Paid partnership with SMA® Nutrition

Even before having my own children I have been fascinated by the world of babies. How these beautiful tiny bundles, that rely on us as parents for absolutely everything, grow into walking, talking little people in just a space of a few years. Babies grow 25cm in just the first year alone*. Isn't that incredible?

Lilah is my third baby and although I've seen this amazing journey twice before, it is still so special to watch and experience. Born with 300 bones** and 10,000 tastebuds***, a baby’s rate of development is pretty extraordinary, and even at 10 months Lilah had changed SO much already.

The six month milestone felt huge every time for me too. Those hazy newborn days of constant feeding, changing and sleeping are mostly forgotten (unless you have a little sleep thief like my second baby Parker). At six months, a whole new world is opened up to you and baby, with the wonders of weaning, moving and even more growing!

Lilah started moving properly around six months, and I remember watching the won-der in her little face as she was able to reach new areas around the house (or toys she knew she shouldn't have). Now she is crawling incredibly fast, cruising and we're very close to the exciting walking milestone too. I find it amazing that just a few months ago she was simply fascinated by her feet, and now she's up on them moving around.

Despite Lilah being my third baby, it hasn't been the easiest journey. Advice and guidelines are constantly changing, and with every baby’s wants and needs being completely different, making decisions in the early stages of development can be confusing and overwhelming. I've found that things which previously worked when Indiana and Parker were babies, simply haven't worked for Lilah. It's for reasons like this that SMA® Nutrition have their own SMA Careline®, which has been supporting parents like you and me for 20 years.

Run by a dedicated team of expert parents, with first-hand experience in everything related to babies, you can call upon the free SMA Careline® team 24hrs a day, 7 days a week if you have any worries or are in need of advice on anything related to preg-nancy, babies or toddlers. The SMA Careline® is available to absolutely anybody, an-ywhere via Live Chat and Facebook messenger, and can offer tips and advice on any-thing from weaning, to breastfeeding and beyond!

Weaning has always been one of the biggest milestones for me. Despite eating a varied diet (a lot of food) Lilah still drank three bottles of follow-on milk a day - SMA® Nutrition have been leading baby nutrition research for over 100 years, gathering all the nutritional know-how on how little ones grow and develop. As she is now 12 months old, we’re switching her on to SMA® PRO Growing Up Milk, a fortified milk drink for young children from 12 months and contains vitamin D and calcium to sup-port the normal growth and development of bones

 

I have loved watching Lilah grow and change over the last 12 months, and I am even more excited to see what her next milestones are going to be. We still have so many to come, and they will be even more special this time, as not just Jack and I get to ex-perience these, but so do her big brother and sister! I am going to be sharing more about life with three little ones in one of my future posts. As I've mentioned before, every baby is so different, and the experience of watching Lilah grow with two older siblings has been so special.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: SMA® PRO Follow-on Milk is only suitable for babies over 6 months as part of a mixed diet. It should not be used as a substitute for breast milk during the first 6 months. SMA® PRO Growing Up Milk is suitable for young children from 1-3 years, as part of a healthy balanced diet and it is not a breast milk substitute.

What have you found most fascinating about your baby’s development? Comment below! 

References:

* - Johnson CP and Blasco PA. Infant Growth and Development. Pediatrics in Review (1997), vol 18, no.7 , 224-242).

** - Peate I, Gormley-Fleming E., eds (2015). Fundamentals of Children's Anatomy and Physioogy: A Textbook for Nursing and Healthcare Students, page 404. UK, Wiley Blackwell

*** Montague S et al., eds(2005). Physiology for nursing practice. 3rd Edition. Edinburgh. Elsevier.

8 Steps to Planning a Successful Wedding!

Planning your big day can be a very stressful time, so it is not something that most people leave until the very last minute. For the most part, venues, bands and honeymoons often need to be booked as much as a year in advance! This is why most couples spring into action and start planning from the moment the question has been popped. This post is going to share 8 steps that you can follow, to ensure that you have a successful wedding!

Create a Wedding Checklist
When it comes to planning a wedding, most people start by creating a checklist! It is important to jot everything down since there is so much to consider. This list can then be displayed somewhere where you can see it and refer back to it. Why not consider drawing up the checklist on a large whiteboard and displaying it in your home study. It's also likely that little things might be forgotten about at first, so having a list on show will help remind you. Not to mention, the level of satisfaction felt when you finally cross an item off the list!

Set a Budget
Weddings do not come cheap - which is especially true if you are hoping for a fairytale big white wedding that would make even Cinderella herself envious! Unfortunately, it can often seem that as much as you plan, unforeseen costs somehow creep onto the scene. From the wedding photographer to the entertainment for the party, the cost can spiral out of control, and while you no doubt want the wedding of your dreams, the best thing anyone can do is to have a very specific plan in mind and then see if it is achievable within your budget. When we plan a wedding we often think of a set amount, but it soon goes way over that amount because we think we need so many extras that, in the end, didn’t really factor into the overall enjoyment of the day. It is important to set aside your “true” total budget from the onset so that you have this in mind with every purchasing decision.

Buy a Wedding Planner
Although having a large checklist on display is handy, you can't exactly take it out and about with you to appointments and venue visits. A large wedding binder with separated sections for each aspect of the big day is therefore a great way to keep everything in one place - and you can take it with you wherever you go! Everything from fabric samples, to venue polaroids, to contact details can be kept in this handy little bible.

Book your Venue Early
The best venues often become booked out as much as more than one year in advance. As such, the first thing that ought to be on your radar as soon as you know that you are getting married is the venue. Discuss and brainstorm with your partner the type of theme you would like your wedding to have, and then from there you should try and organise viewings at the locations as early as possible. It's definitely best to have a date for your wedding in mind before viewings too, so that once you've found 'the one', you can book straight away!

Send Wedding Invites with Plenty of Notice
Don’t get so consumed in planning your wedding that you forget about the invitations. After you have crafted beautiful wedding invitations, get them sent out at least between 6-12 months in advance. This is particularly important if you are getting married over the summer or during the festive season, when people are likely to travel elsewhere. You can even send 'save the dates' as soon as you've secured a venue, before the official invites.

Don't do Everything by Yourself
Although you will surely want every minute detail of your wedding to be perfect, you don’t have to do it all alone. Your friends and family will no doubt be more than happy to lend a hand in the preparations - and don't forget to involve you husband-to-be either!

And of course if you do get your wedding party involved, it's always best to thank them on the big day with a special gift. Buying personalised gifts for groomsmen and bridesmaids is a nice way to show your appreciation. Not only do these people have great honour and responsibility during the big day itself, they are also likely the ones who are there lending a shoulder to cry on throughout the stress and preparations!

Take Everything One Step at a Time
With so much to consider, it is easy to get overwhelmed when planning your wedding. Don’t get yourself worked up thinking about the never-ending list of things that you need to plan, book and organise. Tackle your wedding to-do list one step at a time. Organise the venue, then move on to the guest list and invitations, then the dress - don't stress about the small stuff before the big details are even sorted.

Remember to Relax!
And the most important step of all - RELAX. Your wedding may feel like the biggest thing in your life right now, but try not to let yourself get too consumed by the preparations. Remember to still make time to have date night with your partner and have fun with friends. You may find that planning is actually easier when you take the time to recoup and rejuvenate yourself, rather than dwelling on wedding plans 24 hours a day.

Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, but it is a time that you are only going to experience once. Don’t feel afraid to call on your support network and try to sit back and enjoy everything that comes your way. Good luck!

This is a collaborative post.