Gender reveal – yes or no?

Lincolnshire mums share their gender reveal experiences

Pregnancy is such a magical time full ot joy, excitement and wonder? What will my baby look like? l how much will my baby weigh? Will I have a boy or a girl? All questions that went through my mind a hundred times.

I asked members of my facebook community if they found out the gender of their babies and the reasons why and how they did a gender reveal. Here is what I learnt.

Most people who choose to not have a gender reveal did so because they wanted a surprise.  It seems most people choose to find out if they are team pink or blue so even the midwife’s get excited if the parents don’t know babies gender. Doing the gender reveal is an exciting part of the birth for the medical team.

Parents that chose to find out the gender of their babies, did so for a few different reasons. Some parents choose to have a gender reveal simple because they were excited and impatient.  Some families wanted to know so they could plan names or buy gender specific clothes. But my favourite reason for having a gender reveal was for helping big brother/sister to bond with their new sibling.

Over recent years there has been a rise in having a gender reveal party to announce the gender of baby. This can be done as an announcement to friends & family or as a way of revealing to mum and dad and older siblings too.

During  my discussions on facebook it came to light that medical professionals within the nhs may refuse to write the gender down or tell anyone other than mum the information so if a gender reveal party is your plan then you may need to book a private gender scan.

I have seen lots of fun ways to carry out the big gender reveal from coloured cakes to piñatas to smoke bombs. All giving a great colour explosion and a fab element of fun to the occasion.

Have you had a gender reveal party. I would love to hear your stories so please leave a comment below or drop me a message.

Marie x

Top tips for new Mums

Lincolnshire Mums offer their top tips for new Mums

Becoming a Mum for the first time is the scariest yet most amazing experience ever.  I asked some of my clients what tips and advice they would give to ladies embarking on motherhood. Here is what they said:

1) Accept that the concepts of time, day/night and routine don’t exist for a while and that’s OK.

2) The internet is EVIL and you should never research anything, especially during a 2am feed!! I love this tip.  It is all too easy to go into a whirlwind of panic when you google your baby’s symptoms online.  The best advice I can give is if your concerned pick up the phone to your Dr or out of hours service and speak to a professional.  No worry is too small to get checked out.

3) Trust yourself and only take on board the advice you feel comfortable with. You know your baby, or at least you will once things calm down a bit.

4) Breastfeeding is hard, ask for help! Even if it’s 2am don’t worry that it’s you think its a stupid question and you should know how to do it!  It’s hard and doesn’t come naturally.

5) It’s ok to not get out the house for 3 months. It’s ok to not get out of the house before 11am EVER!! Just stay home for a few weeks and enjoy your little bundle.  Do not feel bad about doing nothing but care for and nurture them.  The time is so precious and they start growing immediately there is no pause button.

6) Don’t compare your child to others. Everyone will do it in their own time.

7) Go with the flow, Babies don’t come with an instruction manual and what works for one baby won’t work for others.  Every baby that comes through my photography studio doors responds to different calming techniques and each one likes some poses and not others. Work out what works with your baby and don’t worry about what works for someone elses.

8) Accept all offers of help. You’re not super woman and being a mum can be tough and draining. You’ll be a better parent for taking help and having some time for yourself.

9) Sleep when baby sleeps! It doesn’t matter that there are dishes in the sink and you haven’t had time for a shower.  You need to snatch every opportunity to rest, especially in the early days.

10) Remember that no one is perfect and everyone has their own way of doing things.

And last, but not least from a Mum of 2 (who are fast approaching their teenage years). Enjoy every minute! Make wonderful memories together and capture the moments with pictures and video.  They grow up way to quickly and before you know it they won’t want that late night cuddle or want you to walk them to school, they’ll be too busy face timing their friends or planning sleepovers.  Make time to relax and enjoy the little things.

Have you got some top tips that you would like to share with new mums, why not add them to the comments section for my readers to benefit from.

Marie x