AsMade

A blog about the journey that is life. God.Marriage.Motherhood.Home.Work.Health.Fitness.Natural hair

[asmade]

Before During and (3months) after pregnancy. The top left pic was taken a month before we conceived and the one on the right was taken three months after birth. I exercised during my pregnancy and since birth have breastfed my son on demand. Since he was 7 weeks old I have been going on daily walks with my baby (mostly strapped in the baby carrier) All this has contributed to my weight loss Next I'll be focusing on toning up more. You need not lose your body because you have entered motherhood. set your fitness goals today and start working!

[asmade]

Out me about with my joy

[asmade]

Natural Hair styling with a Newborn

I have been on my natural hair journey for 8 years now.

When I got pregnant and turned 30 I decided that it was a good time to cut my hair into a tapered cut. I had never had short hair and knew time would be limited with a newborn so wouldn’t be able to spend 3-4 hours on my hair on wash day!

So I went for it and it took a little getting used to as far as maintenance goes. I really like having short hair but it does require styling…luckily once styled properly my hair will keep the look for a good few days.

Now baby boy is almost 3 months and things are feeling less frantic, I plan to go back to my weekly washing /deep conditioning routine and will be also making the most of protective styling.

My main tip for maintaining your hair in the early days is to split up the process. Newborns sleep throughout the day for a few hours at a time. Instead of trying to tackle the wash-detangle-condition-style process at once split it up so you can get some sleep or get other chores done too. It may take you a couple of days to do your hair but hey at least it gets done!

[asmade]

Yummy healthy breakfast - green smoothie with egg and avocado on toast.

[asmade]

Operation SnapBack

I have always been into working out and keeping my body in shape…I have had ups and downs where I would be really dedicated for a few months to reach a particular fitness goal and then once that was attained I would slack off!

While I was pregnant I stayed active in a bid to prepare my body for trauma of child birth and build muscle memory so j would “SnapBack” quickly.

I had a c-section so have been unable to pick up with my usual exercise routines (playing netball, doing insanity workouts, practicing yoga…). Now almost 10 weeks post delivery I am ready to exercise!

Breastfeeding has given me a head start. I am pretty much back at my pre-pregnancy weight ☺️

However, I want my abs back and my body toned so watch this space as I share my post labour fitness journey

Janine xo

[asmade]

Feeding problems

I decided while I was pregnant that I would breastfeed my son…after all it is natural and the way God designed it. I assumed that the baby would arrive and we would both know exactly what we needed to do to transfer the precious breastmilk and give him all the nutrients it offers.

Well, little did I know that breastfeeding can actually be very challenging and PAINFUL!

Our issues included the following:

1. Bad Latch - My son was not latching on properly at first…I didn’t know what I was doing so just assumed the pain was normal. He was “nipple feeding” instead of breastfeeding in that he was just sucking on my nipples with his incredibly strong suck which resulted in very sore, tender, cracked and bleeding nipples in the first few days.

2. Weight loss - As he was not latching properly he was not getting enough milk which meant he dropped too much weight in the first few days. When the midwife told me that he want getting enough food I felt so bad and got emotional. She showed me how to improve the latch and recommended that I express milk and give it to him at the end of each feed to ensure he was getting the milk he needed. I was still in a lot of pain each time he fed and was starting to dread him waking up as I knew how much pain I would be in.

3.Tongue Tie - After a month of immense pain breast-feeding and nipples that didn’t have a chance to heal, I felt as though something just wasn’t right so I contacted a lactation consultant. She gave us a consultation and diagnosed my son with posterior tongue-tie. This was restricting the movement of his tongue and meant that he was unable to feed properly and that was the likely cause of pain.

We had a procedure to get the tongue tie corrected. It was a short procedure and my baby boy recovered after a few days. However we still were not pain free when it came to breastfeeding

4. Unexplainable pain - I tried going to a breastfeeding clinic a couple times. They looked at my positioning and latch and gave me some tips but still I found that despite the marked improvement there was still pain.

I have been determined to breastfeed but there have been days where I would be crying in pain whilst feeding my son. I decided that I would give him a few formula bottles a day just to give my breasts a break and I would also express milk and give it to him in a bottle at times. Just making that decision to combination feed lifted a huge weight off my shoulders and I felt so much better.

My son is now 9 weeks old and whilst the pain is not gone completely it is not hurting all the time and it’s manageable pain. I am hoping that completely pain free breastfeeding is just around the corner. Everyone says it gets better!

This whole experience has taught me the true meaning of patience and sacrifice. I am sacrificing my comfort each time I nurse my baby because I love him and want the best for him. It reminds me of the sacrifice God made for everyone even if people don’t realise or appreciate it

[asmade]

Mummy and baby boy!

[asmade]

Baby Boy has arrived!!

