Britax B-MOTION 3 Review

 

As part of the Britax Mumbassador scheme we were sent a B-MOTION 3 to put through its paces

and review (excellent timing as Bee had only been born the week before so we got to take it away and use it!)

We chose the stunning Chilli Pepper model as I loved the red colour which is very eye catching and rich.

Unboxing the B-MOTION3 took around 10 minutes and it really wasn't that difficult to assemble. I was impressed with the quality of the fabric and how sturdy and solid the buggy felt.

One thing I love is its multi positioning feature (with Bee being a newborn the lay flat position is a must) but you can also adjust it to any position you like which helped massively when Bee needed his head elevated due to his cold.

Having a 6 foot (odd) husband, we often find with pushchairs that the handlebars are way too low and cause him discomfort to push, but Britax have really thought this through and the B-MOTION3 offers a height adjustable bar meaning that whoever pushes baby, whether tall or short, can be certain that its going to be a dream to push.. and it really is!

Having air filled rubber wheels and rear suspension you can just about go anywhere with this buggy. Pushing over bumpy terrain in the countryside is absolutely no problem and feels smooth for baby. You also have the option of locking the front swivel wheel if you need to (for those perfectly straight roads)

We live out in the country so quite often take walks down stony paths and fields and its the first buggy I've pushed out there with such ease to be honest!

Another great feature is that you can fold it one handed. It also supports itself freestanding on the ground so you don't have to worry about fiddling with different settings. That also helps keep the buggy clean when stored. It's just as easy to unfold and use straight away too. I did find it took a couple of times opening and closing to get used to it as it was slightly stiff due to being new (and the fact I have a joint problem so everything is harder for me!) but after that it really does go up in a matter of seconds.

I adore that its got a massive shopping basket underneath, storage is a parents best friend and that's where other buggies are a let down! I was able to fill it with the baby bag, coats, rain cover and shopping so that is a fabulous plus.

With the storage it also has a very handy big pocket on the back of the buggy, I love the generous size and how convenient it is to get to baby essentials without having to bend to the shopping basket and dig for what you are looking for.

The seat is very spacious (If my almost 4 year old wasn't as tall as he is then he would fit in there quite happily) there is plenty of room for a growing child to fit comfortably.

The Britax B-MOTION 3 is suitable from Birth to 17kg (4 Years) and weighs 11kg.

It is also avaliable in Neon Back.

Bee's Birth Story

My last bump pic 36+5

The Story starts in the 36th week when I visited my registrar after my second growth scan. Bumble was measuring big, but we already knew that and following in Rockets footsteps we weren't surprised. I'm pretty sure I saw his head measured at 39 weeks!

I waited and finally saw the registrar, who was new to me as my own consultant was on holiday - something I got upset about as I was sure they wouldn't induce me like what had been discussed earlier in the pregnancy.

My SPD and hypermobility had got so bad, I could hardly walk and once on a sofa would need help to get up and the pain... The pain was very bad.

Luck was on my side though as the registrar who saw me agreed that inducing me slightly early (38 weeks) would be the best for me and baby. They had booked the induction but they decided to do a sweep to see if things would get going naturally. Oh my god was that painful.. I was writhing around on that bed! She stretched me to 2cm and said my cervix was favourable (which only one week ago was hidden so high they almost had their hand out my mouth! Or so it felt ;-) )

 I had period like pains and irregular contractions for the rest of the day which made walking around Sainsburys with my mum an interesting task!

The plan was that I would have 2 sweeps a week until the induction, at home with my midwives.

The next day all signs of contractions had stopped so I arranged to have some reflexology to get things going and after an intense session my contractions started up once again but annoyingly by the evening they had stopped again! I was dreading the next sweep which was booked for Friday!

Thursday morning I woke up with a horrendous backache and contractions and I just knew something was up. I had a really bad tummy and after calling my dad to come collect me I walked back into my bedroom and part of my waters went, then some more but not enough to soak through clothes, although it felt really strange!

When I got to the hospital, mum had caught up and both she and dad were with me as my birth partners.
I got checked in the labour ward but was only 2cm and the contractions were irregular so they sent me to walk around the hospital to try encourage them to get stronger and regular.

