50 Things I've Learnt During The First Year

 Some  observations, 'words of wisdom' and home truths from my first year of parenting!

1. -The human body is absolutely amazing. Yep, the very same body that couldn't  carry me around the field during cross country (circa '02)  managed to grow a little human. It was stretched to its maximum capacity over 9 months, endured excruciating pain and birthed a little human, and it still kinda blows my mind.
2. You know what else is amazing? Witch Hazel. Cooling, soothing witch hazel. If there ever should be a 'next time ' it's sure as hell the first thing being chucked in the hospital bag.
3.  Expectant parents are like putty in the hands of marketers. I too am guilty of stocking up on so many useless products that I was led to believe were 'essentials'
4. On the subject of stocking up, we are still scraping through tubs of never ending Sudocrem and bottles of baby shampoo... a year later. Oops.
5. You probably will have a big ol' cry at some stage in the first few weeks of parenthood. One you will be able to look back on and laugh at. Those pesky hormones, eh?!
   
   
6. ...And sadly, those hormones will never be the same again. Get used to weeping over everything.. cute animals, old people, Grand Designs...
7. Stretchmarks do fade. OK, so they don't completely vanish over night, but they do fade- You only have to look at your baby to know that they are very much worth it.
8. You will never have to set an alarm clock ever again.
9. 7.30am is considered 'sleeping in' My teenage self would shudder at the very thought.
10. I really thought baby clothes were extremely awkward to put on, until it came to dressing a walking toddler. This is the time of day I count as my daily exercise.
    
    
11. Had I known Gaviscon was available on prescription I wouldn't have have bled my bank account dry buying it in Boots.. at least my advantage card reaped the rewards! 
12. I never really appreciated sleep until becoming a mum, and if I could turn back time I would happily have clocked up more hours in bed and felt no guilt whatsoever.
13. Never under estimate the power of a baby wipe. Not only do they clean baby, they'll also be used to clean your sofa, your floor, yourself in between showers, and those baby food stains from your jeans. 
14. Every one loves a birth story. I have never shared so many intimate details with other women since becoming a mum. 'You leave your dignity at the door of the hospital' - Correct!
15. The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine is a lifesaver and I would happily kiss the feet of the person that created it.
16. Google is both your best friend and worst enemy.
17. You will say it a thousand times over, but they really don't stay babies for long, and time is so fleeting that it's kinda terrifying.
18. There is no one i'd like to slap the face off more than the person parked in 'parent parking' minus a child.
19. Wise is the mum who doesn't brag about their baby's fantastic sleeping habits, for it's sure to change that  very night.
20. ...And watching  your baby sleep will never get old, a year on and i'm still besotted with my little snoozer. The sleepy stretches and rosy cheeks make my heart melt.
21. There is (sadly)  a lot of snobbery and competition amongst mummies regarding everything from choice of feeding, changing bag, clothes to pram. Which is ridiculous as we're all knee deep in dirty nappies and cleaning spaghetti bolognese off the floor. 
    
