Yesterday was a good day. I had an appointment at the hairdressers to tidy up my hair and to also to give it a big lift….yes I had a nice colour put through it.
Waiting to get my hair done…. how nice to have some me time. Also I think my hair thanked me for the love and attention it got.
The pampering, silence and no kids was much needed. Some alone time was lovely. I sat with a peppermint tea in hand and reading a trashy mag while I waited for my stylist to arrive. I left the house thinking I might be running late for my appointment but to my surprise I was 15 mins early.
How amazing to be early somewhere. Having three kids and getting everyone ready to leave the house is a chore unto itself.
So I relaxed with the knowledge that I can just be and wait without the constant chorus of “mummy, mummy, mamma!!!!!!”
The stylist arrived and apologised as I was waiting and he did not know I was there. I said that is no big deal and I was in fact early so there was plenty of time. He was lovely and listened to what I wanted and worked his magic to make my hair look and feel wonderful. We swapped stories of babies and life and just had a great time while my hair got some much needed TLC. It was a lovely start to my afternoon.
I explained to the hairdresser that ever since my third child was born I have been losing handfuls of hair in the shower and also in the hairbrush. I have read that this is normal and happens due to hormones and the fact that you don’t lose hair during pregnancy but afterwards it seems like I am losing heaps. It has made me get very worried but since googling “hair loss and having a baby” I have found the following:
After I left the hairdressers I walked around very slowly, I took in all the coming and goings that I usually miss out on as I am racing around with kids normally. I loved the fact that I could go into shops and not have to be stressed out about kids touching things or the possibility of them breaking something very expensive. I was able to go into areas that are generally off limits to prams and to spend as much or as little time as I liked in each place. It was rather luxurious to do this (It does not sound like much but it was heaven).
My fab new do. Not much different from my old do but it is feeling nicer, the colour makes it look more healthy and the stylist worked with my natural curls.
Ever since I had Alexander my body has been out of sorts… I think I need to be realigned and have daily or weekly massages. My pelvis, hip and shoulder feels very sore. I do think that maybe my rib and also pelvis might be out of place as it is very painful to lie down and I never seem to feel good, every part of me feels like it is in constant pain. Not good I know. Has this happened to you after you had your baby? What did you do to feel better?
I have been seeing my chiropractor and he has helped a bit but the pain and issue is still there. I was thinking maybe a deep tissue massage might help me out.
So after my lovely relaxing time at the hairdressers and the shops I took myself off for a Deep Tissue Thai Massage.
Yes…… it was amazing and different. I have never had a true Thai Massage before, the lovely lady used her body to help get my kinks and to stretch my body out.
It was a brilliant experience and I will definitely be going back. I was twisted and manipulated and it has made parts of my back and body move more easily, however it also made me think that everywhere this masseuse touched me was so sore. It made me think how out my body really was.
The masseuse suggested that I come back soon as my back needs to more help to feel better. I will have to book a massage for the next weekend so that I can start to feel better. Next weekend I need to book my time again so that I can help my poor back and body.
I did have a lovely fantasy while I had my massage. I was a princess getting her daily or weekly massage. Yep I don’t muck around with my daydreams. In my fantasy I was in a fab room that was all decked out with detailed fabric, furniture and no expense was spared. I hope I’m not the only one that has weird thoughts while having a massage. Let me know if you do this too.
Have you found that a Deep Tissue Thai Massage helped you feel better? Also have you managed to sneak in some me time after kids? Let us know.
I have been daydreaming about being on holiday. Yesterday it was made worse with a Getaway special about a cruise that you can do in France. It looked divine, amazing and just so relaxing.
Although I loved what the Getaway Special were selling me, I was getting rather depressed about the whole thing. I cannot go to France. I have three kids. I don’t have the money and also hubby does not have the time off work! So the longer I watched this show the more annoyed I got. Therefore I turned it off to busy myself with other things, like cleaning the house for my mum to visit (cleaning the bathroom ended up giving my left leg a HUGE bruise and it really hurts!)
I know….the idea of holidaying in France compared to housework and I had to do housework. Oh well, maybe I will be the chick in the commercial one day soon. You will see me swanning around a chic French eatery and looking calm and sooo relaxed. Just you wait!
A Paris Cafe. I can see myself having a bite to eat or just having a relaxing drink and watch the world go by.
I see specials for holidays everywhere; Television advertisements, discount deals to fly around the world that are emailed to me, flyers in the local newspaper for great holiday deals and also when I’m at the shops. I cannot seem to escape the idea of drooling over a holiday. I have been thinking that it is the universe telling me I need to have a break, just chill and have a holiday. I wish the universe could pay for it though.
A European vacation where I’m touring Spain, Italy or France is a great thought. However a Queensland or Fiji adventure would be lovely also. Even a quick getaway up or down the New South Wales Coast or a trip to Melbourne. I’m not fussy.
Another idea is maybe exploring Tuscany.. doesn’t this look amazing!
Actually anywhere at the moment that means that I am looked after, I don’t have to cook or clean is brilliant in my book…oh and if they have a kids club and babysitting is available would be advantageous as well.
Maybe it is the fact that I have had my third child that I am constantly daydreaming about being on holiday and having a break? Or is it due to the fact that kids are now again on school holidays and I wish we were all somewhere with a beach and I had a nice cocktail in my hand.
Yes I would rather be in a warm climate, in my swimmers on the beach and just relaxing. Pity this cannot be at the moment.
Hubby did ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him a relaxing holiday on the beach somewhere. I’m not fussy. Just somewhere other than home. A break is needed. However this was met with I don’t think we can do that. I did say, “You did ask me what I wanted”
I have also fantasied about being at a health retreat all on my own…. Yes a whole holiday just for me! How amazing would that be! My health retreat holiday would consist of the following:
Great healthy food provided
Wonderful drinks provided
Yoga
Swimming
Massages
Facial/Manicure/Pedicures and any other wonderful beauty treatment
I can sleep in on some days
Watch my own television
Do my own thing, not worry about others, and have some time for me!
I have never been to a health retreat so if you have let me know what you got up to. I am only daydreaming about what I could do while there.
This would be me at the health retreat. Yes not actually me but you get the idea. Me relaxing and having a much needed massage!
My down time actually is finally having a hot cup of coffee and a snack and drinking the coffee when it is still hot. Many parents will know the perils of making a hot drink and then drinking it when it is cold or having to chuck it out and start all over again.
Finally getting a hot cup of coffee. Also managed to get some work done too!
Maybe there is a takeaway here:
A weekend away here and there will be just as good. Now to just book them in and get organised. As said it does not matter where I go, just as long as it is a break. Time out for everyone is a good thing. It helps recharge your batteries and makes you have a happier outlook.
Are you bombarded by things that you cannot have right now? Is it the dream holiday? Is it something else that keeps on popping up in your email or in the mail? Let us know.
You might be questioning my title. Knee Beards??? What the? You say.
Yes knee beards are a thing (You heard the term here first….I feel like now I should copyright it) and it got to a very hairy problem months after Alexander was born. I was still sporting some knee beards. Although I must say my legs are very nice (So I have been told) but having knee beards does not make them look very attractive.
If you don’t know what a knee beard is it is all the hair that grows around your knee region, if you don’t shave for a while it grows longer and maybe with pregnancy hormones this makes things even more longer and weird. Okay, you get the picture now.
A dramatic recreation of the knee beard. Yes it might be a little worse than it actually was but it felt like it looked this bad.
I finally took matters into my own hands and removed my knee beards but it took me two months of living with them to finally remove them. Why did it take me so long? Well as a new mum to a new baby, finding time for self care is hard. This is even harder when you have other children to care for as well. I cannot just swan in and have a bath and shave my legs. Nope. Sitting or lying in a bath to relax is difficult to impossible. My twins will then want to join me and therefore ruining the peaceful and relaxing state that I was attempting to create.
It was not just knee beards that needed my attention. Some of the other things that normally get waxed have been forgotten about or just left as it is in the too hard basket. My aim is to book time at the beauticians on a weekend this way hubby can mind kids and I can get some things done. After I have had some much needed beauty therapy I can then tackle the pool again in the aim to tone up and lose some of the baby weight.
My hair also needs some attention. I have noticed that it is rather dry and rough on the ends. This is probably not helping the fact that I am loosing hair when I brush or even when I shower. Yes hand fulls are coming out. Maybe this is due to hormones after having a baby? I hope so as I’m getting worried that I might soon be bald. So basically knee beards are the least of my worries really.
My out of control hair. Desperate to go to the hairdressers.
I think that I just need to have my hair cut and tidied, and I know it might not be good but a nice colour to jazz up my look might be in order. It would make me feel good and also much more glamorous. As a stay at home mum to three kids now feeling more glam is always a good thing.
Do you get time for a little bit of self care? A mani, or pedi?
Maybe a trip to the pool or the gym? Have you been to the hairdressers lately?
I am so keen to get my hair done I have thought about doing it with the baby with me. However I have stopped myself, I don’t want to be dealing with a crying baby while trying to relax.
This time will just be for me. My time to do something for myself.
Let us know how you fit it all in with everyone’s busy schedules.
The other week we celebrated International Women’s Day. Lately, there have been many articles about women and girls; the topics range from equal pay, pocket money, women not being in leadership roles, how women manage money, and more!
