All posts by thehorsesmouth

About thehorsesmouth

If you would like your Newmarket venue or event reviewed please contact me on laurenelizabethhorncastle@hotmail.com

Mummy MOT – How Are You?

Newmarket Mum, , , , , , , , , , , ,

When was the last time you checked to see how YOU actually are? Are you sure you have recovered postnatally? Every Mother needs this check up and whether you had your child 6 weeks or 6 years ago you will benefit from it. 

PhysioFit’s Mummy MOT

How was your 6 week postnatal check with the GP? I was barely touched and the main concern/focus was which contraception I would be choosing.

It’s time to consider Postnatal Physio in Newmarket and Physio Fit offers an ideally Mummy MOT option.

Trained Physio Henriette is a breath of fresh air. She is interested, thorough, in-depth and has a way about her that will make you feel so comfortable and open. (A good trait for her to have considering the intimacy of part of the examination – if you wish!)

After childbirth I was frequently left questioning “is this normal?” Sometimes the answer was YES but even if a weaker pelvic floor or back ache was “common” for new Mums, visiting PhysioFit meant it didn’t mean that it had to be a long-lasting issue.

The Mummy MOT by PhysioFit Newmarket is held in a gorgeous treatment room on All Saints Road. You can discuss and review as many or as little areas of your own health as you wish but the 45 minute check is a unique and wonderful opportunity to get the attention that you as a Mum and human deserve.

Newmarket’s Mummy MOT costs £70 and comes highly recommended. Take a look at their website and drop them a message for more details and to find out what they can offer you.

A Mummy MOT includes:

*A full postural screen

*An examination of your pelvic floor muscles

*An assessment of your abdominal muscles and measurement of any separation (diastasis recti)

*Screening for bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction

*An effective postnatal rehabilitation exercise programme tailored to your physical needs and fitness goals

*Scar management

*Education and advice about safe techniques for lifting, feeding, carrying … even pushing a buggy

*A bespoke ‘return to sport’ training programme

It doesn’t matter how baby arrived; C-section, episiotomy or assisted delivery – as new Mums our bodies have been through a lot and the damage from the stress can be corrected during the Mummy MOT with PhysioFit. Plus it doesn’t stop there PhysioFit also offer  Postnatal Pilates and treatment for Sports Injuries.  You can find out more about the Mummy MOT and other services on their website here: https://bit.ly/3jgU3fA

Liv a Little Bakery – Brownies in Newmarket

Newmarket Mum, , , ,

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When it comes to buying Brownies in Newmarket there is only one bakery we have been using to get us through lockdown and this “new norm.”

Liv a Little Bakery is an absolutely delicious treat for you or a loved one. I still haven’t decided if I prefer the Millionaires Brownies, Biscoff Tiffin or Bakewell Blondies so I will continue to order their 50/50 treat boxes until I have!

Newmarket Sensory Nest – Montessori inspired play

Newmarket Mum, , , ,

Have you heard about the NEW Montessori inspired playrooms in Newmarket?
Launched by registered Newmarket Childminder, Anna the Sensory Nest in a new experience for local children.
Featuring two rooms, the Sensory Nest is proud to inspire and excite your children whilst being ideal for their development – we cannot wait to visit!
We are very excited to invite you to our Montessori inspired SENSORY NEST where you can spend an incredible time with your kids, family, and friends. It includes two rooms: Room #1 with education activities based on ‘The Montessori Method of Education’ Room #2 gymnastics and sensory activities.
Maximum capacity is currently 6 people due to Covid-19 rulings. Each session is 90 minutes for just £18 per group.
Visit The Sensory Nest on Facebook for more details.