    
22. You become the most selfless version of yourself and will happily leave a shop with nothing other than items for your baby. You'll go without washing your hair, often skip a meal and change plans last minute to suit your baby's needs.
23. The smallest things will give you the biggest sense of joy like watching your little one's reaction to new toys/people/surroundings.
24. The injections will always be worse for you than your baby. Always.
25. If you've been blessed with a bad sleeper, it does  and will get better. I promise.. It may take 10 months, lots of tears and gallons of caffeine. But it will get better.
26. Listen to advice from friends, read the books, blogs and magazines but always go with your gut instinct.
27. You start doing the things you promised yourself you would never do and previously judged other mums for doing. 'No child of mine will ever have a dummy!' - She's had a dummy from day one. 'My child won't touch sweets until she's at least four' - There's milky buttons stashed in the cupboard, just three years early..
28. I used to think Sleeping when baby slept was the most ridiculous piece of advice ever offered, but now that I start  work in the evenings, it's my saving grace.
29. You start to think about the future more, and really want to strive for the very best for your family.
30. There is no better therapy than having a fellow mummy friend. You can rant about your lack of sleep, your partner's inability to multitask, laugh at your parenting mishaps and complain about your inability to lose baby weight while scoffing cake and tea.
31. There comes a point you stop apologising for clogging up your Facebook newsfeed with pictures of your little cherub, if people aren't happy to see them- why are they on your 'friends' list to begin with?!
32. ...And although friendship is a two way street, you naturally begin to weed out the people who haven't been there through the biggest change in your life. 
33. If you are anything like me your sense of fashion will have taken a back seat to comfort. Anything oversized, fluffy or arse covering, im buying it.
34. I still can't help but lick the spoon after a dose of calpol... strictly for nostalgia purposes.
35. Your little one will always gravitate towards the most insignificant things so do yourself a favour and go easy on your Visa card at Christmas.
36. You will quickly realise there are many different stages of tired.
37. Overtired, fighting sleep baby is the devil in disguise.
38. I've called my daughter so many pet names during the last year I doubt she knows which one is her actual name. 
39. Children's television programmes are most definitely thought up whilst on acid trips. I'm convinced of it.
40. Invest early in a good stain remover. If it's not sticky Calpol on bed sheets, it's those luminous orange pasta bibs. Our washing machine is on constantly and there will always be something steeping in the sink.
41. Hearing your baby laugh is undoubtedly the best sound in the world, there is no greater sound.
42. Watching my daughter grow and learn new things by the week really has made the sleepless nights, fatigue and chaotic house all worth it. (No, really!)
43. I love a good pregnancy announcement and find myself getting emotional despite not even knowing the person. Damnit, Facebook.
44. Mummy Guilt. Ugh, mummy guilt. Well that's a whole Blog post on it's own.
45. Baby dancing is both the cutest and most hilarious thing to witness. 
    
    
    
    
46. Returning to work after Maternity leave is never as a bad as you think, in fact it's probably worse for your co-workers who will be subjected to daily baby stories/ thousands of pictures.
47. You  suddenly appreciate your own parent/s so much more.
48. Write things down. It's amazing how fast babies change and develop. You'll want to remember their first tooth cutting, first solid food, first steps.. and if you didn't manage to note it down, your social media time lines may help with that!.  I can almost hear my Grandparents  tut at the very thought.
49. Enjoy the good days, don't be too hard on yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for help. We're all making it up as we go along, aren't we?
50. Pour a drink, exhale a sigh of relief, you have made it through the first year!

The Party

I love a good browse on Pinterest. Whether it be for recipes, beauty tips or even quotes i'm always left feeling inspired, which is why it was my first port of call when planning Eva's first Birthday party. Although many of the party ideas are a little too 'far fetched' for my liking (Think glitter toffee apples.. watermelon carved as tortoise.. what the...) there were plenty of ideas that caught my my eye and I was keen to try out.

We decided to go for a Pink and Gold theme to keep it simple and easy to buy for- there is no shortage of pink party decorations in the shops or online! We picked up the majority of the party tableware from Home Bargains which was absolutely amazing for quirky little bits like the stripey straws, polka dot cupcake stand, sparkly wands and 'honeycomb' style paper garlands. It really surprised me how inexpensive these were in comparison to many online party supply shops. It is without a doubt worth having a browse around- Keeping in mind it is one of those shops you nip in to get one thing and come out with everything you don't need! It is amazing.
We didn't set a budget per say, but were keen to keep costs down, the most expensive decoration being the £7.99 pastel pink and Gold  'Happy Birthday' banner from Ginger Ray which I intend to use year after year. Stuart joked that Eva will be sick of the sight of it by her 21st and so be it!, it's beautiful! - well as beautiful as birthday banners come.

I really wanted to add some personal touches around the house and to the table so I ordered Polaroid-style prints of Eva from the very beginning until now. I placed them on to a pin board with mini wooden pegs (which cost next to nothing on Amazon) across a line of string found in the cupboard!. It cost very little and made a really nice touch- Another Pinterest idea! A quick Google search and you'll find lots of sites that will print your photos in an authentic Polaroid style. Years ago I owned a Polaroid camera but buying the film proved extremely costly so I loved the fact  that I can use a service like this for a one off now and again. If you are wondering, I used photobox!.

