Category Archives: Pregnancy

Great Apps and Websites for those who are Expecting or are New Parents

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We live in an age where so much is readily accessible to us, but there can be so much information out there that it can often be overwhelming, especially for first time parents. With so many websites, forums and blogs that can sometimes be opinionated and not necessarily filled with the facts. Every person knows where they would prefer to get their information from, some of us like books and others like the world wide web!

Sometimes you can have a baby that is completely different to any before it or any you have known, and you may need additional help or advice. During these times you should always turn to a Midwife, Doctor or Paediatrician if you have concerns of any kind.

There were things I wished I had known more about before I had my son, and that was despite me reading both books and websites for hours at night when I had terribly painful SPD. I found lots of the websites and apps that I have listed below extremely useful at one point or another during the last four years. So I thought a blog post might help other expectant parents to see what information is available to them.

As a parenting blogger I often get asked about my personal opinion of which apps and websites have helped me since I became a mother. So in order to achieve this post I have gone back over four years of my browsing and researching and screenshot history, to bring you an alphabetical list of all the things that I have found the most useful. I have only included websites and apps that I used more than once and found them beneficial long term.

A Aptaclub Pregnancy and Birth
B Bounty App
B Baby Centre Apps and Email Newsletter and Website
B Baby Names App
B Baby and Child (British Red Cross First Aid)

D Duo ABC
E Ella’s Kitchen
E Emma’s Diary
F Free Prints (Photos and FP Cards)

G Get Creative (CBeebies)
G Go Explore (CBeebies)
K Kicks Count Website

N NHS Website
O Online 4 Baby Website

P Pokémon Smile (Teaching Toddler Teeth Brushing)
P PooGoesHomeToPooland (Teaching How To Use The Toilet)

S Storytime (CBeebies)
S Snapfish (Photo Printing)

Y Your Baby Club Website and Social Media

Let me now elaborate on a few of these now and the reasons why I found them so useful. Some of them are of course self explanatory, but others are really handy for tips and tricks. Some offer you freebies and others offer key medical advice or milestone information.

Bounty App
The app gives you information on the progress of your baby whilst in the womb, and then after the birth it gives you key advice on milestones and growth. An app that I found generally fascinating to look at every week as my pregnancy progressed. Now that my son is older he is still on the app as a 48 month old! And the app offers me developmental advice and articles to read. The articles can be read at any time of your pregnancy and usually the app updates what is relevant to you at the time you need it. There are also useful check lists on it too.
I score this app a 5✩.

Baby and Child (British Red Cross First Aid)
First Aid is such an important part of human life, however most people go through their entire pregnancy without knowing how to do life saving procedures on babies or young children such as, choking, allergic reactions and dealing with illness. The Baby and Child App gives advice as well as videos that people can watch at their leisure for a variety of situations. Just some of what they cover include; Asthma, Bleeding, Burns, Choking, Epileptic Seizure, Fever, Head Injury, Meningitis, Vomiting etc.
This app is one that I believe every single person should have on their phone, just in case.
I score this app a 5✩.

Duo ABC
I found this app while researching after my son had to start Speech and Language therapy. Due to the support being so sporadic due to the pandemic I did my own research, started my own lessons with my child at home, and created my own flash cards. But this app came up on a results search, and despite it being American my son found aspects of it to be beneficial. Writing the letters on the phone screen with his finger, sounding out letters and recognising upper and lowercase letters all helped on our journey. I did just 20 minutes with him a day for 3 months, alongside my other teaching and he soon knew his alphabet and could say all but 5 of the letters properly. If anyone is struggling with their child and they seem distanced from paper methods, try this app, just ten minutes a day with you, you may just see a difference as I did.
I score this app 4✩.

Ella’s Kitchen
Once your little one reaches the 6 month milestone and you consider starting to wean them alongside their daily milk amount, you may want some advice. Ella’s Kitchen App provide you with advice, recipes and you can sign up for a free pack with a journey poster, stickers and some vouchers for their snacks. It was fun when my son was little, but when he developed lots of food allergies I made my own recipes up.
I score this app 4✩.

Emma’s Diary
Emma’s Diary is a fun app where you can create all sorts of fun things to keep throughout your pregnancy, it also offers some information and it gives away bags of goodies at certain points of your pregnancy. It’s worth signing up to this as soon as you find out you’re pregnant to take advantage of all the items on offer.
I score this app 4✩.

Free Prints (Photos and FP Cards)
Free Prints have two useful apps, the first one is Photo’s and you get some free prints every month just pay the postage. And the second one is Cards where you get one free card a month like a postcard, just pay postage. Upgrade to proper cards for pennies and they offer lots of other fun affordable products throughout the year. The more you order the more deals you’ll get.
I score these apps 4✩.

Get Creative (CBeebies) and Go Explore (CBeebies)
Apps that I don’t know what I would have done without! When I became a single parent even taking a shower was tricky. Sitting my son on the bathroom floor safely on a bean bag when he was a toddler, my phone playing CBeebies programs and videos off the app were a godsend! Now he is older he is using the various parts of the app to learn all sorts of things like shape sorting, mathematics, role play like shopping and problem solving. The Creative app allows freedom in Art and expression using some of the CBeebies favourite characters, and the Go Explore is more about learning and fun, again with the usual friendly faces. Love these apps! In moderation of course.
I score these apps 5✩.

Kicks Count Website
Kicks Count is something that is really important, and all pregnant women should visit the website and learn about the importance of kick counting and the work this group do. It’s worth following them on social media too.
I score this 5✩.

NHS Website
When you have questions in the small hours of the morning the NHS website can have useful information or point you in the direction of help if you need it.
I score this 5✩.

Online 4 Baby Website
An excellent website for affordable baby items such as changing mats and muslin cloths. Worth a look when they have a sale on for certain!
I score this website 4✩.

Pokémon Smile (Teaching Toddler Teeth Brushing)
Whether you like Pokémon or loathe it, if you have a child that refuses to brush their teeth you will try literally ANYTHING to make that time of the day and night less stressful. For us it was this app that allowed my son to turn a corner! There is an icon of the mouth that follows them while they brush and indicates where to go next so they don’t miss any teeth.
I score this app 5✩.

