A UK BASED FAMILY & LIFESTYLE BLOG

Search

Being a Mum is not what I expected..

Ethan is 6 weeks old today and seriously these last six weeks have been the greatest six weeks of my whole life. Before I was a Mum I felt that I had a pretty good understanding of what it felt like to be somebody's Mummy but I was just so wrong. The feelings that a Mum feels can only truly be understood by her when she actually becomes 'Mum'.
Those timeless moments when I catch my baby staring at me intently with his breathtakingly beautiful big blue eyes and then as I move in closer to him his face beams with the most precious, most delightful smile I've ever seen are what fills my heart with utter joy and absolute completeness. 
And to think that there once was a time when I felt adamant that I would never want to have any children.. Seriously what was I thinking??! Thank God I changed my mind - he along with his Dad are the best things to have ever happened to me!
I love that my home is filled with mess, it's a beautiful mess. It's finally full of 'home' and 'family', I totally get what this means now. I spent so many hours tirelessly cleaning it and re-arranging frames, ornaments, pillows.. you name it, when truly all it needed was baby blankets, teddy bears, gosh even nappies and dummies. Now it is home. 
And it's not just home that now feels 'right', ..I do too. I have finally found my purpose. You see I was never completely content with myself, I always felt that I was endlessly searching for what it was I was suppose to do. Becoming Adams wife set me on the path to finding out who it is I really am, but it was becoming a Mum to Ethan that made me realise who I actually am. Being a Mum to someone has given me a purpose beyond belief. To Ethan I am his most favourite person {along with Daddy}, I give the best cuddles, I make him happy.. I'm 'his Mum', he will always rely on me and lean on me for support and that makes me feel like a a pretty big deal!
So yeah, being a Mum isn't what I expected it is just so much better!

xo
https://twitter.com/Alexgladwinx
On Instagram : alexgladwin
Bloglovin

Want To Get To Know Me More?

  • Why did I start a blog?
  • Where do I see my blog this time next year?
  • What do I love the most about blogging?
  • And what do I hate?
  • What are my three favourite blogs?

Want to know my answers to the above questions? 
Well if so you'll find the answers to those questions and more by popping over to the lovely Harriet's awesome blog - A Rush of Love where Bump to Baby is a Featured Favourite!
 Hope you'll all check it out :)
And a Happy Friday to everyone - enjoy your weekend!


xo 


 

Finding Relief From Back Pain


As a long term sufferer of back pain, I know just how hard it can be to try and 'carry on as normal' through the pain. Back pain is often misunderstood, there are many different types of pain that a back pain sufferer can feel. For example the back pain that a woman can feel during pregnancy and labour is completely different to the type of pain that conditions such as Scoliosis {curvature of the spine} can present. Whatever type of pain the sufferer feels one thing is for sure.. back pain sucks! So is it possible to find relief?  Honestly I don't believe there is a 'treatment' as such for long term back pain, but there are some ways to find a little relief..



 1. Watch your posture!


Pain is often triggered by bad posture whilst sitting, standing or bending over. We all spend many hours a day sitting in front of our computers/notebooks/tablets/mobile phones and this is fine, as long as we remember to take regular breaks and ensure we are sitting in a comfortable yet upright position. Choose a chair with good lumbar support or use a rolled up towel behind the small of your back for extra lumbar support. Keep your shoulders back and ensure the top of your monitor is in line with your eye level. Try using a foot stool to elevate and rest your legs to see if this helps. When taking regular breaks have a little walk around and at the same time remember to have a quick stretch of your back and neck muscles, this is especially important if you spend longer periods sitting down in the same position.


2. Don’t lift objects that are too heavy!


If somethings too heavy, don't try and lift it. Ask for help. It's better to ask for help than to hurt your back, especially if you are prone to suffering with back pain in the first place. Remember to pull in your stomach muscles, keep your back straight and lift with your knees. Remember not to twist when lifting.


3. Exercise! 


Yeah not everyone is the biggest fan of exercise, but you don't need to a be the super sporty type just to do some very basic exercises which could greatly help you find relief from back pain. There are very basic exercises which can be found all over the Internet, you can buy books, DVD's, and even find videos on you Tube which teach you them. I also advise swimming. Swimming can help strengthen your back and core muscles as could Pilate's and yoga. Even jogging or even walking around your neighbourhood should offer some pain relief if you can manage it. 