A few months after Eva was born I ordered this custom made letter frame from a lady I had came across on Instagram who specializes in little crafty pieces- I love stumbling across these kinds of independent sellers on Instagram- they're usually the best finds! I was able to choose the fabric and design and with help from the seller and we came up with this. It's one of my favourite things in Eva's bedroom and thought it would look perfect on the table keeping with the pink theme. I also used a shabby chic inspired photo frame (a Poundland bargain!) and inserted one of the 3d prints we received at our gender scan.

The majority of the party snacks on the table ran with the pink girly theme! Stuart and I definitely have a sweet tooth and had no problem filling our trolley with the tastiest treats Tesco had to offer. So much so, we completely over bought and spent the weekend in a sugar induced coma. In fact it was the first time in our (almost) four years together that we have declined cake. I suppose there's a first time for everything!

We decided to keep the hot food simple. We served up finger food like the obligatory cocktail sausages, mini pizzas, sausage rolls, spring rolls, chicken goujons, tikka bites as well as savoury snacks like crisps and dip!Stuarts mum made trays of sandwiches and my mum made a pavalova for dessert. We stocked the fridge with beer for the boys, Prosecco for the ladies and fruit shoots for the kids.

I ordered a Wilton nozzle to do the icing on our cupcakes and was extremely impressed with the results, It was completely foolproof  and a bargain at the price of £2.32 with free delivery!

Wilton Icing Nozzle If you're anything like me and struggle with decorating your cupcakes you need this in your life.. and there's always sprinkles to cover up botched attempts!

As the ages of the  kids coming to the party ranged from 10 months-15 years we decided sweet cones would be the best route to go down when it came to party favours. That and the fact that as first time parents we were absolutely clueless to say the least when it came down to the contents of Party bags these days- Safe to say we have a lot to learn. Times like these I am starkly reminded that we are such newbies in the parenting world ( Like our first proper family outing were we came home with wet jeans and spent the guts of £15 on two cups of coffee and shop bought sandwiches - We definitely missed the 'Essential Parenting items' memo which specified that we needed a rug, a thermos and a cooler box for such outings...)

 I purchased the sweets in bulk on Amazon (just as easily picked up in pound shops) as well as the cellophane bags, and spent a Saturday afternoon making them up and trying to refrain from eating any- this was surely the hardest part of the entire process.  Ah well! The kids seemed happy enough with their sweet cones and the littlest member of the family went home with some new stacking cups, Peppa Pig buttons and a bag of biscotti biscuits!

Months before Eva's party we had thought about getting a local baker to bake the cake. The only issue being it was £40. Yes £40. Now I am definitely one for supporting local businesses and I understand how much time, not to mention the costs and effort that goes in to baking and decorating a cake, but in the end we just couldn't justify spending that much on a cake. In fact £40 could have just about covered our food shop for the party! We browsed Marks & Spencers, Tescos and Sainsburys and we both agreed on this white chocolate cake. (We probably would have opted for a Peppa Pig cake but Nana and Grandpa had already purchased one for her party on the Friday night) It was beautiful, tasted delicious and I didn't feel the need to force feed everyone to make sure I got my moneys worth! It reminded me of a girl who I once worked with who got a cake specially made with a photo of her daughter's favourite boyband printed on it. Her story always had me in hysterics as she recalled crying when the cake was cut! The poor girl barely got near her cake as her mum stuck it in the freezer to preserve it for as long as possible! 

We were a little paranoid that the older kids would find the afternoon slightly boring- At the beginning we had thoughts of hiring out a room in a leisure/play centre but  we felt Eva would have been limitted to what she could do and we wanted it to be as enjoyable as possible for her. Luckily we have a park across the road which they ran back and forward to. To be honest there really was no chance to be bored once all the cousins were reunited together, kids really can find fun anywhere.

It felt lovely to have a full house with everyone enjoying each others company, eating, drinking and having a laugh. In the end i'm so glad we decided to have it in the house- not to mention the fact the leftover prosecco made the cleaning up after no hassle at all!

Most of all the Birthday Girl went to bed a very happy little lady (Who wouldn't be if they had a brand new slide in their living room!)