Inequality is still a major issue and I’m sure I am not the only one that finds this appalling. Yes, it is 2016 and we are still not treating women and girls as equals. Why is being female such a negative thing? We are strong, we have children, we solider on just like men do, and we manage the household, we manage kids and work and also have a career to boot. Plus some of us, myself included taking time out to do unpaid work of looking after kids and family. This unpaid work is not easy as there are no holidays, sick days, or thanks for the majority of the job. However, if you don’t do something it gets noticed instantly. Have two kids sick and you are ill and struggling, you are on your own. You cannot call in and tell the boss you cannot come in that day. Oh, how I wish this was the case!
Girls and women are more highly educated than ever before and it is reflected in the workforce. More and more women are striving for the top jobs and also entering into industries that were seen once as male-only domains, such as engineering, IT and much more. I for one believe and so does hubby, that jobs should be matched on a skill basis. If you fulfil the skill and job requirements you should be seriously looked at for the role, and your gender should not be a factor to determine if you get a job, or if you get a promotion or if you get a pay rise or paid the right amount of money.
Here is my rant about the inequality that women deal with. Yes, I have my cranky pants on and I’m not apologizing for being angry. Everyone should see this as unforgivable. If you have daughters would you want or accept that they will always be underpaid and undervalued? I would hope not!
Gender Pay Gap Stats. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Why are top female sports professionals so underpaid?
The Matildas are Australia’s national soccer team. The team have been very successful in the FIFA World Cup and in the lead up to the Olympics. There has been a pay dispute with FFA (Football Federation of Australia), the team wish to have equal pay like the male soccer players.
For example, Each Matilda player got $500 in match fees for the knockout game with Brazil. However male players receive $7,500 for the same thing. (Convery, Stephanie: September 11, 2015, “The Matildas’ pay dispute could spark real change”, abc.net.au)
— $500 per group-stage tournament game, $600 per round of 16-tournament game, $750 per tournament quarter-final, $1250 per tournament semi-final or third or fourth-place playoff and$1500 per tournament final
— Plus an equal share in 30 per cent of all prize money
SOCCEROOS
— A share in commercial profits from matches played and sponsor bonuses
— $6500 per standard international game
— $7500 per group-stage tournament game. $8500 per quarter-final tournament game, $9500 per tournament semi-final or third or fourth-place playoff and $11,500 per tournament final
— Plus an equal share in 30 per cent of all prize money
— Or, $240 daily wage
As you can see a match fee for men that is $7,500 to the women’s pay of $500 is a massive difference. A difference of $7,000 is just not on at all! Not fair if you ask me. Very rude to The Matildas to not value their skill and success and not pay the same as the men are getting.
“”In my next life when I come back I want to be someone in the WTA, because they ride on the coattails of the men,” Moore said. “They don’t make any decisions and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport. They really have.” (Rothenberg, Ben: 2016, March 21, “Indian Wells boss Raymond Moore says women tennis players should be thanking men”, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Serena Williams “rejected the notion that Moore’s comments could have been misconstrued.
“There’s only one way to interpret that,” she said. “‘Get on your knees,’ which is offensive enough, and ‘Thank a man’? We, as women, have come a long way. We shouldn’t have to drop to our knees at any point.”
“Williams expressed particular shock that Moore would make such comments after last year’s US Open when excitement over her Grand Slam bid caused tickets to the women’s final to sell out before the men’s final for the first time in tournament history.” (Rothenberg, Ben: 2016, March 21, “Indian Wells boss Raymond Moore says women tennis players should be thanking men”, The Sydney Morning Herald.)
Graph looking at data for full-time wages and the gender pay gap. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Why is it when there is media coverage regarding Hilary Clinton’s race for the white house, the question is, “How do you feel about a woman president?”
Why is being a woman a major issue?
I understand that America has not had a female president but you don’t hear the same questioning for a male wanting to be president. I would think that they would find this line of questioning rude and not seeing their credentials for the job rather than focus on gender.
If a woman is successful in her career and life, why is it that she is singled out due to her sex? We can see instantly that she is female and that is not a major thing to notice. Who cares!!!
The only thing that should be looked at and worried about is, can she do the job? A woman needs to be noticed for her skills and achievements not just due to gender.
You never hear in the press, that we have a man in this job and it is a first. I wonder how he will do? Why are men not put through the scrutiny women are? Why are men getting more money for the same jobs?
Why is it when men don’t hit their objectives/KPI’s in their job that they still get higher bonuses than women?
Ridiculous if you ask me. Isn’t the whole idea of the reward system to reward the workers that hit the objectives and performance indicators? Not the person that does not achieve?
This could be a woman or a man, the employee just has to hit their targets to be in the running for a bonus not get one without doing so.
“Despite getting the same performance ratings as their male colleagues, women get smaller bonuses on average, according to a report from human resources consultants Mercer.
Even men who only partially met their performance objectives got bonuses that were 35 per cent larger than their female counterparts.” (Perkins, Miki: 2015, November 4, “Gender pay gap higher in bonuses, report finds”
Looking at the gender pay gap from 1995 to 2015. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
“Boys earn $13 a week in pocket money on average, while girls get $9.60, according to a survey done for the Heritage Bank and released in time for International Women’s Day this week. The bank made similar findings in 2014. (Fitzsimmons, Caitlin: March 8, 2016, “Girls get less pocket money”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
How atrocious that boys even when little still get paid more! I wonder how this works?
Why would parents pay girls less than their boys? I know I wouldn’t.
According to the article from the Herald, it says it could be down the types of jobs done by boys/girls or how the child negotiates. Or maybe the fact that girls are expected to just do housework or jobs around the house for no pay… If this is the case that is just horrible! Living in 2016 and just due to your gender you are expected to do things for no pay. Wrong I tell you! Also if this is so and the reason, showing boys that housework or other chores around the house are not to be valued and not paid is not right at all.
I don’t understand why having a penis makes you earn more over a lifetime. Maybe I need to get a fake one to improve my chances?????
Why is this discrepancy occurring? As an employer, what makes you underpay women?
Why is it okay to pay female employees less?
Women are equally deserving as men, women have the same education and skill base, women are focused and high achieving, and would like to be promoted and go places just like men. This is not something different.
Just because we are female does not make our wants and desires any different to a man. We are just working harder and for less money!
When I was working in the corporate world, I was keen to be promoted and to progress in my career. I saw the men get promoted but when I put my hand up and showed interest I always got told not now, you don’t have the skills yet (although I was already doing the job but did not have the new title and new pay to accompany it) and much more. During my time at many companies, management changed and this meant it was mostly men that took up positions of power, and therefore brought along their mates, who were of course male. I must say that there were a few powerful and lovely women who did a great job and I greatly admired them.
Why is ambition from a woman seen as a terrible trait to have? If I was a man I’m sure the outcome would have been completely different.
Ambition is a great attribute and I should be rewarded. I wish I would know what it would have been like if I was a man, would my life and career have looked different? Would I have been the CEO of a company by now? Maybe it is best not to know, if I knew how it could have been, I think it would make me even angrier.
I was always taught, that you study hard, work hard and do well, good pay will follow. Gender did not come into it. I really don’t see how your sex should determine pay.
Women live longer than men and therefore need more savings to live. Being short-changed in the earnings department means that women’s superannuation is much less than a man’s and even lower if they have had a career break to look after children or other family members.
“The gender pay gap is worst where pay is kept secret and women often find out they are being paid less than their male colleagues after years on the job,” she said.
The gender pay gap is currently at a 20-year high of 18.8 per cent, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. It means that, on average, women earn $298.10 a week less than men. Put another way, they have to work an extra 66 days a year to take home the same amount as a man. (Gartrell, Adam: 2015, August 2, “Greens call for an end to ‘salary secrecy’ to help bridge gender pay gap”, They Sydney Morning Herald)
Pay gaps are broken down by state. Image from https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/Gender_Pay_Gap_Factsheet.pdf
Wow! Women earn $298.10 less each week compared to men! That is a lot to not be earning.
That is a loss of $15,501.20 per year in earnings.
Fancy missing out on 15K per year. That is a HUGE gap! I am not sure what industry that these figures were taken from or if this is just an average of many women interviewed and data collected from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
If businesses did not keep pay secret then women would know what men and women in similar roles were being paid.
This would help negotiation for salary and make sure that women are not being underpaid. Making pay transparent would also help everyone, not just women. Not knowing what certain roles are being paid and what you can ask for is definitely hard.
If you know what the value of roles are, you are so much more informed, plus employers will, of course, get highly trained individuals that will work hard and wish to grow with the organisation.
The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has been focusing on innovation and technology. My girls are very interested in the STEM subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Hubby and I have encouraged this as we believe that the jobs of the future will have some or all of these skills. Also if the twins focus on these subjects and are good at them, they can get a job that pays well in the future. Why are girls not participating in these areas as much as boys? Why are we not encouraging girls to give it a go?
“A recent OECD report found less than one in 20 girls from OECD countries considered careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. In 2013 in New South Wales a tiny 1.5 per cent of girls took the trio of advanced maths, physics and chemistry. Yet a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that in the future 75 per cent of the fast-growing occupations will require STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. We are locking ourselves out of the workforce. If we are going to earn the same as our pipsqueak brothers, we will have to think hard about the choices we make.” (Clarke, Ruby, 2015: June 28, “Teenage girls need to change themselves to affect the gender pay gap”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
How low is 1.5% of girls participating in STEM subjects in New South Wales! We need higher numbers. What do you think?
There is also the argument that women work in part-time roles or choose not to work due to kids and other commitments. That might be true.
However, for the women that wish to work, it is rather difficult if you do have kids as well. Juggling motherhood, career and life is tough. Not horrible but just more things to organise and get lined up to make sure everything happens.
