Edie Mae is my fifth baby

My fifth breastfed baby

And I know now

That for me

Getting back to being me

Will not really happen until baby is weaned

On the 8th November

Edie will be 6 months old

And we will embark on our final weaning journey

My aim is to take our transition from milk to solids

Very slowly

Following the mantra

Food is fun until you’re one

As I wean Edie from me

I am also going to be weaning me from Edie

From breastfeeding

From being mummy to a baby

For Edith Mabel is our last baby

And I am going to need time I think

To get used to not being pregnant or breastfeeding

It has been 8 years

But this part of my parenting journey is drawing to a close

And while I am loving being mummy to bright 7 year olds

Enjoying the challenges of my strong willed 3 year old

I love being mummy to a baby

This transition is going to take some getting used to

And I am looking forward to for the first time in forever

Having just a little bit of time to focus on me

To having some evenings to do things with two hands

Without a baby asleep on my knee

I need to plan for the transition

To make sure it is a positive one

And to try and ensure I do not just feel sad

At not having a baby anymore

So I am starting to think already

About what I can do

As Edie enters the second half of her first year

To prepare for the day she has her last feed

And decides to sleep in a bed on her own

SOB!

Here is how I plan

To very slowly

Take some time

Make some moves

To become a lighter fitter better me

Lose Weight
I know that all the while I am feeding

I will not reach my ideal weight

I currently weigh around 10 stone 3 pounds

I would like to weigh 9 stone

My weakness is chocolate

I eat it a lot

And every day

I know that I need to cut back

Or even better cut it out

But I find it so hard

In the new year I am determined to try

So I am on the hunt for a sweet alternative

To accompany my post dinner cup of tea

In 2018 I am going to cut out daily chocolate

I am also going to cut out coca cola and iced coffee

I seem to have a thing for them at the moment

A thing that needs to stop

As Edie weans

I am trying to use her food journey

To help the whole family make healthier choices

Healthier choices I hope will be all I need

To shift the excess weight

And maintain my 9 stone

If you have more weight to lose

Need more guidance and support

You can join community groups

Or online courses and communities

If you have a lot of weight to use

Support is available from your GP or pharmacy

Who can make suitable weight loss suggestions

Get Fit

As well as losing weight

I want to tone up

To do this I want to go on some family walks

I also like to walk and talk with my best friend

I am hoping to start swimming in the new year

Alone and with the children

And plan to start an adult ballet class

I have never done ballet

I am not a dancer by any stretch of the imagination

But inspired by my dancing daughters

And my best friend

I want to try something new

Something that might help to strengthen my core

Get Healthy

Along with lighter and fitter

I also want to be healthier

I want to improve my diet

And supplement my food intake

With vitamins and probiotics

I am going to book in for a well woman check

Now that I am 41 I think I need to prioritise looking after me

I want to be healthy for my children

I want to enjoy them

I want to support them

I want to see my grandchildren

And play a part in their lives

I need to look after me

Smear Test

Eye Test

Hearing Check

Cholesterol

All on the cards for me

Get Creative

I also need to look after my mental health

I need to do things that relieve stress

Exercise will play a big part in that

But so too does singing

I LOVE singing

It is so good for me

For everyone

Singing is good for your soul

Esther and I sing together in a community choir

For 45 minutes every Saturday

I love it so much

I would like to do more singing when I can

And maybe make a return to the stage too

Theatre was such a huge part of my life

For so long

I would like to get back into it

If I can

Get Brave

As the children all get older

Getting out and about with them all

Will become easier

And I want to start having more adventures

As a home educating family

We should make the most of term time expeditions

I am looking forward to making plans for excursions

And being brave enough to see them through

All of these things

Will serve to make

Weaning our last baby

And leaving our baby dies behind

A positive thing

Something to celebrate

Rather than grieve

What is your favourite thing

About being a mummy to older children

And leaving the baby days behind?

This is a collaborative post