Welcome to our new weekly series ‘ From birth to Bubbaloo | The journey ‘. We will be interviewing our clients all with real and different experiences. We hope this series inspires, encourages, informs, heals and helps you. We thought we should start with our very own story from Hermione owner of Bubbaloo. A young mums journey to business and mummy to three. We’re sure we are going to get some great tips, advice, and laughs from reading these.
What did family look like for you growing up
I was the third oldest child of 7 siblings. 5 girls and 2 boys.
We are a very large and close family. My mum was also one of 7 kids. Mum and dad are 33 years married, and have spent 21 years of this having children! I feel very lucky to have a wonderful example of marriage and family to aspire to. Thanks Parents!
How old were you when you had your 1st child
Pregnant at 21, had him at 22. I was in my final year of University, and he was born 2 weeks before my final dissertation was due! He was 2 weeks overdue, so i think he knew to hang on so i could get it done. I proudly walked into Uni with my 2 week old in my sling and handed it in. The tutors didn’t even know what was inside my coat, and of course couldn’t believe it when i revealed my baby! Its amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, i came out of university with a 2:1 Degree, a Husband and Baby!
How many children do you have
We now have 3 children. Eight, Five and two.
Proud 5 days new
How have you found being a mum of three
The first 6 months i think i was riding the endorphin wave and then crashed! Its hard. I was absolutely fine with one and then two, but three has definitely drained my resources. Its not so much the amount of children, its the workload that comes with having three.
If you have help, great! I think it’s so important and a massive help in the sanity of raising children. For myself and Gary its something we have little of. We don’t have grandparents or family close by. I have 1 completely amazing sister nearby who has 3 children herself who will do anything to help and vice versa. It’s more the house, the mess, the washing, the organising, the illnesses, the lack of sleep, the constant food making, you clean up one meal and then your making the next. Everything that’s going on at school, to all the activites and playdates. Then ontop of it all you have your work – Which is actually a complete escape for me! Thank goodness for my work days.
If you can get a cleaner, home help, a PA, a cook, an extra pair of hands, a babysitter, a night nurse, live in nanny, what ever you can….you’ll be fine 🙂 Just kidding, i have none of the above and we’re doing fine! Im just learning to mum hack my way through life, drop expectations, leave my house, and just enjoy and love on my children because my goodness i have no idea how i have an 8 year old! Im still that girl at Uni!
My tip: Look to the future. What does your family look like in your head? Mine was always a close family with a brood of children. It makes it easier to put in the ground work now for your future family goals. You wont regret it, it really is the hardest but BEST job raising a family.
Have you always known how many you wanted
No, myself and Gary have never set a number. When we have talked about it, we just hoped we would both know when we were done! We are pretty much reading from the same page at the moment!
Did you enjoy pregnancy
I really did enjoy it. My whole childhood i just wanted to be pregnant! I spent summer holidays with bike helmets, and cushions stuffed up my top prefecting the bump shape. I wore my mums over sized frumpy maternity dressses and was given pocket money which i used in charity shops to buy baby clothes for my dolls! I always wanted children. I think this is the first time in my life i’m not broody and i’m 30!
On my 1st pregnancy apart from battling through the shame and stigmas attached with being a young mum, unmarried, at uni and trying my best to hide it from people. Myself and gary battled on alone, and i embraced and loved my growing shape regardless.
Each pregnancy got better for me, as i educated myself on nutrition, pregnancy and birth. By my third and best pregnancy, i was still in spinning and aerobic classes 2 days before giving birth. I exercised right through and gave up Meat and Sugar. I felt my strongest, fittest, healthiest and had the best water birth.
Thirsty work breastfeeding
32 weeks spinning and gyming
Top pregnancy tip
This little gem of advice has been passed onto me from my Auntie, so your in for a treat. Whilst in the University library 8 months pregnant my Auntie accidently writes this advice on my facebook wall instead of a private message! Much to the amusment to my library friends everyone got to read these pearls of wisdom in detail…… Top pregnancy tip: Perineal massage. Spend your pregnancy vitamin E oiling and preparing your precious ladies bits to make sure you keep them intact. A hot flannal and vitamin E oil a couple of times a week should do the trick. If your interested further, Google it! Lets just say it worked for me on all three births!
