babyurbeautiful

Shhh! You'll wake the baby!

It's taken me ages to post this, but I have a demanding bubba and wanted to give my bag a fair trial.

The Babyzen Yoyo Buggy

I recently wrote about an exciting new lightweight and foldable pushchair on the market called the Babyzen YOYO, and now have an exciting new update!


I was a little disappointed previously that the old version of the buggy was only suitable from 6 months and  up to 15kg. (The Bugaboo Bee is suitable from birth.) The seat was also not reversible (as the Bugaboo Bee is), and only forward facing, which was targeted towards toddlers rather than newborn babies, who like to keep their parents in view! However, the new Babyzen YOYO is now suitable to use from birth and can be used forward facing and outward facing. The YOYO 0+ will have all the same great features as the existing YOYO 6+ (suitable for 6 months+), but will accommodate babies from birth. The stylish newborn stroller is rear-facing with a pop-up canopy that can be adjusted to 3 positions, a foot cover and head support and a 5 point harness. By removing the newborn nest and adding the 6+ pack (seat base and hood), parents can convert the YOYO 0+ to the existing YOYO 6+, an outward facing stroller with multi-position reclining seat.

It is still the smallest folding buggy in the world and the only buggy that can be taken on board a plane as hand luggage-the first buggy in the world to fully comply with size recommendation for cabin baggage. Anyone who has flown with a young child will also be familiar with the hassle of having to get the buggy packed away into the main luggage hold as it is simply too big to take on as hand luggage. The YOYO is truly compact buggy (52 x 44 x 18 cm when folded), great for planes, as well as squeezing into a car boot etc. (The Bugaboo Bee is 88 x 43 x 31).

Anyone who travels or uses public transport knows how annoying large pushchairs are, so this is great.

Apparently, the revolutionary new Babyzen YOYO travel buggy has been flying out of the shops since it launched here in the UK in 2013. And now that the newborn version has just launched this month they are expecting their first batch to sell out just as quickly.



The feature that really caught my attention is the weight: it is only 6 kg! This is half the weight of most buggies and less than the Bugaboo Bee at 8.5kg, which I purchased mainly because it was one of the lightest  on the market, (amongst other things.) Although my Bee is fairly easy to manoeuvre on public transport, it is still pretty heavy to lift up and down stairs at stations with no elevator, especially with a toddler sitting in it! This is even more relevant now that I am pregnant again! Those extra few kg can make all the difference!

It is also very good value:

• YOYO 0+ with new born nest £375 
• YOYO 6+ with outward facing seat base £319 
• Complete YOYO with New Born Nest and 6+ Seat base £445 
• The YOYO 0+ can be converted into a YOYO 6+ by adding a seat base and 6+ colour pack for just £70

Of course, you could just get a cheaper stroller if you have a toddler, but it won't have a lot of the features of a proper buggy, especially the following: Just like the Bugaboo Bee, the folding mechanism on the YOYO allows it to be opened and folded in seconds with just one hand, and it can then also be carried over your shoulder with the detachable shoulder strap. You can see the video demo here: http://www.babyzen.com/video-yoyo.php.

BabyZen list the other key features as follows:

• 4-wheel suspension.
• Exclusive "soft-drive" system: no need to lock the front swivel wheel, even on rough terrain.
• Reclinable backrest, removable and washable fabrics

.

You can also buy some accessories (similar to the Bugaboo's) such as the cup holder, footmuff and brolly.

Unfortunately,  It is also not possible to replace the seat with a compatible care seat as you can on the Bugaboo I'm afraid, a useful feature for Mums about town getting taxis. However, if you live in a big city, you can always put the whole buggy into a black cab. TOP TIP: The new Hailo phone app has been a lifesaver for me on this front, enabling me to travel in taxis without the car seat, and enabling me to hail a cab in minutes wherever I am, via the app, rather than standing out on the street trying to find one.

The handlebar is not adjustable as the Bugaboo is, but thanks to its curved and 106 cm high handlebar, it is comfortable to drive a YOYO, no matter how tall you are.


The YOYO is available in red, black and blue, grey and pink. Covers are interchangeable.



So for all you keen travellers and Mums-about-town- get your hands on this great value portable buggy right away!

