Who Is Anti C Section?

'To witness the birth of a child is our best opportunity to experience the meaning of the word miracle.'

- Paul Carvel

Now I'm fully aware I am a little late on the band wagon for this one but this morning I saw a post on Facebook, shared by a friend about c-sections. 

Above is the post that I saw. Now I know the wording of this post is a little odd but you get the idea. C-section Mother's are proud of their scars. I have seen very similar posts like this before and didn't really think anything of it (probably why I'm a little late writing about it).

But today I thought who are these people that don't believe a woman is really a Mother if she didn't give birth 'naturally'? 

I think the reason I dismissed these posts in the past where because I thought, and I will offend, who are these attention seekers that have decided people don't think they are real mothers?

I honestly just thought it was attention seekers wanting a pat on the back for giving birth via c section. Yes I sound harsh saying that but I'm just telling the truth.

I have never thought, 'oh you had a c section, well you aren't a real mother then.' Seriously who would think that?! 

To me a Mother doesn't even need to give birth to a child to be a Mother! So who cares if baby arrived into the world via the birth canal or was cut out of the uterus? 

In my eyes a baby is a miracle no matter what. And I think it is an amazing process of how a baby is created. If you are a mother (biologically or not), look at your child, children now! At some point they were just a tiny little tadpole (sperm haha) and an egg. That's what they were in the beginning. That tiny they can't be seen by the naked eye and now look at them, they are wriggling, running, jumping around in front of you! So who cares how they exited the body, all that matters is they are here now, making your world that little bit brighter!  

You are a Mother because you cared/care for your child. You protect them, love them, would kill or die for them if it came to it. And I thought nobody cared about how they arrived but it appears I may be wrong. Now I say may as I'm still a little unsure. 

After a little research I found out that apparently the people who have caused this uproar are members of a church called, Disciples of the New Dawn. 

I will be honest though it was difficult to actually find their site. I did a quick Google of the name, did not mention c section in my search and almost all the links were to news sites, blogs, websites talking about them and their views. I didn't actually find them, the Disciples of the New Dawn, saying themselves this was how they felt about c section.

Some sites said that this church believed you were going to hell for having a c section. I even went onto the images section of the search and here are a couple of examples of what I found. 

None of these images were linked to the website of Disciples of the New Dawn website though. They were from new sites and websites unrelated.

During my time digging I did however find a Facebook page for them. But after reading it I did think, 'this is a load of rubbish.' I did not get the impression this was a religious group, it just came across as some huge troll wanting attention and succeeding. 

So I'm calling bull crap. I don't believe there is a church saying these things but if I am wrong and you have proof otherwise I honestly would love to see it. I will happily hold my hands up if I am wrong. I did find their actual website and couldn't find any information about c-sections. 

In conclusion, so long as we love a child unconditionally, care for them, provide for them and protect them then we are Mothers. No need to argue about how these children came into the world, they are all miracles no matter what. 

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Why I Started A Blog

'My journey hasn't been easy, but I'm still... standing, laughing, forgiving, loving, learning & living. I'm perfectly imperfect & unapologetically me.'

- Unknown

I am still very new to blogging and just wanted to write a quick message about why I started.

Before I go on, the reason I decided to write this now is because today, well yesterday as it's after midnight, my blog has had it's highest amount of views since I started. Charlotte Dakota's has had 967 views (11/03/2016) in the one day. Now I am fully aware this may not seem like many to most bloggers but to go from 157 the day before to over 900 the next day it was a little overwhelming. 

I never thought so many people would read my posts. While I think this is fantastic, it is also a tad worrying as it means I will know doubt upset more people. 

On my personal Facebook account I have been writing long posts to friends for years and had quite a few saying I should start a blog, then finally last year I did.

I did NOT start writing for other people, I started writing for me. 

When I first set my blog up I started to research information about blogs, how other people did it etc. I was told the way to have a successful blog was to pick a category. Beauty, Fashion, Travel etc. But I didn't want to write for success, I wanted to write for me.

My blog is 1st for me and 2nd for the World. It is my personal journey where I will write about what I want to write about, no matter which category it falls into. 

I have never been the type of person that falls into a certain topic. My passions change all the time, well I add to my passions should I say.

Also I am a very emotional person and when I say emotional I don't mean sad, upset type of person, I mean every emotion you can think of. Sometimes I'm super excited about something, sometimes I'm super angry. 

I am not the type of person who will write with other people in mind, I will not think 'will this offend anyone?' 

