babyurbeautiful

So it's payday (one of my last before I go onto the pittance that is statutory maternity pay), and I have been browsing for maternity wear for winter that will double as nursing wear for breastfeeding once the baby is born-no point in paying out twice, and will probably never wear maternity wear again afterwards otherwise. (Am 27 weeks pregnant).

Here are my top picks from my fave maternity store, and also a fave of many celeb mummas, www.seraphine.com


Black Roll Neck Nursing Top 
£29.00 from www.seraphine.com


Long enough to cover a bump (get a size up to be comfy), and perfect for breastfeeding with a double layer opening panel at the front. Made of bamboo fibre, more ethical than cotton, this top also feels silky soft for sensitive skin. Wash on delicates. A wardrobe staple.

Black Rollneck Knitted Maternity Jumper 
£65.00 from www.seraphine.com


This ribbed, neutral style is another wardrobe staple to mix and match. It has a button down detail that allows for this chunky knit roll neck style to provide a comfortable option for breastfeeding during winter. It is 4% Cashmere 4% Angora 18% Cotton 18% Lambwool 33% Viscose 23% Nylon. Cold hand wash with extreme care.

Grey Colour Block Knitted Maternity Tunic 
£44.00 from www.seraphine.com



This knitted tunic is a super soft and warm blend of bamboo yarn and wool. The large funnel neck opens up with a stylish popper opening system to allow for different looks and adapt to the changing temperatures. Wear it open for a shawl effect or close it down.

Grey Wrap Front Maternity and Nursing Jumper 
£55.00 from www.seraphine.com


This a great discreet system for easy feeding. The easy open drape front panel cleverly conceals a breastfeeding friendly opening to allow for nursing. Use the panel as a cover for both when feeding in public. The soft bamboo knit is perfect for bump during pregnancy as well as post birth.Wash on delicates or by hand as I shrunk my last one of these!


Grey Nursing Shawl 
£42.00 from www.seraphine.com






This versatile piece can be worn as a shawl, scarf, or used to swaddle baby, and comes with useful poppers in a soft bamboo viscose blend. A great investment and looks fab with skinny jeans.


Breastfeeding Turtleneck light grey 
£55.00 from www.seraphine.com



The clever cross front design allows you to swaddle your baby while feeding for complete discretion.Great for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

CB

SPONSORED POST
My Little Star Cotton Soft Baby Wipes, 
79p for 56 (fragrance free)
Available from www.superdrug.com
So while I'm waiting for 'pending' bubba's birth, I'm rather naughtily and somewhat greedily helping myself to his odds and sods. If it's not daddy sniffing and sampling his wares, it's me 'testing' them out. NB: stealing them.
First things first, in my massively exhausted state I can't be bothered to wash my face or clean my teeth (no change there then).  I languidly scrabble about for the closest something to wipe away the grease and grime of the day  - and I happened to stumble across Superdrug's Little Star baby bottom wipes - perfect for the face then!
Most alien items react with my skin like paint stripper and leave me sore, red raw and irritated. 

After a hectic couple of weeks packing and a pretty stressful move day we are finally in our lovely new seventies retro home. All that's missing is a bowl for the keys :-D

It's a new mum curse: trying to make sure our hands are constantly germ free when touching our newborn, yet changing nappies and washing bottles every 2 seconds with no time to don the gloves! When my daughter was first born, my hands were almost raw and I could find nothing to soothe them, not even E45 (not a fave due to its lanolin content anyway- sheep wax, yuk!)

 My daughter is now 21 months old so my hands are just starting to recover a bit, but even now with potty training, cooking, cleaning etc they feel pretty rough and in serious need of some TLC!

I decided to test out loads of hand creams to see if any of them could heal my chapped hands. Here are the top results:

Help at Hand, Hand Cream 
£7.95 for 50ml
from Green People at www.greenpeople.co.uk



Help at Hand is a rich cream aimed at people with normal, dry or irritated hands. As usual, Green people have not disappointed. This was one of my very favourite creams.

It is rich but not greasy and sinks in easily. It has a light, pleasant scent but that doesn't linger too long. It feels really moisturising even a few hours after application. It comes in a small 50ml pump format with lid, so it is easy to throw into your handbag and doesn't leak or get messy.

