THE LIFESTYLE HUB

Shanie Ryan March 22, 2021

What is in my changing bag…

As a first time mum i’ve got to admit that the first version of my changing bag was a little ridiculous to be honest! It was so heavy the weight of it was capable of tipping the pram backwards and I literally packed everything but the kitchen sink in there. Now I’ve been a parent for 6 months I have streamlined not only what is in my changing bag but also my favourite brands and products that I prefer to buy for River. So I thought it might be useful to share with you what’s in my baby changing bag!

The number one thing I never ever leave home without is a healthy stack of nappies! Now I have tried and tested a few different brands over the past 6 months, but I have finally found my favourites. The Mama Bamboo ones are so good on River’s skin as they are made from bamboo which has an impressive list of qualities such as being antibacterial, temperature controlling, moisture absorbing and breathable. Basically he has NEVER had nappy rash ever since wearing these! On top of that they are really well fitting which means I can have more confidence that River’s daily poop explosions wont end up down his leg or up his back, which trust me has happened A LOT with other nappy brands.

On top of that they are an Eco friendly company assuring that that the products are free from alcohol, chlorine, preservatives, phthalates, latex, PVC & PAHs as well as their nappies being 80% bio-degradable (& packaging is 100% bio-degradable by the way!) They are the ONLY brand to use compostable packaging & are carbon neutral through their partnership with the Bamboo Village Afforestation Programme.

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Next up in the baby bag it’s wipes. Again sticking with Mama Bamboo, and these wipes have actually won awards, that is how good they are. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen me post many things about my desire to live a more sustainable life hence why I became Vegetarian 4 years ago.

11 billion (mostly plastic) wipes are thrown away every year in the UK! It’s a shocking fact I know… but these wipes are made from sustainably certified natural bamboo fibre an incredible alternative both for the planet and for your little ones skin. I recently discovered that a lot of nappies and wipes that are sold and labelled as biodegradable, actually require special soil conditions which aren’t found in the UK. So here we all are buying what we feel are “eco friendly” products that don’t actually even biodegrade in this country. How frustrating is that? But when I discovered Mama Bamboo I was pleased to finally discover a brand that is compostable in the UK, so I simple pop them in my food bin to breakdown.

They are 99.4% purified water, and are the perfect level of wetness which helps me clean up River’s poop explosions without using an excessive amount of wipes.

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So thanks to the Mama Bamboo nappies I haven’t ever needed to replace the original tube of this that I brought 7 months ago. Like I said previously, I road tested a few other nappy brands in the early days which sadly caused a few minor skin irritations. Weleda is a high quality skin care brand and their baby range is particularly brilliant. The white mallow cream cleared up the few skin irritations that River had over night so for that reason I always keep it in my changing bag.

Next up it’s my favourite changing mat… Freerider is a brand I am very fond of, I have one of their changing bags which was kindly gifted by the brand when I had River. The bag is great quality, it’s a lovely soft leather and to be honest it doesnt even really look like a baby changing bag it just looks like a really nice backpack, but my favourite thing is the matching changing mat. Again its good quality leather with an easy wipe double layered inside. It rolls up neatly and secures with a popper, so its compact and easy to grab along side a nappy and the wipes with baby perched on your hip as you head to the bathroom to change bubba.

[Gifted – Previous Ad partner]

Back to my mission to ensure parents use brands that are eco friendly.

These nappy sacks from Mama Bamboo are 100% home compostable. Like I said my wipes go into the food bin, and these will break down in home compost in just 30 days leaving nothing behind; no chemicals leaching into the soil; no micro-plastics; and no waste into our rivers and oceans. Round of applause don’t you think??

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Sophie the giraffe is about as famous as Beyonce amongst any parent with a teething bubba! River loves slobbering and chewing on this teething toy when his gums are hurting him. This little gal is so essential that we actually have two, one stays in the house and the other in the changing bag so that we always have one with us! She is the first teether made of 100% natural rubber, and food grade paints. My only issue with ‘Soph’ is she is quite expensive compared to other teethers at £15.00!

I’ve recently learnt that you never quite know when teething pain is going to hit your little one. So I don’t leave the house without checking I have a few sashays of Ashton & Parsons teething powder in the bag. River really seems to respond well to this stuff, that and breastfeeding seem to do the trick.

It also comes in a gel which some parents prefer, but its a traditional herbal medicinal product that has been used and recommended for years and years.

