Win a Hotmilk Charm Nursing Nightie worth £45.95 with The Rose Diaries

We are firm believers that pregnancy should be celebrated and mums and mums to be should ALWAYS be comfortable and feeling good about themselves. This is why we are giving our readers the chance to win a Charm Nightie from Hotmilk worth £45.95.

Hotmilk_charm

We love that Hotmilk is designed by mothers, for mothers. Hotmilk offers premium product at accessible prices and their philosophy is to celebrate and empower women via a fresh, creative approach.  Their goal is to create an exquisitely sophisticated nursing lingerie brand and make new mums feel sexy and empowered ….. we really love that!

When you have had a baby, what you are wearing to bed is sometimes last on your list of priorities but if you are breastfeeding you need something comfortable and practical for those night feeds, without feeling frumpy and unattractive.

The Charm Nightie is therefore perfect! We are told that it is “soft and comfortable and will grow with you up to three cup sizes, perfect for when your milk comes in and the answer to holding your breast pads in place throughout the night due to the structured shelf support inside.  The cream cotton base with a soft feminine floral print and 5% stretch make this the ultimate nursing nightie”

Hotmilk_Charm_nightie_clear_1024x1024

FEATURES

  • The perfect gift in easy sizing
  • Side sling for discreet feeding and shape on A-D cups
  • A Frame on DD-G cups for added support and modesty
  • Multi sized to grow up to 3 cup sizes as you grow
  • Elasticated shelf support on the under bust to ensure support all night long
  • Stretchy fabric allows for your changing body shape
  • Easy one handed drop down cups for breastfeeding

So would you like to win one? We are delighted to offer one of our lucky readers the chance to win one of these fabulous nursing nighties from Hotmilk and all you need to do is enter by clicking the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

The Prize: Hotmilk Charm Nightie RRP £45.95
The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 7 working days by email
Hotmilk will make every effort to provide the nightie shown here but this cannot be guaranteed
By entering this competition, you understand that your details may be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
There is no monetary equivalent.
The Rose Diaries take no responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
End Date 11/07/2016 at 12am

 

Is a second pregnancy different from the first?

We are delighted to welcome Lynette as our new baby blogger, as she is just over half way through her 2nd pregnancy and she has been reflecting on how different it is from her first. This is her story….

It has taken me four years to come round to having a second child.  Not because I don’t love being a mother.  Motherhood is the greatest gift I have ever been given, and my son is my greatest achievement.  The reason is quite simply that I have been too frightened.

I had a difficult start to my pregnancy with my son.  It was a really difficult time, living on a knife edge everyday as to what could happen.  We had arranged to have a home birth as the pregnancy had run smoothly after the initial 12 weeks.   However, after a long labour, an ambulance ride, forceps delivery and a retained Placenta our beautiful little boy was born at 10:07am on the 24th September 2011.  I swore to my husband that we would not be having any more children after the trauma from our son’s birth and the painful recovery. Why would anyone put themselves through that again?

Yet one day, something changed inside me. I felt completely different and I found myself wanting a second child.  My husband too wanted another child; yet he knew how badly the birth had affected me the first time that he was worried how I would cope this time round.   However, after the first month of trying we had conceived. I had no time to worry really as it had happened so quickly. We found out on Christmas day 2014. I didn’t quite believe it.  So much so that I sent pictures of the pregnancy test to my best friend to confirm that I wasn’t going crazy.  We were elated. I was desperate to share the news with the world.  But, I was nervous.  I knew of the problems that I had experienced with my son, and I knew there was a chance it could happen again. I don’t think anyone really relaxes until they have the 12 week scan, and then you only worry about the 20 week one.  Without a doubt, pregnancy is a rollercoaster of emotions.

Yet now, as I sit here and type this at 24 weeks pregnant, if I am honest, I find that I have less time to worry about things like I did first time round. Believe me, I still worry, it is in my nature. But with working full time as a teacher, running round after a 3 year old and being a wife and looking after a home, I sometimes forget I am pregnant.  If it wasn’t for the constant kicks and ever growing bump, I would swear that I wasn’t pregnant. I don’t have the constant hunger that I had with our son, I only have a bump rather than being chubby all-over this time.  Perhaps it is because we are having a little girl?