I for one would love to work part-time or say full time. A couple of days in the office and the rest from home. My jobs have all been online and therefore can transition to work from home roles. I can put kids in care for the days that I’m at the office but don’t want to have kids in full-time care. Firstly it is too expensive and, secondly, I will never see them.
I don’t have the luxury of living near relatives and therefore I am the one that does all kid-related activities. School run, and after school activities is all down to me. Being the only one doing all this is limiting and therefore I have created my own opportunities with my blog. My own online presence, to hopefully build my empire! (You can only put it out there. You never know right?)
“Sure, if women are simply choosing to work shorter hours in lower-status jobs in lower-paid industries – perhaps because they choose to take on the bulk of the task of looking after children and the home – then there is no problem here.
But – and here’s the rub – perhaps these are not choices freely made.
Perhaps women don’t want to retire with no superannuation or other savings after all. Perhaps they would like to earn a pay-packet the equivalent of a man’s, but they’re too busy looking after those male’s kids for free.” (Irvine, Jessica, 2015: July 31, “Apples and oranges: Gender pay gap is worse than you think”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
Many women would love to get the job after kids to fit into their new lifestyle, however, many companies are still stuck with the mindset that you have to physically turn up to a job in an office.
How about job share? Part-time in the office for 2 days and work at home for 3 days. Work some hours in the day and some in the night and weekend? Flexible hours as long as the work gets done.
Understand if you need to be online or on the phone for meetings or in the office. You can always have a catch-up meeting every fortnight or month?
Depends on the business and workload.
With technology, I don’t why more places embrace telecommuting. It would save the company money and also allow them to get quality employees that will stick with the company due to allowing them to be flexible and work from home.
Think about all the women with fabulous skills that are itching to get the job that businesses are overlooking!
“Clearly society has to change in order for women to rise, but we, the teenagers of Australia, also have to change our attitudes and perceptions. Major corporations must set targets to increase women’s participation in managerial positions.
Men additionally need to take more responsibility for child care and share the load. Unionised workforces also tend to be higher paid workforces so if women join unions, their rates of pay should increase.
But. It’s also down to you and me, ladies. We need to change, too. We need to think about what kinds of lives we want. What kinds of jobs will get us more money? Are we going to be in charge of our own futures or are we going to rely on men to pay for them? If you want to work with children, how are you going to pay for a house in Sydney now the average price has hit almost a million dollars?” (Clarke, Ruby, 2015: June 28, “Teenage girls need to change themselves to affect the gender pay gap”, The Sydney Morning Herald)
When I see a role that is just perfect for me and of course will pay a full wage. Why is the money for child care seen to only be taken from my wage?
Why is child care seen as something that the woman needs to sort out in order to work?
Isn’t child care an issue for both parents?
Having an extra wage would help out the whole family and therefore it is an issue that the family need to address not just one person.
I agree that men need to take more responsibility for child care and help with this more. Some men do this and there is no issue here. However the more equal it is, the more easily women can re-enter the workforce and contribute to the family, society and build for their future as well as their families.
It is 2016 and sex is still seen as an issue regarding pay. I would have thought that this would not be the case.
I hope for my girls that this is not the case when they are older but I would have thought that it would have been already resolved by now. So I’m not holding my breath, however, I can live in hope.
As I have said before, gender is not an issue for pay. The only important issue is, can you do the job, and do you have the skills?
Pay for the role not because someone has a different anatomy than another.
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading my HUGE post about this issue!
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Alexander is now eleven weeks old. Yes soon to be three months old, Oh how that has flown by already.
As anyone with a newborn knows you get up multiple times at night and feed, settle, cuddle, and of course change nappies. I also wash up bottles so that we have more for the next feeds. Lately the baby has taken to waking up at 2.30 or say 2am to want more food. I change his nappy and get him the milk and then feed him. He then falls asleep and then I put him to bed after some lovely morning cuddles.
Having snuggles with my boy.
Alexander then wakes again at 4am. He is screaming the place down so I do all the normal things, change his nappy and get more milk ready for the next feed. However it is this time that he decides that he is not hungry and just wants cuddles with mummy. I was snug and asleep in my bed before he screeched to what I thought was a hungry cry, but turned out that he just wanted cuddles. This is lovely but to wake up to give someone cuddles seems a bit annoying. I love the cuddles but I do LOVE my sleep and to wake up to then have to fall asleep again in the living room is a bit annoying to say the least.
I do try again to feed him but he pushes the bottle away and is content to just be cuddled. I fall asleep on the lounge as well as the baby. Hours pass and I finally wake to realise that I have been sleeping with my neck and body in an odd position. No wonder my body is out of sorts and everything hurts.
I sit in the living room looking around at all the things yet to be done and think about all the other things around the house that have to be done or have not been done or even thought of or even started. Gosh I’m exhausted just thinking about it all!
Why can’t I just sit and cuddle the baby?
Why do I have to get up and get stuff for people?
It is annoying that I have to leave the house but I do. Dropping kids at school and picking them up and of course all the after school activities that the girls go to. All I wanted to do was to stay in the house with my PJ’s on and just cuddle and be with Alexander.
During these early morning moments I have thought why can’t I be more in the moment? I love the cuddles, giggles and raspberries that Alex is doing but I still find myself drawn to all the other things that need my attention. Maybe this is due to having kids already? When I had the twins I had no pressure to be anywhere, I did not have kids before the twins so I could have the cuddles and just stay at home if I wished to. Now with older children it is hard to impossible to stay at home.
In the early weeks mums at the kids school commented on how it was great that I was getting out and about. It was nice to hear and I of course would have rather have stayed at home, but with kids at school I had to venture out. I suppose it was good that the kids made me go out with the baby but that quiet time just snuggling with your new baby is so nice and a pity that I have to get up to do the more boring things, like cleaning, shopping, clothes washing and more.
Also with older kids the house is much noisier than before. When the twins were babies I tried to have things super quiet when they were sleeping. I would even put notes on the front door in case of deliveries. Yes I was trying to make sure that who ever knocked on the door knew to be quiet or less noisy than they would be normally. I of course have not done the note on the front door this time, not due to not thinking about it but just due to never getting around to do it, and thinking about sleep rather than writing notes.
Did you find that due to other kids and commitments that you are not enjoying the lovely moments of the new baby as much as you would like? Let us know.
I need to just learn to switch off and to let go. I know it is hard but I need to. I think from the state of my house you would think that I have done just that, but I have been trying to tidying and sort things but it is always hard with a new baby. I get some things sorted and then have to leave it to be with the baby, then off course I don’t get back to the pile of clothes to fold and put away. Then I have to pick kids up from school, take them to after school activities and then when home do homework, dinners and more! Yes…. I think that is about it.
Letting go about now sounds good after reading all that I need to do!
Do you have some tips to just try and let go of all the things that need to be done? If you do have some great ways to let go of things that would be great to be shared also.
I know every baby is different and each one has a distinct personality. However I did not count on our third little person being so fussy and hard to settle.
Maybe he is a person who just likes things to be ready when he is. Yes impatient and wants it all to happen NOW! He must think why the milk is not ready when I am! Talk about bad service.
He is also a person that holds onto burps, farts and anything gassy or windy, so he has terrible belly pain. He makes such upset faces due to the horrible annoyance this can cause (I hate having a sore belly I cannot imagine how it would feel to baby that has no idea what the pain is.)
Upset and crying baby due to not being able to get the wind out of his belly. Also has to be upright due to having silent reflux.
Our latest addition is also a person that likes to be upright to be settled and does not like to lie down until he is finally winded, and finally all the gases get out of his body that can be coaxed, well within the 4 hour period of trying.
Yes you get the picture it takes ages to even get him settled and not yelling and screaming in your ear. I do think I will go deaf soon or have limited hearing on one side. I pray that this does not happen.
My new little man has a very good set of lungs and he uses them very well.
Some of these issues could be due to the fact that I am expressing my breast milk and therefore he is being bottle fed. Alexander did not latch on well at all and did not seem to get enough milk. When he was on the boob he would then fall asleep but also before this he would struggle to get on and yell and scream. This in turn would stress me out and also him and due to him not looking like he got anything we have turned to the bottles with breast milk to make sure that he is getting what he needs.
While in the hospital one midwife suggested the baby had a tongue tie. I asked what this was and she said that it is a piece of skin that is holding the tongue in a different position and not allowing it to move so that the baby can feed well and successfully. I thought that would explain it. However another midwife and nurse looked at the baby and dismissed it all and therefore it was agreed that the baby did not have a tongue tie. I ended up forgetting all about the issue of the tongue tie and just thought that I was not getting the breast feeding thing and the baby was learning as well and also just a fuss pot.
After we left hospital the community nurse came to the house to check up on myself and the baby. A lovely lady came and made sure we were all okay. She checked the baby and then announced that he did have a tongue tie. Oh gosh does he have a tongue tie and it got overlooked?
The lovely community nurse said it was a posterior tongue tie and it might be worth it getting fixed to see if it improves feeding and settling the baby. I was also told that it could cause speech issues when the child gets older as the tongue does not sit in the normal or ideal spot to form words and therefore makes it hard to speak. So good idea to get fixed. It is not yet known if it will cause issues with speech due to the baby not speaking yet, but there is a high percentage that if not looked at could cause problems.
I sprang into action. I got a referral to a surgeon at Westmead Children’s Hospital and raced there for our appointment for the tongue tie to get fixed. To get to the hospital on time I had to put the twins in before school care and also be up super early. I drove all the way and fussed over the baby when he was screaming the waiting room down while we waited for our appointment.