Since the 2020 pandemic began hand sanitiser has become a staple part of life and I doubt anybody leaves home without some these days. But the usual stringent sanitisers on the market didn’t feel suitable to use on River’s precious delicate skin. But Milton have brought out a baby friendly plant based version which is great for keeping mine and Rivers hands clean without drying and leaving alcohol residue on my fingers which let’s face it, he shoves into his mouth every 5 minutes.

I think besides nappies & baby wipes the next most important thing in River’s changing bag is at least 2 spare outfits at all times! On one particular day River had one poop situation followed by 2 projectile vomit situations when we were miles from home… that meant four changes in clothing that day! Luckily this was during my over the top changing bag phase so I actually had 4 spare outfits in the bag thank goodness! But now I tend to stick with 2 sleep suits and 2 vests which seems to be enough now he is a little older. My favourite sleep suits have got to be from Next as their designs are super cute and have some fun prints that are cool enough to put him in day and night and my favourite vests are from M&S.

Probably the most used item for any mum is muslin cloths or “muzzy’s” as we call them in our house. Soooo useful, even when River doesn’t need them anymore I am pretty certain I am still going to have them dotted around the house as they are so multifunctional! I tend to throw 2-3 of these in the changing bag every time we head out and to be fair I often get through them. So these are a must!

So there you have it, the main contents of my changing bag… Its a simple but effective list!

I used to pack sooooo much stuff and then after a few months I realised it just wasn’t needed. A good tip is to keep a second back up bag in the car, as on more than one occasion I have gone out and forgotten to pick up the bag, so having a spare in the car was a godsend and prevents those ultimate parent fail moment!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post… Let me know if you have any changing bag must haves on Instagram @Shanie_Ryan.

Mwah xXx

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Shanie Ryan January 24, 2021

SLEEP BLOG WITH CHEEKY TINKERS MATERNITY – PART 2

Continued… PART 2

See your babies awake time below: Check out the table below and see if your baby is exceeding
theirs? On the flip side maybe they are not awake for long enough…

It is also good to know that around the age of 10-12 weeks old, your babies internal body clock starts to
regulate itself. They will soon come to learn that difference between night and day, and if you have had that
important sleep environment sorted, then the rest will go a little more smoothly. Managing those awake times
will also help with that transition and make your bedtime routines easier to manage.

A little bit of science behind the sleep!

Ensuring your baby gets that natural daylight during your day, fresh air, these external factors help to build up
your baby’s melatonin levels as natural daylight prohibits that melatonin during the day and so when night-
time arrives and your baby is put to sleep in a darkened room, their pineal gland starts to release that build-up
of melatonin hormone which then helps them to feel relaxed, sleepy and gives them that ability to drift off to
sleep.

What we do want to limit in babies is their stress hormone which is called cortisol. Cortisol, which you may or
may not have heard of before, is known as the hormone which wakes baby or is released when your baby is
stressed or upset. Our cortisol levels are at their lowest during the night and start to rise around 4am onwards
which is why babies may start to stir, feed at that time or if they are in a bright room, or if the sun is creeping
in, your baby may be wide awake and ready to party at that time! Therefore, keeping your room nice and dark,
calm, block out those external noises and distractions is key in getting your baby back to sleep!
Speaking about awake times above and now knowing how long your baby may be capable of staying awake
between their feed and sleeps, this allows us to keep those naps on track and reduce the possibility of your
baby becoming overtired. Remember those overtired cues I mentioned?! It is at that point, when your baby is
crying, fractious and stressed, that their cortisol levels will rise, causing your baby to feel unsettled, struggle to
sleep, to feed, and it can feel like you are simply battling at every opportunity to settle your little one, all whilst
getting nowhere! This can leave you feeling upset, questioning your parenting, when in fact, it is all about the
science behind the sleep! Cortisol is like the equivalent of having a few red bulls before bed! So, imagine trying
to drift off with all that caffeine and sugar in your system! Impossible.

Sometimes just being aware of all the sleep science, making those Cheeky Tweaks to your routine can help to
improve your situation. There are obviously more complex cases, that require more work to be done, a sleep
plan to be sent and more guidance needed to improve your sleep and get the results you desperately seek.
Just know that babies from 4 weeks to 6 months and even beyond, no current situation is permanent, babies
go through so many changes, both developmentally and mentally as they grow. Phases do often pass and in
time can improve by themselves. Of course as baby becomes more aware and potentially also becomes used
to certain sleep associations, for example rocking, feeding or being held to sleep, you can reach a point maybe
when your baby is around 4-6 months, where you just want to try an alternative way. It is only when your
situation is no longer sustainable that changes can be made. That being said, if a certain method works for you
and you have read somewhere that it should be done in a different way, then you do not need to change
anything because the literature tells you so, if you are happy , your baby is happy then continue as you are.
Ultimately it is no one else’s business how you choose to get your baby to sleep, so do not listen to potential
negative comments. It is important to stress that it is your choice.