So that pretty much concludes the first of  many Birthday related blog posts! If you would like to know where anything is from, please feel free to ask! 

The Farm

 Last weekend we were fortunate to share a rare work-free/football free (hallelujah!) Saturday together  so we decided to get up early and out of the house for a few hours to escape the sounds of the Piplings and Cheebies of Waybuloo, and to get a bit of fresh air. 

 Every morning we have a personal wake up call courtesy of little Eva between the hours of 6am and 7 and the weekends are definitely no exception.
 I've always been a bit of a night owl and as much as it kills me having to get up so early, honestly- I still use every distraction I can think of in the hope of an extra 15 minutes, Nothing has proved effective (yet) and alas i'm shivering downstairs in the kitchen clutching on to my cup of coffee for dear life.

At times I like the fact we start our day so early and instantly feel more productive for it.

 There are days I have my hoovering, washing and breakfast finished by 8.30am feeling like Mother Of The Year, and others I can be found sprawled out on the sofa watching Mr Tumble with one eye open with Stuart's 'Rocky Italian Stallion' dressing gown wrapped around me. The only thing that can get me shifted is Eva pulling the logs out of the fire place or attempting to dismantle the television.

Anyhow, early mornings aside, after being inspired by a school friend Lauren, and her beautiful little boy who visited the farm the previous week, we decided to take a trip there ourselves .Since having a baby we have have done the rounds when it comes to day trips. Lakes, soft play centres, country trails to the local parks.. it can get a little repetitive and so the farm was a great opportunity to experience something new.

After a quick search on Google maps and loading up the car with all the gear (buggy, baby bag, snacks. nursery rhyme cd for the car- The joys, eh?) we were ready to set off.

To be honest we didn't really know what to except from the farm and wondered if  Eva would really even benefit from any of the activities they had to offer - but we couldn't help feeling excited anticipating her reactions to all the animals, considering the fact she hasn't been in contact with animals before, despite Stuart's best attempts at trying to get us a dog.

Well what can I say? we all loved the farm! Eva was so intrigued with all the animals and we didn't hear a peep out of her while she was stroking chicks and bunny rabbit and bottle feeding a baby goat. My baby feeding a baby animal? Someone pass the Kleenex! It was also  the first day Eva had ever wore 'proper' shoes, and I was most definitely that overzealous mum, bursting with pride and being ever so snap happy with the camera.
 'Ohh stand with her beside the tractor'
'Awwh! stand in front of the horse!'
Oh yeah. That mum.

The staff at the farm were fantastic and constantly brought animals over to Eva without us even having to ask and were so extremely patient with her. 
The rain came on and we ventured into a little playroom where we were able to take a little break and Eva was able to crawl about and stretch her legs. In this little room we met a little boy (Jonah) with his mummy,and days later after seeing a picture of this lovely little boy appear on my Instagram feed I was convinced these were the people we had met at the farm. As much as Stuart tried to refrain me sending her a message 'You'll sound like a baby stalker!' nosiness got the better of me and I tagged her in the photo. It turns out it was in fact Jonah and his mummy! We both have been following each other on Instagram for a few months and little did we know that our babies were playing together. How small is the world? Such a lovely coincidence.

Overall, a great day at the farm!

Recent Loves

Just whenever we thought Eva's sleeping could not get any worse, she throws a spanner in the works- Just to keep us on our toes. 
We're now back to seeing every single hour on the clock. 
It's as well she's ridiculously cute as she stands in her cot clapping her hands for our attention.
We're up before most bakers in the country, before the majority of people have even stumbled home from the bar. 
It's just a phase we keep telling ourselves.
A torturous, cruel phase sent to push us to our physical and mental limits.
So understandably the caffeine intake has been upped this week.
(Nero, Costa... you name it)
The stronger the better, and a slice of cake please
And thank the Lord for Grandparents.

We have been Youtubing 'Baby Lullabies' the last few weeks.
We've all been there at one stage or another, haven't we? particularly at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I was a fan of the white noise apps back when Eva was a newborn, back before she found the sounds of the rain forest so comical.
These days we're on the lookout for something a little more calming and sleep inducing. I randomly came across 'Rockabye Baby' on one particularly challenging night.  Rock music in lullaby form? Count me in.
There's everything from David Bowie, The Cure and The Beatles to Coldplay, Pharrell Williams and Bob Marley.
A genius idea if you ask me!