PooGoesHomeToPooland (Teaching How To Use The Toilet)
Another app that is a little annoying but if it helps your child to understand that poo goes down the toilet and not on the floor then so be it! My son watched it every day for about a month and then got bored of it, but it certainly helped him realise that
I score this app 3✩.

Storytime (CBeebies)
Another CBeebies app and this one is all about books and stories. The app can read to your child or they can try and read themselves. The stories are often interactive as well, lots of fun.
I score this app 5✩.

Snapfish (Photo Printing)
Free photo’s every month just pay the postage, a great way to keep family up to date with how little one changes and you can make an album of their first year for less than £20.
I score this app 4✩.

Your Baby Club Website and Social Media
As a Blogger Writer for Your Baby Club I often provide them with useful articles surrounding parenting. These first hand experiences from parents go alongside their informative articles on the websites and on their social media platforms too.
I score this 5✩.

Thank you for reading this blog post today, I do hope that you have found it useful. Please pass the link to my website on to family or friends who are expecting so that you can share these excellent websites and apps with them. Hopefully they will be just as happy with them as you were today! (I hope).

Keep on visiting Severn Wishes Blog for Parenting related blogging, Product Reviews and general Lifestyle Posts! Thank you! Have a lovely day!

✩ Sabrina ✩

7 Ways You Can Really Help a Pregnant Friend

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Sabrina’s Honest Posts: 7 Ways That You Can Really Help a Pregnant Friend

We all get to that age where we all know of someone who is pregnant. Sometimes several friends will be pregnant together and lean on one another for support. If you’ve been there or been through pregnancy and birth it’s very easy to put our opinions across, and they won’t always be welcome. So try to avoid offending and start by helping with these 7 tips of mine, how you can be a better friend and really help that pregnant pal!

  • 1. Be honest about the birth and what she can expect about the feelings of the experience, it can be overwhelming but positively tell her about the first time you held baby. Certainly don’t rub it in if you had an easy time in labour, just include the facts. Remind your friend about the miracle of life and encourage her to be positive and listen to the health professionals when the time comes.
  • 2. Don’t be honest about everything, steer clear of horror stories so as not to frighten or make her anxious. Don’t go into a negative story either, if you had a traumatic time you can be honest about what went wrong, but perhaps outline to her the reasons why it happened. You could be completely different people, as in medically, plus every baby, mother and birth is different.
  • 3. Give her a maternity bag list to help, there is nothing worse than when baby brain kicks in and you forget something vitally important on the run up to the big event! So help a pregnant friend out by giving her a list of what you took, and even add on anything that you wished you had had when it was you! All hospitals vary so tell her to find out what her local one allows.
  • 4. Tell her to go somewhere or treat herself to something before her baby comes, it may be to have a haircut or to get her nails done. Go together if you can! Or throw her a baby shower or a Mummy-Moon (a day out for just mums-to-be!). Something to distress and give her a day out of her house because soon she’ll be in there a lot.
  • 5. Give her a list of the baby essentials that you found most useful… this is tricky and depends on the person, but I know I was grateful for friends input on what they bought and used versus never needed. For example we bought a baby bath and our son loved it. Other parents don’t bother with them. Each to their own but it’s good to hear people’s opinions.
  • 6. Be a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen to all her concerns, you don’t always need to have an opinion, she may just want to vent, so don’t make it about you and yours, listen and respond only if she asks you. Hormones can spin your head around sometimes.
  • 7. Don’t be condescending about this new chapter of her life. It’s a hard transition even for the best prepared of people. For example, avoid saying clichés like “Oh you think you’re tired now wait until…” and instead give her positives about those first few (albeit) difficult weeks! You can start with the sweet and funny things like “Think of all those cuddles” and “Is it wind or their first smile?” things like that.

Thank you for reading this post today, I hope I have given you some food for thought and you may consider helping one of your pregnant friends out.

✩ Sabrina ✩

My Top 5 Tips For New Parents

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Sabrina’s Honest Lifestyle Post 

My Top 5 Tips for New Parents

There is always a vast array of advice that is hurled around when you’re pregnant or a new parent. Some of it I found wasn’t all that useful because it was either peoples opinion that was exaggerated or it was biased. Every parent and every baby is different, but I hope that you can appreciate my life honest post which is more about practical tips, rather than scare stories. I would never dream of telling someone how to parent, my tips are just my honest advice for what has so far worked for us. I hope that you enjoy my post.


Food and Drink 

You’re going to want to stock up on food and drink and snacks. Leaving the house is going to take a lot more effort from now on so take my advice, do a bulk shop to fill your cupboards, do some bulk cooking of basics for your freezer and make sure you’ve got a variety of snacks in too. You will find those early morning feeds a shock the first few days and tasty sugary things will be your new best friend. I recommend Mini Cakes or Dried Fruit, definitely sugar! Caffeinated drinks will also help, but be careful about your in take if you’re breast feeding.

My Top Tip – We keep a mini cool bag in our bedroom filled with snacks and bottles of water for those late nights and early mornings. It saves you from going downstairs when half asleep!

Muslin Cloths

I had a grand total of 4 Muslin cloths the week that my son was born. By the time he was a month old we had fifteen cloths! And some weeks it’s still not enough (with some being dirty or in the washing machine for example). My main tip is to always keep several at arms length. Then keep one at either of your bedsides, more than one in the area that you all lounge together, one where you change your little one and at least one in their changing bag too! There still won’t be one when you suddenly need it, unless you place a longer one over your shoulder while you’re at home. But on a serious note, these cloths are a godsend, especially when baby is having a sickly day, or is dribbling due to teething. The best ones that we found for absorbency were from Mothercare, the softest were from Tesco.

My Top Tip – Keep track of how many you’ve got so you don’t end up with them all in the wash and also purchase similar colours so they’re easier to wash in bulk!

Teach Your Hands Now!