I can assure you that there are lots of gentle methods to choose from. If you feel that your current situation is
no longer working and if that lack of sleep starts to affect your mental health and your well-being, potentially
your close relationships too, which can happen, then reach out and get that support.
As a Gentle Baby Sleep Coach, my methods are varied, I offer choice, gentle and slow changes which I am able
to guide you through, step by step, until you can see that light at the end of the tunnel and you feel confident
enough and safe in knowledge that you have made that positive shift and can now get that sleep you deserve!

I really hope you found this blog useful! Please do not hesitate to check out my website and Instagram Page
for more helpful information, my services and many tips and tricks that may help to improve your sleep!

www.cheekytinkersmaternity.com

Search for me on Instagram using @cheekytinkers_maternity.
Happy Sleeping everyone!

Louise xXx

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Shanie Ryan January 17, 2021

Guest Blog from Cheeky Tinkers Maternity… Babies & Sleep!

My name is Louise Callear, and I am a qualified Maternity Practitioner and Gentle Baby Sleep Coach. I offer a
wide variety of packages which focus on helping parents in that fourth trimester and beyond. The most
popular topic for which I am contacted for, is most definitely sleep.
So, of course this blog will be all about just that! Let us start at the beginning, from when you bring your new
bundle home, and you are thrust into your new role as parents. It can feel so overwhelming, it can sometimes
feel like you are ushered on your way without any real guidance or real expectations of what is about to
happen in those first few months. So, what I like to call, the fourth trimester, is often the hardest part of that
new-born period and it can leave us feeling utterly exhausted and in a haze of feeding, pooping and baby sick!
It is hard to see the light at the end of that tunnel when you are in the thick of it, but it is completely normal to
feel a multitude of feelings along with sheer exhaustion, highs and lows, tears and laughter and a bunch of other stuff too.

WILL I GET ANY SLEEP IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS?

It is important to stress that those first few weeks, the first month even, is spent getting to know your new-born baby, establishing feeding, whether that is bottle or breastfeeding, and equally as important, is resting and recovering from labour and from your own personal experience. You can absolutely say “No” to visitors in those first 2 weeks, as you are within your right to be in your bubble with you partner and your new baby. It is something that I would suggest doing as you spend your time as a family for the first time. It is such a special bonding time for you all. Soaking up all that skin to skin, laying in your bed, take naps when baby sleeps and just enjoying it.

There is a lot you can do in those first months also, which will help encourage longer periods of sleeps between feeds and which will help you get some rest and recuperation. Firstly, creating a great sleep environment and some positive sleep associations is a start. What does that entail? As your baby becomes a little older and your feeding is going well, you may start to notice that you have begun to fall into your own pattern, with similar feed times and perhaps similar sleep times even. If you are not, it’s not that you are doing anything wrong, there really is no right or wrong when it comes to being a parent, you find your own groove and what works for you. But also, what this does not have to mean, is that you are continuously surviving on the bare minimum of sleep. Sleep is indeed possible. It will of course be broken sleep as your baby will most definitely be waking for feeds in the night at this stage, but you can still get that quality rest in between those times.

Creating a good sleeping environment, so what does that involve?

A clear and safe sleeping space in your room firstly. You do not need to fill your babies sleep space with blankets, teddies, or pillows. The Lullaby Trust is a great organisation which can offer a wide variety of information regarding safe sleeping for your baby.

Your baby should also be placed with their feet at the foot of the bed. (See below)

Ensure your babies room is an accurate temperature for your baby to sleep well and comfortably. An ideal temperature according to the Lullaby Trust is between 16-20 Celsius.

Try making your babies room nice and dark, in order, for your baby to sleep soundly. The reason for this is that when the room is dark, your baby will produce a small amount of melatonin which is the hormone that helps you to relax and drift off to sleep. It is not essential to have your baby sleeping in a dark room for all naps, but potentially one big afternoon snooze and your baby’s bedtime snooze.

White noise is also an option which you can use in your babies sleep space. This is a familiar sound for new-born babies as it is said to mimic those sounds your baby heard inside of the tummy. There are many ways of introducing white noise alongside your babies sleeps, and you can choose a white noise machine or simply get a white noise app and download to your phone or device! See below some of my recommendations:

MyBaby SoundSpa Portable - Lullaby, Heartbeat & White Noise Baby Sleep Aid - £29.99

Sweet Dreamers, Ewan Deluxe with Shush - Washable Baby Sleep Aid with Cry Sensor - £39.99

Swaddling in those early months can help your baby sleep soundly between feeds too. Swaddling can offer that reassurance and comfort and familiar environment which your baby felt inside the uterus. Security, warmth, and safety. See my recommendations below.

