Birth Story | Planned C-Section

Hi Cherubs!

I'm 6 weeks postpartum and just getting around to writing this post, looking after two under two is no joke! Finally landing on my feet though, we've all adjusted to being a family of four. My toddler, Mina has surprised me the most, she's so loving and just totally gets that sometimes she just has to wait for my attention. I'm positive we will have some trying times ahead but I'm confident we will work it out. No more babies for me, I am content with my two ladies and so is my husband 😅

Great news... I made it to my c-section date!
On the morning of July 23rd my husbands alarm went off at 4:30am and he got up and made me a coffee and some breakfast. I had to eat by 5am as my surgery was booked in for 2:45pm and you're not allowed to eat or drink because of the spinal anesthesia. I didn't sleep after that as I felt too anxious and excited. We had a pretty chilled out morning, I had some time with Mina and at around 10am whilst I was folding laundry I received a phone call from my hospital asking if I would come in earlier. I said yes and then the nerves really set in, we got our things ready and was at the hospital by 11. Saying goodbye to Mina was pretty hard, I haven't been away from her for more than a few hours EVER! And because she was just getting over a cold it wouldn't be right for her to come to the hospital. As soon as I got into the car I burst into tears! (blaming pregnancy hormones)

I got set up in the planned c-section room which has two beds sectioned off by curtains (it was empty when I arrived) and a bathroom. My nurse was so lovely and she made sure everything went to plan and everyone was on time, she was a boss! Whilst I was waiting around for my allotted time I actually started having contractions, they were 5/6 mins apart not too painful, but I'm pretty sure I would have gone into labour naturally on that day anyway. 

I walked to the operating theatre at 12:20 and there was around 8 people in there getting set up. it was honestly such a calm experience compared to my unscheduled c-section with Mina. Everyone was just chatting about their day, laughing and joking, it was nice. Even having my spinal block placed I felt pretty chilled, I still held my nurses hand though! I started to feel nauseous straight away so I made sure to ask for some meds. 
My husband came in when everything was set up. And 1:03pm Roya was born. She had the cord wrapped around her neck twice which makes me so thankful I had her at 39 weeks via c-section...So scary.
Roya was huge at 9lbs 😂 She had a full head of dark hair and just looked so precious. My husband stayed with Roya and the baby nurse whilst they got her cleaned up. 
There was no complications with my surgery but after Roya was born my doctor asked me if I had 2 uterus's. Apparently they found what appeared to be a second uterus, they aren't quite sure but they took a picture and I might have to have someone look into it. But she reassured me it wouldn't affect my health in any way. 
The surgery took around 1hr30, planned c-sections usually are a little longer because they can take their time. With Mina once the c-section was decided it was go go go! Also my scar this time around is so neat and tidy, you can definitely tell they took their time.

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Baby Roya's birth story
Once we got back to the room I did skin to skin with Roya and it was so perfect, she started nursing straight away, she was pretty eager actually and latched ok not perfect but it was bearable. 
I first stood up and walked 5 hours after surgery. it didn't go too well as I felt super light-headed and I threw up. I threw up quite a lot over the next few hours so eating was out of the question. The second time I stood up I did a little better and managed to walk to the bathroom but again I threw up. The third time was better but I passed some pretty huge clots (tmi but this is a birth story!) My doctor wasn't alarmed and gave the ok to remove my catheter. The first few days recovering from a c-section are so painful, just sitting up is a full on work out and I couldn't lift Roya out of her bassinet so every time she needed to be fed my husband would hand her to me. 

She was cluster feeding for the first few days in hospital so as you can imagine my boobs felt incredibly sore. Also because she was a big baby they had to monitor her sugar levels every few hours which was heartbreaking to watch your newborn being prodded all the time. Her levels were low at one point and my hospital policy is to give them 10ml of formula unless I could express 10ml of colostrum which I tried so hard to do but I had no where near enough. My nurse gave her the formula and her sugar levels returned to normal.
The nurses were incredible and really looked after us. On the second night at hospital Roya was constantly feeding and we had zero sleep, our nurse suggested we put Roya in the nursery for a while and she'd look after her for us. That night we had a 4 hour stint of sleep and it was pure magic.

My milk came in just 48hours after birth, with Mina it took 6 days so you can imagine how happy and relieved I was. I requested to see a lactation consultant before I left just to make sure my latch was good. The consultant was so lovely and instilled so much confidence in my ability to breastfeed. My whole birth experience has been extremely positive second time around.
Roya was thriving too and passed her hearing test and her other checks so we were allowed to go home after the second night.