My world changed on 8 May 2015. At 12.07pm on that Friday afternoon I became a mother...i was given the opportunity to experience something so beautiful and so pure...unconditional love for another human being that I had a part in creating! Absolutely amazing and mind blowing. My son was born by c-section despite me desperately wanting to have a natural birth. I had a pretty good pregnancy throughout the nine + months, however the last few weeks and the method of birth did not go as planned. I was forced to realise that my 'always gotta a plan and be in control' mentality would not be fit for motherhood! So what happened? Placenta Previa aka low lying placenta which was covering the cervix and blocking the exit. It was discovered at my 20 week scan and we hoped it would move over time (didn't happen) I had a bleed at 35 weeks, a day after I went on maternity leave (not part of the plan) and had to stay in hospital for a week (not part of the plan). It was safer to book me in for a c-section thank risk trying to deliver him naturally (not part of the plan). I had really wanted a water birth so needless to say I was disappointed and anxious at the thought of being cut open! I have never had to be in hospital before much less have major surgery! The whole experience wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Once in theatre my little man was born within half an hour. Seeing him for the first time was such an emotional moment! Instant love and pride ☺️ Being a mummy is great...we have had some challenges already but seeing his gorgeous little face all day long makes it all worth it! Lessons Learned When it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, the plan should be to have no solid plan. The plan changed so much towards the end for reasons outside of my control and it sent my on an emotional roller coaster. If you remain open and not overly obsessed about the plan it will allow you to adapt and 'enjoy' the experience more. I will sharing more about my mummy journey so watch this space

[asmade]

Growing Pains

I am officially in my third trimester...28 weeks of growth and I am feeling good. I am getting used to bubba's movements and routine. It is nice to feel my baby move daily and know that we are on the home straight and will be meeting him in around 12 weeks 😊 However, there have been and are some growing pains. As my belly expands and the little one grows my body is undergoing some major changes and there are pains that go with that. Back pain, leg pain, groin pain you know. Doing exercise (Pilates and yoga) have really helped and my tolerance levels are increasing. This whole pregnancy process is a reminder that creating something amazing comes with growing pains but the end result is going to be so worth it. Whether it is having a baby or developing in other areas of life, I would encourage everyone to stay positive and learn as much as possible from the experience. I have learned that my body is amazing and has been skilfully made by the master designer. I praise God for this experience and look forward to meeting my bundle of joy very soon 😍 Until next time...

[asmade]

Growing already! Tapered Fro is getting longer quick

[hi-imcurrentlyobsessed]

Fifteen shades of sultry… 

[odyssey2fit-blog]

KELLY ROWLAND

[asmade]

Keeping in shape during pregnancy is the way to go...

[asmade]

Introducing LightBOX Coaching

[asmade]

My short hair!

[asmade]

Why I cut my hair?!

I have been on a natural journey with my hair since around 2007. I transitioned from relaxer to locs (using loc extensions to fast forward the process). I then had locs for 5 years and loved experimenting with them. In 2012 I qualified as a solicitor and wanted a change so...I combed my locs out. One by one, I combed out the 90+ locs I had - the process took around 48 hours over a two week period. Long I know but worth it as i was left with a shoulder length afro. I proceeded to watch countless YouTube videos and learned how to care for my loose natural hair. So for the past 2.5 years I have had twist outs, braid outs, up-dos, braids, fros...the whole lot. When I found out I was pregnant and was approaching my 30th Birthday I felt like it was time for another change. I decided to cut my hair off. Many people were shocked and asked why I would do such a thing when my hair was the healthiest and longest it has ever been?! My answer? Because I want to - with a baby on the way I will not have the same amount of time to spend on my hair and I want to be able to focus on motherhood and all that comes with it, without feeling like my hair is neglected. I cut it and love the freedom that short hair provides...it will grow back and once I get myself into a mummy routine, I will grow my afro out again. I have realised that people always have opinions...when I wanted to get locs people questioned my decisions. When I wanted to comb out my locs people questioned my decision. When I chose to cut my hair people questioned my decision...but each time I changed my hair, the reaction has been positive!! The moral of the story is to do what is right for you and not to worry about what others think. Embrace you inner risk taker and do what feels right to you!

[asmade]

Pinterest well and truly has my interest

So I was introduced to Pinterest a while ago…at first I wasn’t sure about the concept and couldn’t quite get my head round the pinning and boards and stuff…BUT recently I have revisited and see how useful Pinterest is!!

As an expectant mother there is so much to prepare and think about…having visual hints and tips that are linked to website has been fabulous. I have maternity style,nursery ideas, mother diy, home spa, hair boards and the list goes on.

If you haven’t checked it out I would recommend you do…happy pinning!

coxo

[asmade]

Living life and Loving Pregnancy!!

So it's that time...I am on the most amazing and life changing journey possible. I am going to be a mummy in 5 months - eek! Despite being so career focused in my 20's. I am sooo excited about what it to come. I turned 30 last month and now I am preparing for motherhood - I now officially feel like a grown up! It is quickly becoming evident that there is so much information out there! So much to think about...nursery furniture, baby clothes, body changes, size of you baby each week...and the list goes on. I am picking a choosing my resources and enjoy studying this new subject matter. I recently read 'Oh Baby' by Tia Mowry which was very insightful and defo a page turner - I read it in two sittings. if you are new to this like me...I would recommend that u grab a copy. I will hopefully have time to update this blog with my mummy experience and antics! By for now... Excited mummy to be...