Enjoy a Spa Day – All DIY!

We all need to be pampered every now and then. Pregnant or not, its nice being spoiled.

Taken from: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a562991/create-your-own-mini-pregnancy-spa

If you fancy a pregnancy pick-me-up, what could be better than your own home spa? All you need is a few pampering products, a bit of imagination, and an evening to yourself.

1. Create a spa atmosphere

Make your bathroom and bedroom as tranquil as possible by tidying away clutter. Dim the lights, light some scented candles and put on some relaxing music.

Have some fluffy bath towels to hand as you start your various treatments. Keep them on a warm radiator or heated rail for added comfort.

2. Clean your face

Gently sweep away any make-up or daily grime with a mild cleansing lotion and cotton wool. Look for products that are free from alcohol, as it can tend to dry out your skin.

3. Give your skin a rosy glow

Use an exfoliating facial wash to get your blood rushing to your cheeks. Wet your face with warm water, massage in the scrub in a circular motion, and then rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with a soft towel.

4. Apply a face pack

There’s nothing like seeing yourself in a green and gloopy face pack to make you appreciate your own skin underneath! Deep-cleansing, peel-off, self-heating – the choice is yours. Face packs come in a range of smells and textures, and there’s something to suit all budgets and skin types.

Follow the instructions on the packet, and rinse off thoroughly when you’re done to leave your face feeling fresh and vibrant.

5. Run a bath

Prepare yourself a deep, luxurious warm bath to ease those pregnancy aches and pains. Pour gentle, skin-friendly bubble bath under running water, or add a couple of drops of a pregnancy-safe essential oil.

Test the temperature with your elbow or forearm to make sure it’s not too hot. You don’t want you or your baby to overheat.

6. Exfoliate the rest of your body

Before you relax into your bath, buff your body with an exfoliating brush or use a salt scrub to banish dead skin cells and reveal glowing skin. Pay special attention to your elbows and knees, which are usually rougher than the rest of your body.

7. Relax

Now it’s time to really enjoy your soak. Roll up a towel to place behind your head or use an inflatable bath pillow that sticks to your bath, if you prefer.

8. Enjoy a soothing eye mask

While you’re in the bath, you may want to treat your eyes. Good old-fashioned cucumber slices are cooling and refreshing. Or you could try cotton wool pads soaked in camomile tea and left to cool. You may even like to buy a gel-filled eye mask, which you can pop in the fridge to cool before you have your bath.

9. Have a shower

It’s a good idea to have a shower after your soak. A shower will wash away any debris from your salt scrub, and it’s an ideal time to shave your legs, too.

Wash your hair with nourishing, sweet-smelling shampoo. To give your hair a beauty boost, use an intensive moisturising conditioner.

10. Step into a warm towel

Grab that warm towel you placed on the radiator earlier. Wrap another one around your hair and retreat to your bedroom for further pampering!

11. Moisturise

Sit on a towel on the bed or carpet and spend a few minutes moisturising your body with a rich cream. Cocoa butter feels indulgent and gorgeous, or you could try an unscented lotion if your skin is feeling sensitive. If you can still reach your feet comfortably, use this opportunity to give yourself a quick foot massage too. Or better still, get a willing partner to lend a hand.

12. Do a manicure and pedicure

Your nails will be soft after your bath and shower. Now is a good time to shape or file them, and to paint them with your choice of nail varnish. Lie back and unwind while you leave them to dry.

13. Drift into a deep sleep

By now, you should be feeling so relaxed and soothed that you’re ready to blow out those candles and go to sleep.

Sweet dreams!

If your mini spa experience leaves you longing for a professional pampering, learn all about visiting a spa in pregnancy.

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a562991/create-your-own-mini-pregnancy-spa#ixzz4we0MS39C

 

 

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source http://www.surrogacyincanada.com/enjoy-spa-day-diy/

Mental Health – Prenatal & Postpartum

I have recently discovered that while there is a big push for mental health resources from both the public and politicians – there are still very few. Its incredibly disappointing and adds to the feeling of “no options” to those who are struggling with their mental health, especially pregnant women & postpartum moms.

Mental health is such a huge part of any person. If your mental health isn’t where it should be, it affects every single other area of your life. From sleep, to how you react, to simply being able to get out of bed in the morning and start your day. Your mental health is you.

Now, as someone who has experienced mental health struggles in the past, I can’t even tell you the endless feeling of hopelessness when you reach out for help and you find none. Or, you do find some…but it will cost you close to $200/hr. Now, I don’t know about you…but my salary in no way equals $200. Not even close! Benefits? Yes, we have benefits. A whopping $300/year. Thats right. 1.5 sessions with a psychologist a year! Typically it takes months of work with a psychologist/psychiatrist to make progress…not a single session. If your benefits cover more, great! Use them! Somehow though, I highly doubt that your benefits cover $4700 worth of therapy sessions. Thats based on going once every 2 weeks for a year at a rate of $180/hr for your psychologits/psychiatrist.