It was our time with the doctor now. He had no idea why I was there and looked shocked that I had such a young baby to see him. At the time of the appointment he was 4 weeks old. He is now nearly 10 weeks as I am writing this. I explained that I have been told he has a posterior tongue tie and that it is best to get it looked at now while he was so young. I also listed all the other things that the baby was doing and therefore it was other signs of having a tongue tie.
The doctor then said put the baby on the bed so that he could have a look and see what the issue was with his tongue. He did a quick once over and then concluded that he did not have a tongue tie and all was good. He said that there is nothing to cut and no issue! I mentioned what the community nurse said again to just make sure that it was right.
The surgeon then said, “It is just him then, he is fussy!”
So I have an opinion of a surgeon that rules out the fact of the baby having a tongue tie. However when I went to the local community nurse for Alexander’s 6 week milestone check she then told me without doubt the baby has a tongue tie! Oh please I wish people would bloody well make up their minds. Does he have it or not!
As a mother it is very confusing and annoying to have such conflicting views. What do you do? Do you continue to see someone for a tongue tie that a surgeon says is not there? Or do you just let it be. We have followed it up with our local doctor and have decided to see how baby goes as he gets older. Did you get conflicting information about your kids when they were little? How did you handle this?
As the local doctor pointed out; a surgeon has ruled it out so others will most likely do the same. Due to the baby always wanting to be upright we have discovered he suffered from silent reflux and found help with some medicine (Losec for babies) to treat this. I found that the medicine helped but first gave it to him during the day, however giving it at night time or just very late afternoon worked much better than during the day. There were some nights were I forgot to give it to him and he settled okay so we have decided to leave it, and think that it could be the fact he is getting older that things are settling even more. Although we have had some nights where the baby is just so over tired and out of sorts that he screams the place down.
I have found the following:
The baby likes to be wrapped.
Needs breaks during feeds and while having a break try burping and getting wind out of baby. You might get an angry face when you make the baby take breaks but it is well worth it.
If the baby does not drink all the bottle that is okay…. He/she is full and more might cause issues with upset belly and more wind.
Sit with your baby to calm them if they get the hiccups. Hiccups are the outcome of many of the upsets trying to deal with wind. Once hiccups are done and baby falls asleep again you can put him/her back to bed.
We have found that the baby likes noise and to be with people. We have put a digital radio in his room. It is on low volume and allows him to listen to Classic FM whenever he is resting. Not sure how this will influence him in the future but they do say that listening to classical music is good for brain development. We will find out when he is older, I’m sure.
Changing his environment when he is fussy. Take a walk out in the backyard, or just somewhere different is very helpful not just for the baby but also for you as well.
Make sure that the baby gets a bit of sunshine. Obviously not in the heat of the day and just a little time, say 10mins or less is good. It can help with sleep and also to it gives the baby some vitamin D.
If you have someone else in the house while you are looking after baby that is brilliant. If you have reached the end of your wits with baby then hand it over to the other person. Sometimes this helps as it is a distraction and the other person is not stressed or annoyed that the baby is not settling. The new person is calmer and can help settle baby.
Have you had a fussy or hard to settle baby? What are your tips and tricks to help the little person rest? (Or more like give you a break)
As per my previous post called, “Our latest Family Member”, we had to go to Nepean to have our third child. I did not want to go there due to what happened with the birth of the twins. However we had no choice.
Having birthday cuddles with our latest addition
We were finally at the hospital and due to the stress of the situation hubby parked in the car park. Yes I thought he would drop me off at emergency and go and park the car later. I asked why he did this at the time and he said, “Well, we are going to be here for a while”. Yes true but for someone that is finding it hard to walk due to constant contractions walking across a carpark to emergency to then be told to go to another building was not ideal to say the least!
Once parked hubby told me to get out of the car when I was ready. He had to wait a bit due to a contraction happening just as he opened the door. My legs were like jelly and I found it really hard to move due to the contractions making all my legs, pelvis and back go into spasms and just freeze. It was very painful, and I had to wait until they were over. So if you can imagine me walking then having to stop in the middle of the carpark every 5mins that would give you a picture of what it was like. Maybe a wheelchair from emergency might have been the way to go! This was arranged when I had the twins…. Although I think the race to get to the hospital freaked hubby out and he just lost it with the idea of a wheelchair and just wanted to get us to the hospital.
Once we figured out where we were supposed to be (the birthing suites or rooms) the nurses/midwives knew who we were due to Katoomba Hospital ringing ahead, which saved a lot of fussing about explaining everything.
I was then asked, “Would I like some pain relief?”
My response was YES! OF COURSE I WANT DRUGS TO HELP ME
Someone then said what would I like, and I then said, what do you have????
Yes open to everything and all if it helps make the pain go away!
I was offered morphine (I was told that I needed to use the gas to get the morphine injection. I found it interesting that I was having gas to therefore get another drug. The nurse said the injection can hurt a bit, and she was right. I think someone I mentioned this too said that it is injected into the muscle and that would explain why the nurse wanted me to be on gas to have the injection. I thought it was strange, but it did help a bit) and once that worked it helped a great deal. It certainly took the edge off the pain for a bit. Hubby said that once it started working I looked very out of it. I did not care! Bring on the medicine to make it not hurt as much. I am not a fan of natural birthing that you will feel it all. Even on drugs to take the edge off it hurt, so I can only imagine how horrible it would have been without them.
During this phase of the night I was telling hubby that I did not want to do it anymore, that I just wanted to go home and not be here. I don’t want to do it. Please can we go home I said? He just looked at me and said, “It is a little late for that” I know it was but I was scared and did not want to do what I knew was coming.
Why can’t the husband or partner do the subsequent child? I have visions of saying it is your turn. I then can hold his hand while he pushes out our child. Science has given us so much and maybe it can work on this. I know that men having kids will probably never happen but why can’t the baby come out small via your belly button and grow on the outside. Maybe a good idea???? (Maybe a futuristic idea) Not sure but might save all the bother of pushing a baby out of your bits…. Let me know your thoughts.
While I was still under the trippy and nice effects of morphine they prepped me for an epidural. Although before this happened I explained my fear of having it again and not working. When having the twins I had one and felt everything but could not move my legs. I was constantly asked by the doctors, nurses and midwives with the twin birth to move my legs but could not. I told them if they wanted them moved they would have to do it. Annoying that they never listened. I was hoping that this birth would be different.
I did not know what to do. I did want the epidural but did not want a repeat of what happened last time. I know that there can be no guarantees but I thought I would give it another go and hope for the best.
The anaesthesiologist listened to my fears and what happened last time as did the midwife. I then decided without a doubt to see if it will be different this time. I was told all the horrible things that could go wrong and the chances of it happening. I was completely freaked out. I still thought it was the way to go.
I had it done and the epidural started working. It was so good that I managed to fall asleep. Yes I slept while still having contractions. Who knew that this was possible? This epidural was completely different from the twin birth, I could not feel anything, I was blissfully unaware of anything for a long time, well until it started to wear off and the baby was pressing on my hip bone and pelvis and I could not get comfortable. I asked for more drugs… however they said that I could not have more and it was time to get the baby out.
The midwife told me that due to the morphine and the position of the baby that its heart rate was dropping and I needed to get it out as soon as I could. I said that I would do my best. She mentioned that we still had time and that it was not in distress yet, but if it went on any longer it could be and then they would want to make an executive decision on how they vacate the baby from my belly. Gosh, NO!
I did not want to have a C-section or have any unnecessary things happen unless it was life threatening, and I do understand if the baby is under distress but I was so close to having it happen naturally.
I tried to push while lying on the bed and sitting up a bit, but it was no good. I could not get comfortable and it was terribly painful due to the baby’s head on my hip and pelvic bone…. Very sore indeed!
It was suggested that I be on my side with a leg up in the air and to help reposition the baby… it did not help with repositioning but it was more comfortable to push from this weird acrobatic position. Not the way I was thinking it would happen and definitely not glam but childbirth is not a glam affair.
I was told to put my chin to my chest, hold my breath while having a leg up in the air all on my side. Yes a strange visual! I then had to hold my breath while working with the contraction and these contractions this time I felt over my belly and also to in my back but now I understand what contractions actually feel like. I found it hard to do all this while holding my breath. I had a terrible time as holding my breath made me want to pass out and I could not let out a sound or a grunt due to losing the momentum to push (energy or something with the breath). The midwife wanted me to do it in lots of threes so that we could get the baby out. Oh god, I found it hard just doing one!
After holding my breath I found that I wanted to throw up and they were concerned and I had a sick bag just in case. It did not happen but I felt nauseous and also had a bit of reflux during the whole process of holding my breath to try and get baby out.
During all of this a doctor came in to see how progress was going. I think the midwife wanted the doctor to check in to make sure that we had a backup plan if baby went into distress and needed help to come out. GOSH, now the doctor was talking about forceps and other things…. I hated the salad servers last time and due to the epidural not working I felt everything…. It was like I was being killed. I did not want that ever again.
The doctor left and then the midwife and nurse were talking about cutting me. WHAT THE???? YOU ARE GOING TO DO WHAT NOW?
They said that it would help the baby come out. I said no PLEASE DON’T CUT ME. I ended up negotiating them to give me more time to get the baby out.
I did not want them to cut me. No please no!
They were very keen to give me an episiotomy but I had no idea that is what they were wanting to do. I just did not want to be hurt even more if not needed.
I was so determined to get this baby out now! Hubby said you need to get the baby out. I got angry and just pushed and pushed and pushed. I was nearly passing out due to holding my breath and my acrobatic poses but I was on a mission.
