Hey Boobs! Where'dya Go?

*Disclaimer - These are NOT my boobs! But I would be very happy if there were!*

I woke up today to a bit of a shock... my boobs seem to have disappeared OVERNIGHT! 

I big perk of pregnancy for me was the big boost in the bust department, I definitely enjoyed filling out my clothes that bit better and it made my huge bump less of an inconvenience.. a trade off if you will. Unfortunately as I am not breastfeeding my boobs have shrunk down to nearly their pre-pregnancy size just a week after birth so I still have a pregnant looking tummy but no big boobs to make up for it. I remember the first time around becoming a bit obsessive about this and even going as far as to order pills online that claimed to grow your breasts... needless to say I thought better of it and returned them but still..  the idea was in my mind. I can totally understand why people plump for a boob job at this time in their lives because the difference is so dramatic in such a short space of time.. I almost feel bereft over the loss. I will have to make my peace with it, I may have to treat myself to another Mama Mio Boob Tube to firm up what I have left. The whole situation has left me feeling rather deflated.

Miss BB

Better Butter?

I just had to share this awesome find with you all. I will be doing a full review on my beauty blog but I couldn't wait to tell you how fantastic it is! I've been using this Soap & Glory body butter for a couple of days now and not only does it smell gorgeous it's the thickest body butter I've ever used and it still sinks in really well while leaving enough time for massage. It's the perfect pregnancy skincare product!

It's also a fraction of the cost of the Mama Mio butter I was planning on buying!

Win Win!

I had to share a quick bump picture of course...My nails match my jamas!!!!

 Note: I tried to compare valuefor money in the two products but it was tricky as Mama Mio measure their butter in grams and Soap and Glory use millilitres but here goes.. According to my online research friend, google, 125g is  235.85ml.  

Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter "235ml" - £23.00

Can be bought online here

Soap&Glory The Righteous Butter 300ml - £10.21

Can be bought online here

*EVEN BETTER - can currently be bought on 3 for 2 at Boots*

Both of these products contain the active ingredient Shea Butter and I just refuse to believe the Mama Mio option can be any better than Soap&Glory's offering. At more than twice the price I'm not willing to find out for myself.

Pregnancy Pampering

This week I've been browsing the beauty aisles for pregnancy focused products. I figure I'm already a beauty junkie, why not take advantage of these speciality products while they I can?
One thing I have picked up and may already have mentioned is..
 Mama Mio Boob Tube 50ml £19.50
This is one of those products that you just don't believe can possibly be as good as everyone says. I thought it was over hyped and more expensive than I'd like but hey.. I'm a very vain person and how can you put a price on a firm, stretch mark free bust post pregnancy number two? I came off pretty badly the first time, I didn't pay attention to that area and the stretch marks found me close to the end... Not this time!!! I apply this stuff nightly and after 2 or 3 days I could see a huge improvement in skin tone and texture. Whether it will actually help prevent sagging or what have you I guess we'll never know for sure but I'm extremely hopeful and even if it doesn't I would still recommend this as a firming moisturiser - baby or no baby!
I have of course wanted to focus on my tummy too but I've been a little cavalier here as I am proud to brag I haven't one stretch mark anywhere on my middle (yet) I would love to tell you it was a miracle cream but I think it' more likely that I've never been very toned and although I wasn't heavy I was never super skinny and could pretty much always push my tummy out and feign pregnancy. I did, however, take a lot of care to moisturise my tummy so you never know.. maybe that did make a difference after all! What I used was..

Body Shop Coco Butter 200ml £12.50
This stuff was like crack to me back then. I can't tell you how many tubs of this stuff I went through. I slathered it on with wild abandon.. Unfortunately my tummy was my only focus area and by the time ugly purple lines appeared on my bum, boobs and thighs it was too late to recover. This time around I have taken to using the much more cost effective Palmers Cocoa Butter which takes forever to use up, melts into your warm skin and keeps me feeling moisturised for 24 hours... FOR REAL! Best of all the Palmers version is just £3.22 for 100g of concentrated formula. I think when it comes to pregnancy body care if it feels like it's working that's all you can ask for because nobody really ever knows do they? Cocoa butter is the ultimate moisturising treat for sure.
Since Ella was born I've tried the hugely popular Bio Oil to improve the look of the stretch marks but honestly I don't think it does a thing. I think once you've got them they're yours.. you have to learn to love them because you're going to have to live with them for a really long time! that being said I'm sure that theory wont stop me shelling out the big bucks for some miracle creams if I fall victim again.
I've looked into relaxing bathtime treats and the one that's appealing to me right now is..

Sanctuary Mum To Be Soft Skin Bath Soak 400g £9.14
This stuff just looks luxurious. It makes me want to go and fill up the tub. It's made with natural ingredients and essential oils and claims to leave you feeling fully pampered and glowing with motherhood. Hmm... Why is it when I hear these tag lines I feel a sudden scepticism rise in me? Either way I used to love bath salts and I like that it is a "soft skin" bath soak.. this suggests it might actually help with the whole moisturising/stretch mark prevention fight and as we know.. every little helps!
Overall I think this whole range looks really interesting. They do their own tummy rubs and oils, all aimed at Mums to be and new Mums that need a little TLC.
I, for one will definitely be picking up a couple of bits from the affordable brand (available in Boots) You are bombarded with pregnancy brands on the market right now and it's so tricky for expectant Mums to chose the good from the bad. For the most part we are talking the prevention of permanent scars on your body.. do you skimp on that? I mean surely the most expensive product is going to be the most effective? I don't think so! I am going to be trialling as many of these products as I can get my hands on (within reason) and sharing my discoveries with you. I am going to shell out for some high end, supposedly "better" lotions and potions as well as bog standard drugstore equivalents and telling you what I think is really worth spending your hard earned cash on and what is just an over hyped, overpriced label.
If you have any great recommendations for me to try or anything you'd like me to review drop me a comment below and I'll try and incorporate it! If you'd just like to share your own product review then leave your link for my readers and I to check out.
You can expect many more posts like this so watch this space.

Boob Tube

I ordered this a while ago and and this week it arrived!
This is the blurb...

Aim North, not South! One of the major body perks of pregnancy are your new and improved boobs. But alas, bountiful as they are, they are not yours forever and it is very important to protect the delicate skin of your bust from the post-baby droop. The skin in your decolleté is similar to the skin around your eyes; thin, fragile and not very elastic. A doubling in cup size can be too much for your skin to cope with without help. You need to nourish and protect this delicate skin on a daily basis. Boob Tube to the rescue! It will keep your skin as strong and elastic as possible and help prevent collagen, the skin's inbuilt support system, degradation so your boobs stay firm and proud for years to come.

What women really love about Boob Tube is that the quality of their skin changes so quickly. Within a week you will notice that the skin on your neck, your chest and your boobs looks firmer, fitter. glowing, more dewy and youthful.

It sounds too good to be true! As they say the boobs you acquire during pregnancy are on loan, not for keeps.. This miracle lotion supposedly prevents the dreaded droop caused by the loss of fullness after the babys born.
They say you see skin improvement in 7 days and I have to say already everything feels smoother and softer. I will of course update you on my thoughts of this product over the coming months. I intend to try a few other things from mama mio too including their tummy rub and stretch mark improver.. If you guys have tried these let me know what you think!

you can buy the mama mio pregnancy care range here...
http://www.mamamio.com/uk/pregnancy-skincare.html