Natural Beauty with Baby
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Daye Vaginal Health Bundle review
Wellness

Daye Vaginal Health Bundle: an honest review

More women are choosing to bypass their doctor’s surgery and take control of their gynae health by taking an at-home vaginal health test. These tests are convenient, discreet, and comprehensive. Testing the health of your vagina is important if you’re trying for a baby, approaching the menopause, thinking about IVF, or experiencing any vaginal discomfort, odour, or itching. But what does at-home vaginal health testing involve? And is it worth the cost? In this post, I honestly review the Daye Vaginal Health bundle. This comprehensive test kit includes everything you need to better understand your vaginal health, and take the best course of action -whether this looks like treatment through conventional or holistic medicine. The vaginal microbiome is the ecosystem of bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms that live inside your vagina. When its balance is off, it’s vulnerable to infections and other gynae health complications. The Daye Vaginal Health Bundle…

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The testing kit
Pregnancy

How does pregnancy change the vaginal microbiome?

Welcome back, my dear friend! In this article we’re going to consider how does pregnancy change the vaginal microbiome. We’ve all heard of the gut microbiome, and even the skin microbiome, but did you know that your vagina is also home to millions of strains of “friendly” and “unfriendly” bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms that comprise its own vaginal microbiome? Luckily, most of the time, these organisms live in perfect balance. Unfortunately, and for various reasons, this balance can be disrupted causing health problems. Perhaps an infection, thrush, or even affecting our ability to fall pregnant naturally or sustain a healthy pregnancy. If you’re trying to get pregnant, or are currently pregnant, and want to take your vaginal and reproductive health to another level, then taking a test is a great way to support yourself. To help me understand my vaginal microbiome before and after pregnancy, I’m trying out the…

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Self injection during pregnancy - how to survive it
Pregnancy

Self injection during pregnancy – how to survive it

Welcome back, my friend! Today’s share is all about surviving self injection during pregnancy. If you meet certain criteria, such as a history of blood clots, clotting disorders, or other medical conditions that increase the risk of developing clots, your consultant or midwife may recommend self injection during pregnancy. Older mothers and those who have birthed multiple babies are now routinely prescribed blood thinners. This often starts from the third trimester and continues until 6 weeks after giving birth. The anticoagulant injections may help to protect you against dangerous and life threatening blood clots. It’s really normal to feel worried about self injection during pregnancy. But don’t worry – with some prior information and practise, you’ll soon feel like a pro – and injecting will become just another part of your daily routine. Let’s look at some of the common questions you might have before starting the injections. What’s the…

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Labour massage oil going in to my hospital bag
Pregnancy

Labour massage oil formula

Welcome back, my expectant friend! Today’s share is a simple labour massage oil formula. This labour massage oil is the perfect companion to massage during labour to ease pain and discomfort and assist labour. If you already have carrier and essential oils in your collection, and the birth of your baby is imminent (like me! – 37 weeks now), then why not have a go at creating it? It’s super simple and can really help during labour. My recipe was inspired by Natalia Labour Massage Oil which is really lovely to buy if you can’t or don’t want to make your own! Why use a massage oil during labour? Labour massage is hugely helpful because it expresses love and support from a caring birth partner during labour. The power of touch increases oxytocin levels, and boosts contractions for a more comfortable birth. Read more about the evidence behind massage during…

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Pregnancy third trimester tea recipe
Pregnancy

Pregnancy third trimester tea recipe

Welcome back, my friend! Today I’d love to share with you my recipe for delicious and helpful pregnancy third trimester tea! This tea is not only refreshing and tasty, it contains 5 wonderful herbs that are often recommended by midwives and other mothers to support you in the third trimester. This tea was somewhat inspired by the third trimester teas you can buy ready blended in bags. I’m talking about HotTea Mama The Final Push, and Mama Bloom Third Trimester Tea. This sort of tea is very convenient, however it’s so expensive! You can pick all these herbs up at Buy Whole Foods Online and whip up your very own tea blend for a fraction of the cost! It’s a no brainer. I’ve drunk red raspberry leaf tea in all three of my previous pregnancies – now I’m pregnant with my fourth and I’m looking to add a few extra…