4. Use Heat & Ice!


You can get microwaveable wheat packs  which help relieve some peoples pain. Applying heat or cold on back pain will often help.. Using Tiger Balm or any other pain relief gel/rub is also a great way to relieve tired aching muscles. 

5. Pay a professional!


Whether you take a trip to the chiropractor, go and get yourself a massage or opt for acupuncture, it's all worth a try as long as you can afford to. Personally I find that I get the most relief from visiting a chiropractor, though on some visits I come away feeling no different. So it's a gamble for me and it's an expensive one at £35 per half an hour, it can soon add up when you suffer from pain daily. You should expect to pay around £20 per half an hour for a professional massage, but you could always ask your partner and get one for free which is what I do ;).  It is worth asking your GP if the NHS funds such treatments in your area, unfortunately mine doesn't but it does offer physiotherapy which can be good to help strengthen your muscles. 

6. Try Massage Balls!


Up until recently I was desperately trying to massage my muscle knots out by laying on my bedroom floor with a cat play ball underneath of my back. That was until a quick Google search brought me to these PhysioRoom Spiky Massage Balls . At such a low price I had nothing to lose by ordering them. When they arrived I started using them straight away and I was so pleased when after just 10 minutes of using them my back muscle spasms subsided. I'd recommend them to anyone that suffers with back pain, spasms or knots and the best thing about them is that you can use them by yourself by laying on the floor or up against a wall meaning you don't have to beg you partner for a massage or pay someone else! 

So there you have it -  my top tips for getting relief from back pain. 

*Please note that I am not a Doctor and this post was purely intended to share my own experiences and knowledge of dealing with my own back pain. I would always advise speaking to your Doctor/GP or health professional if you are suffering with back pain and you should always follow their advice as not to make your pain any worse. 

You can read more about my own back pain experience here.
   
xo

Things I Love RIGHT now

It may seem a little random at times, but I do love to make little lists of the things that right now in life I am enjoying. This is for a couple of reasons.. firstly I like to share my interests and likes with you all and I also like to hear back through the comment section below if any of you have the same interests and secondly I like looking back at posts like these, so that I can see if any of my interests / likes have changed. So that brings me nicely on to the below.. As I said, I'd love to know if any of you have the same or similar interests as me. :)

Things I love right now

General Things
Ethan, Ethan and more Ethan. He is just so perfect! I think he'll always be top of my 'Things I love right now' lists.
 Being on Maternity Leave with my newborn {Best thing ever!}. Seriously good.
Being a 'family'! - My Husband, Son and our four cats. It's the best. 
My Husband as a Dad, he really is the best Dad in the world. And I know most people say that about their Husbands /Fiance's / boyfriends but Adam is just the best Dad I've ever known. Ethan's so lucky to have him. And so am I. <3

TV Shows
Game Of Thrones - BEST-television-programme-EVER!! Like ever. I was late to the party with this one, but the best thing I ever did was starting watching it on Sky Anytime. It's amazing. Beyond amazing actually. 
Hollyoaks - I've always been a bit of a fan! :)
Revolution 
Two And A Half Men

The Music I'm Listening to
Haim - Falling is the song I am most listening to at the moment.

Misc etc.
Blogging, I'm really enjoying it.
World Of Warcraft {online mmo game - yup, GEEK alert!}
Massage Balls {Found here, they are helping me alleviate some of my scoliosis pain which has returned with a vengeance!}
Watches of Switzerland - if you haven't already - check them out! You won't be disappointed. 
Sleep {It is becoming very rare nowadays but when it does happen it is so damn GOOD.}

The Food I like
Pasta, I've always loved pasta. I could eat it every single day for the rest of my life. I think it's my absolute favourite food.
Dominos Pizza - veggie supreme with added pineapple pieces. If you haven't yet tried it, try it. Seriously. 
Mushroom pate {finally I can eat this again!} Yay!

What things are you loving right now?

I'd love to know so please do leave me a comment in the section below :) xx


My lovely Husband came home from work with these on Sunday and it really made me smile :) The adorable card seriously nearly made me cry, I feel so lucky to have him. I mean presents aren't what make us 'us', but I thought it was just such a lovely heart-warming gesture. Sometimes it's the small things, isn't it?! :) <3

xo
https://twitter.com/Alexgladwinx
On Instagram : alexgladwin
Bloglovin