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!

4 MONTH UPDATE & FUTURE GOALS.

It's been a few months since I last did a blog post... I thought about writing one a few times but I was in such a rut - hopefully now I'm out of it. So, Olivia has just turned 4 months old and Emilia 19 months; time is definitely flying. I'm still breastfeeding Olivia, I'm also trying to pump so she gets used to the bottle as I'm not sure how long I'm going to keep breastfeeding even though I love the bond it's given us. Olivia moved into her room yesterday as she's outgrown her big Moses basket (long legs like her daddy); she slept quite well considering it was her first night. She's definitely found her voice now and wriggles everywhere, she's got such strong legs! Olivia is 14lbs now and putting on weight steadily, despite her silent reflux which she's on Gaviscon Infant for. I know some people choose to start early but we have no plans to wean her any time soon, I think when the time comes we will be doing BLW.

5 TOP TIPS FOR SURVIVING 2 UNDER 2.

I'm in no way an expert at parenting. I learn through my experiences and wanted to share my go-to tips to keep me from going insane. They may be absolutely basic and obvious but hopefully they will be helpful!

1. Try not to stress A.K.A. take each moment as it comes.

For example, if child #1 is having a tantrum (but they're totally safe) and number child #2 has just puked everywhere or had a nappy explosion, take a breath, be calm and prioritise. Babies and children can pick up on stress and anxiety so just tackle the worst thing first (maybe whilst singing a crazy song to child #2 haha) then tackle the next thing. It really is all about prioritising. It's easier said than done but there is no point stressing because you're probably going to go through more disgusting and eventful experiences throughout your childrens' life!

2. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.

If you have somewhere to be, whether it's immediately, in a few hours or in the next few days, make sure you plan it all out. Have a changing bag ready with spare clothes, nappies for both kids, wipes, snacks, drinks, favourite toys, etc. Pick out clothes and have them ready in their rooms along with socks, shoes and coats. Plan out your own outfits and toiletries that you'll be using, make-up and jewelry (for those lucky mothers who have the motivation to look presentable!). When it comes to meals, make them ahead of time, freeze them and reheat them on the day you need them. Prep your breakfast, lunch and dinner so you have no excuses for missing meals due to being tired or busy.

ONE MONTH UPDATE // C-SECTION, BABY GIRL AND LIFE WITH 2 UNDER 2.

Welcome to the world Olivia Rose Green, born on April 9th at 12:23pm, weighing 8lbs7oz.

Hi everyone, had a bit of a break these past few weeks... The end of my pregnancy wasn't too great, I was really uncomfortable and lacked motivation to do much, then of course I had my baby girl! It's been quite hectic but I'm now starting to get into a bit of a routine. Things were a bit different this time seeing as I had an elective cesarean section rather than emergency - I wasn't as exhausted, I had time to plan and I knew what to expect pain-wise. It kind of worked against me at the same time though because I was so awake that I experienced everything; at least last time I was so out of it that I didn't really feel how scary it was. This time it went a lot better and it was calmer and more positive but it was still quite traumatic, I didn't really think about how much of it I would feel (the tugging and moving, not actual pain); I don't regret my decision one bit though.

I'm not going to go into details about my c-section in this post, I'll probably make a separate one for it/I'm still not sure how to word it. My stay at the hospital wasn't too great, I wanted to go home straight away; I felt so positive straight after my surgery and knew that staying in a noisy, unfamiliar postnatal ward would make me miserable. I didn't sleep much during my 2-day stay which isn't surprising, however Olivia basically slept the entire time, she was an absolute angel. I chose to breastfeed her and she took to it straight away, she now weighs about 10lbs 4oz at 5 weeks old so she seems to be responding well to the breast milk! When Olivia was a few days old the midwives/health visitors noticed that she was slightly jaundice and said that it was because of breastfeeding and that it would pass out of her system soon (usually takes 1-2 weeks max), however after blood and urine tests, the doctors found out that she has a urine infection and that its stopping her jaundice from going away. She's been on antibiotics for the past week and we're waiting for the results to come back, fingers crossed they'll come back fine and her jaundice will go away. It's been a stressful few weeks but it'll all be over soon hopefully.