4 Months of Deliciousness

At one month my Bean was weeny and light,
All wrinkled and hairy and crying at night.

At two months his smile was beginning to show,
and his eyes seeing people he wanted to know.

At three months his arms and his legs waved about,
accompanied well with a squeak and a shout.

Now at four months his giggles just fill me with joy,
He's simply delicious, my four month old boy.

What Not To Do When You're Overdue

No longer able to touch my toes, I treated myself to a pedicure in time for The Arrival. "So, when's the baby due?" asked the beautician. "Today!" I replied with cruel delight as I lowered my not insubstantial frame into the seat. Her carefully made-up face dropped with fear as she clearly thought I could have given birth then and there. Two weeks later the varnish was chipped but I still had no prospect of being reunited with my feet.


So here are my top 5 bits of rubbish advice that doesn't work when overdue:

1. Eating hot curries. We went out for SEVEN curries, plus two home made, in the space of 12 days. It was like being a student again. Whilst a good way to enjoy those last child-free moments, you can have too much of a good thing. Same applies to

2. Eating fresh pineapple. Breakfast, elevanses, mid afternoon and after all of the curries. Unless you stick it up somewhere you shouldn't (not recommended), pineapple makes your lips tingle but nothing else. Which brings me to

3. Sex. Oh yes, with a regularity that would put a porn star into retirement. Theories about the release of labour-inducing prostglandins give this credibility, and as a form of exercise is certainly preferable to

4. Running uphill. OK, galumphing uphill. Hilarious but humiliating. Trust me, just don't.

5. Consuming cod liver oil. Now its getting silly so I stopped here.



So you may be wondering what worked for me? Two membrane sweeps, a trip to the hospital who were too busy for my induction, leaving the husband to field the irritating phonecalls (yes Mum we will tell you when you become a Grandmother) - I'm sure that all helped.



At 41 weeks, 6 days and 18 hours I made the little chap his own birthday cake. Whilst arranging the smarties on top the contractions started, and hey presto 7 hours later he arrived. Simple as that.

The Mumpreneur Debate

Why don't fathers get called Dadpreneurs?
Follow the heated debate on Whosethemummy!
Is Mumpreneur a patronising term? Are we just too sensitive about labels? Are we building ghettos or redefining the terms of engagement? Interesting stuff...

Family party survival - help needed

Today's big Family Do was Bean's first time on show to the aunts, uncles, cousins and general hangers-on of the extended family variety. He's a chilled-out contented little chap and at 4 months is now very obliging with smiles and gurgles, so I was looking forward to showing him off.

What a nightmare. There were 45 of us in a small semi in Mill Hill; on arrival he started wailing at the sight of the assembled rabble and that was it - all afternoon, non stop, wailing. I resorted to the 4pm feed sat in the car, which took half an hour of negotiations to get him to latch on. I know it's silly, but I felt that everyone will now think he just cries all the time, when he really genuinely isn't like that normally! Honest! I tried to look all chilled and calm about the whole thing but I just wanted to cry myself.

Next weekend we face the prospect of a 70th birthday party in a pub and I'm dreading it. Aagghh! Does anyone have any advice on how to survive these family dos with a small baby?! And how do you do it with more than one child?! Advice from veteran Mummies gratefully received...

Mummies' World

I'll never forget my first time in creche. All 15 of them (those Giants called toddlers) were bawling simultaneously whilst Bean and I were having a quiet little feed in the corner, trying to blend into the background. It was like my first day at Big School, except this was Little School and it was scary.

Becoming a Mummy throws you (kicking and screaming?!) into a whole new world, so far from The Office and all that is grown up, clean and orderly. But now, hey, bring it on! I'm finding my feet in my world and I like it - new friends, new places, new stuff to do - like being a first year student but without the essays.

But today is also a big day, as it's my first day in the unknown Blogosphere and I'm feeling a sense of trepidation. Will I make any cyberfriends? Will other Mummy Bloggers offer me tea and a biscuit? Will this new world welcome me too?

Hello, I'm a Mummy In Training and this is 16 week-old Bean. Nice to be here.