Exercise After Birth – Core Harmony Fitness

Newmarket Mum

What exercise did you do “after” birth?
I felt like I was ready for the exercise mentally before I was physically and just wish I explored the reasons why rather than excepting that my body / pelvic floor wasn’t ready!
Regardless of how long ago you had children, local Newmarket fitness programmes created by Core Harmony Fitness are perfect for post natal ladies to safely and effectively restore and rehabilitate the core from the inside out.
So many Mums get told “it’s normal” to have a poor functioning core after birth but this doesn’t have to be the case. Sadie’s fitness classes are a safe and informative way to build back strength following child birth, pelvic surgery or during menopause.
Building strength and fitness following childbirth requires sensitivity and specailised care and this is exactly what you can expect from Newmarket’s Core Harmony Fitness.
Give her a follow for further information and class details.
The new pay as you go classes will start at Red Lodge Sports Pavilion
Wednesday 2nd Sept 10-11am and every Wednesday afterwards
Also, spaces still available for ELY Thursdays 7-8pm

Core Harmony Fitness
Core Harmony Fitness

Swimming Lessons at Newmarket Leisure Centre

Newmarket Mum, , , ,

Ready for a post lockdown dip?

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Being surrounded by all that chlorine seems like a pleasantly sterile environment after all!
Swimming at Newmarket is back on September 7th.
I caught up with Corinne the Newmarket Swimming Co-ordinator… “We are reopening 7th Sept hopefully but we are not taking requests or having a waiting list as we are going live in September on the website for you to book into lessons directly so please book in via the website mid/end September.”
www.acleisure.com

Keeping baby and Mum cool during hot weather

Newmarket Mum

Remember the Summer of 2017? It happened for about ten days, a few weeks back. We all frantically went out and bought fans and paddling pools just before the more traditional June/July/Wimbledon weather hit.

Well, rumour has it, we are due some warmer weather again, so this time round I am determined to be more prepared.

We shared some top tips over on my Facebook page and have highlighted five of the best ones below.
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Open up the loft hatch. As hot hair rises – this gives the humidity and heat somewhere to escape to (so they say!) It seemed to work for us anyway.

Having a cooler/tepid bath cooled and calmed AB down before bed. “They” advise not to keep babies in a cooler bath for too long so they don’t get chilly but I loved laying in the cool water once she had gone to sleep. My absolute favourite bath oil is made by Olverum. Not only does it aid aching muscles, the smell is incredibly relaxing and it leaves my skin so soft.

Reconsider bedding. We removed AB’s waterproof mattress protector as it got incredibly sticky in the heat but we have also now purchased a 0.5tog sleeping bag which is so thin it can be used during our heatwaves and in hotter climates abroad. My favourite sleeping bags are the Grobags from The Gro Company and I frequently spot them in the clearance section of TkMaxx or Mothercare!

Placing a bowl of iced water in front of a fan. As suggested by one of Newmarket’s best Nannies, Louise Galloway this trick creates a refreshing, air conditioning feel and is great in both the nursery and my own bedroom.

Use the black-out blind all day. As lovely as it is to see the sunshine beaming through the nursery windows, lots of Newmarket Mum’s recommend keeping the black out blind closed all day so that the room does not get too hot during the day.

What are your top tips to keep both Mum and LO cool during the warmer weather?

Newmarket Baby Group: Fairstead Nursery Rhymes

Newmarket Mum

What is it? Little Foals, a traditional sing-a-long nursery rhyme session

Where is it? Fairstead House, Performing Arts Studio

How much is it? FREE

When is it? 14:30 every Friday (during term time)

Where to park? Limited parking available at the school but there is a gate open close to the school in the Waitrose car park so perhaps they are welcoming cars there too!

Pro’s: Wonderfully traditional – nursery rhymes are accompanied by a piano and it is lovely to be joined by the incredibly well behaved Fairstead nursery students.

Con’s: It’s an hour long – which is quite lengthy but feeding and napping is welcome during the class.  

What did AB think to it? AB loves watching the bigger children and the sound of the piano. She also enjoys it when there is a story at the end which is accompanied by sound effects from instruments and the piano.

