7 Things To Do Next Pregnancy

• Drink water - the amount of water I drank before Baby compared to after baby was like a desert and a water fountain. So really I want to keep well hydrated as I think this will help my skin a lot during pregnancy. I have an issue with getting mildly dehydrated so that mixed with a toddler is not a situation to be in!

• Eat healthier & more regularly - I find it harder to eat regularly and healthily as I'm such a fussy eater. I also find it harder to eat more regularly as I'm so focused on doing everything else and then when I do eat Baby wants some too! I will have to get used to that and learn how to balance...eventually!

• Be active - I regret not doing this when I was pregnant, I think if I was a lot more active in walking and in general light exercise I wouldn't have felt lazy in later months as well as the extra flexibility wouldn't have hurt either! 

• Be more forward with my midwife about things I want to discuss - My personality is such that I am not an open book when it comes to meeting people for the first time, or the second time - it takes me a while. It also made a difference that I didn't like my midwife. 

She wasn't interested in hearing me speak even though she commented on many occasions about me not speaking very much at all. She didn't want to talk to me about a birth plan and got her trainee to have the most briefest of talks with me. I just didn't feel comfortable at all and the times I did talk to her I was cut off repeatedly.
I think I would ask for a different midwife, or else be more firm in what I wanted to talk about and make sure I get my point across.

• Have a holiday with just my husband - I definitely think we need as much 'us' time as we can soak up before getting on with it being a family of 4! We need non-stressful time together to focus on just us and not what we need to do, not what we have to do, not what we're supposed to do.  

• Spend as much time possible with Baby & Me - I will definitely miss it being just me & Babe. I will miss spending all our time together by ourselves. I will miss the new things that she does and the fact that I can pick it up so fast because there are barely any distractions. I will miss her.
• Similar to above, spend too much time with my mum, dad, sister & cousins while I could!

These are just some of the things that I'd like to be different for the next time. I think it's important to learn from my past experience and try to make some goals for the next one. Things can always be better if you allow them to be.


What is one thing you would change about your last pregnancy?

Coming Back

I've left this blog for a long time and that's because I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Did I want to make money with it? Did I want to make it a hobby? Did I want to make it and post for an audience, for popularity? Or did I want it for me? Did I just want something, one thing, to stick to?

I think the answer to all of those questions is yes. I wanted to do something to get myself some extra change, even if it wasn't much. I wanted it for a hobby. I wanted an audience to care about what I wrote each week. I wanted it to be my personal sanctuary and I wanted, for once, to commit to something and not fall onto the long list of things that I had failed at/lost interest in/just got lazy with.

So I stopped. I forgot. I left it alone and thought about it. I talked about it with a friend, and I realised by just talking about it how much I wanted to be back into it again. But I need a new focus and I need to remember always what my new focus is and to constantly and consistently make goals with my blog.

So I have decided that this will be left as my own personal space, that I will write my feelings out and make posts that matter to me. That I will not leave my thoughts and feelings by the way-side as I often do. That I will start and finish each post with sincerity and not feel bad if I think that particular post isn't as good as someone else's.

I will try harder and better in this aspect of my life, because if I have goals with this then I can have goals with other aspects in my life. I'm hoping something positive will come out of this. I hope for the best.

The Muslim Woman's Hospital Bag

I remember researching for hospital bag lists and watching countless YouTube videos to make sure I was all ready and prepared - making myself (and my mother, my husband, my grandmother, my village clan...) feel better.
But I also remember, very clearly, not ever coming across any list that would cater for the Muslim woman who covers herself from head-to-toe and what extra things she would need.
So I've decided to list the things I took with me.

The usuals that I took with me:

• Notes!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
• 2 toothbrushes & toothpaste (I took toothpaste with me, I remember packing it and when I'm looking for it completely disappeared!?!! I put an extra toothbrush for hubs!)
• Deodorant, soap, moisturiser, Tresseme shampoo & conditioner, hairbrush, lip balm, (nothing beats the shower in your own home though!)
• A gown & towel - for after the shower. 
• Backless, comfortable slippers - these were sooo comfortable and I went home in these too.
• Hair scrunchies
• Socks, underwear & nursing bra
• Nursing pads, Maternity pads & Nipple cream (I've also heard coconut oil works well as nipple cream and to moisturise baby's dry skin)
• Phone, phone charger & headphones
• Long, loose top (with buttons!) & pyjamas/leggings to give birth in & another pair, at least, for after birth.
• Cardigan - in case you get cold, of course
• Plastic bag for dirty clothes
• Little jug/water bottle - for bathroom purposes

Baby things:

•  Carseat & carseat newborn insert
• (16 for a 2 day stay) Nappies, nappy bags, 1 bag of cotton wool, little pot for water, vaseline/nappy rash cream
• 6 bodysuits & 6 babygros/sleepsuits
• 2 cellular blankets
• Baby jacket for home
• Baby socks - (these work as good mittens too)
• Bibs
• Going home outfit - I didn't put this on, because of the weather even though they were warm clothes.