Ok, so it hasn't actually lulled her off to sleep but how ridiculously relaxing is this to listen to? I have a playlist I like to put on while feeding Eva her last bottle of the night- it sends all three of us into a nice sleepy state. Other songs i'd recommend are The Cure's 'Just like heaven' and Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' which I can't believe i'm actually typing as if there's one song I hate with a passion, it's this one. It  just screams out drunken karaoke. But in lullaby form? I'm all over it.

The lovely people at Nuby sent Eva out a teething bundle last week. 
I was almost as delighted as her as those little gums have been giving her a considerable amount of trouble recently.
Everything in the parcel was extremely useful, from the thick, absorbent dribble bibs to the teething rings that double as toys (Great for car trips)
OK, being completely honest. a teething baby is going to enjoy anything they can get into their mouths aren't they?- only this morning I was wrestling with Eva to get the edge of the laptop out of her mouth, and the remote control did not stand a chance.
That being said, these are a great distraction for her, they're safe, bright and colourful and the different textures means it holds her attention for longer.
 She's particularly been drawn to the 'Wacky Teething Ring' which contains a piece of of crinkly fabric which is always a winner with an inquisitive baby and lots of soft silicone for her to chomp down on.

I picked up 'Gurgle' magazine a few weeks back in the WHsmith in the airport. To be honest it was a bit of a panic purchase, but i'm so glad I came across it, I didn't put it down the entire flight.
Gone are the days of Cosmopolitan and Glamour, eh?
It's aimed at modern mums (and mums to be!) and contains articles on everything under the sun,  from embarking on your weaning journey, helping  little ones with a sleep aversion (sounds familiar), to information on fertility, IVF and conceiving.
There's maternity fashion, baby fashion, product reviews and recipes. Everything that is relevant to mums and mums to be. Where has it been in my life the last eight months?
I personally love reading other women's experiences and learning about all different styles of parenting and the tips and tricks that come along with them. The best recommendations come from the mouths of mums who have tried and tested products themselves and will give honest opinions.
I only wish I'd discovered it when I was pregnant.

The  past week we have been enjoying looking back at pictures of Eva. I think returning to work made me take stock of the last nine months and it was so nice to sit down and look back..

 It is amazing how much she has changed in the last few months. As much as i'm a perpetual pest with the camera i'm so glad i've captured all these fleeting moments by the week. I just need to get  move on printing some and adding to the baby books!

....And i'm back! On Tuesday I started back to work after nine months off on Maternity leave. I've spent the last few months feeling incredibly emotional and anxious at the idea of returning to work but like lots of mums who reassured me, it really wasn't too bad after all.
I really missed having a little cuddle in the evening, the bedtime routine and even just spending a few hours in the evening with Stuart. (Although on the plus side i'll probably lose a bit of weight by ditching the obligatory night time tea and biscuits)
By the third shift it felt as though I had never been away and had almost forgot about the joys of working in retail:
lots of dirty fingernails, forgotten wallets and plain strange conversations!
But I am glad to be back, see familiar faces and get back to a bit of normality. (For now that is!)

and what better way to finish off the week?? (Courtesy of my Tesco Clubcard vouchers!)

The 'T' Word..

Pre baby I knew nothing on the subject of teething. Absolutely nothing.

 I'd often read status's on Facebook, people telling of their little loves cutting teeth

and to be honest I hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about, cutting teeth was a phrase so incredibly foreign to me.

Seven months into parenthood and i've come to the conclusion that teething is yet another one of those unspoken things that we keep hush hush, only to be discussed with fellow members of the Mum Club. If discussed to childless women in too much detail, right down to the nitty gritty, people wouldn't willingly reproduce any more.

OK, that's maybe a little melodramatic, but you get my point.

Teething is horrendous.