What did Mummy think to it? This is a great opportunity for us to get used to the grounds but even if you are not planning to use Fairstead nursery it is a well organised, friendly, traditional nursery rhyme session that is the perfect way to end the week.

Was any cake involved? Free tea / coffee and home-made biscuits available!

Score out of 10: 10/10

WIN a month’s supply of Asda Little Angels Nappies

lifestyle, Newmarket Mum

Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway to WIN a month’s supply of Asda Little Angels Nappies!

This month we have tried out the Asda Little Angels, Comfort & Protect nappy range. Featuring deliciously, chunky thighs I am always conscious that nappies aren’t too tight for AB but equally poo explosions and wee leaks are one of my biggest nightmares! Asda Little Angels, Comfort & Protect nappies have an incredibly soft, elasticated back panel and the size 3 fits 5 month, 15lb AB like a dream. Their claim to offer “12-hour dryness” is accurate too! Even when shopping in Asda, it is incredibly tempting to buy brands such as Pampers but now I have tried Asda Little Angels I wont be steering away again. 18575638_10211440410198584_976340461_o One of my favourite features is their ‘I’m growing…. next size up please’ tabs. If the tabs fasten comfortably in the coloured area then the fit is ‘just right’, but when the tabs start to move to the white area, this means your little one is ready for the next size up.

The new Little Angels Comfort & Protect range is available in sizes 3, 4, 4+, 5, 5+, 6, and 6+ and are priced from £3.50 per pack.

Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway to WIN a month supply of Asda Little Angels Nappies!

Don’t Mention the ‘S’ Word – SLEEP

Newmarket Mum

My latest article over on Huffpost – Don’t Mention the ‘S’ Word – SLEEP

…Why It’s Best Not To Admit When It’s Going Well

At the “Breastfeeding Support Group“ that I attend on a weekly basis, mums get support if they are having nipple troubles, latching issues or pumping disasters but they will also be celebrated and congratulated if breastfeeding and milk donating is going well.

On the popular Facebook group “Can I breastfeed in it? UK“ I recently shared a photograph of myself in a dress that I had purchased from Asos. I received hundreds and hundreds of ‘likes’, ‘loves’ and comments telling me how gorgeous, classy, fabulous and well I looked. Their kindness blew me away.

Mummy friends, whether online or in reality are great – they are so supportive, right?

From these two experiences you can see why I was lulled into a false sense of “it’s-okay-to-speak-honestly” security.

“Is AB sleeping well now that she has moved into her own room?’, I was asked. I told the (perhaps sleep-deprived) mummy’s in front of me that she was indeed sleeping well. Incredibly well in fact – 12 hours plus each night after simply falling asleep ‘on the boob’ and being transferred to her cot.

You could have heard a pin drop before the torrent of remarks flew towards me. From being told that sleeping too much will stunt her development and that the sleeping habits wouldn’t last to being terrified with potentially incorrect SIDS facts and how cruel the ‘cry it out’ method is – admitting that AB was sleeping well was a bad move.

It’s not like I am reaping the benefits yet, my nights are spent wide-awake watching a small black and white monitor, which takes me back to the Summer of 2002 when I would watch Big Brother live… even when Kate Lawler and co were sleeping!18425014_10211363901125905_2267678162042249093_n

All mums have bragging rights, but as a family, we even refrain from posting too many photographs of AB on social media in case it offends or frustrates. I was merely answering a question.

For the first time I wondered if it is how formula-feeding mums feel when accosted by breastfeeding mums? But perhaps that’s a whole other blog post in itself.

The reality is that the time it has taken me to type and edit this post with one hand whilst breastfeeding, my latest post, Twitter rant and tired-looking selfie is due to a restless and teething night. Oh how the other tired mums have rejoiced!

So mums, if your baby sleeps through the night, whether it’s a one off or a new regular routine, we should feel that we can respond truthfully if asked and if we fancy it we could even brag about it.

Do you dare to admit when your child is sleeping well?