July Bump + Beyond news
It’s that time of the month again to look back on the stories that have got us smiling and recap on some of the awe-inspiring parenting stories you may be yet to hear! June housed some lovely moments, from social media exchanges to a royal first birthday, it’s been month filled with heart-warming news and even warmer weather! Let’s take a look….
Comedian Jason Manford thanked for helping couple have their miracle baby
Image via Instagram
New parents Mairi and Jamie Purdie have thanked comedian and dad-of-six Jason Manford for helping them complete their IVF journey after welcoming their little girl Lennon to the world.
The couple from Scotland had been trying for a baby for two years when, during the pandemic, they both lost their jobs and their car irreparably broke down, forcing them to rely on public transport. They faced crippling daily costs to get to and from the fertility clinic so on a whim, reached out to social media for help when Salford-born Jason answered the call, personally donating £250 to their appeal.
Manford’s help allowed them to travel to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for tests and treatment until the couple's daughter was born happy and healthy on June 9. Mairi shared her thanks via a now viral message to Jason on Twitter, writing: "Meet Lennon, the little girl you donated money towards for our IVF that made me a mummy. Thank you again!" Her thanks didn’t go unrecognised with the stand-up comic replying, "Well that's made my Sunday."
In a subsequent message Mairi thanked all those who donated, saying: "Thank you so much Everyone for your kindness. Thanks to Jason we were recognised and the shot in the dark we took paid off. We wouldn’t have our Lennon Arabella Purdie had we struggled to travel to and from the hospital.”
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We think it’s so touching that a small act of kindness can have such a lovely result. Better yet, that the power of social media can be used for good too! Sometimes, even the smallest of gestures can make someone’s day and in Mairi and Jamie’s case, changed their life.
Lots of parents bring their babies to Glastonbury
Photo by James Genchi on Unsplash
For those who were not lucky enough to attend Glastonbury festival this year, watching it on the TV was the second-best thing! And for those the sharp-eyed viewers you may have noticed that there were quite a few mini attendees in the crowd.
After two years of Covid cancellations, many of this year’s festivalgoers were joined by their little ones - that they didn’t necessarily expect to have when they bought their tickets. But that didn’t stop the weekend of fun for all!
One mama, Molly said that “We bought tickets three years ago, so it was a case of not coming, or coming with a baby. We’ve got a campervan, which makes it a bit easier. Three of our group of friends here have brought their kids – and none of us knew we’d have babies when we got the tickets.”
Molly added some of her top tips she’d found as a new parent at a festival saying “Make sure to bring a backpack carrier for the baby and lots of food pouches, then just take it easy and relax. All the rules go out the window: no nap times, no routines.”
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Not only is it wonderful to see life return back to normal this year, but the Glastonbury celebrations showed us that having fun doesn’t end with a little one, it only gets better! While there maybe a few new things you need to do when attending a festival with a baby or toddler, it’s sure to be a fun day out for all.
Harry and Meghan wish Lilibet a happy first birthday
Image via Twitter
In early June, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan celebrated their youngest, Lilibet’s first birthday. The couple, who named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor to honour both the Queen and Harry’s late mother Diana, shared a picture of Lilibet, seen smiling at a birthday picnic hosted at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The birthday picnic’s guest list reportedly featured a number of royals including Zara and Mike Tindall and their three children, Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly along with their two little ones too. A royal insider added "It was a nice opportunity for the other royal children to meet Lilibet for the first time."
Lilibet’s birthday came not long after the jubilee, where the Sussexes made their first public appearance together in the UK since 2020 when they attended a service of thanksgiving for the Queen at St Paul's Cathedral. It was the first opportunity since Lilibet was born in Santa Barbara California, that the 96-year-old monarch was able to meet her great-grandaughter.
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Whenever there’s some royal chatter, we - like many of the UK, love to soak it all up. After the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this month, we’ve loved the community spirit from people up and down the country and, with the release of Lilibet’s super adorable pictures, there’s still a real royal buzz.
Mum uses maternity leave to go backpacking with newborn
Photo by Kyle Nieber on Unsplash
For most of us, maternity leave is a time to settle into motherhood, bring up baby in the comfort of home and more often than not, sport your favourite loungewear set! However, for one mama, this wasn’t the case.
Milly Goodwin had always loved travelling so, from the moment her and partner Stu discussed starting a family, she’d always insisted to spend parental leave travelling. With a full-time job as a midwife and her partner’s as a structural engineer, Milly realised the opportunity for them both to take a year off work with some statutory pay wouldn’t come round very often. So, when Milly fell pregnant in November 2020, they started saving for their trip.
Despite this, the couple were under no illusions that backpacking with a baby would be easy – it would be a far cry away from routine and their comfortable home in Turnpike Lane, London. They knew they would need to pack lightly - a lightweight travel cot, baby backpack and a few clothes.
Prepped and ready, their baby Poppy arrived and six weeks later they planned to leave the UK. Sadly, due to a few medical reasons, the couple didn’t manage to jet off until Poppy was six months, first visiting Rio. “There was no looking back. For Poppy, travelling through South America has been an incredible sensory experience. She’s seen wild monkeys, sloths and hummingbirds” said Milly, adding “We took her to see glaciers and waterfalls and to swim in turquoise lakes in Belize. We’ve hiked to Mayan ruins and relaxed on deserted beaches.”
As they continued to travel the couple learnt some valuable lessons along the way, like how planning too far ahead or cramming too much in doesn’t work as babies can be unpredictable. Yet, they urged any new parents to consider using parental leave to travel as babies can fly for free and are very portable with Milly explaining “(it’s a) rare opportunity for time off work together. It’s not always easy, but it’s so worth it.”
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We know every parenting journey is different and that includes how to spend parental leave! We love that this may not be the norm, but what an amazing experience this must’ve been for this new family. Adjusting to life with a little one isn’t always plain sailing, but midnight cries must surely feel nicer under the stars of a tropical night sky?
Have your say
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the above so, if there’s a topic of discussion you think we should include in our next monthly Bump + Beyond round up, please get in touch via email to pr@naturalbabyshower.co.uk.
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