style: diy dip dye top knot

If you fancy the dip dye/ombré hairstyle, then L'Oréal have the answer.

This is the second time I've dip dyed my hair and the second time that I've used a L'Oréal kit to get the look. If you're a time short, money short mama - or anyone short on time and money - this is the easiest way for you to get the look.

Bleaching your hair can be a bit scary. I was terrified the first time I tried it. Would it actually lighten my hair at all? Would it go green? Would it look terrible?

I'll be honest, on my dark (dyed) hair, it takes at least two, if not three, sessions to get it as light as I like it. It's still a little orange after the first go (see photo above).

How does it work? Here are my top tips that have worked for me:

• Brush your hair before you start. The kits come with a brush to apply the bleach but it'll just become a tangled mess very quickly if you don't brush it out first.
• Put an old towel round your shoulders to protect your clothes and skin.
• Split your hair into two and pull forward over your shoulders. Use clips to pin up sections. I usually do it in three layers.
• Don't use too much on the bottom layer. It might seem obvious but remember to leave enough of the bleach for all of the layers of your hair.
• When you've covered all of the hair you want bleached, use the leftover dye in your hands and just press into the ends as you'll want these to take the most bleach.
• Don't worry if your dip dye isn't as light as you wanted, you can repeat the process again in 4-5 weeks time to lighten further.

I used the L'Oréal Préférence Wild Ombrés kit to get the look. But I'm really intrigued to try the new L'Oréal Colorista range that includes bleach and also a whole range of wash in and temporary colours.

review: mam anti-colic bottles

I've been breastfeeding our baby boy for four months (tomorrow!) - I didn't actually think I'd get this far when I first started, as I found it so uncomfortable in those early days. One of the things that really got me through the early days of breastfeeding was the thought of being able to express and share the feeding load with my husband.

I blogged before about the MAM breast pump and it's the MAM bottles that have helped our baby boy to switch between breast and bottle with ease.

MAM boast: "Babies love the smart Silk Teat® because it feels soft and familiar – like Mummy's skin. This makes the switch between breastfeeding and bottle particularly easy." This has definitely been the case for us. Not only do they feel different, they are also shaped very differently to any other teats I've seen and I think this helps a breastfed baby to take to them.

The MAM bottles also boast an innovative design that allow them to be sterilised in the microwave with nothing more than a bit of water. Really great if you're out and about.

Also, check out how pretty the bottles are. They come in a range of colours (we have mini cream ones, medium green ones and big blue ones) and they have lovely little motifs all the way up the measures on the side.

I was sent two MAM bottles to try out but, as always, all views are my own.

review: cupcake re-useable nursing pads

For the past month or so I've been trying out these Cupcake re-useable nursing pads. I feel bad about the amount I'm throwing away with disposable nappies and breast pads and thought I'd give them ago.

I also found the disposable pads really hot and a bit gross, particularly in the warmer weather.

There's also the option to add liners to increase the absorbency of the pads if you are particularly engorged. You can either wear the pads alone, or add one or two extra liners which makes them quite unique.

These reusable pads are thin and lightly contoured for discretion under clothing however I didn't find them quite as discreet as the ultra slim disposable breast pads from Boots which I had been using.

They are very soft and comfortable. I tend to be most engorged overnight/early morning, when the baby boy misses a feed sometimes, so these work really well then as I don't mind them being a little bulkier than the disposable pads I had been using.

review: BabyBjörn Active vs Ergobaby Original

I loved the idea of baby wearing before our boy arrived. I'd seen mums carrying their babies close to them and thought it looked like a wonderful bonding experience. Not to mention too that baby wearing looked practical - allowing you to be hands free.

Then I had an emergency caesarean. And my plans for baby wearing were put on hold.

Eight weeks later I'm back in the gym (Pilates and yoga) and I'm feeling really well so I thought I'd finally give baby wearing a go - and I love it!!

We did some research (via blogs, obviously!) on the type of carrier to get. We bought the Ergobaby Original within days of the baby arriving. Complete with Infant Insert. Our baby hated it. Whether it was because he was too little and didn't really appreciate being held too close or swaddled in the beginning or it was too hot in those early weeks, I don't know. All I know is, he screamed from the minute he was put in and until the minute he was removed. So we sent it back.

We'd been given a BabyBjörn Original so we tried this. It worked! The baby didn't complain and it was so easy to put on by yourself. The only snag - no lumber support and a big baby meant that the hubby was very quickly experiencing back pain. We quickly found that BabyBjörn do the Active version which offers lumber support and is still so easy to use. Even better - you can get a BabyBjörn Active for just £5-10 on eBay! We snapped one up and have been using that for the past seven weeks.

Then came the time that I'd been signed off by the doctor and wanted to try baby wearing myself. I decided to read about the Ergobaby again and discovered that at 7 weeks, our baby was big enough to use it without the insert. This time I went straight to eBay and found I could pick up a lightly used Ergobaby Original for under £50 - less than half price! Fortunately it came with the infant insert as although the baby is big enough, he's not old enough to hold his head and needs the insert for this support. This time round though, he loves it!