By far my favorite moment was introducing Roya to Mina, she was besotted straight away. A little heavy handed but she has learned to be more gentle.
As far as recovery goes I'm feeling like my normal self, ready to start working out again but I won't start until my doctor has given the ok. The hormones have been intense,I cried a lot for the first 3 weeks but right now I'm feeling better. I should also mention the after birth contractions! Oh my, way worse with this birth but again they have subsided now thankfully!

Breastfeeding is still going well, I had a few painful weeks dealing with bleeding nipples but after talking with lactation consultants and my friends I managed to get on top of the situation. I used comfort gels by Ameda and there were game changers. I don't have to wear them anymore as we've figured out a great latch and have a somewhat structured feeding schedule.
Roya is a great sleeper like her sister. Were currently having a 6 hour stint and then another 3 hours of sleep so I can't complain.

I can't believe how quick these past 6 weeks have gone, time really does flash before your eyes. Roya seems so big now! But its lovely seeing her change and grow day to day. I'm really looking forward to seeing my two girls grow up together and hopefully be best of friends.

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Sisters meeting for the first time


Happy baby and happy momma!

Thank you so much for reading Roya's birth story.

Love Sarah


Third Trimester Update | Baby Number 2

Hi Cherubs!

I'm writing this at 38w4d... 4 days before my scheduled c-section ahhh! It hasn't felt real until now to be honest. I'm as ready as I'll ever be and my sister has arrived to look after my 19month old, Mina. So yeah its baby time!
I'm not gonna lie I was absolutely dreading this final trimester as my previous experience with Mina was not pleasant at all. I was huge, I hated that I couldn't fit in anything and I had the worst back problems too. This time around its been ok!


Selfcare, fitness and diet

Selfcare... Well there hasn't been a lot of that. I've kept on top of my nail/hair appointments and take naps when I can but other than that I've been focusing on Mina, trying to squeeze in as much quality time as possible. Towards the end of the third trimester that has been more cuddles, book reading and crafty things. I'm not totally convinced she knows whats going on but she has definitely needed me more and has been way more affectionate. 

My fitness has been minimal, I go on walks everyday with Mina but thats as far as I've pushed myself this time. I've had minimal back problems this pregnancy and maybe its because I haven't put pressure on myself to work out all the time like I did with my previous pregnancy. I am looking forward to getting back to my usual regime once baby is here and I'm cleared to work out. Even though I haven't exercised that much my weight gain has been minimal in comparison to my first pregnancy, I gained nearly 40lbs with Mina and this time I've gained 25lbs. Every pregnancy is different so maybe its just one of those things or maybe its having a toddler to run after and not much time to think about myself...who knows. But I am super happy I don't have much to lose after. 

My diet has been pretty good for the most part, I get Daily Harvest deliveries of smoothies and harvest bowls which I have for lunch times and I usually make a healthy salad for dinner but I definitely have allowed myself treats here and there especially on weekends! Its all about balance after all. Ive had no cravings apart from enjoying orange juice mixed with sparkling water. I drink it every lunch time even though it gives me heartburn! Sidenote, heartburn has been insane these last final weeks especially at night time when I'm trying to fall asleep!

Third Trimester, 39 Weeks pregnant, baby number 2, girl mom, bump style, mom blog, mommy blogger, pregnancy style, healthy pregnancy
39 weeks pregnancy update


Mind and body

My hormones have been a little unbalanced I would say. I find myself having less patience and crying more easily but I expected these mood swings so I've been able to deal with them better. Now that my c-section is just days a way I am starting to feel overwhelmed by the whole thing. Don't get me wrong I am happy baby will be delivered this way as I don't feel comfortable with a VBAC but I have to leave my toddler and I know the recovery is hard and the emotions after are intense. My plan is to take it day by day and not put too much pressure on myself. I know I will miss Mina and she will miss me but its a short time away from one another.

As I've mentioned before no back pain or sciatica this time which I am ecstatic about but that doesn't mean I've gotten off easily. From 36 weeks I've been feeling a lot of pressure. I basically feel like I'm carrying a bowling ball between my legs. So uncomfortable. Sitting down for too long hurts, standing up for too long hurts, walking is slow and steady and picking Mina up is a work out. I'm ready to have this baby and feel comfortable in my body again! 

I've only noticed a few small stretch marks appear around my belly button but honestly I couldn't care less about those. They fade and are barely noticeable after a while so its not worth thinking about. I've been using the Cowshed stretch mark oil which has kept my skin moisturized and the itchiness at bay. I highly recommend it! I think I've got through 7/8 bottles this pregnancy.