The extras you want to think about:

• Long black pashmina (your scarf) - this can also serve as a breastfeeding cover & also if you just feel to cover in front of any visits you get in the hospital/whoevers barging into the room.
• Open-front (either with buttons or velcro) abayah (a full-sleeved floor length dress) - I used mine as a hospital gown and as an extra layer it kept me warm - especially with the thin blankets at the hospital!
• Overhead Hijaab (dress that is worn from head to toe) - wear this and a pashmina to go to and come back from the hospital!
• Niqaab (veil)  - this is if you wear it regularly and want to wear it to/from the hospital.
• Ka'bah compass - to find the direction so any one who visits can pray & if you are able to duringlabour/induction
• Mushaf - if you have the time during labour/induction/want to recite it to your newborn
• Zamzam water
• Dates - these are soooo good for you, your digestive system & also to practice the sunnah of tahneek

Things I didn't take that you may want to:

• Birthing ball
• Extra pillows
• Breastfeeding pillow
• V-shaped pillow
• Flip flops for shower
• Lip balm
• Hair dryer
• Money/coins
• Lotion
• Glasses
• TENS machine
• Big bag to put gifts in
• Gum
• Vests
• Make up
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet roll
• Paracetomol/Ibuprofen
• Notebook & pen
• Facial wipes
• Tennis ball in a sock 
• Breast pump

Sunnah of things to do with labour/ a newborn:

• The Manners of Welcoming the Newborn Child in Islam
• Ruling on Aqeeqah (sacrifice) 
• Praying with labour signs 
• Natural Blood of Women Shaykh Uthaymeen Dr Saleh-as-saleh 
• Breastfeeding ones child
• Menses and Dhikr of Allaah & Recitation of the Quran 

eBay Eyeliners: Yay or Nay?

I recently purchased some eyeliners from eBay. I was just having a look at their selection/price range and because I'm on a tight budget (cheap cheap), but needed black eyeliner I decided to get 3. I tend to use pencil as this feels best on my skin. I need something that's going to come off pretty easily when I need it to, but doesn't smudge and make me look crazy when I need it to last!

1. KRAZY GIRL perfect eyeliner pencil in sparkly black

I must admit this is a really cute idea for eyeliner pencil - I definitely liked the idea of the sparkliness and the sharpener in the pencil lid. It's quite a tall pencil, so room for lots of use and when sharpened gave a nice line. The description says 'waterproof & longlasting'.

Unfortunately this wasn't as longlasting as it did smudge after about 4/5 hours but did stay on for about 6/7 hours. It's not waterproof as water did smudge it off once I had washed my face and makeup wipes had gotten rid of the rest. The sparkliness also couldn't be seen on the eyelid and was only visible on the actual pencil and as a swatch on my hand.

Not the best buy to be very honest - 5/10


2. KG Contour Ultra Black

A smaller pencil than the before described as khol eyeliner pencil. It claims it has 'intense colour in just 1 stroke and up to 16h wear'. A tall order for any eyeliner! It's a lovely pigmented black colour and is very smooth on the eye. This does smudge quite easily, however, but did last for 6 hours I wore it. It is not waterproof and does come off easier than the Krazy Girl eyeliner, but the pigment stayed for longer. Better than the previous eyeliner, but did not reach for my expectations of smudging so easily.

6/10


3. Avon always on point eyeliner.  

Avon's eyeliner that I accidentally got in the colour Emerald! I didn't realise when I bought it and got very confused when I saw it. This is a reflective eyeliner, made in Germany and has a sharpener in the lid so every time you use it has that cute little point as pictured above. It has the texture of a crayon matching Avon's Glimmersticks.

This is by far my most favourite out of 3 and has bumped into one of my favourite eyeliners. The application is smooth, and it is so much easier to get the 'perfect winged eyeliner' out of this than most other pencil eyeliners (and sometimes liquid!). This lasted for a total of 8/9 hours without smudging. It was the most 'waterproof' of all the eyeliners and can be removed easily with makeup wipes/oil, etc. I will say, however, that with certain eyeshadows the smudging then begins, but nowhere near as much as the other 2.

9/10


Overall, I would say these were as good as their price - which was cheap. I didn't set out to buy these thinking they would be very good - the best eyeliners you could ever find!!!!!! - I bought them because I'm cheap and I don't want to spend money.
I wasn't looking for especially longlasting - I was looking for part of the day/evening. For my wants and needs they're okay - in the case of the avon brand, very good.

I'm so basic when it comes to these things and I don't want to delve into the world of makeup (I'll never get back out of the hole otherwise). I'm good with the makeup I have and I look good in it. :)


What's your favourite makeup brands? Have you ever bought something for cheap and had been delightfully surprised by the results? What's the worst makeup you've bought?

To Mum

I often think about death and about you

I think how much you'll meet too soon

I don't want to think about it because you are too dear to me

I want you to stay with me forever please

You have done everything for me and I want you to know

That I will be forever grateful even if it doesn't show

I want to hug you tight and never let go

But you would get claustrophobic and shake me so

I hope like everyone says that time will fly

Because im getting upset without your goodnights

I miss you too much and hope you come back soon

I hope you're having a good time - don't forget to look for the moon!

I love you too much you are my best friend

But all of this is driving me right round the bend

This is getting off hand I should probably stop

But not before explaining that my heart is in a knot

There are too many mixed feelings when you left me today

I was too happy for you but I wanted you to stay

I hope you come back with Nür in your face

A happiness within you that other people would have to chase

I want you to have everything your heart desires

So I pray for you always that Jannah is where you retire

I will always ask that when you meet death soon

Allaah will only take you when He's most happiest with you

I hope you can understand that when you ask things twice

Its only because I think your voice is so nice!

I want only the best for you and sometimes that doesn't include me

But I hope one day you will be set free

I want you to know you are my very best friend

I love you so much I won't pretend

I'm really going now - and this is my final goodbye

I love you so much and that's never a lie.