So you’re Right handed, well you may want to try using your Left more. You will find that once baby comes along you will only have one hand free and sometimes not even very often! So train your hands now before your baby arrives. Make sure you can blow your nose, make a drink and eat – all with the hand you wouldn’t usually use! That will set you up if you can master at least something. After eight weeks I can prepare and eat things, plus fill the washing machine and start that off all one handed.

Support One Another

Before you have children you don’t realise what an overwhelming responsibility it is for most of the time. I kept hoping I would have the time to do things that I wanted, read a book, learn a new game, write a blog post… but the reality is nothing like that. Even if are lucky enough to have a baby who actually sleeps between feeds, there will always be clothes to wash, housework chores to do and getting yourself organised too! (Drink / Hot Meal / Shower and a Change of Clothes).

The thing that your partner who works must understand is that just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you get a break. Some days you will eat and even go to the toilet with your child in your arms, because that’s safer than putting them down and them screaming so loud the neighbours 6 doors down hear them!

Compromise is the key. If your partner needs a break to shower or even go for a ten minute walk to get some fresh air, you need to support them. It’s tough being responsible for a tiny human, they rely on us 24/7 and sometimes we all need a few minutes to ourselves, mostly so we feel like us and not just Mum / Dad.
Another way you can support one another is that one feeds the other winds, and keep swapping. Your baby needs to get used to both of you putting him/her to bed so that both of you can be a comfort.

Finally remember that you’re in this together, if you’re tired take it in turns to take a nap. If one of you is feeling overwhelmed then do something nice together as a family and turn it into a positive experience.

My Top Tip – Take things in turns and ask one another every day if the other is doing okay.

Every Baby Is Different So Trust Your Instincts

So I found that within hours of having my son my instincts were kicking in. I knew things that I didn’t before and I had ideas about how to cope that came through the living experiences with my baby.

Trust that you know what your baby needs, and after a few weeks you’ll know what their cries mean anyway.
Don’t be afraid of asking your own parents for their advice, and remember you don’t always have to take it from anyone especially if you disagree.

You will know your baby after only a short time, trust yourselves.

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Thank you for your on-going support for me and my blog, please leave me a comment if you enjoyed this article. And don’t forget to follow me on Social Media to see what I’m up to on a more daily basis!

✩ Sabrina ✩

What I Put Into My Hospital Bag for Labour, My Experience with Tips and Tips From Friends

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What I Put In My Hospital Bag, My Experience In Hospital and Tips from Me and from Friends

As the due date of my little one was fast approaching I had begun to compile my items for my hospital bag. I had done a lot of research because I didn’t want to be bringing anything unnecessary, and I also didn’t want to forget something either that I could have otherwise over looked being a first time mum.

One thing I knew that I wanted was a nice blanket to wrap our baby in. My husband and I wanted to personally choose a nice outfit to bring baby home in too. And other than the usual necessities of a hospital stay, I was clueless as to what other items I may need for baby.

When you sign up to various baby things you will undoubtedly get a list or two about what you do and don’t need for hospital. Of course every couple is different and you also have to consider the time of year too. The best ones we found were the Bounty one and also one that we had at a Mothercare baby event.

I also talked to friends who had had babies recently to get their take on what they used the most and what they may have wished that they had had with them. Here is what a few of them told me…

Pip Said; “My son was born with lots of hair and I didn’t consider I would need a baby brush or comb! I sent my partner out to buy one so that we could comb all the baby gunk out of his hair!”

Louise Said; “We used two separate bags for convenience. Consider that you might be in labour or in hospital for a while, so headphones, a book or magazine might be a good idea. Don’t forget to have a car seat ready for when you go home as the hospital need to see you with it when you leave with your baby”.

The image above shows all of the items that I got inside the bag that I ordered from “Goodies 4 Mummies Pre Packed Maternity Hospital Bags”. I wanted a new bag specifically for going into hospital, but one large enough to put everything inside. I did not want to carrying multiple things because they wouldn’t fit. I contacted this page via their Facebook messenger section and discussed what I needed. In the end I chose this gorgeous bird design bag. The contents you see were all included, and most of it is excellent quality. You can choose whether you need a specific gender of items or neutral. We already knew we were having a little boy so I chose the blue. This included a Muslin Cloth and a Hat that were blue in colour.

I would rate the bag and the contents a 5/5 for range and quality.
I would rate the service of this business a 5/5 as well, fast delivery too!

The one thing I had read online that my mind hadn’t even considered was a pair of disposable slippers for the ward and (because I was having a summer baby) a portable fan. The slippers were luckily included in the Maternity Bag that I had ordered.

Our son decided to make an entrance into the world on one of the warmest days of the summer so far. It was 30 degrees Celsius in the delivery suite room. It was at that moment I was so happy that I had purchased a portable fan!

This fan was only £11 on Amazon at the time I ordered it. The device can be charged up via a USB cable and then runs on a full charge for approximately 10 hours. With 3 speed settings as well it was rather handy. The fan has a fold-able handle that is situated at the back when not in use. Ideal size for holding and for transporting, and in my opinion not that heavy either. I would review this item as a 5/5 considering the price and convenience of it, it was used throughout my labour during the day and night, my lovely mum was in charge of holding it over me, and a great job she did too. Here is the link below if anyone is interested in purchasing one.

EasyAcc Handheld Electric Fans Mini Portable Outdoor Fan with Rechargeable 2600 mAh Battery Foldable Handle Desktop for Home and Travel – Black

Knowing that we also got an opportunity to have a photograph taken of our baby by the hospital Bounty Photographer, meant that I wanted it to be memorable. They suggest a tiny soft toy, blanket or comforter to be in this photo. My husband and I have decided a comforter with a soft toy attached, and a spare blanket are the right things to take with us. Although you can bring almost anything you can think of.

Here is a final list of exactly what I have put into my hospital bags. I eventually did one for our baby and one for me. Just so that it was easier to find items for either person on the day or days that followed in hospital. It turned out to be a very good idea too!

Here is the final list of exactly what I have put into the bag for our newborn baby.