I spent the next couple of hours walking around and contracting, it was quite painful but bearable, then we headed back to the maternity ward so I could get checked for progress (which was OK... but still very slow)

Disappointingly the doctor wanted me to go home again for a few hours, which seemed silly to me as by the time I would have got home I would have been back again! Plus with how Rockets birth panned out, there was a chance I could have had the baby at home. Though after agreeing and gathering my stuff, I walked towards the ends of the bay in the ward and the rest of my waters went. The doctor followed me into the toilet to check and then suggested I stayed in hospital as my contractions could get stronger now the waters had gone and we agreed I would go for a further walk around the hospital to get them picking up.

My gosh did they start getting stronger, the contraction pain detracted from the SPD pain very well and I was walking for what seems like an eternity as I was desperate not to let the slow down and stop again. When they got too strong I asked my parents to take me back up to the Ward and on being checked (I believe i was 5-6cm at this point) they walked me over to the labour and delivery ward (with stops against the wall during contractions!)

When we got to the labour ward they discussed things with me like did I want the baby placed on my chest (yes), did I want delayed cord clamping (yes) etc and then they said I could have an epidural which was previously discussed but I stupidly said 'no, lets see how the next few contractions are' (seeing as I coped without when I had Rocket) - I never got my epidural!!

The contractions wernt doing as they should have been really and s they were pushing his head down my cervix wasn't moving out of the way properly and baby was back to back and at an awkward angle which was making it even more painful and that was BEFORE they hooked me up on Pitocin to force the contractions more!

I already had an IV in s i was hooked up to antibiotics as a precaution as when I had Rocket I had the infection Group B Strep and he was poorly when Born so it was always the plan to have them just in case here.

I remember the conversation about Bee being born on the 7th, I would have been 36+6 and he would be classed as premature and need all the checks and paperwork done.. It was so important to me to have a 'normal' birth experience and to be able to hold my child for more than 2 minutes and actually have him with me and take him home after having to leave Rocket in special care for 10 days. Bee certainly wanted to be with mummy as he waited.. 19 whole minutes past midnight, entering the world on the 8th November 2013 (and not premature!!!).

I wasn't able to see what was going on (although thanks so my lovely mum I have the entire birth filmed, crowning, coming out, the lot! so now I can see what happened and didn't have to miss out on memories like I had done with Rocket). Bee was in shock though and although he was screwing his face up, he was a grey colour and floppy and not breathing properly so not only did the placing of baby straight away on chest not happen, the delayed cord clamping didn't either as she needed to whisk him to the table to wake him up.. which worked fine and he pinked up straight away.

After that he was placed on my chest and all was right with the world, I'd done it, he was here safely.


The actual birth was physically alot harder than Rockets, the crowning was super intense and the entinox and Pethadine didn't seem to help much! I tore again, but not quite as much as i did with Rocket although I still had to be stitched up like a quilt! I grazed too, not nice!

Mum went home and picked my husband up and brought him to meet his newest son but as the hours were very antisocial and my mum had to work the next day, he couldn't stay long and when he went I was left to get the stitches.

Bee was weighed at 7lb 3oz at exactly 37 weeks and had a head circumference of 35.5cm.

One incredibly negative thing that happened to me was after I had been stitched up the midwife took me for a shower .. on my own.. they were short staffed and my mum had gone home so it was me alone, still wobbly from pethidine and the shock and exhaustion from birth and I managed to slip and do the actual splits landing pretty hard on my bum. I didn't cry out but couldn't reach the emergency bell either as someone had wrapped it around a support handle.. I had to shimmy on my bum then get up on my knees to reach the cord and when the midwife came in she said she could hear a bang but didn't know what it was! They got me checked by the doctor when I got back to the ward but all she did was press my spine and say I was fine.. It was only around day 3 I realised I had really hurt my pelvis.

That night (what was left of it) I couldn't sleep and just sat on the end of the bed staring at Bee.. I was terrified he would cry and wake the other ladies and babies up! silly hey! but that's me lol.

We were allowed to go home the same day, at 8pm after all the newborn checks, hearing etc was done and daddy took some lovely photos of Rocket meeting Bee for the first time, it was heartwarming!



