IDEAS FOR YOUR BABY’S MEMORY BOX

As a child and a teenager, I was fascinated with the memory box my mum had put together for me. 

I used to love looking at all the items she had stowed in an old shoebox. 

Over the years it had fallen to bits and was stuck together with yellowing sticky tape, but still meant the world to me, especially when I had children of my own and created memory boxes for them too. 

YOUR BABY’S MEMORY BOX: STORAGE

These days you aren’t limited to using old shoeboxes for your memory box, there are a plethora of gorgeous storage solutions available, to suit every budget.

Like this gorgeous personalised wooden memory box priced at £32.50 from Not on the high street. Or for smaller budgets this pretty collapsible storage box from The Works, for just £7.00. 

There are hundreds of different options, as well as the tried and trusted shoe box method too, of course. 

YOUR BABY’S MEMORY BOX: ESSENTIAL ITEMS

Anything that you feel will be memorable to look back on for years to come, for both you and your child. 

You can make a start on your baby’s memory box, before they even arrive, by adding items like: 

Your positive pregnancy test

 Congratulations cards

Your scan pictures 

 Pregnancy diary, we love this Mummy to-be journal £10.61 from Amazon – a cute, spiral bound notebook where you can record your thoughts and stages of your pregnancy. 

Maternity photographs – whether you take your own or get professional images (learn more here: www.sliceoflifephotography.co.uk/pregnancy-photoshoot/) your child will love to see how you looked when you were pregnant, so be sure to include a couple of keepsake images. 

Photos, cards, notes and list of games played at your Baby Shower, if you have one!

AFTER BIRTH: ESSENTIAL MEMORY BOX ITEMS

Once baby is here there are even more ideas for their memory box: 

Hospital tags, cord clamp and hospital notes

Those first snapshots, taken minutes after they were born

A baby book – this My First Years baby book covers the first three years, with space to record those all important milestone moments, £20.00 from Iamfy.co 

All the cards and a list of visitors and presents bought when you first bring baby home

 Prints or folio boxes from your baby’s newborn session – taken while they are still teeny, tiny and curly – in those gorgeous sleepy poses. Learn more at www.sliceoflifephotography.co.uk/newborn-photography/

All the firsts! first tooth, lock of hair, first shoes, first birthday cards.

 Hand and foot prints or casts – you can find someone local to do these for you, or there are kits available like this one from Everlasting Castings 

MEMORY BOX IDEAS

Memories are so important, so to preserve them in this way is such a lovely thing to do. 

Whether you include all the things on the list, or just a few, your baby’s memory box will become something that you, and they, treasure forever. 

Slice of Life Photography – based in Spalding – specialises in newborn, baby, and maternity photography.

Want to know more about my Newborn Session? Head over to www.sliceoflifephotography/newborn-photography/

Or

how about a Maternity photoshoot to capture your beautiful bump?   www.sliceoflifephotography/pregnancy-photoshoot/

Alternatively drop me a message below.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF YOUR PREGNANCY

After our post https://www.sliceoflifephotography.co.uk/last-weeks-of-pregnancy/ about the last few weeks of pregnancy, we continue our journey through motherhood talking about the last 3 months before baby arrives.

Ready?

THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY

The first thing to expect is that the last three months of pregnancy is… well, a complete paradox. 

Why? 

Because it will both drag and fly by! 

You’ll find yourself wishing away those last 3 months, so you can meet your new baby, while at the same time panicking about how much you still need to do to prepare for your new arrival. 

Now, every pregnancy is different but in general, whatever the size of your bump you can expect certain things to happen: 

TIREDNESS

If you escape without that extreme tiredness where you feel like you could lay your head down anywhere and sleep for a week, then you are very lucky! 

Many mums-to-be have found themselves sleeping and drooling on the none-too impressed shoulder of a travelling companion. 

Make the most of this calm before the storm and rest up as much as you can. 

THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY: ALL ABOUT NESTING

Until you find yourself with a huge random urge to sort out your kitchen cupboards and organise your drawers, you’d be forgiven for thinking that nesting was a pregnancy myth. 

For many women it’s all too true – some have even gone into labour halfway through alphabetising their tinned food! 

So, if you do get the urge in the last 3 months of your pregnancy, try to do all the organising sooner rather than later. 