Love to Dream swaddles are a favourite of mine!

When discussing sleep with those families who come to me seeking support and guidance, it is typically around 8 weeks onwards. I would always discuss creating that perfect sleep environment firstly, either by seeing it first-hand or by discussing over the phone. I will ask questions regarding your babies feeding pattern and sleeping pattern so far and how and where baby goes down to sleep. One of the most popular question I am asked is… “When is a good time to introduce a bedtime routine?” and the answer is subjective. You can start creating that sleep environment, encourage those great sleep habits from as soon as 4 weeks old if you choose. Each baby is capable of different things, sleep lengths, awake lengths, and feed amounts. I always stress that there is no, one size fits all approach. I request a complete routine/guide of what is happening during a typical day and night for your baby and I will sit and go through that information and look at what quick changes we can make firstly before getting into talk of a sleep plan. One of the fundamentals that you would look at as part of your routine and things that may make a huge difference to your current routine is those nap gaps. Also known as awake times, or awake windows, the time spent awake between your babies feed and nap times.

Often one of the causes in unsettled, fractious, and difficult babies, is overtiredness. We can get confused with just how long your baby is capable of remaining awake and we just are not given that information which is in fact one of those hugely common factors of wrongly diagnosed colic babies, when in actual fact they are extremely overtired which also presents itself in a similar way. Your baby may refuse to feed, cry for most of the time, struggle to sleep at all or for just short periods only. Your baby may just appear to be extremely difficult, when in fact, you just do not know about the sleep science behind those potential reasons, which is not your fault at all but because no one tells you any of this once you leave the hospital.

This is my focus, and my driving force behind helping those families in the fourth trimester and beyond. I will leave you fully equipped and armed with all the knowledge along with these important facts, for you to then make your own informed choice when it comes to improving your current situation. The response is always overwhelming with most parents saying they had no idea of those fundamentals and they wish they had been told when leaving the hospital….

To Be Continued……

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Shanie Ryan December 13, 2020

Breast Feeding for first time Mama’s

So many of you asked for this blog post instalment, but I was VERY reluctant to speak about such a personal and important part of my journey as a new mummy until I felt like I had personally nailed it and could speak from experience. Let me start by saying, i’ve yet to speak to a new mum who has found breastfeeding a walk in the park, so if you are having any difficulty no matter how big or small then please know that you are not alone.

From the time I fell pregnant I instinctively knew that I wanted to exclusively breast feed my baby. I was determined to push past any problems to ensure that me and my baby could have a positive bonding feeding experience. So I think that is a good place to start, I believe having that time during pregnancy to read about breastfeeding from the experts and tapping into real life experiences from other mums online, allowed me to be mentally prepared for the potential problems with breastfeeding before the birth and the baby blues kicked in. Doing my research allowed me to know exactly what I wanted for me and my son and to be firm in my determination to make it happen. I also made a promise to myself to never quit breastfeeding on a bad day.

During my personal breast feeding experience we tackled an undiagnosed double anterior tongue tie 100% which is basically the worst type of tongue tie he could have. We tackled nipple thrush; which is quite simply as painful as child birth, and we continue to tackle reflux. I have to be authentic here and tell you that the first 3 months of breastfeeding were really tough at times. There were moments that my nipples were so painful that I would procrastinate in feeding him even when he was crying for food. It was so I could try to psych myself up for the 20 minutes of complete agony ahead. BUT… I am pleased to share that right now I am having the most wonderful bonding experience with my son, and I am loving every moment of nourishing his little body with my breast milk. I am also pleased to report that I am pain free.

So with that said, I wanted to share my quick guide to breastfeeding having now survived everything that could go wrong… going wrong!

"Do Your Research"

Thanks to lockdown 1.0 I had plenty of time to “read the baby books”. So when it came to breastfeeding I chose a book that has been around since 2009 and continues to receive great reviews. It is written by author and midwife Ina May Gaskin and it is based on decades of her experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers, and babies. The book covers helpful advice, medical facts, and real-life stories that will help you understand how to breastfeed successfully and how you can use it to more deeply connect with your baby and your own body. It also covered subjects such as weaning and breastfeeding challenges along with how to overcome them. This book gave me confidence going into breastfeeding which I believe is half the battle already won.

