LIFESTYLE CHANGES.

Long gone are the days where my diet consisted of heavy, carby foods such as pasta, pizza and garlic bread and those pesky foods that are soooo yummy but so high in fat and sugar like sweets, ice cream, milkshakes, etc. I used to LOVE eating them, I was such a foodie - I still am a foodie, I just know how to balance my diet and eat things in moderation. I think the time that I started eating healthier was half way through my first pregnancy. I'd always been thin and toned and probably let that cloud my mind in thinking that giving into pregnancy cravings wouldn't cause me to put on weight. But it did. I put on about about 50lbs in my first pregnancy, basically because I ate what I wanted and not what my body really needed. During my second pregnancy I was more wary, I exercised every now and again and I ended up only gaining about 35lbs. Apparently a normal weight gain during pregnancy is between 15-35lbs so I think my little changes helped a lot the second time around.

Now that my younger daughter Olivia is 4 months old and able to be fed by my partner I've started going to my local gym. This is not only great for me health-wise but it's also something that I can do that's just for me. When I'm not at the gym I'm with my girls 100% of the time, so 4 days a week off I go to have some me-time. Would I rather go to a spa or to get my nails done? Of course.. but the gym is already giving me so much confidence, even without seeing major results yet. As I'm a newbie to the gym I stick to the basic machines and I'm guessing that when I get more confident I'll be able to do a lot more. Currently I spend about 50 minutes 4 times a week at the gym which is fine for me - I do 25 minutes on the stationary bike on the cardio setting (80% of max heart rate), 15 minutes walking on the treadmill at a speed of  3.5 mph on an incline of 7% and then I use a few of the weight machines, mainly focusing on arms and legs. This is what works for me, though I won't do this forever - it's good for your body to experience a change in routine or it becomes used to it and you won't get the best results. Personally, I'm aiming for fat-loss and toning, as I still haven't lost all my baby weight and being pregnant for 2 years has made my old body a thing of the past!

WHAT'S IN MY BABY'S HOSPITAL BAG?

This is the bag that I bought to hold my baby's things for the hospital. It's quite spacious, seems very sturdy and I love the design of it - the shoulder strap makes for easy carrying. Plus it was only £8 from Primark.

Inside: 9 sleepsuits and 9 vests (I packed thinking I'd be staying for 3 days), 3 muslin cloths, 1 fleece blanket, a swaddle pod (£10 from Amazon, I remember stressing out so much about swaddling Emilia in hospital), 2 pairs of socks and a hat.

WHAT MY TODDLER EATS // LUNCHTIME EDITION.

I've seen a few mummy bloggers do one of these posts so thought I'd join in as I'm always interested to see what other toddlers are eating. Emilia's never really been fussy with her food - she pretty much eats anything but we keep it healthy. Emilia's meals are pretty balanced but one thing I've been struggling with is protein for her, she gets her protein from her dinner mainly (unless she has some peanut butter on toast with one of her meals); a lot of the time we buy meat for her but it just gets wasted. This example is pretty standard for Emilia, it's what she usually has each day with a few alterations here and there, and she'll eat all of it. This may seem like a lot to some people and it may seem like not much to others but she's gaining weight steadily and healthily and she's a very happy little eater!

WHAT'S IN MY TODDLER'S CHANGING BAG? // FEAT. BABYMEL CARA.

This is the Babymel Cara bag, purchased for £58 at Mothercare. This was probably the second or third changing bag that I've bought and I LOVE it - I'm going to try and keep it, even with the second baby as it is very spacious compared to other changing bags. Its dimensions are 31cm x 45cm x 15.5cm, which after doing my research I discovered is bigger than most changing bags that are designed for 2 babies, let alone 1. It has 2 separate compartments for nappies and a zipped section for things like keys and things you'd want to keep safe, the bag also has 2 exterior side pockets and a large front pocket. It comes with a bottle warmer (I personally didn't use it as Emilia was breastfed for 10 months and preferred cold milk after that) and a matching changing mat.

MY SECOND TRIMESTER ESSENTIALS.

Having just entered my 18th week of pregnancy I've discovered a few items and products that have become my essentials that have helped me out over these grueling past couple of weeks! I'm a firm believer in finding bargains and only having the occasional splurge so the majority of these products (if not all) are totally affordable.

1. & 2. Maternity leggings and jeans. I think I speak for many pregnant ladies when I say during the second trimester your old clothes start to feel a bit tight. Sometimes through pregnancy weight gain, the majority of the time due to your uterus growing. It's not great wearing jeans or leggings that cut into your belly - you feel sick, you feel like you need to pee waaay more than usual, you feel like your whole body is expanding; last thing you want are tight bottoms cutting off your circulation! My personal favourites are these MAMA leggings from H&M, they're £7.99, they're not see-through and they are so comfy and versatile - I wore them throughout the whole of my last pregnancy! My favourite jeans at the moment are these maternity Moto black ripped Leigh jeans from Topshop, they're £40 but completely worth the money, especially seeing as most girls during pregnancy (especially the last stages) seem to alternate between the same 2-3 outfits haha, I certainly did/do! The way I see it is when you're pregnant, why substitute style for comfort when you can have both? I find that H&M and Topshop are the best retailers for affordable pregnancy style.