It seems to strike when all is going swimmingly, when you're finally getting the hang of the weird and wonderful world of parenthood. You've established a good routine, your baby is no longer a complete stranger, you know them inside out and recognise all their little signals- hungry, overtired, overstimulated, restless, bored etc etc etc
When out of nowhere you're suddenly mothering the spawn of Satan. 

That handy wee routine you had going is out the window, you're back to seeing every hour on the clock and experiencing random bouts of manic wailing while poor Sophie La Giraffe is being ruthlessly decapitated.
It suddenly makes so much sense why they're so accurately named 'dribble bibs'- How can such a tiny human produce so much salivia?! Everything in your baby's eye line becomes chewable, the tv remote, their comforter, your knuckles! The teething nappies that the 'experts' claim are myth, are in fact real and those little scarlet cheeks are so hot you could probably cook your eggs off them. (But isn't there something outrageously cute about them?!)

Teething in my opinion, is horrific for all involved.There is nothing worse than witnessing your little one in pain, especially when they can't vocally communicate what the problem is,
which is why it's a good idea to stock the cupboards with remedies for when teething strikes.
 Little E has had her fair share of horrendous nights due to teething (the days tend to be more manageable as she can be easily distracted with toys/sights and sounds around her) We've tried and tested lots of different products over the last few months and to be honest, we haven't found a Holy Grail product, nothing has eliminated the pain completely - it's just been a matter of perseverance, a positive mind frame (keep reminding yourself that it won't last forever...tomorrow will be a better day) and shower them with lots of cuddles and TLC.
Although we haven't found a miracle product, yet,  there have been plenty that have definitely helped, which i've discussed below.

Dentinox teething gel: Dentinox was the very first teething remedy we came across in Boots and decided to give it a go, it's gel based, sugar free and suitable to use from birth. It has a minty unoffensive taste and works by numbing the pain of the gums as well as eliminating potential infection. t's easy to administer, just a dab on the gums with a clean, damp finger.

Pros: Temporarily numbs the pain, can be repeated after 20 minutes, a pleasant, sugar free taste. Inexpensive and widely available.( A friend told me she's spotted it in a pound shop!)

Cons: Not a long lasting pain relief, it tends to slide off the gums quite easily. Doesn't tend to be as effective at night when teething pain seems to intensify.

Similar products: Baby Bonjela, Calgel, Nelson's Teetha gel, Boots own brand.

Anbesol Liquid: When Eva first starting showing signs of teething Anbesol was recommended to me the most by other mums, I honestly don't know why we didn't pick it up sooner. After a hunt around my local Boots I discovered it was kept behind the counter and the lovely customer advisor told me that their head pharmacist swears by the stuff and uses it on her own babies. Anbesol contains a local anesthetic and numbs the affected area and can be used by all ages for many different problems for example: Ulcers, denture irritation, toothache.  It is a great deal stronger than your average teething gel and being a liquid I find it absorbs into the gums giving it more staying power.

Pros: A stronger alternative when baby is having a particularly bad teething day. I've tried it on my own gums and was taken back by how well it actually numbs the area.
Cons: Slightly more costly than gels/granules  (Anbesol is priced at £5.59) however, a little goes a long way. It has a  stronger, more unpleasant taste - not for everybody- Stuart despises the stuff and personally won't use it on Eva- saying it's too strong, where as I prefer to use it on bad days and find it effective! Each to their own, eh?

Teething Granules: Like many teething remedies, teething granules can be a bit of a Marmite product. Being homeopathic there is speculation on whether they do anything at all to aid the pain of teething. As there is absolutely no scientific proof that they do anything at all, it takes a bit of trial and error to see how your baby responds to them, but generally speaking we've always had a good experience  and tend to reach for the granules first when teething strikes, simply as they're a more natural alternative. Teething powders/granules come in boxes of individual sachets and can be poured straight into baby's mouth or rubbed around the gums with a clean, damp finger.
We prefer to use Nelson's Teetha but have also used Ashton and Parsons as well as Boots own in the past and to be completely honest I wouldn't say there's a great deal of difference between them, 'Teetha' just seems to be more available in our local supermarkets and chemists so that's why we pick it up!

Pros: A more natural alternative and side effective free. As they come in small sachets they are perfect for carrying in the side pocket of a changing bag.
Cons: Do they really work?, no one knows!
Similar products: Ashton & Parsons Infants Powders, Boots Teething Pain Relief.