2 Packets of Baby Wipes – newborn and sensitive skin friendly
Cotton Wool Balls
Nappies – Newborn and Smaller Baby
Baby Grow and Sleepsuits for while in Hospital – Mixed Sizes
Outfit for Coming Home In
Small Cuddly Toy / Comfort Blanket
Baby Blanket
1 Set of Hat / Mittens / Booties / Socks
Baby Changing Mat
Barrier Ointment and Nappy Rash Cream
Baby Hair Brush and Comb
Muslin Cloth
1 Bib

We ended up being in hospital for 4 days first of all after my sons birth. I was very lucky that my husband was able to go home and collect items for me including spare muslin cloths, spare outfits for baby and he also had to go out and buy some tiny baby clothes too after our little one lost some weight.

You are always better to have more than you need than not enough. I would say it’s a good idea to bring several outfits with you because you don’t actually know the size of your baby until they arrive. And the majority of babies lose weight in the first couple of days as well. Be prepared!

Here is the final list of everything that went into my Hospital Bag. This key will identify to you whether or not I used the item or I didn’t.
★ Used
✩ Didn’t Use / Need
After this list I will be briefly outlining what my most used items were and what I definitely couldn’t have been without.

Hospital Notes and Birth Plan ★
Maternity Pads ★
Breast Pads ★
Old Pants/Underwear (Several) ★
A Top To Wear In Labour or just Afterwards ★
Old Vests / T-Shirts ★
Nursing Top / Nursing Bra ★
Nightie (Staying Overnight in Hospital) ★
Hair Bands and Hair Brush ★
Deodorant ★
Toothbrush and Toothpaste ★
Toiletries – Face Cream / Shampoo / Eyedrops etc ★
Lip Balm ★
Glasses Case and Cleaning Cloth ✩
Towel (Old One) ✩
Face Cloth ★
Cloth for Other Areas ★
Bag for Dirty Cloths to go into ★
Money – Spare Change for Drinks / Snacks ★
Mobile Phone Charger ★
Disposable Slippers ★
Hand Sanitiser ★
Spray Bottle for Water ✩
Face Wipes ✩
My Expert Midwife – Spritz for Bits and Nipple Balm ★
Handheld Fan ★
Bottle of Water and Bottle of Isotonic Drink ★
High Energy Snacks ★

Overall there was very little that I didn’t use out of my bag. And what I didn’t was usually down to the hospital providing the items for me, such as towels for showering etc. Sometimes you would of course prefer to use your own which is understandable. Some things such as the Spray Bottle for Water I was recommended by so many lists to take with me, to spray water on to my body while hot in labour, and to spray on sensitive and swollen areas after to cool myself down. However it was forgotten all about during my labour which progressed quite quickly.

There were a few items I couldn’t have done without. The disposable slippers for one, a godsend on a busy ward recovering from birth. Another thing was the lip balm, you won’t believe how dry your lips get in that environment. And also the isotonic drinks I had brought with me were an excellent choice, and I have my midwife to thank for their recommendation.

I will be reviewing the My Expert Midwife items in a separate blog post.

Thank you very much for reading this blog post today. I hope you have found it interesting and I have to say I cannot believe I’ve brought this post to you after baby is born. He was definitely in a hurry to meet everyone. However it’s exciting! Thanks to my friends who contributed their ideas to this post and thanks to everyone for their patience while I adjusted to life as a new mum!

Come back soon to Severn Wishes for Reviews and Lifestyle!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Types of Baby Kicks, Learning About Your Baby and Things to do in the Third Trimester

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Types of Baby Kicks, Learning About Your Baby (Facts) and Things You Should Do In The Third Trimester

I have been writing this blog post for some time now, I keep adding to it whenever I come across a great fact! Hopefully you will find this post interesting ans also beneficial if you or someone you know is pregnant. Feel free to send them to link to my website!


✩ 12 Different Types of Baby Kicks ✩

By the time you reach the middle of trimester two your baby should be making a routine for itself. This is important to take note of because these movements should remain similar right up until the day you give birth.
The Kicks Count Charity is really useful for anyone who wants to know more about how their baby should be moving during their pregnancy.
Remember that taking a five minute time out every couple of hours to sit or lie down and just focus on feeling your baby is a good idea.
Doctors recommend that healthy movements are around 10 an hour for a baby between trimester two and birth. This varies with all mothers and babies and some move more at different times of the day. But monitoring what is normal for you and your baby is extremely important. If you don’t feel any movements for a few hours contact your midwife – don’t leave it until the next day!

Here are some cool facts about the different kinds of baby kicks you should feel.

✩ Flutters – The First Feelings – Similar to Trapped Gas

✩ Tapping or Butterfly Wings – It feels very light but if you focus you can feel it

✩ Kicks – You know when you’ve been kicked & the force only gets stronger

✩ Punches – Punches feel different to Kicks – you will learn the difference trust me

✩ Rolling – Looks like a Ripple across your skin – usually caused by Babies Bum during a turn

✩ Squirming – Baby is running out of Room and Wriggles a lot instead of Kicks

✩ Bubbles – this tickling feeling and popping can be Baby blowing Bubbles of Amniotic Fluid – cheeky!

✩ Hiccups – A rhythmic tapping or popping that goes on for a minute or so…

✩ Spasm like Feelings – Baby makes a Rapid Movement and you will know about it from the force!

✩ Nudges – Usually in Third Trimester – You’re getting Elbowed! Not much room to kick out!

✩ Pressure – The final new feeling will be the pressure of babies head as they descend down ready for birth…

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✩ Third Trimester Feelings ✩

So as the due date for our baby is fast approaching I thought I would share some knowledge with you all that I came across this past month or so, and I found these facts really interesting and wanted to pass them on.
I have been relatively well in my second trimester, and really enjoyed being pregnant at this stage but it’s gone by all too fast. Now that I am well into the third however I am feeling a lot more tired, lack of sleep has a lot to do with that because I’m suffering with my hips (SPD) and it can be very painful at times. Always aim to lay on your left side!
My advice to any of you at this stage is to keep active. I have only finished work (full time on my feet) as of three weeks from my due date week but I have had a lot to do at home. Do a bit and Rest a bit, is my new motto!
Here are some great facts!