I'm planning on wearing the Belly Bandit wrap after delivery. I found it so helpful after Mina not just for getting my stomach flat but it gives so much support especially with a c-section when you're too scared to use your abs to sit up and down. I couldn't wear it until 5 days after delivery with Mina because of swelling but I'm hoping I'll be less swollen this time so I can get the tummy support I need straight away. 

Overall swelling has been minimal this pregnancy, my feet and hands have only just started to swell and I only really notice it after I've gone for a walk.

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Dressing the bump at 39 weeks pregnant


Preparing for baby

So not much prep has happened this time around just because we already have everything we possibly could need and baby will be sleeping with us for the first few months at least. One thing I did enjoy doing was going through Mina's old clothes and deciding what to keep and what to donate. They will be born in opposite seasons so not everything will work but it was a therapeutic process all the same. One thing I wanted to try out with baby number 2 is a soft wrap as I think it will be so handy to wear around the house whilst looking after a toddler. I decided on Solly Baby as they have so many pretty colors... I'm just hoping I can master the wrap and feel confident wearing my newborn in it. 

Thanks for reading this update, I hope you've enjoyed living this pregnancy with me. I can't wait to complete our family!

Love Sarah

Dress Like Me Magazine Feature

Hi Cherubs!

Just a little heads up Dress Like Me have featured me on their magazine site! 
Its an extremely lovely post so thank you!

You can also browse through the Fashion Feature tab and discover some stylish fashion bloggers. I've already discovered so many!

Check out the Feature here

Love Sarah
Dress Like Me, Mommy Fashion, Mom blog, Mommy blogger, Pregnancy blog, Little Black Dress,  35 Weeks Pregnant
Dress Like Me | Magazine feature


Trying R+Co hair products at home for the first time

Hi Cherubs!


R+Co has been used on my hair many times before at my hair salon, I always comment on how nice my hair smells and feels to my lovely hairdresser. So when the team reached out and offered to send me a few products to try I didn't need to give it a second thought. Yes yes yes! I chose the Bel Air shampoo and conditioner as smooth hair is my ultimate daily hair goal and I also picked up a dry shampoo because I'm a busy mom and I need an extra few days of good hair before I can fit in a wash. Real life!

Anyways a bit about the brand if you're intrigued like me.
R+Co want to create an experience every time you use a product see a product or smell a product. The divine subtle, chic fragrance is meant for both men and women and I can definitely agree to that. All products are whipped up without nasties like parabens, sulfates (SLS OR SLES) mineral oil and petroleum. Everything is cruelty-free, vegetarian, gluten free and color safe.
A trusty worthy brand in my personal opinion.

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Smooth sleek hair
I have been using the same shampoo and conditioner now for a few years and its been so nice to switch up my routine a little and the difference in my hair was even noticeable by my husband! 
First off the shampoo was luxurious to touch and lathered up well on first shampoo, second shampoo was lather heaven! The scent is heavenly and instantly took me back to my hair salon but without the lovely head massage! The conditioner was just as luxurious and felt great straight away in my hair, no need to comb through. 

The real results happened once I dried my hair. Now I never do anything fancy when drying my hair, I wish I could be bothered to section my hair and use a round brush but I'm a blast dry sorta gal. Even with drying my hair like this it was noticeably smooth straight away and after I straightened out the natural kink to my hair it was pretty much perfect. See picture above... what do you think? Another thing I loved was that it contained my flyaways but kept some bounce in my hair without weight. Love love love! 

Another big hit for me was that my hair stayed straight and smooth on day 2,3 and 4 until I had to give it a wash. I usually have to go over my hair with straighteners so this was a big plus for me and saved me some time in the mornings.

The dry shampoo is great to add some texture and volume for everyday styling. It doesn't feel icky or heavy and no white powdery marks left in hair. It's definitely a delicate dry shampoo and I personally would need something stronger but if you wash your hair every other day I think it would be perfect for you. 
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R+CO Bel Air shampoo and conditioner

Have you tried R+Co before? Whats your favorite product?

Bel Air Shampoo - R+Co* Gifted
Bel Air Conditioner - R+Co* Gifted
Death Valley Dry Shampoo - R+Co* Gifted

Thanks for reading!

Catch up on my previous post here

Love Sarah

Little black dress | 33 weeks pregnant


Hi Cherubs!

I think I've found a gem of a dress over on Amazon fashion for $20! If you follow me on Instagram you may have already seen me wearing the dress in grey, but I loved it so much I picked it up in black too. Its pretty damn affordable but the quality is still great...No flimsy see-through material, fabric is thick and oh so flattering over the bump.

