An accidental hippy born from a walking health hazzard...

Ok, firstly I do not think of myself as a 'hippy'. Although, if the old me saw someone like the new me, the old me would have called the new me a hippy so if I am a hippy I am an accidental hippy. Does that make sense? Haha.

Right, when I fell pregnant in April/May 2009 I was a Branch Manager of an Insurance Broker with a 45 minute commute, a nasty 10-a-day cigarette habit, an unhealthy obsession with wine & technically obese. I was a walking health-hazzard who was being rather reckless with her ovum & in hindsight I feel I am very lucky to have such a healthy daughter.

I used to spend £100's a month on make-up, beauty creams, diet pills & had a rather uneven temper. Looking back I now see I was just unhappy. My job was stressfull, my weight was getting me down & I was not spending quality time with my husband.

So when I found out I was pregnant I was shocked but also happy. I was worried as I knew I had to have a huge lifestyle overhaul and I was not sure if I was ready but I did it.

I gave up smoking as soon as I found out I was pregnant & did not drink when I was pregnant (apart from 1 glass of wine on my birthday & a bucks fizz at Christmas 2009). I felt I had to do everything possible to make sure I was healthy for this baby so I also started light excercise & eating healthier.

Every pregnancy book made me feel guilty. The alcohol I had consumed before finding out I was pregnant, the cigarettes I had smoked, the takeaways that had nourished my precious baby all made me feel very worried that my baby would not be ok.

It did not come as a surprise that I developed Gestational Diabetes. I was cross at the time but luckily I did not need insulin, just had to ditch the chocolate and eat more vegetables.

So Christmas 2009, 5 1/2 weeks before my due date was a strange one. I could not drink, smoke, eat to excess or much else. So I decided to prepare myself for when baby is here by reading, researching and talking to other Mums.

My future blogging will hopefully explain my choices in feeding, weaning, carrying, nappying etc based on my own research not on old wives tales :) x