The Eccentric American Mama in Cumbria

After labour I knew nursing would be my next biggest challenge after the dreadful experience I had with Cyril. I thought things might be different with Sage since I was more knowledgeable about what to do and not do but the sore cracked and bleeding nipples with blisters still came and left me in tears. I desperately want her back on the breast but the skin is so bad I'm having to express in between her feeds and bottle feed her, all the while praying she'll latch back on properly and my milk supply won't diminish. Those mamas who have had to express in addition to breast or bottle feeding know just how exhausting this schedule can be. I have to express every 3 hours around the clock to keep my supply up and Sage has to eat approximately every 2-4 hours. Since I need to express before she eats that leaves very little sleep time. Add in the 20-30 minutes of breast care and cleaning the bottles and pump and I'm lucky if I get an hour here and there. However, I am determin...

I feel empowered, I feel in control, I trust my baby and my body. These were the three mantras I decided on before I went into labour, these were the three phrases Josh and Sarah repeated as labour progressed. In typical Josh Soper fashion he forgot one of them on the drive to the hospital and a few f-bombs were thrown in as he tried to remember but that just made me laugh. My waters broke on Friday night which I hadn't anticipated since only 1 out of 10 women actually have this happen to them before contractions have begun. As this was new to me I went to the hospital to have everything checked out. If I didn't go into labour naturally they would induce me Sunday morning to reduce the risk of infection. Fortunately, at 1130 on Saturday morning I started to have contractions and this is also when we decided it would be best if Marilyn took Cyril and Hobson back to her house. The beauty about my waters breaking was that it gave us the opportunity to prepare. We did the laundr...

To the man who works full-time, over-time, double-time, with no extra pay I want to say thank you. Thank you for coming home from work and demanding I sit and knit while you wash, hang and fold the three loads of laundry that have been scattered in various locations since I hurt my back. ... for doing the washing up night after night this week when I know it's your most dreaded task and on the one occasion you tried to sneak upstairs with your iPad, hoping I wouldn't notice the dirty dishes, you sulked back downstairs to wash them after I commented that we couldn't possibly go to bed with the kitchen in such a state. ... for putting Cyril to bed and singing song after song until his "Want big cuddles Mama" sobs turn into a whimper and then are eventually quieted by your soothing voice and broad shoulders where he can rest his head. ... for making supper every night and not complaining when you wake up to find that I forgot to pick up lunch meat so it's...

You know it's your second pregnancy when ... Your hospital bag still isn't completely packed at 39 weeks and instead of being neatly tucked into the the backseat of the truck it's upstairs with half it's contents spilling all over the drawer that's trying desperately to contain it. You've only just written your birth plan because you thought it might be a good idea to jot down a few things. I had 3 typed copies of Cyril's detailed birth plan in the hospital bag at 34 weeks. You bought the isofix base for your carseat on Wednesday and installed it yesterday. Cyril's was in the car from 32 weeks. You had half a pint of Guinness on Thursday  and didn't think twice about it just enjoyed every glorious sip. You rock climbed until 29 weeks, instead of stopping at 12, and were disappointed when your husband told you it was time to take it easy and stop climbing. Mini pregnancy update ... After Josh took this photo I exclaimed, "Hol...

I think it's time to finally figure out how to install this baby car seat, definitely a second mom over here as Cyril's car seat was installed, hospital bag packed and house scrubbed weeks before his due date! Now onto the good stuff... How far along?  38 weeks Total weight gain/loss?  29.6 pounds of pure cake and baby with a little cellulite in the thighs thrown in for good measure ;) Maternity clothes?  Skirt in the photo isn't maternity but it should be it has a high waisted belly band and is oh so comfortable especially sans undies. Stretch Marks?  No and I don't have the linea negra like I did the last time with Cyril not sure if that's because baby is slightly smaller or because I never got my abs back after my first pregnancy, either way I'm not complaining. Sleep?  Last night I slept great but that's been the exception. I've been having a lot of braxton hicks contractions at night and naturally it's getting pretty uncomfort...

The first night of my Daisy Birthing experience was a positive one. Before we even began there was a sense of calm in the room. The lights were dim, candles flickered in the centre, a gentle Summer breeze cooled my warm cheeks and the room smelled of lavender. When I took a seat on my yoga mat the exhausting and busy day I just experienced melted away and I was able to focus on my body and my baby. We started with an introduction to the course and I remember feeling relieved when Katherine finished, she wasn't there to tell us how to birth our babies. A lot of natural birthing classes seem to focus on just what they preach, a natural birth, and leave out or brush over the other ways of birthing. From the first utterance I knew this would be a non-judgemental class where Katherine would be giving us several tools to help us on our journey, and explaining all of the options available, while leaving the decision up to us. I can't remember her exact words but she basicall...

Don't get me wrong we all love an adorable romper or cuddly stuffed animal but when a baby enters a family these items just don't seem to stack up next to a home cooked meal or an offer to take the dog for a walk. I have a lot of friends expecting babies this year and suspect they would be too scared to ask for what they really want post baby so please feel free to share my blog if you agree with any and all of the items on the list. 1.  Bring Food!  I'm extremely organised yet have never managed to come to terms with batch cooking. Our refrigerator and freezer are constantly empty and I prefer to cook fresh. Also, whenever I think I'm batch cooking my boys devour the entire meal leaving nothing but crumbs to freeze.  Don't fancy cooking or don't have the time yourself to bake for a new mummy then bring breakfast items from the shop. Be honest, how many times do you wake up and realise you have no milk, fruit, cereal or bread? When my brothe...

I decided to share 20 of my favourite songs for labour. Josh is creating a playlist and I've also started adding songs on my Spotify account just in case I'm more in the mood for one type of music. I think I have 65 on the playlist but I'll only share 20, there's a huge variety here so at least one should meet your needs :) Chateau Lobby By Father John Misty Fitzpleasure or Breezeblocks By alt-J Come Let Go By Xavier Rudd Follow the Sun By Xavier Rudd Ong Namo by Snatam Kaur Fool for Love By Lord Huron Love is All By The Tallest Man On Earth Holocene By Bon Iver Two Weeks By Grizzly Bear Welcome Home, Son By Radical Face 40 Day Dream By Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Cucurucu By Nick Mulvey Bloom By Paper Kites Flume By Bon Iver 100 Years By Dr. Dog Work Song By Hozier Someone Like You by Adele 20 Years By The Civil Wars Resurrection Fern By Iron & Wine Old Dirt Hill By Dave Matthews Band

I finally bit the bullet last weekend and bought the supplies I needed for my hospital bag. When I started having Braxton Hicks contractions on Friday I decided I really did need to get this thing organised. The first time around I remember overpacking with Cyril and feeling really overwhelmed with all the bags and unnecessary crap. Now that I've dappled in Minimalism for over a year, I feel very comfortable packing only the essentials, and I know what I can leave at home. The adorable mice could not be left at home and are tucked into the nappy bag. You really only need to pack for a night because if you end up staying longer your husband/partner can get any additional supplies.  Mama's Bag: Maternity/Maxi Pads -Buy the largest size available and make sure they're unscented. The fragrant ones can cause tears in people who have sensitive skin and the last thing you want after childbirth is another tear! The pads in this photo are amazing but I ordered...