Motherhood Minis - Keeping It Real With @FinleysFoot
Hey everyone and welcome to our November edition of Motherhood Minis, featuring bitesize interviews with real mums. A quick unfiltered glimpse into the lives of our Matchstick Monkey parents and their little ones!
At Matchstick Monkey, we’re meeting up with mums around the UK to talk about motherhood struggles (yes, we all know it can be a struggle from time to time), but most especially how rewarding motherhood can be.
This week, we chat with the wonderful Karly Grayson. Karly is mum to baby Finley. Her Instagram @finleysfoot documents her motherhood journey to date helps tell a story about living with Finley’s Talipes - known as clubfoot. Let’s see what she had to say about her motherhood journey to date…
1. How many children do you have?
I have one child who is called Finley and he is eight months old.
2. Do you have any pets?
We have a cat, named Louis.
3. What region of the country do you live in?
I live in South Wales, you can spot our accent from a mile away!
4. What are your favourite aspects about being a parent?
I’m very family orientated so having my own little family is my favourite thing. Having our family dinners, walks and just time together in general always puts a smile on my face.
5. Of all the baby stages, which have you found the most challenging?
The newborn stage for sure. During the first two weeks, Finley had awful colic which we didn’t know how to treat. It was awful.
6. What are your top tips for dealing with the day after a less than restful night?
Take it easy, if you have plans you’re able to cancel them don’t feel bad for doing so. Take time for yourself when baby naps etc. You’ve got this mama!
7. What was the best advice that you could give to an expectant mum/dad?
Trust yourself, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Never be embarrassed to ask for help either, we all need it from time to time.
8. Do you see yourself as an influencer?
A micro-influencer maybe. I don’t have a huge following, but those who do follow are so interested in keeping up to date with me and Finley’s journey.
9. How has your growing Instagram following changed your day to day life?
Instagram keeps me busy, I love how many mums I’ve met with babies similar age to Finely who I wouldn’t have otherwise. Online friendships are great!
10. Why do you think your account has become so popular, is this something you planned from the start?
I didn’t have a plan, I started it to document Finley’s talipes journey but it started to grow and I’ve gone with the flow. I really enjoy it!
11. How old were your children when they started to teeth? Did any of your children have symptoms of teething, or did they just come through without a fuss.
Finley was around 4 months old when he started to teeth. His first two I didn’t know he was cutting, but he’s got a few more coming through now and he gets very upset, clingy and frustrated
12. Did you use any teething products? If so, what helped?
We use the standard teething rings that go in the fridge. Milk lollies, teething powder and of course Matchstick Monkey help too!
A little bit about Finley and having a baby with clubfoot
Finley was born with a condition called Talipes (clubfoot) and his treatment is just short of 5 years long. It included wearing boots and bar every night up until he is 5, in the early years when teething is an issue we also have the concern of making sure his boots and bars are comfortable enough for him to sleep, he often gets sores because they need to be tight enough to not slip off which then cause blisters. Some nights are tough when he’s got teeth coming through and boots on his feet so having a teether that actually helps him is essential for us to make it a little easier for him.