36 weeks pregnant
Top labour tip
Do not fear! You were made to do this. I got better with each birth at controlling fear and riding the wave of the contraction and ‘enjoying’ it rather then toe crunching and tensing which accentuates the pain. Spend your pregnancy reading up on the ways of managing fear. It will be worth it.
Tell us a positive experience of birth we have to look forward too
The pushing stage! The pain goes from the belly, and then you just have to get the baby out. I felt like i had a job to do rather than just enduring the pain. What awaits at the end will be the highest of highs, and of course the best bit of the whole labour experience….the tea and toast!!!
Sum up your experience of birth
Truly the proudest, most empowering, exhausting, and emotional experience i have ever had. I have never been so tired, so moved, so euphoric and so in love. An experience with the highest of highs that has completely changed the way i now view myself. I knew i was strong, but not that strong. I new i was committed, but not that determined. I new i was independent, but not that brave. I knew i had a strong character, but didnt know my capability. Women blow me away. We grow a full on human, than push them out?! Like serioulsy!
My Three birth Journeys and of course the tea and toast
Advice you wish you had known before having kids
That there was a hierarchy of pushchairs! I was blisssfully unaware that my umbrella folding Chicco that folded with one hand so i could get on the bus whilst holding the baby in the other, was definitely not at the top of the pushchair chain! I naturally went for function and practicality over street cred. In the end it always wins!
Hardest mummy experience
For the newborn stage 100 % was learning to breastfeed. It was 5 weeks of agonising, toe curling, migrane inducing pain. Lonely painful nights, tiring, and constant. BUT i knew i so wanted to breastfeed that my determination and the amazing midwife visits saw me through. I think because i was young i had really good community care. Often through the night at breaking point i was sure as soon as 6am came and the shops were open i was going to get formula. Then there would be a knock at the door and the midwife was there again ready to help me go again. After 5 weeks i could of swung from the chandeliers and breastfed it became so easy. Thankful i saw it through and thankful it was only for my 1st. Subsequent babies were alot easier. It can be so hard, but others can find it easy. Just one of those things.
Now though its definitely watching your children learn lifes cruel lessons. School stuff is the worse. When your child is the 3rd in a three, or watching them learn the feeling of being left out or inadequate, comparing themselves and being up against competition. Listening to your child cry and you have to be strong and tell them it will be okay. It literally breaks your heart! You just want to protect them.
Most useful baby shower gift
An I.O.U babysitting voucher, house clean, or dinner voucher. Giving your time and service is the best ever gift.
Best three mum hacks to help you through life
1. When your baby/child falls asleep in the car. Don’t wake them regardless of the time! Go to the drive through starbucks, or park on your drive and grab a coffee. Get a magazine, book or just stare out the window. Make the most of the silence. Do not disturb them.
2. Free yourself some time in the morning, and a little extra sleep by getting your children more independent. Buy a small carton of milk so its not heavy and won’t spill and they can make their own breakast in mornings.
3. Free yourself of the Nappy Bag! We all have hand bags big enough, just throw some nappies, wipes and a change of clothes in your bag and free your self of that huge expensive bag filled with useless items! I never used a changing bag with any of mine.
Can we be expecting baby number 4
Im definitely not broody, and i’m very happy with our 3 gorgeous kids but i’m only 30 so who knows what my future holds.
What does it mean to you to have professional photos taken of your children
Your mind over time starts to forget intricate details of experiences and faces. Your memory starts to blur but photos never do. They don’t forget. That to me is priceless.
What is your favourite thing about your job
Having started Bubbaloo straight out of University, 8 years in now and many of our clients have become our actual friends. Thats just awesome.
I do love my job. It gives me time to have a cup of tea, meet so many people and be creative. I get the privilege of making memories and hearing hundreds of families stories of joy, celebration, triumph, love, loss, dissapointment and hardship.