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The sublime Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter
Pregnancy

Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter review

Welcome back, my dear! Today’s share is a review of the new and wonderful Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter! Any long time reader of my blog will know what a huge fan of Weleda I am. So when I learned about a new stretch mark body butter coming into Weleda’s Mum line, I knew I had to try it. Weleda Stretch Mark Body Butter is especially for pregnant mums, and according to Weleda it “helps prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks”. It’s certified natural, vegan – and the non-greasy and fast-absorbing formula promises to improve skin’s elasticity. Time for a little announcement – I’m actually 32 weeks pregnant with our fourth child! So this stretch mark body butter came at a great time for me! I’ve been using it every day since it arrived in the post about 4 weeks ago. And I have to say – I…

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Skin Care

New-in Weleda Skin Food range

Welcome back, lover of skincare! In today’s post we’ll be chatting about the new-in Weleda Skin Food range. It’s always exciting when Weleda releases a new product, but I was even more excited than usual to learn about these new additions to the iconic Skin Food range. Skin Food is often our first introduction to this wonderful natural skin care brand. The cult multi-tasking beauty balm is a legend amongst beauty editors, bloggers, and makeup artists, and is one of Weleda’s bestselling products. Over the years we’ve seen a few new additions to the line, such as Skin Food Light, to cater for different skin types and needs. You can read my review of Skin Food and other Weleda products here. Now, Weleda has added a few new items to their Skin Food range – and there are some brand new face care and body care items to try. But…

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Creating a pregnancy safe skincare routine
Pregnancy

Creating a pregnancy safe skincare routine

Welcome back, my dear! Today’s share is all about creating a pregnancy safe skincare routine and thinking about how we can change our current skincare routine so that we’re confident it’s safe for pregnancy and won’t harm our unborn baby. When we fall pregnant – especially for for the first time, every substance that we put into our body suddenly comes under scrutiny. As a first time mum, my diet was so important. I even had a spreadsheet of all the foods and drinks I should be having in a week to keep me in check! Now, as a fourth time mum, I’m a lot more relaxed. But still, I want to eat only the healthiest foods and drinks, cut out alcohol and reduce my caffeine intake. My skincare is just as important too. I need to know that no part of my routine will harm my baby, and there…

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Skin changes during pregnancy
Pregnancy

6 ways your skin changes during pregnancy

Welcome back, my friend! Pregnancy is a time of wonderful change and upheaval, and of course your skin expresses these changes too. Extra blood, and a lot more hormones – they all contribute to the pregnancy glow we hear so much about. Yet stretch marks are inevitable for most mums-to-be, along with discomfort and hyperpigmentation. What can you expect? This article will guide you in which ways your skin changes during pregnancy. Read on the find out more. How your skin changes during pregnancy Hyperpigmentation and melasma Most women find that the pigmented areas of their skin e.g. moles, freckles, and nipples darken during pregnancy. Does this help the baby engage in the nipple crawl? It’s an interesting idea. Many women develop a darkened line down their belly called linea nigra. This is completely normal, and your skin should return to its previous colour a few months after pregnancy. Some…

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LoveLula family skincare for winter
Children's Skin Care

Family skincare for winter

Welcome back, my dear! I’m so excited to tell you about the family skincare for winter I picked up a few weeks ago. At 3 months postpartum, and with the delicate skin of 3 little ones to care for, I’m always on the lookout for clean and kind skincare that can be shared between us all. And especially so in the colder months, when it’s all the more important to care for our skin and protect it from the cold and the wind. And by the way, if you’re interested in learning about winter skincare for your family or how to protect your baby’s skin in winter, do take a look at my winter skin care guides. Today, I’m sharing my views on the comprehensive Lyonsleaf Mum & Baby Skincare Survival Kit, fragrant Skinlove Baby Gelified Rescue Oil, healing Silvan Skincare Mama’s Balm, beautiful Alteya Calming Aromatic Mist, and Good…

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