What to pack in your hospital bag

OK so there are lots of blog posts on this but I want to have my say. Here’s what you really need to pack in your hospital bag, plus a few extra’s that I was really pleased I had. I made this list when I came home as I had my sister and a few friends due a couple of weeks after me and there are so many lists out there it’s hard to know what you really need.

Quite often now you are sent home the same day as you had the baby but you never know what your labour is going to be like so better to have too much stuff than too little. My hospital keeps everyone in for 24 hours as a matter or course so you can be monitored and your baby can see the paediatrician. So all this is based on 24 hours in hospital in a ward.

• 2 towels – I took 1 and had a shower straight after having Ned and then needed another one for my overnight stay... which was annoying.
• Shower gel
• Deodorant 
• Razor (sounds bizarre but when you've had a sleep and the baby's sleeping and you get a chance to have a proper shower you really want to freshen up and I was sad not to have my razor) 
•  2 nighties 
•  Big, comfy black undies 
•  Maternity pads (Boots are the most comfortable, Sainsburys own brand are good too) 
•  Maternity bras (1 is fine though you'll want a couple more for when you get home - I like these) 
• Breast pads (Johnson and Johnson are by far the best but not individually wrapped Lansinoh or Boots own brand are also good)
• Nipple cream 
• Baby wipes (suitable for newborns) 
• Nappies 
• Nappy bags 
• 5 baby vests 
• 5 sleep suits
• 1 or 2 cellular blankets 
• 2 baby hats (they will probably wear one the whole time they are in the hospital 
• Dressing gown for you (it is unbelievably hot in the ward but you will be going to the loo etc so it’s nice to have a dressing gown) 
• Flip flops or slippers (my feet were too swollen for slippers) 
• Eye mask (if you like to sleep in total darkness) 
• Hair ties 
• Plastic bag for your dirty laundry 
• Flash wipes for the bathroom etc (the bathroom where I was was really clean but... well, you leak and it’s nice to just have something to hand to have a bit of a clean up after you’ve had a shower etc).

I took an ipod and speakers which I didn’t use. Anything else you need your husband or friend can bring you after you’ve had the baby. A lot of people recommend ear plugs but from my experience newborns actually sleep quite a lot and I would have been too anxious about him if I'd had earplugs in.

Still Very Pregnant

I feel bad because I haven't blogged for ages. It's not that I haven't been cooking and eating, I have, but I haven't been cooking anything new or exciting. I've mostly been using my maternity leave (started 3 days ago) to bounce on a Pilate's ball and drink Raspberry Leaf tea in an effort to make the baby to get a move on. I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow and if you were to look uncomfortable up in the dictionary there would be a big picture of my balloony face wincing back at you. I'm also trying to slow down on the eating a bit, I'm hungry all the time but, well I don't want to go into it but lets just say I'm not going to go in there with a full stomach (hopefully).

So, I thought I'd put in a few links here to what I have been eating, reading, doing...

A few friends have been coming round for tea so I've used this as an excuse to continually be making my Mumma's Ultimate Coffee Cake, it's been incredibly well received by all so far, even those not keen on coffee and because it uses margarine and it's the only thing I use margarine for I may as well keep making it until I run out! I think I'll make this after I've had the baby too as its really quick and apparently there will be visitors and it is so quick that even if I can't make it I should be able to boss Joe from the sofa.

Mostly I've been re-making tried and trusted recipes that are quick and tasty. We have my cousin staying with us for a couple of nights and so this evening I'm going to make the chicken part of Jamie's Stuffed Cypriot Chicken and serve it with tomato salad, green salad and mini conchigliette pasta with lots of butter and garlic salt. She's at university at the moment so feels the need for some salad - this chicken is the perfect accompaniment. My pudding of choice for when we have people over for supper has been thanks to trusty Nigella and her Instant Chocolate Mousse - pregnancy friendly and the perfect vehicle for double cream.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been filling the freezer up with easy-to-cook comfort food in 2 person portions so when we come back from the hospital we have something to eat. I also have fish fingers, chips, peas, bread etc in there ready to go. Have managed to freeze all Joe's favourites so I'm slightly worried that if I get kept in the hospital for a couple of days I'll come home to find that he's eaten it (it's sometimes like living with Homer Simpson: 'the freezer defrosted so i had to eat everything'...). So the main things in there are Macaroni Cheese, Spaghetti Bolognaise and Piquant Basil Chicken

I have been reading a few baby books but find the whole thing rather over-whelming. How can you possibly remember everything when you have a pregnant brain and can't put anything into practise yet? I really loved A Perfect Start: Or coping with the first months of parenthood by Christine Hill and Joe actually read it too and wasn't too pained by the whole experience. Because there is so much information I've now been alternating ready a baby book occasionally during the day and a non-baby book at night (baby books just before bed are a sure cause of anxiety dreams). At the moment the baby book is French Children Don't Throw Food by Pamela Druckerman which Joe bought me by accident and I thought was for older children but has some great advice, and the non-baby book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, recommended to me by a friend for my holiday to France so I uploaded it onto my trusty Kindle and then never got round to it - it's fantastic.