The midwife yelled, wow we see a head full of black hair! Oh gosh, really this baby is going to have darker hair? I thought it would be like the girls and be bald and blonde, but you never know right. We still did not know if it was a boy/girl that was still a surprise. I however knew once I got told the hair colour that it was a boy, I just had a feeling. Strange but true. Hubby said that it could be a girl, but I just had an inkly at this stage that it was a boy.
I kept on pushing and then baby was out and here in the world. The midwife and nurse said that they should have threatened me with the doctor and episiotomy hours ago.
Alexander and I on his birthday
I was lucky that all went well, I could do it all naturally and that I did not get cut! Yes very lucky indeed. Maybe getting angry was the magic ingredient.
In comparison to the twin birth it was much nicer. We only had the midwife a nurse and hubby and myself in the room. With the twin birth we had 2 doctors for each baby, a humidicrib for the baby and about 30 or so trainee doctors it felt. The room was packed and it was crowded. I did not have any stupid things that happened before happen this time. When was about 5cm dilated and in the birthing suite waiting to have the twins I had two doctors come in to tell me it would be great if I could wait till I was 36-38 weeks….talk about stupid! I also had nurses try to give me medicine I did not need after I had the babies and the list continues. This did not happen with the birth of our third child.
I was very upset to not be able to have our last child at Katoomba Hospital but was grateful that the experience was better and nicer than the last. I must say that pushing a person out of you is hard and tough, but the ladies that helped us for the birth of our son made it a more calmer process. So thanks so much to you all. One thing that was a bit weird was that the midwives that helped me had the same names that I had. The night before the baby was born the midwife on duty had the same first name, then there was shift change and the next midwife had my middle name. It was like I was meant to be there. Odd indeed.
What was the birth like for your second or third children? Did the process and what happened differ from your first child?
Was it more of a calmer experience with the second or third child compared to your first? Let us know.
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been very busy dealing with our latest addition.
Our third child was born on the 7th of January, exactly on his due date. Yes how prompt is he. We had a little boy and his name is Alexander. The twins are super excited to be big sisters and to give him cuddles and help out.
Our latest family member Alexander was born exactly on his due date. How clever is he! Only 5% of babies do this. Maybe he will be a prompt person? You never know right?
Ever since I had my third child I have had no time. Yes you can probably relate if you have just had a baby. Up all night feeding, expressing breast milk and just trying to settle the baby. The house is a total mess, laundry needs sorting, folding and to be put away. Things need to be tidied, chucked out or just put away. The essentials are happening, we are clean, have food and all is well, although life is a bit of a mess at the moment while we adjust to another person and trying to get into a routine. This is especially true due to having two kids who are full of beans that don’t seem to remember not to run, jump and bounce everywhere. It is not helpful once you have finally got the baby to sleep. Plus school drop offs and pick ups and also after school activities makes it harder to keep a routine. I have just planned to have food for Alexander, change of clothes, nappies and be ready if he needs anything while we are out.
This is my little boy. It was taken exactly when he was 5 weeks old. He looks very grown up here and also to a bit cheeky. I love the fact that you can see what he might look like when he grows up but also to that he such a cute little baby, well if I do say so myself. I am bias, I’m his mummy so I am allowed to be.
Our latest addition is hard to settle after a feed. He did not latch on well to the breast. I did try breast feeding but he screamed the place down that he had not gotten enough milk. I thought all was good as he was asleep after these feeds and then attempted to put him to bed. Once tucked into bed he screamed the place down. He gave all the signs that he did not get enough and was indeed still hungry. Oh how could you be hungry???? You have just had some from each boob and now you are claiming you did not get enough! Oh well. I did more and more and that did not fix the issue.
Breast feeding was terribly painful and I thought it would get easier. The midwives said it was normal to have a bit of discomfort and you will get used to it. They came and saw how the baby was latching on and to see how I was dealing with the feeds. I did everything they said but due to the baby being fussy and getting into such a state he was angry and then very unsettled for feeding (It was like the baby was angry that the café or restaurant did not have his food ready at the time he requested. Terribly annoying when you have such bad service!) This is not the time to try and be putting him on the boob. I then got annoyed, angry and stressed and this was the same for the child. Not ideal.
I then came to the conclusion that I should just express my breast milk and feed the baby like I did with the twins. Our new little person seems much happier getting more milk in the bottle. He is still getting breastmilk and I am less stressed about feeding and he gets it when he needs it.
Expressing my breast milk while in hospital.
However due to him not latching on properly he hurt my nipples and this in turn made me get ill with mastitis. I left hospital to only be back one night and that one night I was up all night dealing with the baby. He feeds well when it is in the bottle but sucks in too much air and therefore holds a lot of wind. Trying to burp and wind a baby is tough when it goes on for over 4 hours!
Yes, it is stressful and exhausting. Then once you hit the 4 hour mark or less you are due for his next feed and you have to do it all over again. Plus add changing nappies for a child that screams like you are killing him while you try and get rid of the pooey nappy.
I have tried to write this post for days now and today he has been all over the place and very unsettled, so I have been adding to my post in stops and starts all day. He seems to like cuddles and wants to be with you. This is nice but when you have a house to look after, other kids and things to do it gets difficult. Maybe when he finally sleeps I can sleep too or get something else done. Lately I have been more focused on sleeping, hence why other things like house and blog have been unloved for a while.
As mentioned I was only home for a short time and that time I was hot and bothered with a fever, I also got extremely cold and had the worst headache I’ve ever had (I could not handle light and found it hard to see). I had temperatures that were 38.9 and an hour after having Panadol it came down to 39.6. So not much of an improvement. I felt terrible; very ill and like I had an extreme case of the flu or more like the walking dead. I called the hospital and they suggested I come in to be looked at. They agreed that I had mastitis and I ended up having antibiotics via an IV drip and stayed in hospital for another 3 days. Not fun, the IV antibiotics burnt when it went through my vein and made me have a very tender hand for the next week or so.
The cannula for the IV. I always hate having them done. Very painful.
I did mention to the hospital before I left that I was burning up and was feeling all hot. I was told it was my hormones and that it will all settle down soon. It was obviously the infection starting and it just got worse when I came home. One of the midwives at the hospital said that I did the right thing by coming back to the hospital as she said it only gets worse if not treated.
I was convinced that I would have the baby earlier than it coming exactly on my due date, which in fact only 5% of babies do. So he is terribly clever to have done that. Maybe he heard the doctors say when he was meant to come, so thought he would adhere to that date. Maybe he might be a prompt person and always on time. I have no idea, but it is weird he came exactly when predicted.
I was so over being pregnant. I was approaching my due date and still no baby! Any week over 34 and 2 days for me was overdue; I had the twins at this time and any time after this felt like an eternity.
As I said, I was ready for the baby to come and was trying to coax it out. Here are some of the things I tried:
I was doing squats
I was having raspberry leaf tea
I went walking and tried to be more active
I ate chilli
I even had talks to the baby in my belly and was telling it that it needed to come soon as I was over it all. It of course did not listen.
As many women who are in the last trimester of their pregnancy you get to the point where you just want it to be all over and done with. I did not want to have the birth and was a bit worried about all that due to the drama from the twin birth and was concerned that it might be repeated.
My pregnant belly. Taken on 2nd of January 2016. Little did I know that just 5 days later the baby would be born.
I could not bend over. I was having pains and could feel things starting to move in the right direction but no labor had started. Damn! How annoying.
The hospital was doing their standard freak out as they were telling me that if I don’t have the baby by 39 weeks or I go over my due date they would like to induce me. What the????(The hospital said that if I go too far over my due date that could be high risk and they are not equipped for this, so if this happens then I would need to go to Nepean to have the baby) I have had an uncomplicated pregnancy. It is one child and not two like last time. I am not high risk, I did not develop gestational diabetes and have remained active throughout. I have even only gained 8kgs during the whole pregnancy so that was something that was good news for me. Although I felt like it was a lot more and I was HUGE.
I woke up at 4am on the 6th of January and noticed that things were happening. Yes 4am seems to be the lucky or weird hour that things happen. When I was pregnant with the twins my waters broke at 4am so this was strange that it all started again at this time. This was the day that the twins were going to vacation care and I had to get their lunches ready and all organised so that we could drop them off. I could not go back to bed and ended up having painful contractions that were extremely painful and I found it hard to walk and do anything. I checked the internet to see what needed to happen before I went to the hospital. The sites that I visited said that if I cannot walk and talk during contractions and if they are coming more frequently, if I lost my mucus plug, if I am in pain and not coping and so on. I thought this was all the case so phoned the hospital.
I spoke to a midwife who then said that it sounded like things were progressing and if all of the above had happened then it might be wise to come in and get looked at. She also mentioned some other things like breathing and something about pillows and my back and hubby helping. I was finding it hard to concentrate due to the pains that kept on coming and going.
Once hubby was we dropped the kids off at vacation care and then went straight to the hospital. This was just after 9am and they gave me a once over. The midwife we saw said that I was only 1 and half centimetres dilated and that I was not ready. Damn! Why can’t the baby be ready! All that pain to only be slightly ready…..very annoying.
13th of January, not even a week old.
While at the hospital the midwife told us that if we had the baby before a certain time we could come to Katoomba Hospital. If we had it after 7pm that evening then we would need to go to Nepean as Katoomba during this 24 hour period did not have a Doctor on call for the maternity ward and therefore could not have births there during this period. What the???? I go to a hospital for all my maternity care and now I cannot have the baby at the hospital of choice. Hubby and midwife suggested maybe mind power can help make the baby not come in this 24 hour period. I told both of them that I don’t think this would happen, as my body was doing things and feeling like it would be soon.
