The time we thought we had miscarried

I don’t know why I am writing this. Maybe because it has been on my mind a lot lately. It happened 2 years ago. 29 October 2014 to be exact. I have never shared this story in as much detail before. I suppose maybe because it’s a side of pregnancy that I never expected or gave much thought to before I fell pregnant. That the symptoms are not the difficult part of pregnancy, and if they are then you are lucky. There are other scary things like miscarriage, birth defects, what they call high risk pregnancies, premature labour and so on.  These types of issues are not really something people often discuss.

Don’t read on if you can’t handle graphic information.

Time Saver: Umatie

I am not a chef but before having children I used to love baking and throwing tea parties and dinner parties but I just do not have the time anymore. Our general strategy is to live off of as many marked down prepared meals from Pick n Pay as possible and when there aren’t any available in store or in the deep freeze we split the cooking duties. Not the most wholesome strategy I know, but it  is a survival tactic at this point. I do however stress that my little one needs to eat healthily even on the nights when we don’t and this is where Umatie comes to the rescue. 

Boys Will Be Boys – What does that even mean?

I am part of a number of mommy groups online and can I tell you what shocks me the most? The sheer number of posts about father’s behaving badly and women asking advice about how to deal with them. The issues range from cheating, porn and strippers to men who do not stick up for their wifes. Absent fathers. Father’s who do not help out around the house or share child rearing responsibilities. And do you know how often fellow moms use the response, “Boys will be boys”? Too often!!!

6 Things to do when you find out that you are pregnant

I remember when we found out we were pregnant, it was such a joyful experience but also one filled with, “What now?” We found out at 5am in the morning just before I was about to board a flight to Johannesburg for a week. We were so excited and shocked (even though baba was planned) and then we had to be apart for the whole week while we processed the news. We had been trying for a few months though so I very much had a plan of action for what to do should that little plus sign appear on the pregnancy test. This list is based on my plan of action: 

10 Ways to Fight Colds in Toddlers

 

This Winter season has been a rough one in our household. All three of us have been sick but our toddler has particularly struggled. He has caught one illness after the other, most of which have been colds and flu, with seldom a break before the next illness hits. After a few numerous doctors visits I now have compiled a comprehensive list of over the counter treatments that you can use for your little one. Please note that I am NOT a medical professional and that I still recommend that you chat to your pediatrician before administering any sort of medicine.  

Working Father’s Out Earn Childless Men

In a recent article published by the BBC they mentioned that “on average, fathers working full time get a 21% “wage bonus”. This is according to a study based on 17,000 workers.

Another interesting statistic from this study is that fathers with two children earned a further 9% more than those with just one, found the study by centre-left think tank IPPR for the TUC.

I Never Expected to Lose Friends

A friend of mine said to make a list about how I planned to parent and then read it for a laugh a year or two down the line. There are many things on that list that totally did not happen as planned (that is a story for another day) but one of them was that I was not going to lose friends just because I was now a parent. Long story short, I totally did.

My Top Breastfeeding Resources

Who knew that something that is seemingly so natural has so much misinformation, prejudice and mystery around it?

Here are some links that I have found invaluable in my breastfeeding journey so far:

1. Le Leche League South Africa’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lalecheleaguesouthafrica/ as well as their website
2. http://kellymom.com/

The World Health Organization’s Global strategy for infant and young child feeding says:

“As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.”

What are your favourite breastfeeding resources?

Heartbreak and Overnight Business Trips

The first time I went on an overnight business trip after becoming a mom I convinced hubby to put in for leave and schlepped my two boys across the country with me. The reality is though, that I can’t do this every time and the next time I had to go on my own. I could not stop the tears dripping down my face from the moment I set foot in the airport until I landed in Johannesburg. I really hope that I managed to catch the tears without anyone seeing. 

#EndMommyWars Misses the Issue

If you’re a mom every second person you know will have taken it upon themselves to share a version of an #EndMommyWars themed video or article with you. Normally an advert thinly veiled as a feel good video. I’ll admit that I normally I cry along and then hit the share button so that my fellow mommy friends can enjoy it too. Let me say I am sorry for sharing those videos and thus being a part of the problem. If you ask what problem is then you prove my point. The fact that it is not blatantly obvious shows just how entrenched the problem is. It is so much the norm that we don’t even see it to question it.