How I'm Empowering Myself This Pregnancy | Just Add Ginger

When I was pregnant with Eric pretty much everything terrified me. There was so much that happened in those nine months that I barely had time to process one issue before the next came up. It left me in bits afterwards and ever so slightly hesitant to go through it all again. 

Fast forward to two and a bit years later and things could not be more different. I barely recognise the person I was back then and with every day that passes I am more and more excited at the prospect of pushing another baby out my vagina!

I of course take a lot of the credit for that myself. I mean, I shot down a spiral of doom and despair pretty quickly and I got myself right out of it again. And sure there are days where I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders and worry about anything and everything but these are days are few and far between and never about pregnancy or the thought of giving birth. 

There are however some pretty big changes I've made this time round. First of which is the level of privacy I've allowed myself to have. Instead of plastering regular pregnancy updates all over social media I've taken a step back and kept quite a lot to myself. I mean Ryan and I have only just done our gender reveal and I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant. The level of protectiveness I have over this baby is ridiculous and it's done me the world of good to just allow myself the time to enjoy the pregnancy and get excited about it. instead of involving people in everything that's been going on. That in itself has been one of the most empowering moves I could have ever made. 

I'm also being a lot more decisive. Last time round I think I went with the flow and just went along with things because I thought they were the 'right thing' to do. I was a first time mum. I didn't know any better. But this time I've found my voice. I know how I'd like things to go and I'm not afraid to push for them. We've gone from probably heading to the MLU again to now wanting a home birth (fingers crossed). I'm a lot more vocal about wanting to try breastfeeding and I am asking so many questions so that I am better informed. Ryan and I are practising hypnobirthing together and I just know what feels right. I'm trusting my instincts more. I know what I want. 

Hypnobirthing is playing a huge part in how strong I feel. We're currently working through The Positive Birth Company's Digital Pack but I've also just started Siobhan Miller's new book, both of which are absolutely game changing in the way I think about labour and birth. I have a new found appreciation for my body and have fallen in love with my pregnant self. I feel confident that no matter what happens I will have an amazing birth experience and am making the right choices that ensure that happens. 

Hand in hand with hypnobirthing comes my musical choices. Environment plays a huge part in the hypnobirthing experience and where as last time I wanted to listen to music with a strong beat, now I've picked music that is evocative and sparks happy memories - from the best gigs I've ever been to to my favourite places to getting married, each piece I've chosen transports me somewhere and calms me. I test out my playlist at times when I need to feel calm and at peace and I'm already "training" myself to associate the playlist with feeling completely relaxed. 

Never in my life would I have thought I could be this calm about expecting another baby but I am. I really am. And as for really looking forward to pushing out of my lady bits? I'd have laughed out loud. But I honestly can't wait. I believe in myself. 

 And best of all....I feel amazing!

What Eric Got For His Birthday | Just Add Ginger

I've always been a bit unsure about posting 'What I Got For My...' posts, but as the years have gone on I've seen them as less of a boast and more as inspiration. And this one is no exception. Before having Eric I was pretty dreadful at knowing what to buy for babies or children, so as well as this post being a bit of a thank you, it will also - hopefully - be one that gives you some ideas about gifts you can get any little ones you know if you are finding yourself at a bit of a loss.

From Us - 

We decided that we didn't really want to get Eric any conventional presents and instead opted for ones that he could take with him throughout his life. After having had such an amazing experience with Songfinch I decided to order from them again, this time for a song for Eric based on this blog post. And once again I was completely blown away with the results and bawled my eyes out on hearing it. I also decided to send off some of his first clothes to be turned into a weighted keepsake from Baby Threads Keepsakes. This has not yet arrived yet but I can't wait to see how it turns out. And of course there was the cake smash we had for him back in March. Not wanting to leave him without something to open on his birthday, we wrapped up a little box of dinosaur board books I'd picked up in TK Maxx. 

From Friends And Family - 

Eric - so far - hasn't really been one to have an attachment to toys. He will play with them for a few minutes or take an interest in one you have or even just walk around clutching one but he is just too inquisitive to stay still for long. It was my fear that he would be given hundreds of toys that he would never play with but in fact everybody who gave him a gift did really, really well

'Big' Presents - Offering to buy something helpful, my parents bought Eric his new wardrobe. This really helped with making his room toddler-ready and has meant that all of his clothes are now stored in the one place. The one Ryan and I chose was the Ikea Busunge which fits the space we envisaged for a wardrobe and the style means that it will grow with Eric and therefore last longer. 

One of the gifts Ryan's parents bought Eric was a little play gym for the garden. It is by Little Tikes and made from thick plastic, with holes to climb through, a platform and a small slide. It hasn't quite been the weather for it yet but I can't wait to set it out on the grass and let Eric explore it and use it for role play (it would make a great castle or pirate ship). 

Books, Toys And Baby Clothes - Our little boy absolutely loves books. From turning the pages to reading together and bedtime stories, books are something that bring Eric a lot of joy. And for his birthday he got some really lovely ones to add to his collection. And there were no duplicates! I've separated them out (Eric is pretty heavy-handed so we keep less durable books hidden away to be read under supervision) and we have already looked at some but I know he is going to love them all. 

When it comes to clothes Eric is at a awkward stage where some clothes barely fit and others swamp him. Which means that we are always in need of something because he outgrown a pair of joggers / several babygrows seemingly overnight. For his birthday he received several clothing items that are all in the size he is currently in so he is going to get a lot of wear out of all of them. 

And finally toys..... Without giving much direction, everyone nailed it when it came to choosing what to get Eric. From a noisy fire engine to a knitted cat, wooden crane, a talking torch, a bouncy dog and bath toys, each gift was something new that we can put into rotation. 

If you are on the hunt for something to buy baby for their birthday and you're not quite sure what to get, I'd definitely recommend reaching out and asking their mum or dad what would be useful. Toys often come with the ages they are recommended for which can be confusing, but I always take these as more of a guideline (it is stage not age after all). Babies are so fickle too and their tastes and preferences are always so it is always good to check whether they are still liking playing/watching/reading (fill in blank here) or if they have moved on to something new. 

I just wanted to put a little note in this post to say thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes to Eric on his special day. It really meant a lot to us. Thank you also to our friends and family and all of those who bought Eric gifts. You are all so kind and each present was very thoughtful. I'm sorry I couldn't feature them all individually in this post (it would be so long if I did) but please know that we cherish everything he was given and cannot express our love and gratitude enough! - Jackie O xo