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Is this goodbye? Maybe, maybe not; maybe just for a little while.. I’ve decided to take a break from Instagram - I’ll be signing out of my account for the foreseeable future. This is a totally personal decision based on the fact that for me, in relation to my work, it has changed from adding something positive to my life, to being something that makes me question myself and my success (whatever that means?!) and generally feel less chipper. I’ve always been someone who makes decisions based on happiness and yet even though this virtual world has stopped adding positively to my life, I’ve still found myself aimlessly scrolling and comparing myself to others. Not as a mum, but as a ‘business person’. As someone who had hoped to have achieved more in a work capacity by now. I look at so many of the people and businesses I follow and see ‘success’. And over the past few weeks that has left me feeling more and more like a failure in my work. I feel a pressure to post, stay active and create content, so I don’t move backwards but it’s draining because it’s not where I want my focus to be right now. So for now, I’m removing myself. I’m saying goodbye to the new rat race that is followers and likes and virtual validation. Because I opted out of the corporate rat race, to build a life of freedom and choice for me and my family. And now I feel entangled in something almost the same, just wearing a different mask (only my perspective btw, by no means a fact or reflection on anyone else!). This isn’t actually about Instagram - this is about me, and wanting to immerse myself in the tangible again. My tangible husband and tangible daughter. The rest of my wonderful family. My mummy friends and my non mummy friends. So to anyone reading this, keep knowing yourself and try to make choices that make you and those around you happy. Nothing else really matters. And if you still love the gram, then I’ve tagged some of my favourite accounts above for your enjoyment ❤️❤️❤️ #love #happiness
WEANING... This little monkey is on a journey of food discovery at the moment, and seemingly loving it! Being a (HUGE) lover of food myself, I’m excited to share this with her. There is one thing I am struggling with though, and it’s the inevitable reduced milk feeds that comes with introducing solids. Specifically, breastfeeds (we do both btw). Rewind to November last year, to 10 weeks in, and it was a different story! I was considering giving up the battle and switching to formula at that point after some difficult weeks with tongue ties, latch problems and jaundice. This isn’t a ‘breast-is-best’ post, because everyone is different and we’ve all got to do what is right for us, but I am a little sad at the thought that we might not be sneaking back into bed for a feed at 8am for very much longer. I treasure those moments of sleepy hand holding and face stroking so so much. Here’s hoping we can squeeze a few more weeks in! Where does the time go?! ❤️ #breastfeeding #baby #newmum #6monthsold #weaning #babyledweaning #feeding #happiness #gratitude #love
Happy 6 month birthday to my wonderful little girl ❤️ Thank you for the best months of my life! I can’t believe how much shes changed (from the teeny 6 pounder she started out life as - swipe left) or how much I’ve learned in these past six months. No amount of childcare experience, uni degrees, books read or hours on Google could have prepared me for this! Here’s to you, Isla Clarke, the light of my life! 💛 #mum #baby #babygirl #birthday #happiness #gratitude
Just sitting at the gate waiting to board our flight home. After 3 fantastic weeks away, it’s time to face the reality of British winter 😩 We have had such a great time, enjoying a healthy dose of vitamin D, lots of swimming, quality time with some of our favourites and WAY too much food! Just reflecting on some of the highlights while my baby sleeps soundly on my chest ❤️ Its been great, but for anyone interested in a little reality too - there was also jet lag, sleep regression and constipation to contend with... (on Isla’s part I might add!) 💩 Miami, we’ll be back! London, see you soon! ✈️ #baby #babytravel #mum #mumlife #family #holiday #gratitude #happiness
Ok - let’s talk sleep regression... 😴 Isla has just turned 4 months old (which is crazy but the way!) and like clockwork, her sleep regression has definitely kicked in! We thought Christmas had come early when she started sleeping 10 hours straight in December (at about 14 weeks) but since being away, with the inevitable jet leg as well, she has certainly regressed! She’s been waking a couple of times a night, napping for max 45mins during the day, and generally just been more grisly than usual.. Any ideas on how long this might last and/or and top tips for speeding the process along?! On the plus side, Isla laughed for the first time about 5 minutes ago, so nothing else matters 😂🙈💔 #baby #4monthsold #sleepregression #mum #newmum #mumlife #babiesofinstagram #family #love #nurturewithnature
☀️ H A P P Y N E W Y E A R ☀️ 2017 was an amazing year and will be pretty hard to beat, but I’ll give it my best shot! I want to keep learning and growing to be the best version of myself ✨ #happynewyear #2018 #selfdevelopment #growth #happiness #gratitude #mum #mumlife
To say I’m grateful for this past year would be an enormous understatement. It has been incredible and to choose just 10 pictures to sum it up has taken longer than I care to admit! It seems like a lifetime ago that Isla joined our little family, and until I looked through my photos last night, I’d honestly forgotten half of what I’d been up to earlier this year! So here’s a little reminder for me, and anyone else that fancies a read... because I think is really important to go back and relive all the wonderful moments. It’s easy to get caught up in what’s happening next, but what about taking a moment to reflect on what has been. This has been the craziest and most rewarding year of my life, and this is only the beginning... Jan - New Years on the slopes, found out I was pregnant, and a family holiday to Miami and the Bahamas Feb - hosted a yoga retreat and announced I was pregnant March - met our cub for the first time and paid my (also pregnant) cousin a visit in Copenhagen April - a quick jaunt to Bahrain and a girls weekend at Soho Farmhouse May - holidayed in Monaco and saw the bump really pop! June - the best weekend in Cornwall with family July - my last holiday pre babe, spent in Spain with my beautiful mumma August - moved house at 36 weeks pregnant and had my lovely baby shower September - our angel was born and our lives forever changed October - Isla’s first trip abroad, and clearly loving it! November - our first family film night, skin to skin bliss with daddy December - another trip to Copenhagen and Isla’s first Christmas What a year! Full of love and the most amazing memories. My heart is full of gratitude for the special people in my life and for my beautiful daughter. Bring on 2018, I cannot wait to see what’s in store! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year ❤️
Throwing it back what feels like MUCH longer than just 14 weeks! This photo was taken 10 days before Isla was born and is the last bump shot I have. Aside from a month of horrible morning sickness, I really enjoyed pregnancy and clearly lost all perspective because I didn’t feel very big towards the end - but this photo says otherwise! It absolutely blows my mind that the little angel I hold in my arms every day, was bundled up in my tummy just 3 months ago! Everything has changed and it feels like she’s been here forever! What on earth did I used to fill my time with?! #newborn #baby #family #mumlife #mumtobe #lifechanging #gratitude #love
Chatting to a friend today reminded me how we don’t always share our most honest thoughts on social media. So today I thought I would. This is a candid shot of my newborn cub at 24hrs old. In this moment I didn’t feel the overwhelming love that some people describe (of course I loved her, but it wasn’t the magical fairytale glow, much more a deep protectiveness over her). In all honesty, I felt a little surprised that I didn’t recognise her more. She was so tiny, and looked less like me than I had expected (ridiculous I know!). And although I’d never seen her face before, I just expected to know it when I first saw her. It was definitely a strange sensation. I knew it wasn’t a case of not loving her enough, but simply a case of not knowing her enough. Every day I get to know my baby girl a little bit more and I fall further in love with her. So there is my experience with my firstborn. Some of you may relate, others maybe not. I loved her, I love her and I will continue to love her with every part of me, but I didn’t know her when she was born and that really surprised me ❤️ (ps. I actually feel nervous about posting this for fear that people will think I don’t love my baby, isn’t that silly...) #newborn #baby #mum #mumlife #honesty #family #love