I also used Instagram and blogs not too dis-similar to this one to tap into other new mums experiences. I didn’t want to go into this believing it was all going to be a fairy tale bonding session, I wanted to be realistic.

"GET A LACTATION CONSULTANT ON SPEED DIAL"

Let me just begin by saying that lactation consultants are worth every single penny spent on them! Now i’ve cleared that up, let me share with you exactly why I make that statement.

Within 24 hours of River being born I spotted what I suspected was a tongue tie. Whilst in hospital I flagged my concerns with the midwife on the ward, the midwife who did his 9 point check and also with the on site breast feeding “expert”. Every single person who checked him said he did not have a tongue tie, he was latching well and appeared to be feeding sufficiently so there were no concerns. My motherly instincts were simply brushed aside. Fast forward one week, at this point my nipples had become sensitive, red, cracked and sore, so when I was back in hospital to deal with some post birth complications I asked one of the midwives to check him, once again I received the exact same response. Fast forward another two weeks… my nipples have turned white in colour, there is a weird flaming pattern on my areola, it is literally painful to wear a bra and to shower and I am wincing every time River latched. To be quite honest, I was dreading every single feed. At this point my partner reminded me that I had actually researched a lactation consultant during pregnancy just in case we needed help, so he insisted that I book an appointment. Katherine Fisher (https://katherinefisher.co.uk/) was an absolute godsend. Within 2 minutes of our arrival she confirmed that not only did River have a tongue tie, he had a double anterior tongue tie that was 100% in its severity. She said it was shameful that so many medical professionals had missed this but that it is sadly a very common story. She said “it is a miracle that either of you are managing to breast feed”. I cannot tell you how relieved I was that someone had diagnosed the problem and could instantly help us. Tongue tie is extremely common and occurs in approximately 11% of newborn babies. The NHS lists all of the signs to look out for and confirms that not only can tongue tie cause problems with breast feeding but it can also cause problems with eating certain foods and speech problems later on in your child’s life. (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tongue-tie/)

Depending on who you speak with there may be denial that tongue tie causes speech issues, but it is listed as a concern on the NHS website and plenty of people from our parents generation will claim that a speech problem was eventually linked to an undiagnosed tongue tie.

Katherine snipped Rivers tongue tie on the spot, within seconds I noticed the difference. Previously Rivers average feed time was 45 – 60 minutes long, following the procedure he did a full feed in 15 minutes. He was so much happier in himself and it was so cute watching him discover his tongue being able to move and poke out for the first time. I genuinely would recommend that every parent with even the slightest suspicion that their baby might have a tongue tie get it checked out by a trained lactation consultant, Midwives and post natal healthcare professionals are sadly not trained in tongue tie diagnoses or treatment hence why so many get missed. Trust me going private is worth every penny! The NHS does have a referral system but that can take up to 8 weeks and they will only treat baby if the baby cannot feed because of it, sadly there seems to be less concern for mothers comfort or potential future speech issues within the NHS.

"WHY DOES NOBODY TELL YOU ABOUT NIPPLE THRUSH?"

Itchy or burning nipples that appear fiery red, shiny, flaky, and/or have a rash with tiny blisters.
Discolouration of the nipples – turning bright red or completely white.
Cracked nipples.
Shooting pains in the breast tissue during or after feedings.
Intense nipple or deep breast pain that is not improved with better latch-on and positioning.

These are all common symptoms of nipple thrush… firstly breast feeding is NOT supposed to be painful, however if nobody talks about nipple thrush how are we to know to look out for it! It is also worth mentioning that most of the mama’s I have spoken with who’s little ones had a tongue tie, also experienced nipple thrush! Perhaps connected???

Again hooray for my lactation consultant! As soon as she had diagnosed River’s nipple thrush she asked to see my nipples… Instantly she said ” oh you poor thing, you must be in agony, does it hurt to shower?”

“Ermmm yes it bloody hurt to shower, everything hurt my nipples, even the sheets in bed” I said.

Following my diagnosis, I wondered how on earth did I not know about this and it became apparent that it was because non of my mummy friends ever spoke about it. It was not that some of them hadn’t experienced it. I think the word “thrush” just doesn’t sound nice does it? so therefore people don’t speak about it. I mean I get it, before I became pregnant, I had never ever had thrush in my life. Then boom, i’m pregnant and I get vaginal thrush, then I give birth and its oral and nipple thrush! I was horrified at first, but then I though f*#k it! Its not my fault, its a yeast problem not a STI for goodness sake Lol.