✩ Interesting Third Trimester Facts ✩

✩ Doctors class 28 weeks gestation and onwards as the third trimester. At this stage your baby will be as big as a Canteloupe Melon and weigh around 2 pounds!

✩ Make sure (if you don’t already do so) that you always sleep on your left hand side of your body from now, it’s so important for your blood flow and reducing the risks to the baby!

✩ Your partner might be able to hear the babies heartbeat from now on, in a quiet space get them to gently press an ear to your bump (where you think babies body is) and listen closely…

✩ At around 28/29 weeks gestation your baby will be able to smell the same things that you smell!

✩ During this stage of Pregnancy your baby will receive all the essential nutrients that it needs from the food you have eaten, it gets this first at your Digestion, and you just end up with the leftovers baby doesn’t require. Therefore it’s always important to make sure you’re getting the right minerals and vitamins from your food and (if you need it) a Pregnancy supplement.

✩ Some women suffer with Constipation at this point of Pregnancy. Eat High Fibre Cereals as well as wholegrain or wholewheat products. Broccoli and Cauliflower are also very good for you too!

✩ Don’t forget to drink plenty of Water! Pregnant women should aim for between 2 and 3 litres a day, closer to 3 if they can on warmer days.

✩ Did you know that what you eat now can determine what baby may eat at the stage of weaning? By consuming a varied diet which includes a variety of spices, herbs and strong tastes, this can help your baby when they begin eating solid foods later in their life. Baby should recognise Garlic for example, if you ate a lot of it while you were pregnant. Fascinating stuff!

✩ You are now using an extra 900-1000 kilo-joules of energy each and every day just to fuel that baby growing you’re doing! That is why women in the third trimester need around 250 extra calories a day added to their diet. I recommend full fat yoghurt as a snack with some fruit, and an extra bowl of cereal for how I get mine most days.

✩ Did you know that during the third trimester you should be able to feel when your baby has the hiccups? It will feel like a rhythmic tapping or popping feeling and often lasts a couple of minutes at a time.

✩ After around week 34 of pregnancy your baby can put on around half a pound of weight per week.

✩ At around week 35 your “Nesting” instincts might kick in. (For me it was even earlier!) So don’t worry if you feel the need to clean and tidy up a lot!

✩ Only 5% of Babies are born on their actual due date! Bare this in mind when booking time off work!

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✩ Things To Do In The Third Trimester ✩


✩ Make Some Time For Yourself and Partner

✩ Do Something You Won’t Be Able To Do When Baby Arrives – Like Watch That Movie

✩ Read To Your Baby (See my other Pregnancy blog posts about this)

✩ In the final weeks of pregnancy you might want to consider some batch or bulk cooking, or at least filling up your cupboards.

✩ Stay Active! Short steady walks or Swims are really beneficial.

✩ Drink more Water! And eat more Vegetables!

✩ Consider looking into your Birth Plan, Pain Relief Options, Nursery Ideas and Baby Names! (if you haven’t already!)

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I hope you have enjoyed reading this lifestyle and pregnancy post today. There will be many more coming up and different ones once my baby arrives too! Thanks for reading Severn Wishes today.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Heavily Pregnant At A Summer Wedding, Reviewing My Outfit Choices And How I Coped

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Being Heavily Pregnant At A Summer Wedding,
Reviewing My Outfit Choices And How I Coped During The Day

I very recently attended a family wedding, which was really lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the evening. However being heavily pregnant there were some precautions that I needed to take for my safety, and also some decisions I had to make that some people might not have considered for themselves.

I wanted to write this blog post for two reasons, one is to review the items that I bought for my outfit and why I chose them. And reason two is because I hadn’t thought about some things until I was being a sensible adult and realised that quite a lot could be over looked. So I am sharing my experiences with you all today in this honest post.

Firstly I want to talk about my outfit. I’ve been quite lucky in regards my pregnancy, I haven’t put on a great deal of weight and I am mostly bump! However this proved tricky for me when I was shopping for maternity wear dresses…

Most places have taken into consideration people who may have gained weight all over, especially on certain areas like the bottom and boobs! However this isn’t me, and I tried on several beautiful items that sadly just made me feel like a sack of spuds! They gave me no shape or were too baggy in most areas…

So… then I decided to do a BooHoo order of two of their Maternity dresses, and there was one dress that fitted me well and I finally got some of my confidence back. Any pregnant woman will tell you, your confidence goes down after the second trimester, because everything makes you feel like your bump is massive (even if it isn’t) and I just wanted to flaunt my great figure and my bump too! But I just had to find something that made me feel like that.

Out of the two dresses I had from BooHoo the first fitted perfectly when I had my shoulders back and I stood tall, it was however a little low cut with a v-neck style. I knew how I wanted to fix this and decided to take myself off to New Look.

New Look always have what I want, I very rarely go into the store and come out empty handed. What I wanted to buy was either a crop top, vest or cami top that was pretty and high neck, and something that suited the dress too! My plan was to wear the top underneath and it look like it was just part of the dress. I wasn’t disappointed when I found the perfect top, and not only was it a great price, but I also got into my pre-pregnancy size because (as I mentioned) I haven’t put much weight on on my chest at all…

Finally I needed a pair of shoes to go with the dress and a cardigan if it were to be a cooler day. It was a good job that I bought a nice cardigan in the end because it turned out to be a rather windy day! And as for the shoes… well I got these gorgeous pregnancy friendly flat ballet shoes half price! What a successful shopping trip.

My ensemble of these items ended up looking like this… and I was very happy and comfortable (which was my main aim!) with what I chose. This is the practice dress up, I had leggings on in this image but swapped for tights on the actual wedding day. I also decided to add a white rose accessory clip in order to hold the dress snugly to the top underneath it.