The midwife said that the way I was presenting that it will all kick off at 7pm and therefore would need to go to Nepean. I thought no way. But this lady sees a lot of women so maybe she knows what she is talking about. I thought we will see.
Hubby and I had plans to have lunch with some of our close friends so we went to the local pub all while having contractions. We went to the shops and although it was very slow going for me due to the fact contractions made me seize up and it was like all my legs, lower back and pelvis was in a muscle spasm. I could not move while it was happening, and during this I could feel the head banging to go further down…. YES painful!
7pm comes and we are reading stories to the kids and tucking them in for bedtime. My contractions were super painful and getting closer together and it was harder to talk and to do anything. They were 5-6mins apart at this stage.
I think the midwife jinxed us, as she predicted the time and the fact that it would all happen. Damn now we have to go down the mountain to Nepean due to the local hospital not being able to have us there. I called the hospital and this was a hard phone call due to being in pain with contractions coming and going. They said that we cannot come there, and that they would call ahead to Nepean and we needed to leave now due to the time it takes to get down the mountain and the times of my contractions. Oh great………a trip down the mountain in a car while I am screaming and in pain.
Hubby and I are in the car and screaming down the mountain due to impending birth (well I was definitely screaming). During our trip a P plate driver decides we are trying to race him and he revs up his car and tries to get in our way. A learner driver nearly crashed into our car, a truck nearly collected us and people did not get out of lanes so that we could get there more quickly. During the trip I of course was screaming and yelling due to the pain and the pressure was getting intense in my pelvis due to the baby pressing and pushing with even more gusto. I did not want to have the baby on the side of the road, or in the car. I was just hoping we would get to the hospital in time.
When you were pregnant did the hospital of your choice close at the time of labor or was not available for whatever reason? Did you have to race to go somewhere else when labor hit? Let us know.
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I have been thinking about what a year 2015 was. I did want to accomplish more on the blog side and professionally but managed to do a bit of what I had planned.
Kids completed year 1 and did very well with reading and many other things. They have grown so much and really developed as their own person. Being in separate classes I think has really allowed each child to be what they can be without disruption or upset to each other. It allows them to be themselves and to have their own wins and accomplishments.
I went to Problogger and networked. I also learnt a lot and got inspired to do more with my blog and other ideas.
We did some much needed DIY around the house. I know have a nicer bathroom, kids in a newer room and other things fixed that I have been desperate to have done.
We were lucky to get pregnant and soon we are to have baby number 3. I was hoping to not be pregnant while writing this but I am still. Currently I’m 39 weeks and 3 days with baby number 3 and rather annoyed that he/she is still in my belly. The countdown is on little one!
I was lucky to get better after having a rough patch with being ill and especially while being pregnant it did not help. I am much better now and the only annoyance is when this baby will vacate my body.
Due to the new baby to be, the twins got moved into the bigger room and we have done up their old small room for the baby.
On a sad note we said goodbye to some good friends last year and it was rather painful due to that issue. It was a tough year due to that alone and being pregnant throughout this made it more difficult for me to deal with. I felt bad creating life while dealing with the loss. I know… they would not hold it against me but I did feel bad.
On the up side, we are well, have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, have good friends and are looking forward to what 2016 will bring us. The new baby is also something we are excited about and wondering when this little person will want to join the world.
The twins are excited about being in grade 2 this year and finding out what classes they will be in. We are in holiday mode currently and filling the days to keep kids busy and rest due to impeding birth is an interesting mix.
I will endeavor to attach the goals yet to have been achieved to this year and to strive towards them. Yes, I am not giving up just adding them to the list. Have you looked back on what you have done and been happy or sad? Or just it is what is was…. that said, I did all I could do and we are all okay.
What is your major thing or goal you wish to achieve in 2016? Let us know.
Nearly seven years ago I became a mum for the first time. The twins came early like many babies do. We were ready as much as we could be. I had my bag packed ready to go. I never left the house without my neonatal card so that wherever I was I had it at the ready.
When the babies were born they were whisked away from me, due to being premmie. I of course was still attached to machinery so a nurse had to assist with all this. Hubby went to the NICU with the babies. After all was organised, I was placed in a wheel chair (as I could not move my legs from an epidural) and hubby escorted me to the NICU to see the girls.
After I saw the babies, I then went to my bed upstairs in the ward. All other new mums had their babies with them, this was a fact that was obvious by the screaming and seeing the little of bundles in the cots next to my room mates for a time.
Mum and her baby
It might sound strange but I had a disconnect going on. I was so tired, sore and just needed rest. I managed to get some sleep and then got woken up by nurses and other noises at the hospital. I lay there in the bed thinking, did I just have babies? It felt so odd, to have babies and not be with them. It was like in a weird way it did not happen. It could just be the fact of not sleeping for 30 hours plus did this.
I made sure that I worked on getting the babies breast milk and visited all day and nights as well. I even changed nappies in a humidicrib! This is rather difficult as the nappies were so tiny and so were the babies. Plus you can only have hands go in a certain area of the crib. You will know the awkwardness if you have done this task. NICU nurses should get medals for these amazing feats.
What was your first experience of motherhood? Were your babies premmie? Did the same thing happen to you? It was a strange feeling suddenly to be someones mum. I did have practice with my wonderful cat, but it is not the same is it? Well there are similarities but very different on the whole. The similarities is that you have to feed, take care, and give heaps of cuddles. One difference is your cat does not talk back and your child will.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
I find that I look around my immediate neighbours and I feel that I am on a different timeline all together. Is it just me that feels like this? Is it a mummy comparison that I will never live up to, or is my way a hack for mummies?
Do you see other people have laundry hung out in the early hours and you have not got to the washing at all? These early birds are wonderful and are super organised. They have the first load of laundry out, and have taken in maybe one or two loads that are dry, folded all laundry and put them away! (I’m lucky to have it all dry and put out when the heat of the day is at its peak!)
Do you despair at the fact that you are on a different path? Sometimes I do, however I have now decided to work with it.
The despair over doing everything at different times than others.
How do you ask?
With the fact that I miss the magic drying window with the washing, and of course now due to the dryer not working, I have to have things on the line to dry. Being in the Blue Mountains makes things difficult as many days are rainy and now due to autumn and the impending arrival of winter getting clothes dry is going to be increasingly difficult. (We are going to get a replacement dryer but have not done so yet)
Now here is my brilliant wisdom….. if you are not doing this you will be amazed. After you follow this you will be like the early birds with their laundry on the line super early!
My fabulous hack to make things easier for me:
I do as many loads as I can and hang them on the line
I make sure the weather the next day is going to be fine or at least sunny to allow clothes to dry mostly. If they are just a little damp they come in and can finish drying on the clothes horse in the laundry.
I leave the clothes that cannot come in the house on the line overnight and now I am the early bird who has all the laundry on the line and getting dry.
My laundry on the line since last night. Now I’m the early bird today!
What things do you do at different times to others? Do you think it works well for you or does it cause issues? Everyone is different and you need to do what works for you. However at times I wish I was a bit different and I could channel a cleaning goddess. I still think hypnosis might be the way to go!
I have on occasion gotten up early to do laundry and housework, but that is never kept up as I do love sleeping in. Or whatever I can get that is like a sleep in, kids do throw a spanner in the works here!
Let us know what you do to make things a bit easier for you.
NOTE: Just so you know I realised after purchasing all the ingredients that the online recipe can be altered for the number of people who you would be cooking for. I only used 2 capsicums cut in half to not make too much for an individual meal. However I did end up with a lot left over and that went in the fridge for the next night’s dinner.
The following ingredients are for 4 people. If you need to change this. Click on the number and change it with the up or down arrow on the link above for the recipe.
Making the stuffing: Cooking the beans, rice, and with all the other ingredients.
Ingredients
1 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 small zucchini diced
3/4 small red onion diced
4 red capsicums
1 cup kidney beans drained & rinsed
3 1/2 tablespoons of heaped fresh coriander finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
3 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil + splash for cooking
I substituted the following: Instead of coriander I used parsley, due to hubby hating it. Instead of purchasing pine nuts I used almonds due to having them already. I added some parmesan cheese to the top of the capsicum so that it would add to the flavour and give a nice consistency.
I used almonds instead of pine nuts. I already had almonds at home and thought it would be cheaper to use what I already had.
Jackie from Body Beyond Birth told me that you need to pick food choices that work for you. If you don’t make things from scratch all the time it will be hard to keep up. Eat well and incorporate it into your every day life. Make it easy for you.
Instructions
I put my oven on to 180 degrees as my oven is gas is old and funny. The instructions on the recipe say 150 for an electric oven. Make sure to your line your baking tray.
I halved and cleaned out my capsicum pieces. I like to make sure that they are ready.
Cook brown rice, drain, pour back into pot & cover off heat for 10 minutes.
Cook zucchini & onion in a fry pan with a splash of olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes
Once softened & starting to brown, take off heat & set aside.
Combine all ingredients together except capsicums.
Spoon mixture into capsicums.
I added parmesan cheese and left off the olive oil drizzle in the recipe.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft & cooked through
Serve immediately
The capsicums ready to be stuffed.
I know I added some things to this dish and it was not exactly as listed. It tasted amazing and the addition of the lemon rind made it have an extra burst of flavour. Having the almonds made it have a nice texture and it was a great addition to a fabulous and easy dish.
Making it a main meal option
If you would like to make this as a main meal you can.
You can add mince or meat if you are not vegetarian. One good tip is to make sure that the capsicum pieces are a little bigger if it is a main meal, or have a few more if smaller.