 That's basically my birth story in a nutshell! Its now 4 weeks on and it's all been a complete blur but I Will get on and post as much as I can to catch up!

35 Weeks!

I cannot believe I am sitting here writing a post at almost 36 weeks pregnant! After having Rocket at 34 weeks (and being in hospital since 33) It's been a shock to everyone that this little man is still clinging on in there!

I've had growth scans which show he is on the top line, as was his brother so I am looking forward to bringing a good size bundle home with me and with every day he stays in there the chance of him leaving hospital with me increases and that makes me one very happy mama!

I have bad SPD now on top of my HMS pains so it has been a struggle and of course going over what I did with Rocket, this is all new territory to me! I'm the biggest I've ever been! (not weight wise though thankfully!)

My midwife popped around this morning and everything was looking great, Bumble is 3/5ths engaged and although I know as a second baby he can pop out my pelvis at any time, I'm taking this as a good sign that he's getting ready to come out for cuddles soon.. even though I feel like I'm walking with a bowling ball between my legs and feel like I'm being kicked up the middle of my girly parts!

My blood pressure which has been consistently high over this pregnancy was absolutely perfect today so that was brilliant news to me as I know my consultant has been flapping over it, I just hope it stays on the lower side now!

Thinking of dates this bambino could be born (tomorrow, Halloween would be awesome ;) ) ha ha having already bagged myself a Valentines baby, how awesome would Halloween or Bonfire night be :P although probably better for bonfire night as its 'full term' then! shame you can't choose!

My next growth scan is next week at 36+4 and I shall be talking to the consultant then about
possible induction at 37 weeks if he's not here before as the pain and immobility I am experiencing is actually stopping me from looking after Rocket on my own, that and every time I get up to pee in the night I almost fall from the pain, it's a hard road!

As incredibly blessed as I am to be given these two miracle boys, Bumble is definitely my last baby as I can't physically carry anymore. I am looking forward to starting the next chapter of my life with my boys and my husband and growing up as a complete family.

Just got to get through the birth next! Eeekkk!

SOME HANDY TIPS FROM BRITAX ON HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PUSHCHAIR FOR YOUR FAMILY

Here is a great guide from the lovely people at Britax on how to decide what pushchair is suitable for you :)

From lightweight three-wheelers to travel systems and off-road strollers – there’s a huge array of pushchairs available to choose from, and it can be difficult for new parents to know where to start.

Ask any seasoned mum if she would fork out for the same first pram again and she is likely to say no. In fact, she is more than likely to have one or two more prams back at home in her quest to find the pushchair that satisfied all her and her baby’s needs. 

BRITAX has been speaking and working with mums for decades, and, in the hope of helping new mums learn from other mum’s mistakes and save some serious time and money, we have developed a few simple tips to consider before splashing hard earned cash.

THINK ABOUT YOUR BABY’S NEEDS…

Think comfort.  A comfy baby is a happy baby, so think seats that fully recline, are spacious and well padded.  Think cosy footmuffs, smart raincovers and hoods that protect your little ones from the elements.

Think practically. Don’t forget, the needs of a baby and toddler are very different and they soon grow.  Older toddlers will still need space for a comfortable snooze when their batteries run low.

A boisterous toddler (and tired mum) can be heavy handed and you need to look for a pushchair that has good quality features that can stand a good deal of wear and tear.

Also, think, will the pushchair be handed down to a new sibling in a couple of year’s time?  Look for a hardwearing fabric that will work for both boys and girls.

THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE…

Do you need something lightweight that you can easily get on and off buses, fold up quickly to put in the boot of your car?  Carry up a flight of stairs?  Do you need a heavy weight pram that you can pound the pavements with, with a large shopping basket for all your food shopping?

Considering your lifestyle requirements alongside the needs of your child are key in selecting the right pushchair for your family. With almost 50 years’ experience in manufacturing pushchairs and travel systems, BRITAX has something for every family and every lifestyle.