I go with my heart, I will write with passion and I hope when you read my posts that is what you notice. You may not always agree with some things I write. You may get angry or upset by them, or you may totally agree with me and think, 'yes I'm not alone'. But either way, whether you like them or not, I hope you notice that I write from the heart and I write what I want.

Please feel free to keep on reading my articles. I would love for you, and invite you to follow me on my blogging journey. And hopefully over time both myself and you (the readers) will be able to see my progress. Where I have grown, learnt, changed and maybe even improved on my writing skills. I want to see where my life was and how my passions have led me to different areas of discussion. 

Thank you to all of my readers. I am over the moon you have been able to read my posts and I do hope you enjoy them. If you don't, please do not take any of it personal (unless I guess I've named you directly haha). 

Just take my posts for what they are. I do not intend to upset or offend anyone but if I do along the way I am sorry but this is me. I am imperfectly perfect and thankfully many people close to me love me flaws and all. 

Thank you again for all of your support! :D Keep on reading! 

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Should Body Camera's Be Introduced For Care Workers?

'To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.'

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today someone shared a post on Facebook of a care worker smoking and on the phone while the elderly man she was caring for was sat in his wheelchair with multiple bags on top on him.

Photo shared by a member of the public directly to Mencap via Facebook.

This woman apparently works, or should I say worked for Mencap as a care worker (She has since been suspended).  

It broke my heart when I saw this photo. To be honest I have seen multiple headlines of vulnerable people being let down, humiliated and even abused by care workers. 

Some of the headlines I have fallen across have been horrific; 

Care worker struck off after arriving for shift while drunk.

Seaford care worker ‘watched and laughed as husband beat children’

Health care worker who raided Alzheimer's patient's bank.

A care worker has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after he sexually assaulted an "utterly defenceless" woman with advanced cancer.

Direct Care Worker Arrested For Sexual Assault

Former assisted care worker pleads guilty to patient abuse

Three care workers caught on camera assaulting an elderly dementia sufferer

A CALLOUS carer was caught stealing cash from a 75-year-old

Now before I continue I would just like to make it clear that I know majority of care workers are good people and it's a job they deserve huge respect for as it must be very difficult. I do actually know a few care workers and thankfully they are good people who would never do anything like the above, to the people who depended on them. 

After seeing this recent post of the poor gentleman in the above photo being treated in such a disrespectful manner, it made me think of a conversation I recently had with my fiance. We were discussing that Police in certain areas were now wearing body camera's and they were wanting to roll it out across the whole of the UK. 

Back in 2014 a trial of 500 devices were being distributed to officers across 10 London boroughs. The pilot scheme came about after the death of Mark Duggan back in 2011 due to the criticism the Police received over his death. The camera's were designed to capture evidence. 

As expected many Police Officers felt under suspicion. I'm sure 99% of the Police Force are decent human beings that chose this career to serve and protect. Just I expect many care workers chose their profession to care for and protect vulnerable people, make a difference to their lives and make it a little be easier for them.  

As expected there were and are many criticisms of Police wearing body camera's. 

Officers would store material from each incident and keep it on file for a month unless it is required for evidential purposes. They were simply brought in to protect the officers, the victims and (unfortunately) the criminals. 

It also has shown positive results such as showing officers at their best, dealing with difficult and dangerous situations every day, but it will also provide clearer evidence when it's been alleged that we got things wrong.

It appears since 2014 that there has been an increase in body camera's within the Police force.

Anyway the reason I mentioned this was simply to ask, do you think it would be beneficial for the care worker and the vulnerable person if body camera's were introduced? 

Personally I think it would. It would protect both the care worker and the patient. If a care worker is accused of something they did not do, they would have proof of their evidence. And if a vulnerable was subject to some form of abuse it could be used as evidence to prosecute.  

It is sad that because of a minority of people, the majority have to suffer. There are many amazing people out there who care for young, elderly and vulnerable people. And I understand a lot of the good one's would be annoyed and upset at the idea of body camera's when they have done nothing wrong. But then again, why worry when you have nothing to hide. 

It is becoming more and more common for family members to place secret camera's within the rooms and homes of the people being cared for. Usually the staff and the patient are completely unaware they are being filmed. 

Wouldn't you rather know, be in control?

Wouldn't you rather put up with a body camera to show what a good job you are doing to save even just a few victims of bad carers? 

Not only would you be making a difference to the person you are caring for but you would also be helping to protect others. 