You can play with what you add to the stuffing for the capsicums, and have different fillings for different menus. You could have a totally vegetarian dish and then switch it up by maybe adding some cheese in the stuffing mixture, or say shredded chicken and other root vegetables. The choices are endless and you can be as creative as you like.
Rice & Bean Stuffed Capsicums ready to eat. Yum. Just right for a side dish or for a main meal.
I hope this helps with some dinner ideas or maybe for lunch? You can have it for both. This is super easy dish and helps to make sure that you are getting more vetables in your diet. Well I suppose it depends on what you put in the stuffing.
It is 2015 isn’t it? So why does it feel like we are living in the 1900’s or worse?
I know the 1900’s were not all bad but if you were female and wanted to be accepted as an equal, work in similar fields like men and earn equal pay it was not a great time for you.
However you could mistake our current time for having the same issues. Yes crazy right?
In the news just today was a report about a senior female surgeon, Gabrielle McMullin, who told trainee female doctors that it is best to have sex with a male who harasses them, as it is easier than not having a career at all. Why is this acceptable to tell trainee female doctors that this is okay! Why is a woman telling other women that this is a good way to advance your career? Just shameful and horrible in my book!
Happy International Women’s Day. How do you celebrate?
“Dr McMullin referred to the case of Dr Caroline Tan, who won a 2008 sexual harassment case against a surgeon while she was completing surgical training at a Melbourne hospital. Dr Tan was vilified and has been unable to find work at any public hospital in Australasia despite the legal victory, she said.”
If someone harasses you and puts the hard word for sex, you have every right to say NO! Saying no and not engaging in sex, or anything should in no way impact your career or your person.
Below are more quotes from the Sydney Morning Herald article:
“Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex on this night. And, realistically, she would have been much better to have given him a blow job on that night,” Dr McMullin said in the criticised ABC interview.
“What I tell my trainees is that, if you are approached for sex, probably the safest thing to do in terms of your career is to comply with the request; the worst thing you can possibly do is to complain to the supervising body because then, as in Caroline’s position, you can be sure that you will never be appointed to a major public hospital.”
I am not sure if Dr McMullin was just stating the facts that the work place culture is so bad that it has allowed this sexual harassment to be tolerated and not reported. I do understand that women don’t report crimes due to wanting to progress in life and their careers, however this does not help anyone. It keeps the perpetrator in the environment to strike again. The cycle just repeats itself.
I’m also at a loss to why a female surgeon would be teaching this to young female doctors. She is helping this terrible culture of harassment to continue by allowing this to be accepted. If more people stood up to these men who feel they can manipulate and dominate others, the culture would not allow the silence on these terrible incidents.
Why is it okay to let women or young girls be used sexually in order to gain in their career? Sex should not be a tool to be played with, and it is actually irrelevant in the role as a doctor and other careers as well.
Being female should not make you a target and silenced. This needs to change and NOW! Not later!
As said in my introduction; We are living in 2015 not in the 1900’s so why oh why do women still get underpaid for the same job a man does? Are we living hundreds of years ago? Are there laws to make sure there is no discrimination, Yes there is! However I am not sure how this is applied to equal pay as it does not seem to be happening. If it was, pay would be equal and my rant would be for nothing.
Many women are highly qualified, can do an excellent job and match or can outdo the competition. Fair pay for fair work I say! So why are women still being short-changed? Is it that we are too nice? I have heard that it is due to the fact we have babies and go on maternity leave. I personally don’t see how the possible thought that a woman might have a baby or not make her earning potential drop. Some women never have children and some do.
How about this for size, women live longer than men so we need the money! Pay us more so that we can invest in family, and the economy. If we had more savings for retirement maybe many women would not have to be on the pension due to struggling with little savings. Now there’s a thought! More money in the pocket would help women and society! Easy really, right?
Is the issue due to the fact that we don’t negotiate well enough? Or is it that corporations feel that they can get away with underpaying women and making more money off our brilliant and fabulous skills. I am not sure why it is still happening.
I for one am very frustrated about this. However how do you find out what others are getting paid and men who do the same job? I doubt they will tell you what they earn and many organisations have a private policy in place to protect this information. So due to all the secrecy you are flying blind.
You can do your homework for your industry and negotiate but that is about it. Do you think we should have more transparency on salaries? I do. If we were more open about what role gets paid what, women and also men would know what is fair and equal.
earnings for women in 1985 and now. From http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2015/03/australian-gender-
Why does it feel that we have come so far, but still not far enough. I still don’t understand why underpaying or harassing women helps our society. If we got paid equally it would benefit everyone. The money goes back to the family and helps fund education, feed everyone, put a roof over peoples heads and much more. It also shows that women are valued for their contribution and skills.
Why are women still penalised for being a mother and the caretaker? These unpaid roles save society a lot of money, it is mainly women caring for kids, elderly and the sick without getting a cent or nearly anything for this service. It is a massive saving to families and society. Fancy us sending a bill for our work. I am due over six years back pay! Bring it on!
Since today is International Women’s Day we can address these issues or put more thought into why they occur. It would be nice if the heads of companies and the like address the fact of equal pay and strive to make their workplace a harassment free environment. No woman wants to work in an environment that has a horrible culture and also underpays women, they will go elsewhere where they are valued.
When will people wise up to treating women as equal helps everyone. What do you think? Send in your thoughts.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
It took the girls well over 40 minutes to get dressed and organised for school this morning!
Yes that is a long time, especially when it should only take about 10-15mins at the most!
Do you find that your little one takes ages doing tasks that should not take forever? I do!
Due to the super long time taken to simply put on a uniform, socks, shoes and brush hair I of course was getting very annoyed. I’m sure if I said, c’mon we are going to the movies, swimming or somewhere fun, they would have magically gotten ready in record time. I have seen it happen so I know they can do it!
After nearly 15 minutes of the kids still being in their birthday suits, I gave the kids an ultimatum. If they were still like this when we had to leave, this is how they would go to school!
This picture shows how this morning went. Giggles, games, and silliness and no getting ready for school!
Yes I would have had to put two naked kids in a car and drive to school, but I was prepared to do this.
I would have clothes in the car for them if this did eventuate, but they were lucky that they got with it and managed to get dressed although super slow.
As I was getting upset and angry about this, I took deep breaths and kept on reminding myself. If they don’t get dressed I will leave as promised, and they can deal with it in the car or at school.
I think they saw how annoyed and angry I was at the progress, and realised mummy would follow through with her threat. Scary if they had not dressed well or at all!
I was thinking maybe it is our morning routine that gets them out of sorts. But thinking about it our morning routine is a good one. We get up, eat breakfast, kids pick out their uniform, have a shower, get dressed, get bags sorted and leave for school.
The girls were full of beans and had the giggles which did not help. Maybe I need to have them in separate rooms in the morning to speed up dressing? Have you had to do this? Did it work for you?
Have you ever ended up taking a non-dressed child to school or somewhere else due them not being ready? Let us know what happened.
What is it like at your house? Do the kids muck around and take ages getting ready for school? Or are they good and get ready quickly?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
2015 is my year to focus on me and changes for the better.
I had grand plans:
Get fit.
Get toned.
Eat well, or at least healthier and cut down on my portion sizes.
Have you still kept up your goal from Jan 1st 2015 to be a fitter and healthier version of you? I’m sending you a big virtual hug for all those that manage to keep going with a busy and hectic schedule.
Yes I have tried but as mother to two active and on the go kids, plus doing everything else a mum orta do I don’t end up fitting in exercise. Does this sound like what happens with you?
I don’t know how you end up feeling if you neglect the exercise, but if I end up missing out I get annoyed, frustrated and a little crabby that I did not manage to fit it all in. Silly really but that little bit of time for me that allows my body to unwind, stretch and relax does make a massive difference in my day and mood. It also allows me to feel better and therefore be happier.
So how can this be fixed?
Just doing 20 minutes of exercise a day. It can be in the morning before kids get up. While they are at school, or sleeping.
I was approached by the lovely ladies at Body Beyond Birth , Becky and Jackie. To trial their 12 week program. I of course would love to be fitter and healthier so I was happy and delighted to trial their amazing program.
The program is aimed at busy mums. Becky and Jackie have wonderful instruction videos that are Pilates based and help tone your core and pelvic floor (Yes we need to remember to exercise this area!) Yoga videos are available to watch also as well as meditation
The recipe pages are divine, look yummy and are good for you! They have recipe’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The site also has great print outs of what are actual portion sizes and other great nutritional info that is a good read.
Breakfast Smoothie from Body Beyond Birth
What are my thoughts so far?
I only joined last Tuesday. I have done my first week. I love the exercises as they make me feel taller. The stretching and toning the core is exactly what I need. I need to focus on my back and stomach to ensure I don’t get more back aches and of course take care of my pelvic floor.
The week one exercise video was good and all about form and control of the exercise.
Week two’s exercise video was great as it is progressing with some holding techniques and allowing me to stretch and work other areas of my core, stomach and back.
When I first signed up, I did not know where to place myself. You can put yourself as a beginner (stage 1), Someone who exercises a bit (stage 2), or someone who is full on and wants to push the limits (stage 3). I chose stage 2 and this seems right for me. However during my phone conversation with Jackie she said that if you are at the wrong stage and the plan is too easy or too hard they can move you to the most appropriate level for you. Jackie said, “I want for people to be happy with the exercises they are doing. We don’t want to have it too hard for some people or too easy. We are happy to fix this for a client if needed”
I love the fact that you can take this exercise program anywhere. All you need is an iPad or Tablet device and you can do your 20mins of exercise.
