The Adventures of Izzy and Isaac

My partner and I recently decided that (for now at least) I will not be going back to work but will be a stay at home mum (SAHM). My partner is a chef so works long hours including weekends and evenings which means I have a lot of time alone with Isaac. This post is all about what I get up to all day as a SAHM. Look after baby! Surprise, surprise, right. I let Isaac set his own routine so that means feeding on demand and letting him nap when he wants too and for as long as he wants. This works for us especially while he's still under 1 because it gives us the freedom to go out when we want and do different things every day. This means I can't give you a play by play of an average day because there isn't one... but these are the things I do to look after Isaac every day: nappies, changing clothes, feeding (milk and food), playing, talking to etc :)  Playing with baby We're lucky to have lots of toys Isaac can play with (see my previous post about our favourite  bab...

I breastfeed. I knew when I was pregnant that I wanted to do breastfeed once baby was born, and I read up on it. I also attended NHS antenatal classes promoting breastfeeding, where due to my reading I was able to contribute quite a lot in discussions. Despite this, I was not prepared for the reality of breastfeeding.   I feel disappointed in the information being offered; if myself, as someone who actively sought information to ensure my breastfeeding journey would be a success, was not prepared, I suspect most mothers won't have been. I feel like the NHS staff delivering the antenatal classes vetted the information they were giving to portray a solely positive picture of breastfeeding so as not to put anyone off, therefore missing out important information. This, coupled with budget cuts affecting the availability of breastfeeding support, is likely to be a key factor in the alarming drop seen in statistics of women who begin breastfeeding (81%) compared with the rate of ...

When you sew for your baby, the end goal is often to make them clothes. A great place to start is rompers because you don't need to faff with elastic waistbands or fastenings and you can make them from most materials. I would recommend using cotton as it passes fire safety regulations for use for children's clothing. There is a variety of romper patterns available online, or you can draw around an existing romper (onto greaseproof/ tracing paper/ normal copier paper) leaving some room for a seam allowance. Place your pattern onto your fabric and cut a front and back (bearing in mind the direction of the print on the fabric) - the back is normally slightly higher than the front. If you wish to line your romper, cut just the top half of another front and back in either the same fabric or a contrasting or complementary colour.  Start sewing by hemming the bottom edge of the liner pieces only. Then  placing your liner and romper pieces  right side to right side...

This post is about attachment parenting, which I kind of discovered is the name for the way I am parenting Isaac. I needed to write this post as a bit of an emotional release... all will become clear! What is attachment parenting?  noun noun:  attachment parenting an approach to raising infants that aims to promote a close relationship between the baby and its parents by methods such as feeding on demand and letting the baby sleep with its parents. Also sometimes referred to as gentle parenting, attachment parenting means (to me anyway) being with your baby whenever they want you and seeing to their needs as soon as you possibly can. It means cuddling your baby as often as they want, being close to them, and fostering a relationship of trust with your baby.  This is where I'm putting a disclaimer so as not to offend, because parenting is an emotional thing - you are investing your whole self into another tiny person. You will find your own way ...