Anyway it was simply a random thought. I understand their would be a huge cost involved for initial start up costs of investing in the camera's and I understand this isn't even a option care companies are even thinking about at the moment. But I would love to know your thoughts on it?

Are you a care worker? Would you be okay with a scheme like this? Or would it make you mad? Do you have a family member who is cared for? Would something like this make you feel more at ease and that your loved one is in good hands? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Note - I would again like to make it clear that I am fully aware it is a minority of care workers who treat patients this way. I know many wonderful people in this career and I applaud you, I unfortunately do not have the emotional strength to do a job like this. Huge respect to you if you have. 

Real Life Parenting - What they don't put in the baby books!

'You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.'

- Franklin P Jones

I am the eldest child in my family but I had experience with babies and children before I actually had my own, but it is different having your own. 

You are expecting your first child and you think about lots of different things, you think about what kind of parent you will be. You buy the baby books and read up on how to care for a child. You think I'll have this nailed! You look at your own parents and pick the things you will do like they did, and the things you won't. You think you are prepared and just need to get through the tough bit of giving birth, or having your hand crushed whilst your partner gives birth! Oh how naive we are! 

Now don't get me wrong child birth is tough for both parents. With my daughter, I nearly dislocated her Dad's jaw pulling on it and she was my easiest birth! But compared to the rest of your life caring for a child, childbirth is a piece of cake. 

The truth is parenthood is damn hard! It's stressful, exhausting and scary. But it's also rewarding, worthwhile and hilarious! 

I have come across so many people who have said they won't allow their child to do such and such a thing and their child will do this activity, speak when spoken to, will behave, will get into a perfect sleeping routine, will only eat certain foods etc. And I am not attacking anyone saying that, I was one of them people haha. 

I am a huge believer in nature over nurture. Children are born with their own personalities and yes we can direct them and mold them to a certain point but, at the end of the day they will decide who and what they become. 

I have 3 children now and each one of them are unique in their own ways, they have all been raised with the same rules and yet are so different. My son is quiet and into his computers, my daughter is very outgoing, sporty and loves art and my youngest is only 7 months, old but already you can see his personality, he is going to be a little monkey, he is already very jolly and a real joker, thinks he's a mini comedian. 

So basically I am writing this article to tell you some of the things I wasn't told in the baby books, some of the things your children will more than likely do. They will show you up, test your patience, make a huge mess and put you in some very awkward situations. 

Lets start with some of my memories from when mine were babies. 

Poop up the back! Nobody told me about this, I presumed the nappies just some how ALWAYS managed to keep it in there, but nope they don't. You can go buy the branded nappies or the supermarkets own brand and I guarantee you will be cleaning poop off baby's back more than once! 

Nappy changing. If you can I suggest you practice on a doll and keep practicing until you can get the quickest time possible haha. You need to be damn fast when changing a nappy. All new parents are pretty slow in the beginning, think you have all the time in the world but you really don't! You get that nappy off, baby clean and nappy back on as quick as humanly possible before the little pee fountain gets you, oh and baby will find it very funny! 

Another tip on nappy changing, if you are going out, do it before you put your clean clothes on! I was all ready to go out one day, had a new skirt on that I loved and needed to change my eldest son's bum. He pooped all over my new skirt! It just shot out! I was gutted. :(   

Sleepless nights. Now I know you are thinking, yeah, yeah I already know about this one, baby will wake me up crying wanting food. Well I'm not talking about the hungry waking up, I'm talking about the waking up simply to play or in the case of my youngest just shout and 'sing'. He woke me up the other night, about 1am simply making really loud noises and laughing at himself. It's usually cute but when you have had about 4 hours sleep in the last 48 hours, it's not the best time! Haha 

Washing. There will be a lot of it! You think yeah I'll buy maybe 7-10 sleepsuits and vests, one a day and maybe the odd one for accidents, that way I can wash baby's clothes once a week. I will be such an organised parent. Keep dreaming. Baby's and children make soooooo much mess. They get alsorts on them and sometimes you wonder how they even managed it! Whether it's the expected, sick, poop, drool, food. Or the unexpected, a strange sticky substance, is that pen? Kids have you drawn on the baby?! Make sure you have a good washing machine and dryer! 

I could really keep going with what to expect with babies but there is too much and you need to know the next stage, when they can move! 

