If you are getting married soon then you will understand what a big event it can be. You may feel as though there are endless things that you need to plan in order to make your big day go smoothly, and that you are constantly under pressure. This is of course completely normal, but there are a couple of things that you can do to try and help.

Anticipate your Anxiety

Think about the big day - which moments are going to give you the most anxiety? Make a list of all of the things that you are worrying about most, and try and quickly tick a few off. For example, if you are nervous at the thought of having a first dance, then you don’t need to have one at all! You don’t even need to have a speech either. Of course both are traditional, but if it is going to add more stress to your day then it’s just not worth it. 

Make Decisions

When it comes to your wedding, it’s so important that you are decisive. You need to compare options and you also need to make those all-important decisions too. Make sure you are making decisions based on what you want, and not to please others too. At the end of the day, it's your wedding not theirs!

Don’t Compare

It doesn’t matter whether your wedding is smaller than your friends, or whether Susan on the school un had a nicer dress. What matters is that you are happy with the decisions that you have made and that your wedding reflects your personality.

Choose the Rings Early-On

If you don’t choose your wedding rings early on, then you may run into various issues further down the line. You may find that the ring that you want is not available when you go to order it, or even that you have to wait for your correct size to arrive. Having the rings ready early on will tick another point off your wedding planning list.

Have a Contingency Plan

One of the main reasons why people get stressed about their wedding is because of the money it costs. You need to remember that the only thing that you need to have is the wedding certificate. Everything else can be made as elaborate or simple as you want it. It’s very easy to go over budget when it comes to the big day, so make sure you have a back-up plan if you need a little extra cash for something. Or be prepared to not have certain items if you simply cannot afford to spend anymore!

This is a collaborative post.

It's Okay not to be Okay... Postnatal Depression and Anxiety

This is a post I never thought I'd be writing. But I suppose no one really expects they're going to suffer with postnatal depression do they?

But I am.

I have postnatal depression and anxiety.

And I'm not going to be ashamed to talk about it. Because it's actually incredibly common, and there is no way I should feel embarrassed about it!

I was probably a bit nieve though. This was my third pregnancy. Our third baby. A little girl who we had planned for and were oh so excited to meet.

I had an whirlwind labour, but it was still incredibly positive. We were home within a few hours and settled into life with three little ones rather well I think. Well, apart from those pesky 'baby blues' that hit around 3-5 days (they were bloody awful this time around).

But that passed and I thought all was going well. We were in a good routine, and I was coping pretty well with life as a mama of three. Of course there was difficult moments, we did have a newborn after all. But it was nothing we couldn't handle!

But then 6 weeks came.

And the big black cloud appeared. Along with the panic. And dread. And fear.

I broke, and it was terrifying.

I am so thankful to have an incredibly supportive husband and family though. I was also lucky to recognise that things were not right quite quickly too. Talking to my doctor, and starting on antidepressants, and looking for support in other ways as soon as I could.

It's almost been a month since the cloud arrived, and I can't say it's completely passed yet. I know that this is going to be a long and incredibly hard journey. But I also know that I can get through this. And I will feel like my true self one day soon.

I wanted to share my experience to let other sufferers know that they're not alone. PND really can affect anyone, whether this is their first, third or fifth baby. It shouldn't be a taboo subject or hidden secret. It's nothing I've done wrong... my brain is just a little imbalanced at the moment!

I am so incredibly lucky to have three beautiful children, and the most supportive husband and family. I also cannot thank everyone enough for all the love and support I have received through social media too. It really does mean the world! Thank you xxx