Treatment was simple, oral drops for River and Nipple cream for me, however it is HIGHLY contagious so River and I kept passing it back and forth until eventually I returned to the doctor for an an anti fungal tablet ‘Fluconazole’ prescription which cleared the problem in 2 weeks. I will be honest nipple thrush is a ball ache and it hurts like hell so the earlier you get treatment the better. A friend of mine waited and tried the holistic natural remedy approach at first but it sadly didn’t work for her and she resorted to the tablets just like I did.

Here is a little run down of my nipple thrush saviours…

Nipple Shields – These helped when it became far to painful ( however make sure you wash them in boiling water as only hot can kill a fungal infection)

Nipple cream – I used Lansinoh nipple balm, this was great to sooth the nipples during feeds as you must remove the fungal cream during feeds.

Silky PJ’s – At night a silky texture was the least irritating to my nipples .

Support & Encouragement – Don’t underestimate the power of the support of your partner, mum or a friend to keep going. This pain will pass, so whatever you do, don’t quit on a bad day!

"Pumping is a full time job!"

Now that my breastfeeding experience is so much more enjoyable, and now that I am no longer going through the wars so to speak, I can truly say that I love breastfeeding. I enjoy the time bonding with my son, I cherish our connection and I LOVE the way his little eyes look deep into mine when he is feeding. But the problem is when he isn’t near me I need to bloody pump. Pumping is NOT rewarding people! Its boring, it is time consuming, and the set up / clean up is a mission in itself. I write this as I sit in my dressing room at QVC after spending the first night away from my 4 month old baby, I still have 10 hours left at work and i’ve already had to pump 6 times (*Rolls eyes).

Being self employed I needed to be able to pump quite soon after birth so I decided to explore the wonderful world of breast pumps to establish what would work for me and my lifestyle. I think this is definitely the key to choosing a breast pump… when do you need to pump, at home? whilst driving? at work? only when you look at your lifestyle do I truly believe that you can pick the correct pump for you.

After reviewing TONNES of breast pumps, I settled on two different ones….

The Elvie Double Breast Pump – £449.00

This is a revolutionary new to the market product that allows women to pump discreetly and quietly. Im talking you can pump at your desk or whilst filling your car with petrol and no one would know kind of discreet. Its completely quiet, and fits snuggly into your bra. No wires, no tubes and no bottles hanging from your chest like you belong in a dairy farm. Its all connected to an app on your phone, is USB chargeable as well so thats a super useful feature. I am currently using this now whilst working at QVC, it is perfect to use with a cold water steriliser as well ( I use the Milton one £12.99 from Amazon).

What is included:

2 Hubs
4 Bottles (5oz/150ml, BPA free)
2 Breast Shield (24mm)
2 Breast Shield (28mm)
4 Valves
4 Spouts
4 Seals
4 Storage Lids
4 Bra Adjusters
2 USB Charging Cables
2 Carry Bags
Instructions for Use

Medela Freestyle Flex 2 Phase Double Breast Pump – £349.99

This brand is one of the most highly awarded brands in the market. This electric breast pump is perfect for pumping at home or in a private space. It produces an outstanding 11% more milk than any other pump on the market due to its technology that very closely mimics the suckling of a real baby. Its not as quiet or discreet at the Elvie but in terms of being effective this is your best friend. This is my at home breast pump, when it doesn’t matter how I look (Thank god as I look like I belong in a dairy farm when using this pump Lol), but it is great for getting a lot of milk very quickly (10-15 minutes max).

What is included: 1 x Freestyle Flex™ double electric breast pump
2 x Medela PersonalFit Flex™ breast shield size 21 mm
2 x Medela PersonalFit Flex™ breast shield size 24 mm
2 x Medela PersonalFit Flex™ connector
1 x tubing
4 x 150 ml breast milk bottle
4 x lid
2 x bottle stand
1 x power adaptor with USB cable
1 x carry bag
1 x cooler with cooler element

The reason I opted for both is I wanted the Elvie for work purposes such as pumping in the dressing room at QVC where I would rather use the discreet option, however when at home the Medela was my top choice to ensure my pumping time is the most effective and I am getting the most milk possible for baby.

So there you have it, we have covered, breast feeding prep, tongue tie, nipple thrush, and pumping. Breast feeding is a personal choice, it isn’t easy but no one ever told me it would be. Most women quit within the first 8 weeks of breast feeding and having experienced the worst of it I completely understand why. However, I know that with a little support, lots more open conversations around it and by managing a new mummies expectations a lot more ladies would be likely to stick with it for longer. If I am honest it took 3 months for me to settle into breast feeding and to really begin to actually enjoy it, but trust me it is definitely worth the wait!