Toddlers, small kids, just simply anything after baby starts moving, up until about age 8 (that's just my experience haha)

Pens! You think you can hide them, you think you have binned them all but no that child has a secret stash, somewhere only they know. Trust me, I'm not being dramatic a child could find something to draw with in a empty room. I swear they are magic, have some secret power that can create pens or crayons out of thin air! And they will draw on everything! Your freshly decorated living room walls? Yep they'll draw on it. Your sofa's? Themselves? The cat? They will draw on anything and everything! Believe me! 

Moving. Oh dear, they have started to move! This is the stage where you cannot own anything that isn't childproof. They grab and climb on everything. To them the world is one huge climbing frame, and they will seek to conquer it. My eldest ended up on the microwave! How? I do not know, but he did it. 

Pets. Your poor pets have no idea what's coming. Our cat wasn't 100% sure what to expect with my youngest but has recently found out that baby likes to pull his fur out! Thankfully the cat is a good boy and just runs away. Poor thing. 

Attitude.  In my experience my daughter is worse for this than the boys. You think at such a young age they won't have an attitude problem. That's what teenagers go through? But nope, the little one's definitely do. Grumpiness, ignoring you, mad with you, upset. They are just mini teenagers. If looks could kill. 

No more starfishing. If you are one that loves to spread out in bed, wriggle around or even sleep in the middle say goodbye to that. Get ready for sleeping on the very edge while the kids take over, or maybe waking up with a foot in your face, or hand in your mouth. Kids love cuddles in bed with Mum and Dad. Obviously I'm being a tad over the top, it doesn't happen EVERY night, but most ;) haha. 

The other week I woke up to my youngest (Joseph 7 months old) who had wriggled around in the bed and now had his bottom right in my face. I was woken up by trumping (or farts as some people call them). Thankfully he had a nappy on so kind of protected me a little but still not great! 

Anytime from being able to talk next. You will be put into many awkward situations. Children are so curious and ask a million questions all the time because they are constantly learning. It's great that they want to know so much and look to you for the answers. It's an awesome feeling that your children think you are that amazing you know EVERYTHING. But it can also cause a few flushed faces.

Questions or observations. Children notice everything, you think they didn't hear or see you but they did, they definitely did. I guess for this bit it would be much easier to just give you examples. So here we go.

The supermarket checkout. You have just loaded all your shopping onto the till and are now waiting for your turn, someone is stood in front of you. One time the person stood in front of us happened to smell not so great. As an adult we know it is best to just keep your mouth shut and hold your breath, it's impolite to comment. Children don't think this way. My daughter decides to say at the top of her voice. 'Mum why does that person smell so bad?' I replied with, 'I can't smell anything, nobody smells bad.' She then even louder than before says, 'Mum that person smells really bad, she does, Mum smell her, she smells really bad! That one!' She then doesn't only point but pokes the woman in front who smelt. I wanted the ground to swallow me up there and then, I had no where to run or hide. I just had to smile and pretend nothing had happened. 

That was just one example, my daughter has said things similar to this before and since. I've had, why is that person so fat? Mum why is that person driving a car in the shops, they should walk (was a wheelchair). Look Mum that person has a funny face. That person has no hair! That person's skirt is tucked in their knickers. The list goes on. 

My son was similar, he saw a dwarf, or little person. If I'm honest I'm unsure of the correct term these days. He asked me why that man was so small, I explained and he got upset and asked me if he was a dwarf. The poor man heard the full conversation. 

No doubt I will have all this to come with my youngest. Thankfully he can't talk yet! 

Now I know I have made parenthood sound all negative. And I may have come across as a Mother who just complains about her kids but as awful and embarrassing as some of the above things sound I loved and still love every minute of being a parent. 

It's damn hard work and anyone who tells you it's not is a liar. Children are so unpredictable and can catch you out at any moment, they can stress you out and can be naughty but they are so amazing and we have to remember they are creating their own stories but they seek us for guidance and we need to be there for the good, the bad and the ugly. 

It is all worth it as you will be rewarded for your hard work. The overwhelming love you feel for your children makes you feel like you could explode, as you just can't contain how much you love them. They will make you laugh, they will make you proud. You will enjoy watching them learn and grow. And you will look back at the gross stuff and laugh. My two older children love hearing stories of when they were younger. 

Oh and just so you don't lose all hope, they come in handy when they get older too. Check out my son cooking dinner, under my supervision obviously. And my daughter rubbing lotion onto my sunburned legs. 