Consider the following points before you make your final decision…

• If you have a newborn baby, your pushchair should have a full lie-back seat unit. Not only is this the most comfortable position for your new arrival, it is also much safer and will help protect the soft bones in their neck whilst you’re on the move. Some models, such as our BRITAX affinity also come with fully reversible seat units so your baby can face you

• Those families with twins or small children close in age will need to find a pushchair to suit the needs of both siblings. Double side-by-side pushchairs such as the B-AGILE Double, or tandem options such as the B-DUAL offer fantastic features that will suit any family looking after two young children

• Inner city mums are likely to be looking for something lightweight, with good portability that’s easily collapsible (preferably with a one-handed pull fold mechanism), particularly if you’ll be using their pushchair on public transport or have steps leading to your house.  For those looking for a great all rounder which works well in the park or at the shops, the B-MOTION family caters for children from birth up to approximately four years of age

• Alternatively, those living in the countryside might like to make the most of their surroundings with an all-terrain stroller such as the BOB Sport Utility Stroller – its textured tyres and superior suspension will ensure a smooth ride for your child on even the bumpiest terrains

• All of the BRITAX pushchairs can convert to what is known as a travel system - using very simple CLICK & GO adaptors, you can attach a host of carriers, sleepers and carrycots

THINK ABOUT YOUR BUDGET…

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get great quality practical features. You need a pushchair that reclines, is well padded, is safe and provides a comfortable experience for both mum and baby.

Think carefully about whether you will be passing the buggy down to a future sibling – in which case it may be worth spending a little bit more money to ensure it wears well.

Shop around for the best deals, as there are always great offers. BRITAX offers something for every family and for every budget.

AND FINALLY…

Try before you buy - get a proper feel for how it folds, manoeuvres, how much storage space it offers, the height and feel of the handle bars…

Think about where you will be storing the pushchair – in your car, in the hallway, have you got the right amount of space?

Look and see which accessories are included in the price, there are always some great deals to be had.

And remember, it is possible to tick all the boxes; it just takes a little research and testing!

29 Week Catch Up!

OK so the last few weeks have been rough pregnancy wise and I've been meaning to blog for a while!

At 26 weeks I had an amazing 4D scan which Bumbles paternal grandparents were able to come to so it was an even more amazing experience for us all. He behaved beautifully and we got these incredible shots, in which he looks exactly as Rocket did at his 4D scan!




After that we had a growth scan at 28 weeks and Bumble is very healthy and growing fast and is the top line of normal so will be a big baby like his brother!

 The consultant can't obviously tell when Bumble will come but I have another scan at 32 weeks and they will discuss whether or not to give me the steroid jabs just in case and also talk about possible induction if I make it to 37 weeks!

I can't believe I only have 5 weeks until when Rocket was born and 8 weeks til they would consider induction! That's crazy! I do actually hope it goes as fast as it has been.

Symptoms wise, heartburn, indigestion, crushed ribs, sleepless nights, peeing like a racehorse and not being able to get out the hSPD this time!
ouse are top of the list! Most normal pregnancy symptoms though I didn't feel THIS bad with Rockets pregnancy this early on... my HMS has also flared in my hips and back but I'm grateful its not

They are also keeping an eye on my BP as its borderline high and they don't want it to suddenly spike.

That's all for now!

23 Week scare, starting the 24th Week and Pain!

I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently and that's because I have been struggling.. but now I have 10 minutes I'm making myself write it down so I don't forget!

Rocket this week :)

When I was just over 23 weeks I was having cramps accompanied with backache for 3 days on and off but it wasn't regular like contractions, however nothing I did or how I moved stopped them and the fact it was with back pain and having previously gone premature I was terrified. So after the 3rd day I called the labour ward and they told me to come in and get checked.

Baby was moving fine, hes a good strong mover in there and the midwife was shocked how hard he kicked her when she had the monitor on for just being 23 weeks!
 My temperature, urine and everything was fine and the doctor came in and had a chat. It was the scariest chat ever as she had to tell me that if baby did come now they wouldn't do anything to save him.. not til 3 days later when I would hit 24 weeks.. I was then scared as I wanted to know my cervix was closed..

Which it was *massive sigh of relief*, however she said this didn't mean that I wouldn't go into labour at anytime, just that the cramps I had been having hadn't done anything to dialate my cervix - that was a blessing. Off I went home.

