Consent in children   I have been compelled to write this as I have had a mad amount of messages from a few things I shared on Instagram. @thedrapergirls With lots of questions like how do I say it to people it’s just expected now the child is older. There’s loads of ways I will explain .... You (as an adult) can say no to kisses, foreplay and sex to any adult and that should be respected but we force children to kiss relatives and or anyone we’re close to. I mean what the actual.... You (as an adult) wouldn’t go to a bar with someone an then say I won’t buy you a drink unless you give me a kiss (if    you did say this it’s unhealthy and abusive relationship)  We need to teach our kids about healthy relationships! It’s very very important!  Most abuse occurs within the family  So why would we MAKE/ FORCE them to kiss family member for an adults gratification?  I know no one wants to think it happens in their family but truth is 1 in 20! children in the uk have been abused (NSPCC) Or

  As this weird year draws to a close I have been reflecting on what a testing year it has been for us as a family. We had the strangest pregnancy with lee not being allowed to any scans or appointments, even only coming in half way through labour, we got embezzled all the money in our bank account, our baby was poorly had lots of stays & appointments in alder hey, our baby boy would of been 10 this year which really I’m not sure why but affected me. Lee lost his job and we lost our lovely uncle, great uncle an amazing man in our family. I went back to work full time, my hair fell out an I developed adult acne an had panic attacks frequently. Finally we ended up again in alder hey     on Christmas morning & Boxing Day! We are not by far NOT the worst off everyone has had a awful year some much more than others.  But this year has been unbelievable it has taught me so much, this life is so short you need to make every second count. If your struggling with your mental health whic

So this ‘mums’ mental load that I have been reading about the past few months. I thought I’d write a few things down an see if it’s relatable to any other mamas?  A little snapshot of my story I’ve recently become a mother of three and I have a hugely supportive husband & family, this in no way is belittling him, our supportive family or other dads/ partners. I’m just stating facts, it’s a role we take on as we become mothers! Now I waited a long time to bring my babies home, I can’t stress enough that I love being a mother! An I don’t really mind this “mental load” I just don’t think it’s talked about enough!  So I don’t know weather or not this has been impacted by lockdown - actually on reflection it has during lockdown you also became responsible for not only home life with your child but all of the other aspects of school life including educational needs, social needs & the need for peers (you an their siblings were probably the only friends your children were seeing)! So

As I sit here writing this on the plane home    (on page 10 of my holiday book on the way home - that really says it all doesn’t it) I’m suburnt because creaming my strech mark ridden mum tum is no longer my priority, my top button on my jeans is undone due to excessive amount of treats    (to be fair they only touched where the fitted when I flew out anyway) I’ve had 5 hours sleep oh and the downloads on Netflix has expired .... So be prepared for a relaxing holl ... hahaha no let’s all laugh, parents of three or more we know that’s not a possibility... Lee & I love a little risk obviously as we’ve got 3 under 5 ... so going away mid COVID didn’t bother us! Actually if anyone is thinking about going away definitely do! It’s much quieter (the flights were great a row each to ourselves).  The pools, bars, water parks ect where lovely people were socially distanced it was actually a pleasure! (But of course still stressful going away with three small children). I’m going to share som

Preggo in the pandemic  This may be your first pregnancy, your one in the middle or your very last but one. Whether your baby was planned or not    this is not what you have envisioned.   Pregnancy is an anxiety inducing at the best of times, but this is something else. We are a group of women who are going through something that no women in our lifetime has lived through. So remember you are strong you are an amazing mama an you are never alone as you have your baby in your tummy throughout it all. You can do this even if you need a little help we all do sometimes an that’s ok!  There is so many issues it can become very overwhelming. I will start at the beginning. Personally this has been very trying for me preparing for a birth potentially without my husband or to only have him there for a short period during delivery has really affected me. He has always been my mainstay especially after having c sections you need that extra support. I’m not ashamed to stay this has ne

Pregnancy the good, the bad, the ugly  First trimester  So I have been pregnant and or breastfeeding for a full consecutive 4.5 years (since 2015) so I feel fully self qualified to write this blog (I am not a midwife this is purely a mum blog). Currently pregnant with baby no. 4 (I will have 3 under 4 in a matter of 13 weeks). So here’s the thing not every mama will glow up! In fact most don’t I don’t even think I did with my first ( if you are going to glow it will be in your first pregnancy when your not bedraggled with kids hanging off you like a chimpanzee). Pregnancy is not pretty, we draw the short straw an the fellas get the easy ride don’t you think? Even from the moment of conception.... First things first about when them little two lines appear around 4-5 week comes the sickness - most girls get sickness and or nausea at least for the first 12 weeks (which isn’t pleasant). However a select lucky few get hyperemesis gravidum which is serve sickness to the poin