Life with children will never be lonely or dull. You will forever have someone to love and someone who loves you back, you will have many fun times together, and create many special memories. Being a parent with one of the most, if not the most, rewarding thing that will ever happen to you. 

Enjoy your journey through parenting, it begins now and never ends. 

From all of us, enjoy being a family! Warts and all. xXx

No Wonder You Formula Feed! - Formula vs Breast Milk.

'You can always tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up, instead of tearing each other down.'

- Unknown

To start with I would like to apologize for any breastfeeding woman who has ever been nothing but supportive to you.

I am a breastfeeding mother, I breastfed all 3 of my children. I was only 16 when I had my first and still breastfed. I breastfed because I was told the benefits breast milk will provide for my newborn baby and thankfully I had a supportive, not bullying, adviser. 

I believed majority of breastfeeding Mothers were like me. Oh how wrong I was! 

I recently joined a breastfeeding group on FB, it has over 12,000 members. I thought, 'this is fantastic, all these mothers providing the best for their children.'

Not to offend but it is fact that breast milk is best for your baby and formula will never be able to compete with that. It is fact that breast milk can do what formula can't. It is able to adapt to your baby's needs. If your baby is poorly and you feed directly from the breast, then your milk will change to give baby what it needs to get through the illness. It contains antibodies, hormones, anti-viruses, anti-allergies, anti-parasites, growth factors and enzymes. All these things are not found in formula milk. 

Formula milk does have some not so great things in it and some of the ingredients are by products of things used in cleaning products. Some ingredients are just waste products from some pretty nasty things. 

But today I am not writing about the dangers of formula or the benefits of breast milk, that is not why I am writing this post. 

I am writing this post to say sorry. Sorry for some of the nasty women you may come across if you are a formula feeding mother. 

I have 3 children, my eldest being 10 years old so I could say by now I know a hell of a lot about breast feeding and breast milk. 

Throughout my breastfeeding journey I have only ever had 1, ONE, woman say anything nasty to me about breastfeeding. I was feeding my eldest in public about 9 years ago and had a woman approach me and tell me to stop feeding as her husband was looking. My response wasn't very nice so I am no saint. I replied with, 'well maybe if you showed your breasts to your husband more often he wouldn't need to look at a nursing mother.' She soon shut up and walked away.

I have fed many times in public and I have spoken about my breastfeeding to many different people and it was only this one women who said something mean.

Majority of mothers I know feed or fed their child formula milk, I only know a few people directly who breastfed. But none of these formula mothers ever said anything mean to me. They were nice and supportive. 

Now don't get me wrong I would love for all mothers to breastfeed. The benefits definitely prove it is the best option for your child and only 2% of women worldwide physically cannot breastfeed so compared to the 98% who can that's a pretty small number. Unfortunately some mothers are unable to breastfeed due to things out of their control. Such as a pre term baby who is too small to be able to latch onto the breast. Some baby's suffer with tongue or lip tie and this if unnoticed can cause issues for mothers trying to feed. They are just some examples. 

I keep swaying away from my original point, sorry.

Back to formula Mothers vs breastfeeding Mothers. 

My point, formula mothers have never (excluding the one) been anything but nice and supportive. As I didn't know many breastfeeding mothers at the time I just guess all breastfeeding mother's were kind and supportive also. I was so wrong.

Back to joining the FB group of over 12,000 breastfeeding mothers. Now not ALL are mean, some are nice, but after today it's pretty clear majority can be very nasty. 

I like to try and encourage breastfeeding by telling the facts about the benefits to baby but I also like to mention the benefits to Mum to try and make the option more appealing. 

I already had my own list of benefits for Mum, such as lowers your risk to different cancers, helps your uterus to contract sooner so you get your pre baby tummy back a little faster. How much money can be saved from breastfeeding as formula can be very expensive and if you are flat chested like me, while breastfeeding you actually get a bust! It's awesome. 

I decided to ask the group what reasons, other than breast is best, helped them to decide on breastfeeding as their milk choice for baby?

A few were a bit like me and mentioned things like cost and not having to mess about making formula and sterilizing bottles. But majority were simply replying with comments such as;

 I disagree completely. I think people need to make educated choices for their children and the hidden dangers of formula are completely unacceptable. Mums genuinely believe that they are making an equal choice but they are being deceived. To say that the risks to mum and baby must be hidden in favour of talking about bigger breasts is completely and utterly bonkers.

Because that's how babies are fed and I sure as hell wasn't giving her artificial milk and exposing her to those risks.