I only have around 6 weeks left so buying more clothes to fit the growing baby bump seems so pointless. But this dress didn't break the bank so I don't feel too guilty about making another purchase. It's getting pretty toasty here in CA and this is the dress I'll be wearing to keep somewhat cool. What do you think?


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$20 figure flattering maternity dress

33 weeks pregnant, style the bump, mom blog, mom style, mommy blogger, Bay Area mom, girl mom, pregnancy blog, Third trimester style, baby number 2,  little black dress, Stella McCartney bag
Affordable pregnancy style

33 weeks pregnant, style the bump, mom blog, mom style, mommy blogger, Bay Area mom, girl mom, pregnancy blog, Third trimester style, baby number 2,  little black dress, Stella McCartney bag
Amazon fashion maternity dress find

Dress - Amazon
Shoes - Miista (old)

Catch up on my previous post here

Love Sarah

An introduction to Nanobébé



Hi Cherubs

Currently 32 weeks pregnant over here, feeling great apart from some minor back pain and having to waddle around everywhere! Not long left of this pregnancy now so I'm starting to get all the final bits ready for baby girl and starting to think about my hospital bag. 
I received a lovely email from the guys over at Nanobébé who wanted to introduce me to their brand and send me some goodies to prepare me for baby! So sweet of them, and I will definitely be popping the goodies in my hospital bag for sure.

Have you heard of Nanobébé before? No? Keep on reading then my friends.


Nanobébé, nursing pads, pacifiers, chic baby products, breast feeding, bottle feeding, new mom must haves, baby registry, pumping mom, breastmilk
Nanobébé new mom must haves

Nanobébé, nursing pads, pacifiers, chic baby products, breast feeding, bottle feeding, new mom must haves, baby registry, pumping mom, breastmilk, mom life, mom blog
Nanobébé day and night breast pads

Nanobébé, nursing pads, pacifiers, chic baby products, breast feeding, bottle feeding, new mom must haves, baby registry, pumping mom, breastmilk, mom life, mom blog
Nanobébé flexy pacifier


Nanobébé mission is simply to reinvent the products we need day and night to keep parents and baby happy. The bottle is really impressive and I have not seen anything else like it on the market. The bottle has a unique shape designed to improve bottle feeding breastmilk, milk warms up quickly without destroying precious nutrients and the shape of the bottle is a close mimic to breastfeeding in the hopes to keep babies on breastmilk for as long as possible. 
With my first baby I had so many problems with latching that I became a 'pumping mom' for nearly 11 months! I would have loved to try out these bottles with her and maybe I could have got her back on the breast... But never mind, I get another try with baby number 2!
They also have some other great breast feeding products like their storage system, so clever and it takes up little room in your freezer. They also have pacifiers, nursing pads, microwave steam sterilizer, drying rack and warming bowl.

Everything is designed with parents and baby in mind at an affordable price...did I mention its all super chic too?

See all products here

Featured products 


Thanks for reading 

Love Sarah


Date night ootd at 30 weeks pregnant


Hi Cherubs!

Date nights don't happen much anymore... I actually think in the entire 18months of having Mina we've had around 5 max. But since it was my husbands 30th we thought we should treat ourselves and my lovely friend who has 2 kids of her own offered to help us out by watching Mina in the evening and also a day on the weekend so we could get some spa treatments. Luxury! 
It was honestly so nice getting away from being mom and dad for a few hours and I think were gonna try and do it at least once a month... It might be difficult once the new addition arrives though. How do you guys spend quality time with your significant others?

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Dressing the bump in the third trimester of pregnancy

pregnancy style, dressing the bump, 29 weeks pregnant, mom blog, mommy blogger, Isabel Marant, third trimester style, baby number 2, girl mom
30 weeks pregnant date night outfit

In terms of date night outfits I'm clutching at straws here haha. 30 weeks pregnant and not much fits. I also don't want to spend anymore money on maternity fashion if I'm honest. My plan was to wear my polka dot Zara dress but it was raining and jeans and a nice top seemed more appropriate. These over the bump Topshop jeans are a bit of a lifesaver since the jersey band is black and means you can extend the life of your pre-pregnancy shirts like my beloved Isabel Marant floral number. Its definitely a special piece and elevates an otherwise standard outfit.

Top - Isabel Marant via Nordstrom (old)
Jeans - Topshop
Shoes - Topshop (old)

Catch up on my previous post here

Love Sarah

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