✩ Clothing Reviews ✩


Name: White Maternity Polka Dot Wrap Smock Dress
Details: Available in White, Black or Terracotta. This dress sports half sleeves and an all over Polka Dot style. Total length is 92cm (36.5″). Available in Sizes 8 to 16.
Materials: 95% Viscose and 5% Elastane.
Purchased: Online at BooHoo
Price: £15.00
Link BooHoo Website

Material Quality 5✩
Overall Design 5✩
Overall Fit 4✩
Value for Money 5✩

I really liked the overall style of this dress and I would most definitely wear it again. The material might be a little thin but it’s just what you need for summer. It’s soft and comfortable to wear and the skirt section flows just enough to make you feel feminine – even with a baby bump!

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Name: Pink Sheer Lace Bow Ballet Pumps
Details: These type of shoes are available in many Colours and Styles but the Pink has Low Stock online – check your local stores. Available in Sizes 3 to 8. Sheer Design with Bow on the front. Black still available online.
Purchased: In Store at New Look
Price: £5.00 – £8.00
Link New Look Website

Material Quality 5✩
Overall Design 5✩
Overall Fit 5✩
Value for Money 5✩

I really like the pretty lace on these shoes, they aren’t just attractive though they are so comfortable to wear too. The price was excellent and I would happily wear them throughout the summer with any outfit they would go with. I already own many different colours and styles of this exact fitting shoe, I always go back to New Look when I need new versions, usually this is to match one to an outfit that I don’t already have a pair for.

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Name: Pink Jersey Longline Cardigan
Details: Available in many Colours and Styles (online currently in Pink or Pale Blue). Available in store in Sizes 6 to 18. These cardigans are soft and have two nice large pockets one on either side. They are long sleeved and lightweight, ideal for Summer.
Materials: 96% Viscose and 4% Elastane.
Purchased: In Store at New Look
Price: £12.99
Link New Look Website

Material Quality 5✩
Overall Design 5✩
Overall Fit 5✩
Value for Money 5✩

These cardigans from New Look wash and wear really well. Would you believe me if I said I owned fourteen of these now? I have collected this style for over the past ten years, and whenever New Look release a new colour I usually buy it! I wanted this lovely light pink to go with my outfit and I am always pleased with this type of cardigan.

 

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Name: Black Crochet Neck Ribbed Cami Top
Details: Available in the Colours or Black, White, Olive and Pink. Available in Sizes 8 to 18. A pretty top that is ideal for Summer, Crochet is in this year. Wear alone on a hot day or pair with other clothing to add a textured touch (like I did with my dress).
Materials: 95% Cotton and 5% Elastane.
Purchased: In Store at New Look
Price: £8.99
Link New Look Website

Material Quality 5✩
Overall Design 5✩
Overall Fit 5✩
Value for Money 5✩

I was impressed with this cami top. Due to my baby bump I wouldn’t be able to wear it on it’s own this summer. However underneath other clothing to fill in gaps like I have done with my dress for this particular outfit, it works perfectly. It fitted really well and was comfortable too. Being mostly cotton I expected it to be of a good quality and it certainly was, it washed well too.

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How I Coped During The Long Day

My main tips for coping during long days out are to carry a water bottle with you. In the summer it’s even more important to stay hydrated. Make sure that you take regular seated breaks to avoid any unnecessary swelling of your feet and ankles, especially if it’s a warm day. Make sure those who are attending with you know how to help you if you need it.

It’s a good idea to bring your hospital bag and notes with you in your vehicle if you’re going to be a long way from home for more than a few hours. At my stage of pregnancy I could easily have gone into labour, better to be prepared. Also look up your nearest hospital or maternity unit just in case!

I made sure that my outfit was lightweight overall and that I was comfortable from my head to my toes. Nothing was too restricting or tight. Another top tip of mine is make sure you do a test run of the outfit before the day, that way you can see if there are any issues with it that you may want to fix.


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I hope you have enjoyed reading this post today. Have a great day!

✩ Sabrina ✩

 

Baby Books and Why Reading To Baby While They Are Still In The Womb Is So Important

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Baby Books We Have Purchased and Why Reading To Baby While They Are Still In The Womb Is So Important

 

A lot of parents “to be” will speak and even sing to their babies while they are still confined to the mothers womb. This isn’t an uncommon practice, but what is becoming more and more popular is to read aloud to them. From around 24 weeks your baby will be able to hear your voice and start to distinguish it from others. If you regularly talk to your baby they may even move in response to your voice pattern. Being repetitive with your words each day can help with this too. Books that have a rhythm to them are supposed to be the most effective, and you can also introduce multiple languages in a basic form if you feel brave enough.

A baby can develop cognitive responses to what happens while they are inside the womb. For example if the mother relaxes to the same piece of music regularly, the baby is often soothed by the same thing when they hear it outside of the womb. This is because they recognise how their mother felt at that time. By taking the time to use speech and music in the run up to our children being born, we could be aiding them with learning. Scientists believe that talking to a baby in the womb and interacting with both feelings and sound, could be beneficial. It is also a great bonding exercise for the parents.

Scientists believe that babies not only become used to the regular voices, sounds and music that they hear, such as Mom and Dad, but they may also begin to pick up words and tones that are used often as well. Other things they can pick up on as they grow are whether or not they are getting repetitive environments. Some move around when they hear and feel the rumble of a car engine for example. Or if someone turns on a loud noise like a hoover or a coffee grinder in close proximity to bump, they can squirm like they want to move away from the loud noise. It is all a learning process.

When I first read about this on the Bounty Pregnancy App I found it all fascinating. I immediately went online to see if I could get any of the baby books that I remember being read to me in my younger years. If any of them were still available now I wanted to read them to my child. Luckily about one third of my chosen few were still in print, and so I set about ordering some. My plan is to read to my baby as a method of soothing them once they are born, and after reading this study I thought why not begin while baby is still inside me.

I ordered the following items from The Works, because they have some great deals on books, especially children’s ones. I managed to get 10 books for £10 on a weekend deal. Some were usually more than £3.00 each so it was a bargain! And they were delivered quickly which was a bonus.

I will put the website link at the end of my blog post for those of you who want to take a look at the current range.