Because human babies are born to drink human milk and giving them anything else is irrational.

Because breast is the only option, how could a mother think they are doing a good job when they are poisoning their baby with formula!!! 

Also 'breast isn't best'... It's normal, it's a babies baseline!! 

Above are just a couple of examples, some of the tamer ones, the post currently has almost a 100 responses and still going. 

Now is it just me or are these comments a little pushy? Belittling? Make you feel you are a bad mother if you do not breast feed? I think they are. 

I would love for everyone to breastfeed and yes I do think a lot of mother's don't even research it and some do choose formula for selfish, lazy reasons but I don't believe most do.

I think breastfeeding should be promoted more, I think parents need to be educated on the benefits of breastfeeding and the risks of formula but I do NOT think they should be bullied, belittled, made to feel like a failure or not good enough.

So again as a breastfeeding mother I am sorry if you have ever been bullied or made to feel awful by any of us. 

As women we should be supporting each other, not attacking. I did not post anything about International Women's Day yesterday as I am forever coming across women bullying other women. Sometimes I am ashamed to be associated with them. 

Good luck on your baby journey and if you are interested in a little more info on breastfeeding I have another post about it so go check it out. :D

Mother's Day - Motherhood is a Choice.

'Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile & who love you no matter what.'

-Unknown

Today is Mother's Day here in the UK. Mother's Day is a tough day for me, after all these years you'd think it wouldn't bother me but unfortunately I am only human and as much as I try I still find it upsetting and difficult. 

I know I am very blessed, I have many wonderful, loving people in my life. They love me unconditionally and always try to be there for me. Not all of them are blood related, to be honest majority of them aren't. 

I used to think family was just whoever you were related to by blood. I believed you didn't get to choose your family, it was just which ever family you happened to be born into. 

Over the years I realised this isn't the case. I realised family is simply who you choose, not who you are given. The sad part is though they need to choose you back. 

Anyway back to Mother's Day. I thought Mother's Day was simply just for actual blood Mother's, whoever gave birth to you or shared your DNA. 

Over the years I realised Motherhood is a choice. You can choose not to be a Mother. Now this doesn't mean you can choose not to get pregnant or choose to have an abortion if you do. I mean if you give birth to a child it does not automatically make you a Mother, it is still a choice. You can choose to either be there for that child for the rest of your life or you can choose to give that child away. You may care for the child for a few years and then turn your back on them, or you may choose to be there forever. Either way Motherhood is a choice. 

So in my opinion, today, Mother's Day is a day to celebrate all those women who choose to be a Mother or Mother figure. 

Today is for the women who choose to be a part of a child's life for as long as physically possible, the women who will be there for that child no matter what!

You do not have to have even given birth to the child, you may not have any blood or marriage connection to the child, you just need to be there for them!

Whether you are a Mother through blood, a Mother through adoption, fostering. An Aunty, a Nanna, Grandma, Sister, or Friend. Today is for all the women who CHOOSE to be a part of a child's life for as long they are can be. 

Today is not a day to celebrate the women who turned their backs on children. It is not a day to celebrate the women who choose to be a part of the child's life only while it suited them.

Today is for the women who love unconditionally! 

Above is the lady who loves me unconditionally, my Nan. She is the woman who has always been there for me no matter what. And I literally mean no matter what. She hasn't had it easy when it comes to me, I have put her through some tough times and lots of worry but that never stopped her loving me, standing by me and providing for me. 

Now don't get me wrong, we drive each other insane sometimes, she can be a nag and I can be ignorant when it comes to advice she gives me. But through it all we still love each other. 

This amazing woman, is basically my Mum. And I will be forever grateful for everything she has ever done for me. 

She puts up with my moaning, she's there for me when I'm sad, or ill. She is there for me through the happy times and the bad. 

Because of my experience with women in my life, the women who chose not to be Mother's, the one's who turned their backs, I find it very difficult to respect women. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are many amazing women out there but from my own personal experience, I haven't found many.

But my Nan is one of the few women I have a huge amount of respect for and who I love dearly. So she is the one I will celebrate today. 

I hope everyone has a fantastic Mother's Day!

A quick thank you to all the other people in my life that love me and my children unconditionally. You know who you are and I'm sure you'll no doubt be praised in my blog soon enough. :) 

Note - I am fully aware there are extreme circumstances where a Mother had to choose to give away or turn their backs on their children but I am not going to cover every possible scenario, I'm sure you get the idea. :)