This is a certified organic hand cream containing 91% certified organic ingredients and 100% fairly traded ingredients. It contains organic olive, hemp, beeswax, lavender and rose geranium oil.

It is a 'rescue remedy' for ‘hard-working’ hands and sensitive skin which both protects against moisture loss and acts as a light, non-greasy barrier cream, with a fragrant, calming scent and without nasties such as parabens, alcohol, phthalates, petrochemicals.

It states that it is vegetarian not vegan due to the beeswax content. Personally I eat vegan, but I still eat honey and use beeswax. A personal choice.


Seams Hand Cream
£9.50 for 50ml
Available from www.seamsbeauty.co.uk 



Originally designed for seamstresses at fashion shows to ensure smooth skin on the fabrics, this hand treatment is designed to be intense and restorative and deliver long lasting hydration. The light non greasy formula absorbs fast and will leave no residue on baby. Fragonia Oil gives anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial protection, shea Butter protects and nourishes, Macadamia Nut Oil improves suppleness and softens, Garden Cress evens skin tone and fades and prevents age spots, Keratin strengthens nails, and Glycerin heals burns, bites and cuts.

This cream smells lovely and does the job it claims to. Nice consistency, medium thick but not greasy. Really moisturising on chapped hands.Small, handbag friendly tube.

Bronnley Honey Blossom Hand and Nail Cream
£8.75 for 100ml
Available at www.bronnley.co.uk



This is a lovely smelling Honey Blossom fragranced hand and nail cream. Ingredients include extracts of Honey and Royal Jelly, Shea Butter, Evening Primrose Oil, Sweet Almond Protein, Vitamin E and Keratin to strengthen nails.

This is quite thick and really moisturising for dry hands, without being greasy. Really smells of honey, but in a good way!

Again not strictly vegan due to the honey content. However, personally I eat vegan, but I still eat honey. As stated above, personal choice.


DrOrganic Coconut Hand Cream

£5.99 for 100ml from www.hollandandbarrett.com




DrOrganic products contain bioactive, natural and organic ingredients. This hand cream is made from lots of scrummy smelling tropical organic oils, triglycerides and fruit extracts such as Organic Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Extract (the predominant scent), Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Cocoa butter, Papaya Fruit Extract, Mango Fruit Extract, Cocoa Seed Extract, Mangosteen Fruit Extract, Fig Fruit Extract, Orange Fruit Extract, Bergamot Fruit Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Lime Oil, Vanilla Extract, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Good slim bag size tube but I keep this by the wash basin, as this cream is best if used every time you wash your hands to keep the moisture levels up. It's not as thick as the other creams mentioned here so perhaps not as good for repair but rather for prevention of further chapping. The natural ingredients and wonderful texture/smell make it a favourite for me, as well as the reasonable price.

Eau Thermale Avène Hand Cream with Cold Cream 
£7.50 for 75ml
Available from www.boots.com


Cold cream is a traditional cream which mixes water and fats (such as beeswax) to soothe the skin.

This rich cold cream contains beeswax and paraffinum liquidum mineral oil (used to lock in moisture) mixed with Avène Thermal Spring Water (a very low mineralised water, rich in silica and trace elements, which has been clinically proven to be naturally soothing, anti-irritating and anti-free radical). It also contains sucralfate, a powerful healing agent used in medical products which allows for rapid tissue regeneration.

I don't usually like to use products with mineral oils such as paraffinum liquidum, which is a petrochemical, a derivative of crude oil. However, when hands are severely chapped and sore then it calls for something stronger than many of the more natural formulas can provide, and this is just the job. This really helps to restore sore mummy hands to normality, making them feel immediately soft and silky, and it smells nice too. Another good handbag size.

CB

No, not children in this case! I recently had a very fishy pedicure in Paphos after some (read A LOT) of goading from my husband.

Fragrance free this natural handmade soap is made with organic butters, oils and essential oils to be rich and nourishing yet suitable for your delicate, sensitive skin. The 100% natural orgnaic ingredients are: Coconut Oil: Smoothes, softens and protects, removes dead skin cells. Olive Oil: Nourishes, softens and protects. Anti-inflammatory and packed with vitamins. Cocoa Butter: Soothing and repairing to dry, damaged skin. Shea Butter: Moisturising and nourishing, soothes sensitive skin, protects and heals dry, damaged skin, stimulates cell growth. Apricot Kernel Oil: Softens and smoothes sensitive skin, soothing on inflamed, dry skin. This soap is also palm oil free which is a bonus for anyone who knows the devastating effects of palm oil on the environment.