I am finding it difficult not to overload on Pink.  After we had our son, bizarrely we kept his clothes, but got rid of a lot of main items that we now need. Why, you may ask. Well, I was convinced that we would have no more children.  So now, at 24 weeks pregnant, we need to go shopping.  Luckily, we are off to The Baby Show at the NEC on the 15th May.  I have told my husband to be prepared to carry a lot of bags, as I know from my previous visit with my mum, when pregnant with our son, that there is so much to buy and so many wonderful people there to give advice (and freebies) that his arms could ache by the end of the day. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Sarah Beeson MBE, baby expert and author of The New Arrival and Happy Baby, Happy Family. It really will be all about family that day as my Mum, Dad, Son, Sister In Law and Nephew are all coming too. I want it to be an experience that we all can share together, plus they are extra hands to carry bags.

I find myself wanting to be involved in more groups and forums to chat to other pregnant mums this time round.  I am a huge supporter of the “Count the Kicks” campaign and all the work that they do.  I have asked questions on their website to their guest midwife and it’s nice to speak to other mums who have the same worries that you do.  I don’t feel quite so alone this time in my pregnancy. Or quite as mad.

I am nervous for labour, not because of the pain, because of course it hurts. (although The Rose Diaries founder insists that I need to embrace hypnobirthing).  I think I am nervous of the unknown, and that the complications I had first time round could happen again.  However, I remain positive and hopeful.  Both The Duchess of Cambridge and I had labours that lasted the same amount of time with our little Princes, and she has had a short labour with her new Princess, perhaps I could be the same.  Or perhaps I am just wishful thinking.  One thing I know for sure is that I won’t look as amazing as she did after the birth of our little girl.

But when I look at our little boy and think of the difficult birth, I know that every pain and every stitch was worth it. My best friend tells me I should embrace being pregnant, enjoy the glowing stage and worry less.

I know that we have been given a gift that so many people long for.

I know how lucky we are………

The best is yet to come

Hospital Birth – 2nd Sept 13

This is a very personal post as it is about the arrival of my gorgeous nephew:

Here is Suzi’s story …..

Before my husband and I were trying for a baby the idea of giving birth filled me with fear, I even had to turn over when ‘one born every minute’ was on in case it put me off for life! When the miracle moment happened and we went for our 12 week scan and saw the little one in my belly, I knew it was time to face up to the inevitable.  Luckily my wonderful sister in law was on hand who had experienced an amazing birth the year previous, and introduced us to Hypnobirthing.

A little sceptical at first, I kept an open mind and started to read the Hypnobirthing book – two chapters in and I had already bought in; the theory that fear could counteract everything that the body and birthing muscles were trying to do, did make total sense.

We began to see Lee our Hynobirthing instructor at 28 weeks and she guided us through the relaxation and breathing techniques. She also filled us with the confidence and the knowledge to make sure we would have the best possible birth experience. With much practise behind us, we approached the final weeks of pregnancy and began to look forward to the day rather than fear it. We opted to have our baby at our local hospital where they had two water birth rooms, and so my birth plan was written – I would have a water birth, without pain relief, interventions and ‘instructions’ from the midwives, and use the Hypnobirthing techniques with the support from my husband to let my body do what nature intended. The only lingering question – would the hospital environment allow us this experience considering the stats for births without medical interventions in our modern day hospitals would suggest this was unlikely?

So, this is how the story goes… the evening before my due date, after consuming a spicy curry, my waters break (very cliché!), I have mild surges shortly after and the hospital call me in to be assessed. At 12am they are stronger and frequent so I start to listen to my music and use the breathing techniques, I am relaxed and in control, so much so that the midwife ensures me that ‘I would know it’ if I was in labour and suggests we may be going home shortly. She examines me and we are not going anywhere apart from the water birthing room! I birth and deliver my baby in the water as I had planned, I was not examined further or instructed, and we were left by the midwives to birth as I and my husband had intended. Although this was my first pregnancy, my body told me when I was entering the final stages and needed to ‘breath’ the baby down. I didn’t speak or open my eyes for nearly the entire time and the only voice I heard was my husband’s.

Our beautiful baby boy arrived 7 hours after getting to the hospital, and in such a calm atmosphere that the head midwife stayed past the end of her shift just to see him arrive! That is our story, that was our plan and this is what I believe is nature’s intent.

Welcome to the world Sidney Jack!

Sidney Jack