When I reached 24 weeks I was so happy, its a big milestone for me. I have alot of anxiety with this pregnancy and now knowing he is considered 'viable' if he was to be born he would have a chance and every week I go from not on is another milestone for my silly anxiety (which I am seeing a midwife councillor about still..)

My HMS has been awful, to the point where waiting the 2 hours for my Glucose Tolerance Test was almost too much and the back pain was so strong I was on the verge of tears. Its really hard as this little baby is wanted sooo much but the pain I'm experiencing is making me feel bad about everything.

I had a bad pregnancy with Rocket, I do remember that but it wasn't til much later (29-30 weeks) that the pain was getting too much and this time 24 weeks seems very early. I have my crutches for when I'm bad but I don't think it's SPD, just the HMS flared up.

Heat bags and paracetamols are all I can do at the moment as my cocodamol makes me feel unwell during pregnancy so I try not to take it until its really really bad.

On a good note my little man is wriggling alot and this morning he was woken by the hoover going, that made me laugh!! and Rocket has been taking about when baby comes and that makes me smile :) I adore my boys and cannot wait to see them together!

Royal Baby Bliss with BRITAX

Having had my last son premature at 34 weeks, I saw what little babies go through in special care and how much love is given to them to get them through those tough times in special care.

 Bliss was helpful to me as a new mum of a preemie and I was given lots of support and information to help me on my way with my little boy.

 No one knows what will happen with Bumble and when he will come into the world, I am hoping desperately he makes it to term but after the last experience I am mentally preparing myself just incase and I know if I needed it the support from Bliss would be there for me again.

That why I am over the moon to tell you that Britax are launching a Royal themed fundraising drive just for Bliss!!

Just 150 units of the BABY SAFE plus SHR II car seat have been created in the exact same limited edition fabric design that HRH Prince George was seen in leaving the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in.  These seats will go on sale for £129.99 to the public with all proceeds being donated to the charity. 

I imagine these will go shockingly quick so If you'd like to own one for your little Royal and help raise money for Bliss at the same time then you can find them at
http://store.britax.co.uk/

ABOUT BRITAX:

BRITAX has been manufacturing child car seats and travel systems since 1966.

BRITAX has research & development centres in Germany and the UK where designers and engineers use state-of-the-art facilities, including their own test rigs, to pioneer innovative products and set safety standards, such as ISOFIX technology. The expertise BRITAX develops is regularly shared with governmental and safety experts worldwide.

Top European test organisations, such as independent motoring and consumer organisations consistently rate BRITAX amongst the best – and constantly exceed legal safety requirements. 80% of all cars rated by Euro NCAP in 2011 have tested with at least one of our seats during their independent crash test assessments.

BRITAX is the leader of rearward facing car seats in the Nordic regions.

About Bliss:

Bliss is a registered charity no 1002973 and Scottish registered charity SC040878.

Bliss, the special care baby charity, is dedicated to ensuring that all babies born too soon, too small or too sick in the UK have the best possible chance of survival and of reaching their full potential. It does this by:

-          Providing practical and emotional support for families during an extremely difficult time, so they can give the best care to their babies

-          Providing training and support for doctors and nurses, funding specialist Bliss Family-Centred Care Nurses in hospitals and funding research to improve the care of all premature and sick babies

-          Raising awareness of the issues affecting special care babies and fight for essential change within government and the NHS

 

Messy Play and the start of summer! (Rocket)

I actually faced a fear of mine, MESSY PLAY! (yes I'm a mess-a-phobe ;) )

 I wanted to take Rocket out for a fun morning at a toddler group so our friend came round so I could follow her over as it wasn't the local group and we headed off for a morning of jelly, gloop, rice, sand, glue and paint!

Rocket was in his element, he was a little wary at first but he loved having all the options of things to do and to my absolute surprise he didn't even get dirty! Not even from the ice cream he had during the break!

It was so fabulous to see him having fun that I'm going to try take him a few more times over the summer.