The exercise videos from all weeks are available to access during the program. If you would like to redo week 1’s exercise video you can and then progress to the week 2’s or other weeks depending on what you would like to do.
Yoga with Zoe, from Body Beyond Birth
Outcomes
I will be sharing my outcomes on the blog each week. So please stop by and see how I’m going. I should have done the my measurements but have not so will do that soon (I will not be sharing but would like to know if the program has helped and made a difference)
Please feel free to drop by Body Beyond Birth to check out their fab site and see if you would like to do their 12 week program as well. Or you can just do their 7 day trial to see if you like it. Give it a go or drop them a line.
Do you find since kids it is a struggle to fit in exercise? Let us know what you do to make sure you fit it in.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Many people assume if you have twins you must have had IVF. Worse still, total strangers think it is perfectly fine to ask you to confirm just how your children’s conception came about.
Friends who are “older” – including those without twins – complain about attracting the same curiosity from people they barely know.
And same sex couples (“who is the father/mother?”).
The answer oh curious stranger is, “none of your business!”
Cute little baby. Who cares how you were conceived you are wonderful and beautiful.
Perhaps when I receive such questions, I should respond in kind by asking the stranger if he/she had sex to have their child/ren?Maybe I could throw in some other up close and personal curly questions such as their medical history and maybe what they earn?
For the record, I never answer questions about how our girls were conceived.
The reasons are simple.
I don’t want to set up a “natural versus assisted conception” thing
It is not just my story to tell – it’s a story shared by my family
And It just doesn’t matter
Do you get asked if you used IVF? Would you feel okay asking a complete stranger if they had to have medical intervention to have their kids?
Why would I share such intimate details with a complete stranger? I don’t see any benefit in having this discussion.
Of course I would have to be living on another planet not to know couples that have used IVF due to one or both parents having an issue with fertility, or one parent having a congenital issue they don’t want to pass on or because they are a same sex couple in need of an egg or sperm. Or for whatever reason. There is certainly no shame in taking advantage of the wonders of medical science but it is damn personal stuff.
I sympathised with Nicole Kidman when she was forced to justify to millions of strangers all over the world her use of the term “gestational carrier”. Sure it sounded a little unusual but I think she was just saying, “hey this baby is my precious child and the technology involved is not the focus”.
It does not matter how you conceived your children as long as they are here, happy and nurtured. Whether the journey started with fours years of trying, one night of passion, or IVF, AI, GIFT or whatever is irrelevant.
It is no one’s business but yours. If you choose to tell family or friends that’s up to you. In my book, being asked by a stranger how you conceived your kids is just weird.
Have other parents of multiple birth children encountered such a question? Are we particular magnets for such inquiries or have single bub parents heard them too? Maybe the assumption is that all twins and triplets are IVF babies? Hey, prior to the first IVF bubs being born in 1978 people did have twins and triplets you know.
Has the frequent use of reproduction technology created a new social acceptance about quizzing people about how their much loved children came about?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
In 2015 I have decided to make things easier on me. Yes you heard that right, I am looking at solutions to give me more time and to stop some of the stress that goes with these tasks. Task number one is food shopping with kids. I can hear the sighs and ahhaa’s while I am writing this. I did do a couple of home deliveries last year but swore to keep it up and it did not happen.
Now we are in a new year I have just had my first home delivery of food products, and also a nice bottle of gin for my occasional refreshing mummy beverage. I was not worried about kids while shopping as I did it all from the convenience of my home.
Shopping trolleys will be a thing of the past with online shopping
I did not have to get changed or have a shower to go shopping. The best part of it was that the kids were not distracting me, from what I went to the shops for in the first place. I could focus on the task and get what I needed rather than every 2mins or less tell a child to stop creatively dancing in the aisle, or to get out of someone’s way, or that whatever they ask for it is going to be a NO!
Plus the other one that I keep on repeating, “Stop touching that, touching is not looking. You look with your eyes not your hands!” I am sure I am not the only one that has found the relaxing way to shop is online and it has definitely made me want more of this serenity while doing the food shop.
I would in all seriousness go clothes shopping than get the weekly shop for the house. Ladies I am sure I am not alone on this!
To go to the shops I would have to put two kids in the car, get them out, be a stressed out mummy while at the shops, get kids and shopping in car, get home, get kids and shopping out of car, and finally put shopping away but not before giving the kids something to do to allow me to get it all done. The kids do help with items that they can carry and help put away but once it gets a bit hard, I am on my own.
One thing that I noticed once I did the online shop, I thought that since I had ordered it they were in my kitchen. Yes very silly. However I had mentally gone to the shops but not yet received the product. Have you done this before? Or is it just me? Maybe I need more sleep?
Do you shop online for your groceries? Do you find it makes life easier and less stressful? I do, and I will be making sure the rest of the year I do more online orders. Spending hours at the shops for food when you could be doing other things is no brainer. I do understand that you might need to go to get the odd item and that is fine, but for big shops it is the way to go!
Next Post: My 2nd installment about our Maritime Museum Adventure
The twins love wearing skirts and due to them being small and very petite they are hard to fit. So I have decided to make them. Yes more skirts and outfits are on their way soon due to my new sewing machine I got for my birthday. However this skirt was made with my old one.
I also love dressing the kids in different one of a kind clothes. It is great to have something no one else does.
So how do you make a layered skirt?
It is just like a normal skirt with an elastic waist, however you had a layer to it. For the layer that sits on top you need it to be shorter than the overall length of the skirt.
You can also have one layer on top, the second layer being the main part of the skirt and make a third for the border or accent trim for the end of the skirt. I have chosen not to do the third addition to this skirt and only did the two layers. I was thinking of using a border of the first layered fabric to hem the skirt and by using the same fabric on the top of the skirt, tying in the pattern.
What material did I use?
I used fine cord material for the main part of the skirt, which is the pink material and cotton for the top patterned layer. I chose this as we live in the Blue Mountains and it is getting colder. The kids love skirts but I would like them to be warm, hence the warmer cord. Using cotton for the top part of the layer works well as it has more flow and movement being a lighter fabric.
The fabric I used for the skirts. The pink and purple are cord and the pattern one is cotton. Will use the purple one for another project.
You can use whatever fabric you have available. One thing to remember is to make sure that each fabric blends and goes well together. You don’t want to pick something that does not match very well. I like to choose materials that have similar colours but not all of them and to have eye catching patterns. I use patterns on some material and not on others as too much pattern will be overwhelming and hard on the eye. Again, whatever you wish to use is fine. It is your creation and art here.
Also the type material is dependent on the weather so light cottons obviously for summer and heavier fabrics for cooler weather.
Note: Make sure to wash all fabric before use. This will make sure no colours bleed or fabric shrinks. You don’t want to make the perfect skirt to find it shrinks later.
What do you need?
2 contrasting fabrics that work well together.
A big table to stretch and put all the fabric out, trust me this is great if you can have it.
Elastic for the waist.
A big safety pin to not lose the elastic.
Matching cotton for the fabric.
Binding or trim if you did wish to give the skirt a fancier finish/you could use the other fabric and make your own. Have not done this but know this can be done.
How do I measure my fabric for the skirt?
Well my kids are small so it might not be right for you if you have taller and bigger kids. This is what I did to get the measurements right.
For the top layer I needed to make this shorter but not too much as I had to allow for the hem and the waist band.
The top layer: 30cms that includes hem and waist allowance
The main and bottom layer: 45cms that includes hem and waist allowance.
Note: If you have a wider waistband for the elastic you will need to make sure you allow extra in the fabric or else the length will be shorter than anticipated.
Material that has already been cut. Now it is ready to make a skirt.
You need to measure your child to see where skirts are sitting and for the length. I made a layered skirt before and it was all about 30cms. These skirts still fit the twins, however as they don’t have many I would make more. Since I looked at the old ones I realised that they had grown and I needed to make them longer so they could get more wear out of them.
With my kids the waist has not changed much just the length needed changing.
At least with this skirt if you have the wrong length you can alter it and add a new layer or just do the hem and be done with it. No one will know if you don’t tell them. I will keep your secret!
Step by Step Guide – Sew an Easy Layered Skirt
Step 1: Measure and cut out all your fabric. Make sure you have double fabric as it is for both sides of the skirt. I like to fold it over to make sure I cut double at the same time.
Step 2: Sew the edge for the top layer
Step 3: Hem the top layer as it will be harder to do it later when attached to the bottom layer
Hem the top layer. It is easier to do it now than when it is connected to the bottom layer.
Step 4: Sew the both sides of the bottom/main layer of the skirt. Don’t do the hem yet as you will want to make sure that you have the right length when your child tries it on.
Step 5: Join both layers together. To do this you need to put both layers inside each other so they both meet together at the top. Once they are both lined up and pinned you can sew the top area together.
Joining both layers
Step 6: Fold over just enough for the waist band up the top of the skirt. Depending on how wide the elastic is you might need a wide waist or it could be narrow. When you sew around the waist band make sure to leave a gap so you can add the elastic.
Step 7: Put the elastic in and make sure to check the size on your child before you sew it off and finish the waist. It is a good idea to get the size right first then you can close the gap in the waist and move onto the hem.
Step 8: Put the skirt on your model (otherwise known as your child) and see if it is the right length. If all good, do the hem. If not, take it up the right amount to make sure it sits correctly.
Now you have a finished layered skirt. I told you it would be easy. I am sure that this will be a hit at the next party or outing.
Now to see the finished product
The girls in their new skirts. I think they look great. What are your thoughts?
