Flower Power Part 2

Mummyland......

Greetings from Mummyland....it's an all consuming place but I wouldn't want to leave it. Today we had a little mummy and daughter photo shoot, Freya head to toe in H&M, me rocking some Primark swag in my chunky knit cardi.....we have fun.

follow my grams @belleisnatural

Freya's Birth Story....

After carrying this baby for nine months I was so ready for the little one to make and appearance on her due date, as my due date came and went I cursed the people that said 'ooooh you gonna go early I can tell' yeah right!!! after several stretch and sweeps which did nothing but make me fear my midwife and her rubber gloves, gallons of rose leaf tea, curries  and nipple stimulation, 10 days after my due I was still pregnant!!

I was starting to think things would just not happen naturally and awaited my induction date with a mixture of excitement and pure dread!

Thankfully, 9am Thursday morning I started to get regular mild cramping in my lower abdomen and back they were 10-15 minutes apart, as I had no idea what contractions felt like it took me a while to realise this was the real deal!

This continued all day and into the night 3am Friday  morning the cramps turned in to full on contraction 6-8 minutes apart by Saturday morning 12am I went into labour and delivery to be accessed and I'd managed to get to 5cm dilated.  

I was booked in and went to labour ward. I was hoping for a water birth however all pools where taken so a dimmed relaxed environment was my next best thing. 

After 5 hours I was checked again by my midwife and was actually only 4cm dilated!!!! I hadn't slept for 2 days so decided to have diamorphine  just to get some rest as contractions where thick and fast! I loves that stuff! Got some much needed rest only to be faced with the fact that I still wasn't progressing and only 4cm dilated still!!

Ended up being put on hormone drip to bring on more contractions it worked bringing on 4 every 10 minutes that where very strong, tried gas and air and threw up!! had to have more diamorphine only to be told I'd still not dilated further (this was at 12pm Saturday)  they turned up the hormones which then gave me some crazy pains, so I had an epidural whilst having it inserted I threw up again this time like the exorcist as I projectile vomited green sick. They checked my cervix and I had not progressed baby was in an awkward position. So my birth plan went truly out the window.

I had to have a c-section as did about 6 other people so waited about 4 hours as I was low risk. 

I had a good cry over the loss of my magical natural labour where my baby would ascend from my vagina on a cloud surrounded unicorns! not ripped from my gut by some surgeon. Mr naturalbelle was a great help in telling me that I had done great and hadn't failed at giving birth! (after the section I would be told my frame would not have allowed for me to deliver vaginally as babies head was quite (very!) large!)

c section went without a hitch, besides feeling like someone is doing the washing up in your stomach! our surprise little girl Freya was born 17:18 weighing 9lbs 2oz 

So my labour didn't go as intended but overall I had a really the good experience, the staff at the Royal Berkshire hospital were amazing, and made the process really relaxed and at some points quite enjoyable.

Mr Naturalbelle was AMAZING, he did so well and was so positive and kept me going throughout the 3 days.

and now the real hard work begins.....

It's A Girl!

Finally after a diva like entry (kept us all waiting 10 days!) the gorgeous Freya Susan Rose has arrived born Saturday 29th September 2012 weighing 9lbs 2oz by emergency caesarean section.

Thank you to all the staff at Royal Berkshire Hospital and to all the well wishers many thanks to you all

Belle, John & Freya  

The Bump: Amber Rose + Close Cuts @ VMA's

Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa rocked up to the VMA's showing off that bump! confirming rumours that the pair are expecting their first child (awwww) 

The awards show also featured a new Hollywood trend for  cropped hair, with Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and Miley Cyrus all sporting shorter cuts.

The Belly: Akuaba Belly Butter

32 + 7  (50 more days to go!)

It's hard to believe I still have a potential 7 weeks to go if I Go up to 41 weeks, I fell like my tummy couldn't possibly grow any more however I have been told it definitely can and this might be the time I start to get some stretch marks. I've been pretty lucky so far and have been keeping my bump moisturised  from around 6 weeks with Moi Moisture from Afrocenchix which lasted around 7 months! I have now switched to Cioccolatina (pronounced choco-latina) Akuaba Belly Butter(£8.85) from the Shea Butter Cottage. 

The fragrance free butter contains vitamin rich shea, cocoa, marula and papaya. 

Keeping skin moisturised during pregnancy will help with stretch marks but may not combat them completely though I've been lucky with my bump my breast have a few lines (from puberty) that have increased during this pregnancy don't worry to much about them they are your stripes and you have earned them tigress! 

Top Tip: Use Akuaba Belly Butter on your hair to seal in moisture!

The #Teamnatural Baby Shower

The lovely Crystal Afro of the UnitedKinkdom organized an impromptu baby shower! I was so pleased  that some of the lovely ladies from #teamnatural were able to come and visit me in Reading (it sometimes feels like the middle of nowhere!) we had such a fun evening talking about blogging, natural hair and babies of course and I was showered with some lovely pampering gifts which included a hand made hula-hoop, Earrings from Africa Utopia and a lovely natural pamper set from the Shea Butter Cottage. We ate some lovely food at All Bar One and drank our weight in cocktails! (mocktails for me!) 

Ketishia aka @sugarkinesis & Crystal of the UnitedKinkdom

Akua owner of The Sheabutter Cottage

Louisa of lifestyle blog Afro Blush

what we wore!

the evening summed up in one picture!

Huge thanks to are server Hollie who made a fab photographer for the evening!

31 Week Update

Time is passing by so fast! I can barely believe that a child will be popping out of my lady garden in a few months! I'm now 31 weeks and still loving it (sort of) the back pain is crazy but it could be worse. Baby Belle has had a major growth spurt as i'm measuring 35 weeks instead of 31 ouch!!

My hair is STILL in mini twists which is making my life so much easier as finding time to style the fro is becoming hard (and only going to get harder when Baby Belle arrives)

Thanks to all my followers for sticking around even though my posts have been few and far between these days and all your well wishes have been wonderful!

xoxo Belle

29 weeks & nesting?

It's just 11 weeks left till the baby debut! I'm currently obsessed with baby shopping and LOVE H&M vests, Baby Gap and Boots Mini Club! and mothercares 3 for 2 on baby essentials such as Tommee Tippee bottles and breast pump have been a god send for those of us that are strapped for cash!

I seem to spend alot of time arranging things....folding and unfolding clothes, making lists and have even started packing my hospital bag, I guess I'm getting an early start on the nesting phase!

28 Weeks Pregnancy Update

I'm officially in my third trimester! so not long till baby make his/her first appearance.

The bump is fast expanding and I'm coming to terms with my under arm fat! 

I've been super busy getting everything ready for baby belle and have found I'm addicted to buying baby clothes! and I've been trying my hand at knitting.

Heart burn, sleep discomfort and tiredness aside all is well! xoxo

my baby hat with massive pom pom!