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.

My Pregnancy Journal

First and foremost, HUGE thanks to Kelly for sending me this beautiful handmade gift.

Here's her blog, things seem to be being updated right now so go and follow and check back for stuff like this...

 BLOG

she's also on twitter

HERE

anyway... on witha little look at the book..

I opened up the parcel to find this box..

Inside the book was beautifully wrapped adorned with a handmade tag..

And how cute is that? 

On the front page is another sweet little something.. 

And the rest of the book is mine to record my pregnancy.

It's such a gorgeous and thoughtful gift for which I'm very thankful. 

I will no doubt fill it with the same thoughts and ramblings I publish here to be cherished for years to come. 

I've never seen a pregnancy journal before so it was such a cool thing to receive for me. 

Have any of you had a pregnancy journal? I'm interested to hear from you.

Bump Envy

So here I am back at ovulation station and about to launch into ANOTHER two week wait..

to distract myself I have been googling celebrity pregnancies and these are the beautiful bumps I am envying...

Ahhh to be bumped up...

maybe soon, fingers crossed!

sperm tests and the mr & miss average

A healthy male discharges 50 million sperm in a single ejaculation. During sexual intercourse, of all those millions of sperm, only a couple hundred will make it to a mature egg that is ready to be fertilized.

As previously disclosed the average per 1ml should contain around 20 million sperm but we're working with less than 3.. hmm.
When faced with this information where do you go next? The internet!
The internet is everyones favourite research department.. It can generally tell you whatever you need to know in a matter of moments but when it comes to fertility you never quite get a straight answer.
Every site tells you different facts and figures and those that do match up are vague at best. I've come to the conclusion nobody really knows how a sperm goes on to fertilise an egg.. I think if they were honest, even the scientists are baffled. Yes maybe they can do it in a petri dish but nobody give a definitive answet why some sperm can get to the egg and conceive a baby and some can't.
There are lots of theories... "well this can affect and that doesn't help... buy this contraption and you'll be pregnant within a month... or you won't, no promises" nobody really knows do they.
Doctors tell men and women all over the world they have little to no chance of having children and they go on to have a whole brood.
So when you're told you have fertility issues what are actually supposed to do? How are you supposed to feel?
It's been a couple of weeks since our appointment with the consultant now and I've tried to put babies out of my mind, concentrating on other things but you can't make plans when you're trying to conceive ... I can't plan a holiday in 6 months time... I may not be able to fly let alone wear a bikini... what now?

I haven't reached a conclusion yet but I thought I'd leave you all with some facts and figures of my own
Ones of course I've borrowed from other sources

• One study showed that geographic location influenced average sperm count. Men in New York City had higher sperm counts than men in Los Angeles. (Whether a man's sperm count will increase should he move from L.A. to the Big Apple is not clear, however.)

• Humans are among the least fertile of any species on earth. Pregnancy is a result of a complex combination of factors and events. When trying to have a baby, the chances of conception in any month of unprotected intercourse are just 20%

• Studies show that about 40% of infertility cases are caused by female factors, 40% by male factors and 20% by a combination of both

• Sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for up to three days after intercourse, so having sex every day, or even on ovulation day, is not necessary. What is critical is knowing when you are fertile. According to data from the AIA, 20 percent of couples seeking infertility treatment are not timing intercourse correctly.

xoxo

MissBB

My Pregnancy Plan

This blog will be reserved for the day of my elusive BIG FAT POSITIVE!!!

I am so very sure this day will come that I am preparing this blog in readiness...

watch this space

miss bb

***in the meantime watch me on youtube***

www.youtube.com/user/MissBudgetBeauty