I've been trying to look after myself too - pregnancy is not unstressful on the body so I think a bit of TLC is just what's needed. For the past four months (and indeed in an hours time) I've been having massages with Agnes through Return to Glory. Incredibly good value for money and having someone appear on your doorstep so you don't have to heave yourself out of the house is a big deal when you get this big. I've also made sure that my skin has been moisturised - my two must have products have been Embryolisse Baume Riche and Origins Make a Difference + creams. You don't need to be pregnant, these are perfect for this time of year if you suffer from dry/tight skin.

I'm not big on having my photo taken so there haven't been any bump update pictures but there is the occasional one on Instagram so if you use it then follow me there @corinnaharrod.

So thats it really, I will update here when there's any news of an arrival... or a non arrival if it's really late. Then hopefully I'll be back in the kitchen soon - strange to think that by this time I'm usually elbow deep making flavoured vodka, pickles, chutneys and jams for Christmas. This year it'll be 'thank goodness for the Internet'!

Instant Chocolate Mousse

Although I don't really have a sweet tooth normally I am always a fan of chocolate mousse. Typical then that, now I'm pregnant and only want sweet things, chocolate mousse is often off the menu as it contains raw egg. Thank goodness (as usual) for Nigella Express which has this recipe in for an extra quick, egg free chocolate mousse. I can see this being a pretty permanent fixture in my fridge for the next 7 or so weeks. It seems to be really liquid when you decant it but once it's set in the fridge it has an amazing thickness. I like it best with a good dollop of double cream.

Instant Chocolate Mousse

For 4-6

150g mini marshmallows
50g soft butter
250g good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) chopped into small pieces
60ml hot water from a recently boiled kettle
1 x 284ml tub double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water into a heavy-based saucepan.

2. Put the saucepan on the hob, over heat, though keep it fairly gentle, to melt the contents, stirring every now and again. Remove from the heat.

3. Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick, and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth cohesive mixture.

4. Pour or scrape into 4 glasses or ramekins, about 175ml each in capacity, or 6 smaller ones and chill until you want to eat.

Return to Glory

It's rare to find anything at a fantastic price in London and I was dreading booking myself in for a pregnancy massage because I knew that if I enjoyed it I'd want more and we'd be bankrupt before the baby even arrived. But a bit of googling led to me Return to Glory 'London's leading mobile massage and beauty service' who not only offer pregnancy massage but four different pregnancy treatments including reflexology. And they do so many other treatments for the non-knocked up - deep tissue massage, couples massage, Swedish and Thai yoga massage, dance, salsa and Pilate's private lessons, facials, make overs, a whole range of treatments for men and even events for offices and parties.

The fact that you can get whatever treatment in your own home is fantastic but especially if you are in London and want a massage - the thought of being that relaxed and then having to schlep home on public transport thus undoing all the relaxation is what really swung it for me. As I wanted it asap I booked over the phone (0845 485 1195) but you get a 10% discount for booking online so it's definitely worth doing that. I couldn't believe that for £65 someone was going to come to my house with all the equipment and give me a massage.

Agnes appeared at 5 mins to the allotted time and set up quickly even though our room is tiny. She'd bought soothing music (which helped drown out  the noise of upstairs builders) and helped me get my bulk into a towel (which she kept helping me rearrange so I didn't feel like meat on a slab - all exposed). She also explained exactly what was going to happen which was nice - I knew they wouldn't offer or do any treatments that weren't safe but my husband was anxious about me getting a massage which had transferred to me a little so it was nice to have it all talked through before hand. I was getting their Signature Pregnancy Massage and I'd read a bit on the website but what I hadn't taken in was that everything gets rubbed. Your back, legs, feet, arms, face and head. IT IS AMAZING.

Obviously it depends on your therapist but the amount of pressure was just perfect - I was worried that pregnancy massage would be a bit light - and the timing great, nothing was hurried and I definitely got my full hours worth. How can this be just £65. As soon as she left - leaving me in my dressing gown beaming - I re-booked for a months time. I then called my pregnant sister and pregnant buddy and told them they have to try it out. It is really worth giving Return to Glory a go - they are incredibly helpful so if you are not sure what you need give them a call - I'm sure they will have the treatment for you.  

Seraphine Jeans

I thought buying maternity clothes would be really quite easy. A lot of people are having babies all the time and that's not going to change. But finding nice, normal looking maternity jeans was such a nightmare I was seriously considering taking a pair of scissors to my favourite Replay jeans and making my own bump stretcher.

I bought two pairs (1 black and 1 blue) of Topshop's Leigh jeans which are very nice. They are not denim so they are soft and comfortable but they only come skinny so as your thighs get bigger they don't look exactly flattering with trainers and with the weather in the UK at the moment flip flops are not really an option. Wearing trainers with skinny jeans that are just stretching to accommodate my now vast thighs was making me feel incredibly depressed and desperately unattractive. So I have a bump, I still want to look normal everywhere else.

Then I tracked down Seraphine and although their jeans aren't as cheap as the Topshop and H&M options the cut looked good and they are proper denim. I went crazy. I bought two pairs convincing myself that I would choose one and send the other back. A massive bonus was that most of them come with a thin bump band rather than one that goes all the way over which, with my short waist, isn't the most comfortable.