 BRAXTON HICKS 

These mild contractions of the uterus can occur at any point in your last trimester. 

They can be uncomfortable but aren’t generally painful and aren’t an indication of labour. 

They are perfectly normal! (It’s also perfectly ok to milk it a bit – get your partner to give you some TLC) 

Learn more at: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/signs-of-labour/signs-that-labour-has-begun/

MATERNITY PHOTOS

Yes, I know.

Chances are that the last thing you want right now is to be in front of a camera and have some pictures taken.

Most of us hate having pictures taken at the best of times, nevermind during pregnancy!

That’s all the more reason to get a specialist involved: a maternity photographer not only knows how to make the photoshoot a pleasant, relaxing experience… they will also know all the tricks, angles and lighting techniques to capture the dramatics of your body in a wonderful and creative way.

This will ensure you capture your beautiful bump with photographs you can be proud of… not just quick, unflattering phone snaps!

If you’re considering maternity photos, the last 3 months of pregnancy is the ideal time. Ideally between weeks 28 and 30, so your bump is a good size, but you aren’t too tired to do some gentle posing. 

EMOTIONS RUNNING HIGH

Pregnancy is a MASSIVE thing, not least because you can no longer see your toes! 

Hormones are raging, you’re tired and uncomfortable.

You might feel apprehensive about bringing a brand-new human into the world. 

All this is ok! If you feel a bit tearful, it’s totally fine to let it all out and have a bit of a weep. You won’t be the first (or the last) mum to feel a bit overwhelmed. 

Talk it through with your partner, mum, friends to help reassure yourself.

MATERNITY LEAVE

At some point in the last 3 months of your pregnancy, you will have made the decision to start your maternity leave. 

Depending on how the pregnancy has gone, some women start this towards the latter end. 

It’s a much needed few weeks to get your final preparations for baby ready.

URINATION!

The marvellously unglamorous side of pregnancy will see you needing to pee more frequently (which could be nature’s way of preparing you for getting up in the night).

You might (probably will) also suffer with heartburn, backache and other aches and pains in places you didn’t even know could hurt. 

Now is the time you may also develop stretch marks and varicose veins – the joy! 

So be kind to yourself. 

Try to take things easy as much as possible and remember, everything will be worth it as soon as that tiny baby is put in your arms for the very first time. 

Slice of Life Photography – based in Spalding – specialises in newborn, baby, and maternity photography.

Want to know more about my Newborn Session? Head over to www.sliceoflifephotography/newborn-photography/

Or

how about a Maternity photoshoot to capture your beautiful bump?   www.sliceoflifephotography/pregnancy-photoshoot/

Alternatively drop me a message below.

Maternity Photography Training Day, Lincolnshire

It is no secret that I love to learn and grow my skills within my business and 2021 was no different!  when I said that I had booked a Maternity photography training workshop with the fabulous Natasha Ince most people asked why?  ‘Your bump photoshoots are amazing’ or ‘or your maternity photos are beautiful alrellaldy’ would be the commen response.  However whilst I am greatful for this wonderfully kind workds I believe there is always room for growth and delvelopment,  otherwise your work becomes stagnant and outdated.   Ongoing training ensure that knowledge and skills are up to date and enable professionals to deliver the best possible service and I want to ensure they feel confident in my abilities to deliver an amazing experience. It is for these reasons that I continue to undertake regular training with other photographers.

Hopefully these Before, During and After compairision images will demonstrate that whilst my bump photos were beautiful prior to my training, the knowledge I learnt and subsequent tweeks to my work have indeed taken everything to the next level. 

These 2 images below were taken in a bump photoshoot not to long before I attended my Maternity photography workshop.  

These 2 images were styled by and taken by Natasha during her fabulous maternity photography workshop and I am sure you will agree are on another level to my before images above.

And finally the below images are taken by myself during my first maternity photoshoot after attending the workshop.  I hope you will agree when I say it really has made a difference.   A few small tweeks to my posing instruction and light position has made all the difference. 

I will continue to tweek my practice and develop my photography skills so I can continue to bring you outstanding portraits of you and your family!  

If you want to learn more about my maternity photoshoots then you can do so here –

https://www.sliceoflifephotography.co.uk/pregnancy-photoshoot/

Alternatively drop me a message below.