We're away on holiday this week and will be using the Ergobaby for walks along the beach and trips into town.

I would totally recommend both carriers. The BabyBjörn Active is a great cheap option to try out baby wearing and is so so easy to use if you're on your own. While the Ergobaby is definitely more padded and better for wearing for longer periods. It's also not quite so easy to put on by yourself but with practice it can be done.

review: MAM breast pump

It's Expressing Week on The trainee mum! Today I'm reviewing the MAM Manual Breast Pump which I've been trying out for the past week. I've already reviewed the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature manual breast pump and later in the week I am planning a post that answers all of the questions I had before I started expressing.

Comfort: the breast shield on this pump is very solid (I think I prefer the Tommee Tippee's flexible one for comfort) but this set does include nipple shields for if you do find it uncomfortable. So far I've not actually needed to use them.

Suction: the main bonus feature on this pump is the dial that allows you to change the amount of suction. You can start off with the very strongest setting to let your milk flow down and then turn it down if you find it a bit too strong. I keep it quiet strong and it is so fast. I haven't had an issue with getting a fairly good milk yield when I pump but it can take a while to get a good 3-4oz. With the MAM pump, I can get 3-4oz in about 20 minutes.

Cleaning and assembly: this pump disassembles into four pieces for cleaning. The handle is not intended to be sterilised (it doesn't come into contact with the milk) but it is a little tricky to get the handle off the pump section. If you're struggling, make sure you use some force (I wasn't using any and it wouldn't come apart!).

Accessories: the MAM Maternity Breastpump Pack includes
1 x Manual breast pump
1 x Sealing disc
1 x Cotton drawstring travel bag
1 x lid, teat, collar to make complete 160ml anti colic bottle
1 x pair of nipple shields
1 x pair of breast pads

The baby immediately took to the MAM bottles. The shape of the teat is so different to any I've seen before and it seems that for a breastfed baby, these are the most similar to a nipple.

Price: the MAM Maternity Breastpump Pack that I was sent is £38 at MAM but you can get the MAM Breastfeeding Starter Set for less than half price at Argos right now.

Verdict: I love this pump. The MAM manual breast pump is the best I've tried for a good portable pump. It is really fast and comfortable. It is perfect if, like me, you want to pump maybe once every day or every other day for one feed.

If you're not sure how to use a breast pump, check out this video:



Disclaimer: I was sent the MAM manual breast pump to try in exchange for an honest review. I have since bought two more MAM anti colic bottles as they have worked so well for our baby.

review: tommee tippee closer to nature manual breast pump

I've been trying out the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Manual Breast Pump for the past few weeks. When I first started breastfeeding the idea of expressing and the fact that I might be able to pass some of the feeds to someone else kept me going when it felt like the feeding was never ending.

I had so many questions about expressing and although I don't profess to be any sort of expert, I am planning a post that answers the questions I had. Today, though, is all about the Tommee Tippee pump.

I'll be reviewing the MAM manual breast pump later this week. Heck, I might as well name this Expressing Week on The trainee mum! So that you can properly compare I'm going to comment on the same criteria for both pumps.

Comfort: the breast shield is large and made from a flexible plastic that moves with the breast as you pump. This makes it really comfortable. I was so worried about pumping being really sore - I needn't have worried.

Suction: this pump offers pretty good suction with a good milk flow. It's not the fastest (check back in the week for my review of the MAM manual breast pump which is much faster).

Cleaning and assembly: the pump disassembles into four bits for cleaning and sterilising. The main pump section is pretty enclosed however and I have noticed that mine looks a little cloudy and you can't properly get inside it.

Accessories: the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature manual pump pack includes
1 x Manual Breast Pump
1 x Easi-vent 150 ml bottle
1 x Milk storage pot
6 x Disposable breast pads
1 x Microwave steriliser box

We don't have a microwave but the steriliser box has come in handy as a storage container.

Bottles: our baby really didn't get on with the Tommee Tippee bottles - or rather, the teats. They did seem really big and slippy and he couldn't seem to get a good latch.

Price: the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Manual Breast Pump is half price at Boots and Argos right now for just £14.99. It's a great price for anyone wanting to give breast pumping a go.

Verdict: if you want a portable and cheap breast pump to use occasionally, the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Manual Breast Pump is a good option.

Come back on Wednesday to read my review of the MAM manual breast pump and on Friday for a post which answers all of the questions I had when I first started expressing.

review: emma jane next generation maternity/nursing bra

I don't often feel compelled to write a review about underwear - least of all comfortable and practical maternity underwear. But I've been wearing the Emma Jane Next Generation Maternity/Nursing Bra for the past few days now and I don't want to wear anything else. I wish I'd found these bras months ago!

The Emma Jane Next Generation Maternity/Nursing Bra is seamfree and offers an extra soft and comfortable fit.

I've been wearing sports bras throughout most of my pregnancy and this bra has all of the comfort of a sports' bra with the added bonus of the nursing feature.

The bra is available from lots of places online. I bought it on Boots.com and it was a bargainous £12 (plus, if you're signed up for the Boots Parenting Club, you'll get extra points when you buy it!).