Unfortunately the sitting on the floor and bending over, topped with picking him up during a tantrum i Asda set me off in a massive flare up today so I haven't been able to do much and I'm exhausted. I really need to learn that I can't do too much, especially at the moment being pregnant with Bumble (seeing as I want to keep cooking him as long as possible!)


When we got back from messy play Rocket has a little nap and woke with a tummy ache but was better by the evening, He even let me take a few photos as I hadn't taken any with my SLR in ages! (Que panic when I thought id forgotten how to use photoshop haha)

Anomaly Scan - 21+4 weeks!

The day for my 20 week scan finally rolled around! I hadn't actually been desperate for a scan like I was with Rocket as I had that gender scan at 6 weeks so I already had my scan 'fix' so I waited patiently.
 I had specifically asked for a Tuesday so Bumbles daddy could be with me as he missed the last 2 scans due to work so that's what had pushed the scan date back.

I was so nervous in the morning.. I don't even know why I felt like that, I knew he was fine as he was wiggling about but I guess knowing that something could be wrong with his heart or other organ got me in a panic.

9am was my scan and at about 9:15 I was called through by a smiley looking Ultrasound tech (which made me feel better as my last one wasn't so friendly!) and I also had a trainee tech in there too which was pretty cool as I got to hear more explained than I would in a normal scan.

He is still most definitely my little boy ;) and all was going well with the scan apart from him being in a really awkward position (transverse upside down!) but she saw the brain and lips, all was OK.... then she tried to see the heart and she went quiet and seemed to spend ages looking. She then got me to lay on my side and when that didn't move him she sent me off for a walk for 20 minutes to try get him to move so A and I went to the cafe and had some food and drink and jumped up the stairs.

When we got back she said she still couldn't see properly (although he had moved *success*, printed off some pictures then told me she needed to go get another ultrasound tech.. I was terrified at that point and thought for sure there was a problem with my little boy and the wait seemed like forever and a day.

In came the second ultrasound tech who took over to look for herself and they chatted amongst themselves for a while and it was just because he was in an awkward position and finally they agreed that everything looked OK with his heart *Que massive sigh of relief*

So all in all it was a roller coaster of emotions and I was glad to walk out with a lovely picture of my second little bundle!

Next appointment is next week.

I'm a Britax Mumbassador!

I'm really excited to have been invited to join the team of Britax Mumbassadors and of course I said yes!

I'll be bringing you tips and up to date information from Britax  along with safety information (I recently blogged about the new regulation for car seats called i-Size HERE)

After exiting the younger years with Rocket who is now fast approaching 3 and a half! *gasp* It will be exciting to discover new
products that I may even get to road test when Bumble is born in November!

You can find Britax on Twitter and Facebook along with their Website too!

Rocket's Visit to Legoland!

For weeks and weeks Rocket has been talking about the upcoming trip to Legoland and he was so excited after going through the videos of the rides on YouTube! His daddy and I were even more excited to take him as we both love theme parks (daddy mostly!) and we were excited to share this with Rocket.

I was a little scared about going as it's really hilly there and having HMS and being 19 weeks pregnant I knew I would struggle, especially having to drive over 2 hours there and back so we planned to get a wheelchair.

When we got there we were a bit late as the M25 was it's normal hellish jam and there was a long queue to guest services but when I got to the desk the guy that dealt with me was friendly and happy and sorted me out a disabled access pass (which we only ended up using twice!) and pointed me in the direction of the wheelchair hire which is at the back of the shop.

Once we were sorted we were off and we named Rocket 'captain' for the day and let him guide us to what he wanted to do! so he was off flying helicopters, driving boats and cars and generally having the best time ever! He even did the massive water slide with daddy and got drenched and still loved it!

I didn't really go on many rides and after getting in the boat decided after that I wouldn't go on anything i had to climb in or sit funny!

The weather was gorgeous, about 26 out there and not a cloud in the sky which made it perfect for the new children's splash area (we stuck to the lower bit as it was super busy!)

We left around 5 pm and headed home and within 5 minutes of being in the car, Rocket was fast asleep bless him! He had such a fun day and there was nothing bad that I could say about the day! 

Here is a link to the days video on YouTube!

We had our own tickets and I'm just writing about our own experience of the day!