From being a newborn at our bedside to an independent toddler Ewan has helped us through some rough times. He has the ability to relax stressed Mama’s too! He’s also easy to travel with which I love.” – LeeLee Loves

“We have Russel the sheep dog as we were late total the party. My son loved him and it helped him calm down at night and settle quicker.” – Mum To A Monster

“We absolutely loved Ewan when Rowan was a little smaller. We purchased Ewan after a few weeks of Rowan not wanting to go to sleep in his cot. As soon as we introduced Ewan he calmed down so much and found him so relaxing, I did too actually. He’s currently sat on a shelf waiting to be used again next year with a cuddle now and again from Rowan during the day  “ – Mummy Lala

The Ewan bundle is definitely a favourite in our house. It’s now on my list of must haves for new Mums and when a friend or family member has a baby I will certainly recommend it or even buy as their new baby gift.

~A~

*I was sent this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All words are my own.

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