Some of the books from my childhood in the 1980’s were favorable for me getting for my child. A lot of them taught about morals and about family, and making learning and understanding fun! I have also invested in newer titles that have been a hit with many of my friends who are already parents, such as “Mog the Cat” and books about Animals. We are big on both nature and Cats in my house, so anything along these lines would go down well. I think it’s really important that children learn about Animals and how to treat them right, in my opinion the younger that they recognise them the better.

A few of the titles that I have bought so far for our baby are these;

Mog and Bunny
Say Goodnight to the Sleepy Animals
Say Hello to the Animals
Say Hello to the Jungle Animals
Little Bear Won’t Sleep
The Large Family – Five Minutes Peace
The Large Family – All In One Piece
Counting 123
Five Little Dinosaurs

For both storyline and art work I would highly rate “Mog and Bunny”, the range of “Goodnight and Hello to the Animals” Books and also one of my childhood favourites “Five Minutes Peace”. I do plan on getting more books once we have exhausted this pile and are in need of something new to stimulate both our brains and baby too! I believe in reading, turning pages and showing pictures to children. I won’t be one of these tablet only mothers put it that way! Books all the way!

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So as my due date gets ever closer, I am talking to baby more and more. I am also encouraging my husband to read to baby as a way of them bonding. Hopefully our baby will know both of our voices when we meet, and this will allow us all to be more calm. I also look forward to reading to our baby and watching their reactions…

Do you enjoy reading books? Is there a title that you read or have read to your children that you can recommend? If so, please leave me a comment.

Don’t forget you can follow me on social media for more baby and bump updates! Such as Fashion choices and days out!

Have a great day and thank you for visiting Severn Wishes Blog!

✩ Sabrina ✩

The Works Website HERE

Our Baby Items Wish List and Changes We Are Making At Home

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Baby Items Wish List and Changes We Are Making At Home

When you get to the shopping stage of having a baby it can be quite overwhelming. I have read so many reviews I am not sure what to go for in some aspects. However there are some items that I most definitely want to buy, products that I feel will help my husband and I overall when our baby does arrive.

This blog post is quite a short one, I’m outlining a few things that are still on our wish list to buy and why we would like to get them…

Wish List for our Baby

Considering I’m such an organised person there are still a few things that we don’t have for baby as yet. The reason being is that we were researching and comparing brands in some product cases, and some things we just couldn’t make up our mind on.

You often get told to buy things that are actually quite unnecessary, however there are also things that both fellow parents and bloggers have recommended to me. I’ve then done my own research and also attended demonstrations at baby shows in order to help make my decisions.

My plan is to review each of the main items that we do purchase, I can only do that once baby is here though and we are actually using them. So today, I want to outline my current wish list and the items I’ve considered getting. Some things that we have in fact bought, will be reviewed in time.

In the next few paragraphs I’m going to be explaining why I want these particular products for baby and the reasons that others have given me for buying the item which has sparked my interest in the first place.

Belo Teething Mitt £12.99

Website Here

I have been introduced to Belo Teething Mitts recently via Facebook when a friend shared their recent competition. I liked the style of them, although they aren’t as popular as some brands they seemed quite affordable and peoples reviews reflected a good quality.

Once baby is born I would consider ordering a pair of these mittens especially if our baby begins to chew their hand or digits for example.

These Belo Mittens are available for babies aged 3-12 months. They are BPA Free and Safety Tested, they can also be washed in the washing machine.

Here is an image of their mittens, they are only available in blue or pink at the moment.


Bean Bag Planet £39.99

Website Here

One thing I have been looking at for months has been the baby bean bags available on the market. My husband and I bought a Poddle Pod already from a baby show. But I like the look of the bean bag because baby will grow with it.

Here are the main reasons why I would love to buy our baby one of these. The product has two covers, one for newborns with a harness and the other one is suitable from toddler to ten years old. The bean bag base is waterproof and wipe clean. Not only is the inner product fire retardant but the bean bag also features a removable and adjustable filling.

Here are some photographic examples of the sorts of styles that Bean Bag Planet currently do. It also costs an additional £3.99 to have the bean bag filled.

 

 

Gummee Glove Teething Mitten £10.99

Website Here

Another Mitten that I have seen and like the look of is the Gummee Glove. This baby mitten has teething sections attached and they make several sizes for different babies stages. I would love to invest in the first one which is for 3-6 months, and if baby gets on with it I can get the next size up.

The reason I like the look of this teething mitten is because they are made with 100% cotton. It is BPA, Latex and Phthalate Free, Safety Tested and Machine Washable. Gummee Glove currently comes in three colours, Yellow, Turquoise or Pink.
Here are some images of the Gloves currently available and I have included a link to the website too for anyone who wants to see it.

 


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Changes We Are Making at Home in Preparation For Baby

 

It’s taken a while but we’ve finally began to order things for our baby. We’ve decided to make some changes at home, getting rid of things to make room for new items such as furniture. We have removed a wardrobe so that we can have a baby changing table with storage shelving that will be ideal for us to store nappies and things in.

Something else that we have done is rearranged our bedroom so that when baby is here the Moses basket won’t be against any external walls. It’s important to read up about the safety aspects of your home, and make sure you have taken any precautions or rearranged furniture so the room is well ventilated for example.

Other preparations that we still have to make are more tidying and putting away of items that may create allergen risks. It also means I will have less to do when baby is here, such as making hoovering easier and dusting time less – neither of which are bad things!

We hope that in these final few weeks we will still have the time to complete the rooms exactly how we want them, before baby makes its appearance. I will be reviewing items we have been particularly impressed with individually on the blog, as and when I have time to. So stay tuned to Severn Wishes in the coming months if you’re interested in any of that!

Thanks for reading everyone! Do you own any of these products? Please let me know what they’re like in the comments section if you do!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Argos Hygena Evie Fabric Chair In A Box Review

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Maternity and Pregnancy Week

Argos Hygena Evie Fabric Chair In A Box Review

Today I am reviewing the Hygena Evie Fabric Chair. We purchased this in Charcoal Grey because we plan on using it for when I am nursing our baby, and Grey is one of the colours we have chosen for our nursery.