I don't usually use soap on my face and body due to it's drying effect but this didn't have that effect at all and was fine for face washing particularly making skin feel nice and clean but not squeaky clean, rather soft. Was therefore happy to use it on bubs who has sensitive skin. I also use it as a handsoap which is good for my chapped hands. Nice to know there are no nasties in it and that it's safe for bubba. Lasts for absolutely ages!!
This body butter is designed as a very gentle moisturiser for babies and young children, with soothing lavender and chamomile essential oils. It is packed with gorgeous smelling oils and organic ingredients: Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil,  Sweet Almond Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, and Chamomile Essential Oil. Apparently it is also useful for allergies, eczema, urticaria and all dry, flaky, itchy skin conditions.

When you open the pot, it looks like someone poured a liquid in and it solidified in random waves- very 'natural' looking. Smells gorgeous. If you scrape some out and warm it in your hand then rub it on body and bump it feels extremely moisturising. A little greasy at first but soon sinks in. definitely good for extra dry skin and for the baby bump and any stretch mark areas. Also perfect for dry baby skin.

A little pricey but a little goes a long way and it's worth it to know it is ethical and contains absolutely nothing bad at all and is safe for expecting mums and babies.

The products also arrived in lovely packaging with dried rose buds on top, a lovely touch.

CB

When you get to where I am, 33 weeks - most things, unless seam free cut into your wobbly bits and bump. So it's imperative you ditch the usual £1 knickers from Primark, and invest in some proper bump-friendly brassieres and knickers THAT LOOK NICE!

Hello Cake lingerie. Sold in over 45 countries - including loads of department stores like Debenhams - The Cake brand is the tasty underwear morsels we've been waiting for.


I received some Cotton Candy Seamless Brief and Luxury Seamless Nursing Bra and despite wincing at the small label (am buying Medium and Large ATM so they sit low) - I eased myself in seamlessly (scuse the pun) soft knickers.

With decadent names like 'licorice', 'cotton candy' 'rocky road' and 'sherbert' they prove that maternity undies can be sexy, and the soft nude and pink hues are really flattering against my pasty, mottled, veiny skin!

Seriously though, I'm really impressed - and so grateful to have found these. I purchased some La Senza items the weekend before and spent the day hoiking them up and rubbing where they were cutting in.

So mummas if you're finally ditching your usual Primark numbers, and want to show dad you're a HOT MUMMA - have your cake - and eat up the praise!

LN

I hate germs!! Anyone who knows me will testify that I have always had a strong aversion to dirt, mess and germs. Unfortunately having a baby/toddler means both my hands and bubba's are constantly getting grubby with sticky food, wee, poo etc. Now that my daughter is 20 months old and we have started potty training, this is even more relevant. Yesterday she touched the loo seat and I freaked out and made her wash her hands. She actually loves soap and washing her hands, oops!

Anyway, as we all know, it can be impossible to find proper hand-washing facilities when out and about, particularly when potty training a child who has no idea they shouldn't touch certain grubby things!

Usually I carry both anti-bacterial wipes and anti-bac gel. However, I am always a little worried about the chemicals they contain absorbing into our skin, with bubba being so young and sensitive, and me being pregnant and breastfeeding, Therefore the following product is a godsend!

Organic Children Sticky Hand Sanitiser
£9.95 for 100ml
from www.greenpeople.co.uk



Containing organic aloe vera, tea tree extract, orange and mandarin, the Green People Organic Children’s Sticky Hand Sanitiser is a great alternative to mainstream hand sanitisers that use chemical ingredients such as alcohol which can strip and dry out the skin, and Triclosan which has been linked to hormone disruption.
Tea Tree extract provides the antiseptic properties.

This sinks in easily and doesn't leave any residue or smell. I feel safe putting it on bubba's hands when no soap and water is available, and carry it everywhere using a quick squirt when hands get sticky or grubby and wiping with a tissue if necessary.  It is a foam and one squirt is plenty and you get up to 200 squirts per bottle.

My only suggestion would be for a mini-size for the handbag so it is more easily grabbable, because currently I put it in the changing bag as it is big in enough to make a handbag that extra bit heavy.

Give it a squirt for yourself!

CB