Much Love

Shanie xXx

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Shanie Ryan October 4, 2020

My Birth Story

If you follow me on Instagram (@Shanie_Ryan) you will know I have just uploaded some of the realist, raw and personal images that I will ever post… They are the images of my birth story.

I decided that I couldn’t share so much of my pregnancy with you all via my social media and blog to then just ignore birth, and not talk about the labour especially when so many of you have reached out to me asking about my birth story…

I also thought it was important to reassure all of the pregnant ‘mummy’s to be’ out there that despite Covid 19 and all of the restrictions that remain in place around birth partners, that the midwives are going above & beyond to ensure your birth experience is not far from the normal experience. I can tell you that my midwives were amazing from start to finish and seemed to think the restrictions still being in place were ridiculous. They we’re very flexible with the “rules” so do try not to worry.

My little boy River was 4 weeks old yesterday, so I decided it was time to watch back my birth video. What an amazing experience to be able to re-live it, to watch it back, and to recall what happened, it really helped me to process my birth story. It helped me to feel proud of myself for getting through it without screaming the entire place down and to enjoy the moment he was born again only this time without the discomfort Lol.

Rivers Birth Story;
Location: East Surrey Hospital Birthing Centre.

Pain Relief: Gas & Air

Birth: Instrumental Ventouse Delivery

Labour Time: 12 Hours.

So firstly, let me just say that I look back on my labour and birth as a positive experience, but that is not to say it wasn’t hard nor did it all go to plan!
Overall I had 80% of the experience I had wished for and included in my birth plan. The reason I feel that despite needing intervention during my birth, I still had a positive birth experience was because I took the time to create a detailed seven page birth preferences document that covered every scenario. I insisted that my care providers had read and understood what I needed to feel safe and supported during my labour. My fiance Tony had also studied the document and knew exactly what I was hoping for and therefore he was very vocal and controlled the room on my behalf.

I went into labour at 5am. It started when I woke up to a bad tummy ache, (I had a spicy Indian the night before, so my first thought it was just the food) so I emptied my bowels completely. 15 minutes later I needed the bathroom again and noticed that my mucus plug had come out (also known as your bloody show). At that point I then realised my tummy ache was in fact the start of my labour. I started timing my contractions on the Freya App and after an hour bouncing on my birthing ball in the kitchen I woke Tony up to let him know that I was in labour. Within 2 hours of me waking up the app told me it was time to go to the hospital. My contractions definitely became more frequent and much stronger quite quickly and I had started being very sick (which was unexpected and weirdly like a form of pain relief). Once we got to hospital my waters started to trickle as I was walking up the stairs to the birthing suite. As soon as I arrived I was taken straight into the birthing pool and was given gas and air to help with the surges. On arrival at the hospital I was told I was already 5 cm dilated, I couldn’t believe I was in established labour after only 3 hours! A quick 6 hours total labouring and I had gone from 0-10cm. This entire experience was calm, focused, intense and intimate; with my midwife being present but not intrusive. Tony was a constant voice of encouragement, reminding me of my positive affirmations, massaging my back, and keeping me hydrated.

Labouring is intense and you’ve got to dig deep, its important to remain positive and to keep focused on the fact that every surge brings you closer to meeting your baby. If you can do that you get through it positively, it’s mother nature and time evaporates when you are in labour so when people talk about how long there labour was it never actually feels that long when you are living it. Looking back I enjoyed the labour experience it was almost out of body and quite a spiritual experience, the gas and air was so helpful as was the hot water of the birthing pool. Tony put some of my yoga music on in the background and laid out some battery operated candles to create an environment that I would find relaxing.

Once I got to 10cm dilated I felt ready to push, its like a feeling of baring down that can’t be ignored so my midwife told me to go with it. After such a rapid labour, I genuinely thought that I would have delivered him within an hour of pushing maximum (so did my midwife for that matter). However, after 2 hours of pushing he was still not with us which I was beginning to worry about and also to get frustrated with. For a moment I began to doubt myself, maybe I wasn’t pushing correctly? Maybe I wasn’t pushing hard enough? But Tony & my midwife continued to reassure me that I was doing a great job. It turned out that his head was stuck just a couple of cm from the exit. The midwives were concerned that I had been pushing for quite some time and were worried that I was getting exhausted and advised I should accept help getting him out. But as he was absolutely fine in terms of his heart rate and wasn’t in distress I decided to keep going and to try to deliver him naturally! This is where it was good to remind myself and to feel that I was in control of both my body and my baby and no one could force me to accept help if I didn’t want it, it was ultimately my choice. I am a pretty determined person, so my determination to push ended up at a very long 4 hours 40 minutes of pushing (which tells you if you put your mind to it you can literally push your body to its limits). But, after that amount of time I had to admit that I had absolutely had enough, especially after the empty bowls and vomiting situation, I literally had no fuel left in the tank to give me energy to keep going. After four hours of pushing they realised that his head being stuck was now a real problem and was preventing him from being born so the doctor came and tried to manually turn his head straight as I pushed so he could make it past my pelvis. However, his head kept going back (he actually sleeps with his head turned to the right like this so we get it now 🤷🏽‍♀️) .