When I read about the “Chair in a Box” I was astounded by how many good reviews it had on the Argos website. I wanted something that was sturdy and comfortable that wouldn’t cost the earth, and there were so many positives from customers on the site. Eventually we decided we liked the darker colour available and decided to see what other websites were offering chairs of a similar design and shade.

We shopped around for a couple of evenings and nothing seemed to compare to this one for both the quality and the price. What swayed us in the end was the Argos Furniture Weekend in April, where the chair was reduced in price. We took advantage of this deal and after having reserved one, we picked it up from our local store. It did fit in the back of the car with a squeeze through the door, it was a heavy and awkward square box you see.

Prices

We Paid For The Chair On A Furniture Deal Weekend of £103.99
The Usual Price is £129.99


Chair Details

Colour: Charcoal Grey. (Other Colours Available).
Dimensions: Height 79cm Width 74cm and Depth 76cm.
Materials: Wooden Feet, Foam Filling and Polyester Fabric.
Additional Information: Seat Depth 52cm and Weight of Assembled Chair is 20kg. Width between the Chair Arms is 44cm. Height of Arm Rest is 43cm.
Link to Argos Website


My Honest Opinion

Overall I am impressed with the look and feel of this chair. It is firm to sit on and has a good ratio between its back and the arm height. The colour is suitable for most rooms, we are displaying it in the bedroom, ready for me to use to get dressed during late pregnancy and then for nursing my baby at night time.

My Photographs

Here are some images of the chair fully assembled and in place in the room, and a few of the closer details such as the buttons and the fabric.


Thank you for reading this blog post today, and I hope you have enjoyed this review!

✩ Sabrina ✩

Winter to Spring Wardrobe Transitions and Dorothy Perkins Maternity Top Reviews

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REVIEW WEEK ON SEVERN WISHES

Winter to Spring and Spring to Summer Wardrobe Transitions
and
Dorothy Perkins Maternity Top Reviews

It’s that time of the year when we should be saying goodbye to the cold and damp weather of Winter, and are looking forward to the warm and the dry of Spring into Summer. In this post today I am talking about making those Winter to Spring fashion transitions for 2018. What I am wearing and some latest purchases too.

So what can we expect for the transition this year. There are many things that are still in this season, one of which is Lace, another Embroidery and the other one is Stripes. Nautical and Striped themed clothing is well and truly in still this year, with several brands mixing the stripes with a variety of other fashion trends such as Bardot and Cold Shoulder. I have noticed a great deal of striped trousers, both work wear and casual that look very sophisticated and can be paired with shirts, blouses or a nice top. It’s good to mix your trends, but shapes are often hard to match, a plain bright top can really work with some striped trousers and high heels.

Another style making a comeback is Polka Dots! These spots can range in the tiny to the huge with lots of companies choosing to put them on everything from tops to dresses and I have even seen trousers!

Something else I have seen these past few weeks was Bold Colours. Bold Reds and Blues seem to be all over the markets and the LBD (Little Black Dress) seems to have been reinvented by some, making it more of a statement piece that is no longer just a black dress anymore. It often now has lace, embroidery, varying hem lengths or even unusual material combinations!

Saying all that though Pastels are also in for Summer, so be prepared to see a lot of Pink, Yellow and Turquoise shades in the high street.

Finally, and a style that I love all year around is Floral! Floral’s are still in, and contrary to what most people think they are not just for Spring and Summer! I have seen work wear, dresses and tops in the “new in” sections on various websites. There are so many trends that have major floral inspirations for 2018.

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My Latest Dorothy Perkins Spring Purchases

Maternity T-Shirts and Tops

I wanted some new maternity tops for the Spring to Summer transition of my pregnancy. It’s always nice to have a couple of things that are new, but I also wanted items that I could still wear after my baby is born as well.

Because I am due in July I will still have many weeks of the Summer left to hopefully enjoy my new purchases.

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Appearance 5/5
Quality 3/5
Value for Money 3/5


Review
I really love the look of this top but after two wears and washes the material began to bobble and look quite old. It is a real shame because it fits my bump perfectly. I just wear it around the home now and not out as I had originally done so.


Style: Maternity T-Shirt
Trend: Floral
Name: Maternity Navy Floral Ruched Side T-Shirt
Materials: Polyester 95% and Elastane 5%
Colours: Navy Blue and Pink Floral Details
Price: £12.80
Link: Here

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Appearance 5/5
Quality 4/5
Value for Money 4/5

 

Review
I really like the colours of this top, it was flattering for my shape including my shoulders and my bump because of the curved neckline. It washed well and I feel I will get a lot of use out of it. It’s easy to pair with both my maternity leggings or maternity jeans.

Style: Maternity T-Shirt
Trend: Striped
Name: Maternity Multicoloured Striped Curve Hem T-Shirt
Materials: Viscose 71%, Polyester 26% and Elastane 3%
Colours: Khaki Green, Pink, Grey and White
Price: £10.00
Link: Here


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Appearance 5/5
Quality 5/5
Value for Money 4/5


Review
I really like this top, it was flattering for my bump and it looked nicer than just another striped tee because of the pretty floral details on the sleeves. So far it has washed and worn well but it’s only been worn twice.

Style: Maternity T-Shirt
Trends: Floral, Lace, Striped and Embroidered
Name: Maternity Grey Striped Lace Insert T-Shirt
Materials: Polyester 66% and Viscose 34%
Colours: White and Grey Striped
Price: £12.80
Link: Here


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Appearance 4/5
Quality 4/5
Value for Money 3/5


Review
This top was a little bigger than the others I had chosen, it was therefore less flattering, but on a warm day I would feel more comfortable wearing this one rather than a fully fitted tee. The bows are a nice addition to the back of the top.

Style: Maternity T-Shirt
Trends: Nautical Stripes and Bows
Name: Maternity Blue Striped Bow Back Top
Materials: Polyester 96% and Elastane 4%
Colours: Blue and White Striped
Current Price: £16.00
Link: Here 

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To visit the Dorothy Perkins website to see all of the current Maternity Tops available please click this link here

Thank you for reading this fashion and maternity related post today.

✩ Sabrina ✩