Infant Nurofen/Calpol: Ol' trusty Calpol. We've all been subjected to the sickly, sweet taste of Calpol at some stage in our lives, haven't we? and even though generations have passed, Calpol still seems to be the go-to solution in the medicine cupboard - It's been modernised slightly - they've finally ditched the little white plastic spoon  (which always seemed to crack) and been replaced with a syringe device that left me highly confused the first time I went to use it, I shamefully had to read the instructions.. #mummyfail.
I reserve Calpol for more severe bouts of teething as it contains paracetamol but find it extremely effective, particularly at night time when the pain seems to flare up. We recently swapped Calpol for Infant Nurofen after a recommendation from another mummy and I have to say I prefer it. Nurofen is Ibruofen based (where as Calpol is Paracetamol based) What's the difference you ask? I had no idea until I read up on the Calpol website

'As a painkiller, paracetamol is thought to block the production of certain substances in your body when you are ill or hurt to make your body block the pain signals to your brain'

'Ibuprofen is a different sort of drug from paracetamol. When someone is unwell their body may produce certain chemicals which cause inflammation and pain. Ibuprofen can block the production of those chemicals to help reduce pain and is also an anti-inflammatory drug.'

I swear i'm not being sponsored by Calpol, I'm just an paranoid mummy who likes to do her research... promise!.

Pros: Not only aids with teething pain,but lowers temperature/earache/post immunisation fever - a must-have in the medicine cupboard. Has a pleasant Strawberry flavour. Can be used from two months old and is available in sachet form - fantastic for the baby bag- no more hauling about a sticky glass bottle!
Cons: After the first dose it is recommended to leave between 4-6 hours before the next, a long ol' day if those gums are particularly inflamed!
Similar Products: Boots Paracetamol 3 months plus/ Boots Ibuprofen 3 months plus.

Sometimes you just don't want to give your baby medicines, for whatever reason and there is plenty of other teething aids to rely on.

Sophie La Giraffe: A major cult product but really does help those little gums. She is made from natural rubber,  the perfect shape for baby to hold on to and has lots of different grooves for baby to get his/her mouth around. Also lets not glaze over the fact that Sophie is  ridiculously cute.

Teething Rings: Are great for popping in the fridge or freezer (check instructions first though!) to soothe and stimulate those sore little gums. There are so many different brands to use from but  I find Nuby to be a reliable brand- their products are brightly coloured and are BPA free.

Tommee Tippee Gummy Teether: It took Eva ages to get used to this little contraption but she's coming around to the idea of it! Stuart simply places it into her mouth (and holds it) while Eva chomps down on the hard ridged rubber - A couple of minutes with it and it takes the edge off the pain. It's like a little mouthguard!

Toothbrush: I read somewhere to lightly massage your baby's gums with the head of a (new, clean) baby toothbrush to stimulate and soothe gums. We purchased a Baby Oral kit from Mothercare during my pregnancy which came with 3 different bits: a gum massager, a 'finger' toothbrush and a larger toddler brush. It's came in quite handy but you can always use a clean, damp finger and massage the gums yourself.

Food: Recently i've been buying carrot battons and melon slices for Eva to chew on.. I keep them in the fridge so they're nice and chilled and she loves gnawing away on them, even if she doesn't eat them it really soothes the gums and acts as a great distraction from the pain. If your baby is too young to be dabbling with finger foods unaided I highly reccomend the Nuby Nibber net. Stuart came home with this handy contraption from Tescos when we first started introducing finger foods but were over paranoid of her choking.
You simply place a piece of food in the net and screw the little lid around. The food is locked in there and baby can work away sucking the food through the net.. You could place chilled fruit such as strawberries, mango, melon.. etc! However, have baby wipes at the ready and expect mess. Lots of mess.

These are just a few of my personal favourites and are all my own opinions, I haven't been approached or paid by any brands to feature any products, it's just been a great deal of trial and error over the last few months.
Is there anything in particular that you use for teething??
I can't get my head around Amber necklaces/anklets.. has anyone tried one?