There is a full list of stockists on the babyzen website, but if you want to buy online try www.huggle.co.uk
or www.pramworld.co.uk

Visit their website for more info www.babyzen.com

CB

FOR YOU:

• Clothes and toothbrush for your partner if they need to stay (mine stayed all week with me last time as bubs was in special care unit)
• Comfy clothes for you to leave hospital in (don't think you will fot back in your old clothes! You will need maternity bottoms with soft waistband and nursing tops) including nursing bras
• Your own breast pump
• Breastfeeding pillow
• TENS machine if you're using one
• Birthing ball if they don't supply them and you think it's worth it
• Breast pads (tons)
• Breastfeeding vitamin supplements
• Bottled water (a week's supply in case you are kept in)
• Fan, preferably with water spray (see amazon.co.uk for this)
• Flannel to mop down sweaty labour forehead
• Disposable slippers (you won't want to keep them after treading yukky hospital floors with all those bugs)
• Phone and charger
• Camera and charger
• Ipad and charger or kindle- for moments of boredom if kept in
• Ipod and charger plus battery powered speakers if you want to play music in your birth suite
• Button down pyjamas
• Cosy dressing gown
• Cosy socks (a week's supply in case you are kept in)
• Nipple cream
• Disposable pants (a week's supply in case you are kept in)
• Extra absorbent night time pads with wings (a week's supply in case you are kept in) (maternity pads are horrid)
• Snacks (a week's supply in case you are kept in) (hospital food is horrid)
• Toiletries including dry shampoo
• Makeup and mirror- bronzer in particular, lip balm
• Hairbrush and scrunchies/hair bands
• Your own paracetamol/cocodamol in case you miss the dispensing nurses rounds while in loo or tending to baby
• Your own tissues/loo roll/soap
• Cash for taxis, snack machines etc
• Ear plugs!!
•  

FOR BABY:

• Baby swaddles (otherwise you won't be able to sleep worrying about SIDS)
• Baby nappies (a week's supply in case you are kept in, that could be a pack a day!)
• Cotton wool to clean baby (they say not to use wipes on newborn)
• Top and tail bowl
• Babygros (a week's supply in case you are kept in)
• Baby hat, socks, mittens (a week's supply in case you are kept in)
• Baby muslins
• Car seat
• Warm outfit for baby's trip home

Apparently hospitals don't like you bringing in a big suitcase, but unless you are able to have someone on standby to bring a second bag I say bring it all just to be safe!

Good luck ladies!

CB

Since our beloved CB is ready to give birth any day, the three of us thought we'd share musings about the inconvenient truth they call giving birth.

1. Most hospitals won't admit you until you're 4cm dilated, so be prepared to be sent home if you're not (some women make several trips over a few hours or days) - even if your contractions are coming every few minutes.












2. You won't get any pain relief until you're admitted either so you'll be stuck with paracetamol, tens machine and if you're lucky a back rub or two.











3. And they can't give you gas and air until you're at least 6cm dilated, regardless of how much pain you're in.












4. You will probably swear - a lot!













5. The midwife may change a few times depending on how many shifts your labour covers












6. That calming music you chose so carefully may make you want to smash your ipod against the wall!















7. Hypno what's that now?













8. You won't want to sit on your birthing ball, you'll want to get on all fours and cry













9. Very few of the pain relieving tips you learnt in your pre-natal classes will enter your head once the contractions start in earnest













10. During the pushing stage you will wish you'd done more of those yoga squats!














11. If you're taking too long to dilate you'll probably get kicked out of that lovely relaxing birth suite and onto a ward












12. The pain is indescribable, like nothing you have ever or will ever experience














13. If you have an epidural you might end up looking like the elephant man afterwards with a swollen and droopy face (temporarily of course). Not great for those post-birth photos your partner is so keen on taking!












14. An epidural will also make your feet, ankles and possibly legs swell up to twice their normal size













15. Every man, woman and their dog will get to see your lady bits up close and personal - but you'll hardly notice











16. Your birthing partner will be so freaked (but hopefully good at hiding it)
























17. Post birth if they are short on beds in private rooms you may be chucked on a ward with loads of screaming children and not allowed to leave












18. There will be at least one militant midwife who, if you are having trouble breastfeeding, would rather your baby lost weight and went hungry than give them formula.










19. If you have to stay in hospital overnight you'll find yourself suddenly left alone with your baby when they make your partner leave at 8pm when visiting hours end













20. Even though you're exhausted and in pain, you'll still somehow find the inner strength to wake up for your newborn when he/she cries.













Of course this is by no means an exhaustive list! Please do add your own experiences in our comments section.

RL / LN / CB xx

I'm now nearly 40 weeks pregnant, due on Saturday 18th, and I must say that what with Christmas and looking after my 2 year old I am absolutley shattered.

When I get into bed at night it takes me ages to get to sleep because my back and legs ache like hell! I'm guessing that most pregnant women also feel like this.

Unfortunately, Paracetamol is the only oral painkiller safe to take during pregnancy, and even then experts advise taking the minimum dose for the shortest time possible. (See NHS website). Personally, I won't even take that I would rather try to suffer through it just in case.

This Deep Freeze Patch may be the answer!



