As you are all well aware I am a massive fan of Laila & Spot! For those of you who are new here I am constantly talking about their clothing range. It’s gorgeous and designed just for mums with comfort and style in mind. The founder of Laila & Spot knows what a huge fan I am and has been kind enough to donate a $50 voucher for one lucky lady or gentleman if you’re into that sort thing.

You can find me talking about how great the range is here, here & here!

To enter all you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below. Winner is decided based on skill and chance plays no part. Australian residents only! Sorry everyone else. **The mandatory instructions MUST be completed or your entry will be void!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

The post Fabulous Fashion with Laila & Spot – GIVEAWAY! appeared first on All Mum Said.

Finding something to wear after you have a baby that makes you feel anything other than frumpy, daggy or still pregnant is hard to come by. It doesn’t matter how many babies you have had previously it is always the same feeling of – I have lived in these clothes the entire pregnancy and they are now so stretched out or I am sick of the sight of the items in my wardrobe. As I have previously mentioned in other posts I have practically lived in the same dresses, pair of shorts and skirt for the last 6 months of my pregnancy and I was wanting to leave the hospital in something that was as new as my baby girl. Something I’d never worn before. A new start.

You will have heard me mention my love for the brand i&u (innovation and you) that has recently changed to Laila & Spot. The dresses I lived (and to be honest, still live in) when I was pregnant are the maxi dresses from i&u. I know they are great quality and are made to last so I didn’t hesitate in jumping over to the new Laila and Spot website as soon as I heard they had extended their range. I proudly wore home one of their skirts which I’m so glad to have taken to the hospital with me; after having my bub via C-section I wanted to wear something that didn’t put too much pressure on my wound. The skirt has no zips, buttons or elastic jabbing or digging in which made it perfect. It is very comfortable and because I got it in black it goes with everything – obviously it’s now a staple piece. It does come in 3 colours but I thought black would be the safer option for me to start. Oh and they are only $40.

I have also been wearing the leggings which have been great for this crazy cold and windy weather we’ve been having. They are so soft and comfortable (almost like you aren’t wearing pants but you’re warm). Hahaha. They come in 2 styles – full length and ¾ length. I opted for the full length being winter I thought they’d be perfect with dresses, long tops, tunics and of course boots. These are also great for after having a C-section as they also have no elastic at the front (don’t worry about them falling down though there is some elastic through the back to prevent this!). I love how versatile these are and that for only $30 the quality is better than some I’ve paid triple that for.

Like I mentioned above and in previous posts I love their maxi dresses. They are great to breastfeed in and the design cannot be flawed. Truth be told I own 3 of their maxis (2x black and 1x blue) along with a shorter black version. Now that they have changed to Laila & Spot and expanded their range they have now got a two-tone dress that is also designed for breastfeeding. They look great and like the maxis I have are made from bamboo. I am currently waiting on 2 of these to arrive from the postman. I ordered one in each colour. I think it’s fair to say I love Laila & Spot and obviously the contents of my wardrobe show that. It is basically the only brand in there!

Check out their facebook and website. You won’t regret it!

The post Dressing For A New Beginning appeared first on All Mum Said.

Pregnancy is not all glamour and perfect glowing skin. I know many expectant mothers are under the illusion that pregnancy brings so many wonderful experiences and benefits. I’ll admit it does bring with it some of the most amazing experiences a woman could ever imagine however it doesn’t always come with no strings attached. I’ve personally learnt that sometimes you do really have to take the good with the bad and learn to accept the changes that have occurred; things that may never be the same again.

 A friend of mine was expecting nothing but radiant glowing skin, a perfectly round belly and complete and utter joy. This was not the case for her and I’m sure many other women out there are expecting one thing but end up experiencing something completely different. Mood swings, the amount of changes to her body, lack of sex drive and being uncomfortable are not things she expected and because she had this expectation of the perfect pregnancy her journey has not been as joyous it could have been. I am a little nervous about publishing this post as I share images of my body that have taken me an extremely long time to come to terms with and accept that is what I’ve been dealt. 6 years to be exact!

My body has gone through a transformation that could be described (and has been by me in the past) as nothing short of complete and utter destruction. I was blessed with beyond ridiculous stretchmarks and a flap of excess skin on my lower belly due to the size of my beloved children and their C-sections.

This current pregnancy the damage has been increased and has presented itself in the form of varicose and spider veins. They are not only unattractive but they can be extremely painful and spread like fuel to fire. They started near my knee and have spread up my thigh and down to my ankle, on the bright side at least they have only taken over one leg. Apparently they get worse with each pregnancy so I think it is safe to say this will be my last baby.

*26 years old and I have legs like this!*

It isn’t all bad though; I have experienced the radiant glow of an expectant mother, the ability to feel my baby grow and be nurtured inside me, the perfectly round (as huge as it may be) pregnant belly and of course the joy that motherhood brings. I’m not saying it has all been sunshine and rainbows but I have learnt to appreciate what I have. I can say I am more comfortable with my body now that I have acknowledged and accepted that it has done an incredible job creating and protecting my children.

I would like to let every woman out there who is suffering from poor pregnancy body image (before and after) that even though your body may no longer be perfect to you, it doesn’t mean it isn’t amazing. I have shared my images to let you all know that you are not alone and there is no reason to be ashamed, embarrassed, disgusted or disappointed in your body. It is strong, incredible and deserves credit for the hard work it has done – without it you wouldn’t have the little people who now or soon will call you mum.

TOTALLY WORTH IT!

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