The first pair I chose were their straight leg premium maternity jeans. A lovely colour and great cut - all other maternity jeans I had found online seemed to be skinny or bootcut. The fact that they are worn by Dannii Minogue is something I couldn't care less about except that you can see her wearing them rather than a headless, lifeless, odd-shaped mannequin and they look nice!

The second pair where the I-don't-need-them-but-I-want-them pair of grey skinny luxe jeans. When I'm not knocked up I love wearing my grey skinnies at this time of year and have been missing them a little. I rather assumed these wouldn't fit and would be the ones to go back. Again being worn by January Jones and Jessica Alba seemed to be a big selling point for these and again seeing them on actual people was a massive help. They look like actual jeans, not just the bottom half of a sat romper suit.

Both pairs were £65, not exactly bank breakers but not cheap either baring in mind I'm having a bloody baby and they're not cheap either! But both of them fitted beautifully and I couldn't be parted with them. I've kept them both, even though they are so ridiculously long I had to spend £20 having them taken up, I am in love with them. As I said to my husband (as he wept over my red bank statement) they more than paid for themselves the first time I wore them because I feel normal! I feel like a regular pregnant woman from the waist down - they are comfortable but properly cut and structured. I really, really recommend getting them. And as I'm hoping this will not be the only time I'm pregnant, and I'm assuming I will be in them for a while after the baby, I think £65 is a really good price. There's no way that I would get my maternity jeans from anywhere else in the future.

Butter London

From my blog Little Miss B...

Not only am I using pregnancy as an excuse to eat as much cheese as I like (specifically Cheshire cheese... oh my god I love Cheshire cheese) but it was also a great reason to make my husband by me some nail varnish that's actually good for me. Well not good for me but certainly not bad for me, and that is something Butter London specialises in.

I'm trying not to be too overly freaked out about what I can and can't do while pregnant. My mother ate everything and I turned out fine but, as I explained to her, the problem with knowing what you should and shouldn't be doing is that if something goes wrong you feel totally responsible. So imagine my dismay when I read that some chemicals, called phthalates which act as plasticisers, are used in some nail varnishes and can mimic oestrogen and have a 'feminising effect on boys while they are still developing in the uterus'.*

Snog

The levels of these phthalates in our bodies is rising but there is no scientific evidence that this is caused by nail varnish but they are used so widely, and manufacturers don't need to list them in the ingredients, that I thought making sure I'm using the 'healthiest' nail varnish I could find would be a good idea. Basically any excuse to try these lovely nail varnishes.

Butter London were the first company to sell non-toxic nail lacquer in the US and their 3 Free nail varnishes contain no Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens.At £12 for a colour and £15 for a top or base coat these lacquers are not cheap but the range of colours is exceptional, they are easy to apply, quick drying and long lasting. I always get comments when I'm wearing them.

Joe very kindly bought me two colours (Snog and Blowing Raspberries) back from America and I went online to buy base and top coats... then I accidentally bought two classics, Pillar Box Red and Come to Bed Red.  I always have red toes so I think £24 on red nail varnish is totally justified!

One thing to mention - it is not the most chip resistant nail varnish I have ever used... but then I'm pretty hard on my nails but this chips quicker than some others. But then nail varnish chips. This is not big news.

I'm now desperate to try their matte top coat, Rosie Lee, Knees Up, Henley Regatta and surely I've got to get Slapper for blue-crazy Miss F's birthday? xx

From l to r: Come to Bed Red, Base Coat, Pillar Box Red, Top Coat, Blowing Raspberries and Snog

* Expecting by Anna McGrail and Daphne Metland

Things that Suck about the first three months...

OK so I found out I was pregnant in South Africa where everyone announces it as soon as they find out. I then returned to England where you don't tell anyone and that is annoying because it really limits your complaining (which is maybe why you don't mention it til you're 12 weeks) and what the hell is Twitter for if not complaining? So I found it easier to make a list of things that are annoying. I don't want to sound ungrateful because I really am. But I also love a good moan...

• Having to pee five times a night
• The nausea oh my god the nausea
• Clothes starting not to fit around your thighs... please let that not just be me
• The extreme exhaustion
• More nausea
• Having to eat everything that's not nailed down
• Not being able to eat smoked salmon, salami, parma ham, some cheese, peanuts
• Not being able to drink Crabbies
• The extreme guilt after eating biltong, smoked salmon, parma ham
• Not being able to go in the cage shark diving
• Fearing the appearance of piles
• Having to have a scan with a thing that looks like an Apple joystick in your hoo-ha 
• Not being allowed to casually smoke cigarettes...  
• Not being able to tell anyone why you look like a plumper, spottier version of you
• The conviction that everything bad you've ever done will come back and bite you in the ass and there will be something wrong with your baby
• Looking at lovely clothes in shops and thinking... there's just no point 
• Thighs eventually needing their own postcode
• Feeling guilty about getting my hair dyed. 

But then we went and saw the scan this morning and it was wriggling about and had tiny feet and I minded all of the above a lot less... still slightly resentful about the size of my thighs though.