In the end, Tony and I agreed that it simply wasn’t fair on me to keep trying. I was utterly spent, I was actually starting to go a little loopy and I was now causing damage to my pelvic floor and bladder from pushing for so long. We eventually agreed to put my wellbeing and physical health first, so we agreed to go ahead with the episiotomy and ventouse suction cup delivery.

Now, I won’t lie this wasn’t pleasant, I cant describe the feeling so I wont try but it was the only time I really let out a scream but, it was in fact over in less than 15 minutes and once they placed him on my chest I didn’t care about anything else but meeting my baby and all was forgotten.
My doctor & my midwives told us that they had never ever carried out an instrumental delivery in the birthing centre before. However, when they asked me to move to the labour ward I got so upset about having to move to a different, brightly lit, sterile environment that they decided to put my wellbeing first and made the call to move the equipment needed to me instead.
This flexibility meant that despite my birth not going entirely to plan and ending up with instrumental intervention, they allowed me to keep my calm environment consistent helping me to feel safe even when things got difficult.

Despite needing stitches once River arrived my care providers quietly slipped away and allowed me my “golden hour” of skin to to skin to bond with my baby. He latched onto my breast within 20 minutes of being born, before having one hour of skin to skin with Tony whilst I had stitches ect.

My labour & birth was a grand total of 12 hours from start to finish, it was a long one but my beautiful boy is here safely so it was totally worth it and we have already decided we will do it again so it couldn’t of been too bad Lol.

ADVICE…

Rest in between surges ie; close your eyes, be quiet almost take mini naps.
Drink LOADS of water even if you don’t feel like it, I couldn’t eat at all during labour, I vomited 20-30 times but Tony made me drink 4 litres of water in total and a bottle of iced tea for sugar and the midwives were very happy I managed to stay so hydrated despite the sickness.

Take a handheld electric fan with you, after two hours of pushing I got quite hot and bothered. Tony holding the fan on me was a godsend.

Say yes to the catheter to drain your bladder during labour if you can’t pee, it doesn’t hurt and it helps create space for baby to move down the birth canal.

Dextrose tablets helped with energy when I couldn’t eat . During labour move around lots. I got out the pool, I sat on the toilet, I was on all fours, slow dancing with Tony felt good and then being on my back propped up. Just keep changing it up when ever the midwife suggests it.

Put music on that you like or helps you remain calm. You won’t hear it, but weirdly the background noise helps you zone out. Get yourself a tens machine for early labour!

Take a pillow from home, hospital pillows suck and when you get into bed following delivery you will want to be comfortable for cuddles.

To put your mind at rest, despite covid I had an incredible team of care providers. They did everything normally with a mask added in. They didn’t make my partner wear a mask in the room and they let him bond with us for 8 hours after delivery. River and I were kept in over night and discharged 10pm the following day but I felt safe and cared for even when my partner left. On that note, I want to say a huge thank you to Jo & Cristy my amazing midwives from East Surrey Hospital for taking incredible care of me and baby River, also to Dr Radwah who delivered him safely and moved the theatre to the birthing suite for the first time in her career for me.

The fourth trimester is feeling a little harder than the birth tbh, mostly as my body is so tired from over 4 hours pushing and the episiotomy and rectal healing from pushing. Recovery has been hard, slow and undignified. But being a new mummy is rewarding and he is breast feeding amazingly despite his little tongue tie which keeps my spirits up. Make sure you check back for my fourth trimester blog post in the near future where I will get into all the ‘post birth stuff’ in more detail.

Mama’s to be… You’ve got this, I promise! My best advice is be prepared, do your pelvic floor exercises and write a detailed birth preferences document for your partner and your midwives and please don’t worry, your going to meet your baby and that is all that matters in the end.

Love Shanie & Baby River xXx

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RIVER james ryan SINCLAIR 16/08/20207lbs 3

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RIVER james ryan SINCLAIR
16/08/2020
7lbs 3