I'm actually wearing three patches right now (shoulder blade, lower back and lower leg muscle) as I am having terrible aches and pains in my back and legs, and I am loving them! They feel really soothing a tingly cool, and afterwards the pain really does ease off.

Cryotherapy (cold cooling pain relief therapy) provided by the Deep Freeze range is safe and simple-to-use in pregnancy. Cold is particularly useful for muscular pain as it reduces swelling and inflammation, which is known to stimulate nerve endings which can increase pain. Like an ice pack, but more convenient and easy to use, Deep Freeze works by lowering the temperature of the skin and underlying tissue which helps numb nerve endings and reduces both pain and swelling.
 “The extra weight of having a baby on board, changes to posture and your centre of gravity and the muscle-relaxing effect of pregnancy hormones can all individually lead to discomfort. Put them together, and add a demanding toddler or job, and it’s no wonder 75% of women suffer lower-back pain during pregnancy,” says mum-of-two Dr Catherine Hood, an associate specialist at St George’s Hospital, London.

The Deep Freeze range of cold analgesia products are simple to carry around and don’t require cooling before use. It contains menthol, aloe vera and water in a hydrogel layer which slowly evaporates to produce prolonged cooling relief for up to three hours. The slim patch is peeled off the backing and slapped onto the skin where it sticks and stays in place and easily and can be worn under clothing. Deep Freeze Cold Patch also provides effective relief for swollen ankles, a common pregnancy problem.

RRP is £1.55 for a single patch and £5.10 for a pack of four patches.


Buy from www.boots.com or www.superdrug.com

CB

I thought for a little treat to myself I'd have some semi-perm lashes applied. But in the early hours of the morning in my sleep deprived state I breastfed and pulled them out one by one.

Everyone needs a bosom for a pillow... Or indeed, a breast feeding pillow.

"How was your Christmas?", everyone at work is asking today. Umm, shit, I think - "lovely" I answer. OK it wasn't that bad but me, Lucy and hubby all had mild flu and apart from giving us an excuse to veg on the sofa for two weeks it pretty much ruined the festive atmosphere. And we couldn't taste our Christmas dinner either, so double bummer :-)

Consequently waking up that first morning to go to work was a shocker, I can tell you, especially on looking in the mirror at my sickly green pallor and dark eye circles. Looking back at the photos from that Christmas week I can clearly see that the make-up I desperately applied didn't hide the lurgy at all so under the strip lights at work I need all the help I can get! 

But luckily I got a Christmas gift, courtesy of my mum, which has made things a bit better. When we have colds we stuff ourselves with Vitamic C, but I found the quickest way to revive my skin was to slap on some of The Body Shop's Vitamin C range.  It didn't eliminate my tired eyes (you can't get rid of pink-eye that easily!) but it definitely gave my skin a much needed lift.

My gift was three items: Energising Face Spritz, Facial Cleansing Polish and Skin Reviver.




I'm not a massive fan of face spritz products if I'm honest, I don't quite know why, so I haven't used that particular one yet. Though if I get desperate enough I'll give it a try and update this blog post.

The other two were great though.  You know when you feel kind of disgusting after being ill and your skin looks kind of dead?  Well the cleansing polish really made it feel fresh and revived after I used it, and sometimes feeling better is as much about how you feel as how you look.

The skin reviver is the best item. It's sort of like a cross between a serum and a moisturiser. It goes on really smoothly and creates a nice glow even though it's completely non-greasy and has a kind of matt-effect.  I usually worry with this kind of thing that it'll dry out my skin but this one hasn't and it's the perfect thing to wear under make-up too.

The other product in this range I want to try is the Radiance Powder Mix, so I'm going to add that to my shopping list.  A while ago I saw a friend and couldn't get over how glowing her skin looked. She always looks lovely but this was something else - it looked like she glowed from within! I'm not even exagerating. So I asked her how she did it and she said she'd been using this Vitamin C product for a month or so. 

Since then I've been meaning to try it but hadn't got around to it, but now I've got a bit of extra incentive.  Even when I am feeling completely well, I'll still be a haggard mum so I think I can justify it!

Sorry I've got a bit overexcited about this, but if you haven't already used it I would recommend mums to give this Vitamin C range a try.  Winter is the perfect time to try it as apparently you're not supposed to use these types of product and then go in the sun!

Or maybe you have used it and think it's crap? I'll happily hear all opinions in comments :-D

RL x

I don't know about any of you mums out there but the Bumbo seat never really worked for my little one.

Any new mum will agree that new baby =  sallow skin.

This is officially a December post, but having been run ragged with a newborn little boy, a rather traumatic birth, then a further 3-4 days in hospital I haven't had a chance to post it. So here goes...