The costs are outrageous (but I understand why those psychs charge those amounts), but the average person being able to afford that doesn’t typically happen. It puts a wonderful resource far out of reach of those who need it.

I recently learned that a local hospital that had an absolutely amazing prenatal/postpartum mental health clinic available has now closed down their services to anyone not birthing at their hospital. There are a bunch of problems with that! It removes choice from a lot of women – where they can birth and not only that, but now it forces women to choose between having a birth they need (think homebirth after a traumatic birth to help heal their mental health trama surrounding that) to getting help with their current mental health status. It makes no sense and yet again, closes more doors to those trying desperately to reach out for help.

I want to encourage anyone needing support to reach out. To anyone & everyone! Friends, family, your doctor, a nurse, heck – a facebook group that can provide you a boost to get through a night if thats what you need! But reach out. Don’t do the trek alone.

There are resources online now as well – online counselling and depression support groups. Do what you need to do! But please, please please…don’t be ashamed. Don’t continue the stigma of mental health.

The post Mental Health – Prenatal & Postpartum appeared first on ANU Fertility Consultants.

source http://www.surrogacyincanada.com/mental-health-prenatal-postpartum/

What a Genius Way to Repurpose Old Shirts!

If I had known this when my girls were tiny, they would have lived in dresses!

 

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/turn-one-of-daddys-shirts-into-a-dress-for-a-little-girl/

The post What a Genius Way to Repurpose Old Shirts! appeared first on ANU Fertility Consultants.

source http://www.surrogacyincanada.com/genius-way-repurpose-old-shirts/

Pregnancy Changes Everything

I am currently pregnant. This pregnancy, is not a surrogacy, it is a keeper for us. This is baby #4 for us and being pregnant, again, has added humor to our lives.

Pregnancy really truly changes the dynamics of a spousal relationship. For example, my husband who has an awfully funny sense of humor, will ask me if I’m craving “cock”. He’ll have the devilish grin, quirky sparkle in his eye. Of course, being pregnant, my obvious response is “OMG…Yes. You going to order the chicken wings or am I?”

Or the bag of Oreos in the pantry. I have three children & a husband. We don’t do a lot of sweets in the house. If there’s a bag of Oreos, you know they’re going to last about 30 seconds. God help the poor soul who eats the last Oreo. This pregnant mama wants at least one damn oreo out of the pack. I had to haul my big belly into a grocery store just to get those oreos. If mama bear doesn’t get to eat at least one, there will be some serious consequences. Like eating a king size chocolate bar in front of all of them and NOT SHARING.

How do you like them apples kiddo?! That’ll teach you for eating the last Oreo!

Children, while they eat all the good stuff left in the house, they also are much much shorter than I am. Do you know why this is beneficial? They are closer to the floor than I am! Pregnancy seems to remove all grip from my hands and I am forever dropping things. Of courses, the bigger I get, the harder it is to pick stuff up off the floor…and the more things I seemingly drop. Having children has proven to be incredibly useful…they are so sweet & pick things up that I drop – saving us from having to purchase a set of those reacher/grabber things.
Truthfully, I’m grateful though that they are so sweet to help me. Heavens knows, If I sit down to pick up something, this lady isn’t getting back up.

Last but not least, I think my favorite part of pregnancy is hearing my children talk about the baby and their perception of how it all works. We are located in Edmonton, Alberta and in early Sept it began snowing. Very lightly, but there was snow. My youngest, 3, looked outside, gasped, turned to me and very excitedly exclaimed that the baby could come out now because there was snow on the ground! As I had previously explained the baby would come when there was snow on the ground – not expecting her to take it so literally. It gave me quite the chuckle.

When we found out the gender very recently, boy, my son was thrilled he is getting a brother. He seemingly knew from the get go. He never doubted that it was a boy, but his sisters were certain it was a girl. When we broke the news to them, my oldest (daughter) almost cried. Her big heart won over those emotions and she said she would love the baby anyway because she loves babies! My son was smiling ear to ear. “I KNEW IT!” he yelled! He is so happy to not be outnumbered anymore.   And the youngest. She kind of sat there and tried to process it. Right after supper I showered her and she spent her time in the showering asking me to change it to a girl.

A (My 3yo): Mommy, can you change it to a girl please? I don’t want a boy.
Me: I’m sorry kiddo, its a boy and I can’t change that.
A: But mommy, I asked nicely. I even said please.
Me: *laughing* I know kiddo, I’m really sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. The baby is a boy and I really, really can’t change that.

She was so disappointed. Once baby boy does arrive, I’m sure everyone will be thrilled! Its just how their little brains work and it always has me in wonder. <3

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source http://www.surrogacyincanada.com/pregnancy-changes-everything/