baby

Help for Sleep Deprived Mothers (and fathers) – by Jo Tantum

Hello to all you sleep deprived families out there, A poll conducted by Mother & Baby Magazine found that sleep deprivation was one of the causes of post -natal depression and that it played havoc with the relationships and working lives of new parents. The survey found: 56% of working mothers said weariness left them in a “state of despair”. 82% admitted a lack of sleep affected their performance at work. 88% felt fed up, exhausted and pulled in too many directions. 70% said their tiredness was so debilitating they felt unable to function properly. 61% said their boss was […]

Interview with Olivia Siegl from the Baby Bible

What was your favourite part of being pregnant? I loved being pregnant the first time around.  My favourite part was feeling the little one kick and the overwhelming sense of calm I felt throughout.  Fast forward 16 months, I’m 23 weeks pregnant with our second and things couldn’t be more different.  I’m knackered, huge and have given up waiting for the damn pregnancy bloom to reach me!  Therefore, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that this is just the way it is this time, invested in a good fake tan (a bit of colour always makes you feel better and hides a […]

Pregnancy Brain? Real? A myth? Or is it just the brain working in a different way?

Pregnancy Brain? Real?  A myth?  Or is it just the brain working in a different way?    Over the last 40 years of looking after pregnant women, I have often been bombarded by stories of poor memory, absentmindedness and lack of focus. It’s hard to tell whether these observations are real or just part of generally accepted story that pregnancy, in some way affects recall and cognitive function, and interferes with the ability of pregnant women to perform normal everyday tasks. Is it that pregnant women, in some way expect to behave differently when they are pregnant, and are just following […]

Cord wrapped around the baby’s neck 3 times. Very Worried

I am 36 weeks pregnant and my latest scan has shown that my baby has its cord wrapped round it’s neck 3 times. The dr at hospital says this is nothing to worry about and I just need to monitor fetal movements. I’m worried that I won’t know if anything is wrong from now till my due date. Are babies in this situation usually monitored more closely or delivered early? Up to one third of babies have the cord wrapped around the neck and in up to 5% of cases there are two or more wraps with the record being […]

5 Top Fertility Tips by Emma Cannon, founder of The Fertility Rooms

  Emma Cannon, fertility and pregnancy expert and founder of The Fertility Rooms. Books The Baby Making Bible, You and Your Bump &‘Total Fertility’ is available on Amazon www.emmacannon.co.uk  1)​ Protect yourself from STD’s – it is estimated that a quarter of all fertility problems are caused by the effects of STD’s.  For example- Chlamidia can lie completely undetected with no  symptoms and  end up blocking fallopian tubes if not diagnosed and treated early on.  It is important to use barrier methods such as condoms until you are with a partner that you might want to have children with. This is […]

Cord Compression in Labour- Home Birth Worries

I am due my second baby in a month. This time I am planning a home birth. The first baby I had in hospital. After 40 hrs of very slow labour they gave me synotocin and an epidural. After about 7 hours of that the obstetrician was getting concerned that things were too slow so he manually got me to full dilation. I pushed for half an hour under threat of c section because with each contraction my baby’s cord was getting compressed and compromising her oxygen supply. Twice or three times they took a blood sample from her scalp […]

Pregnancy and Asthma. Will inhalers affect my unborn baby?

I currently have chronic asthma and am planning on trying for a family, Will the inhalers affect my unborn baby and also will the baby put extra stress on my lungs?  Approximately 1 in 10 pregnant  women suffer from asthma during pregnancy , with the vast majority having the condition prior to conception. The outcome of pregnancy is usually unaffected by the condition , and the key to success is maintaining good control of the condition and taking the medication as prescribed. In the majority of women , the condition stays unchanged but , equal proportions of women may notice […]

New Baby – Sleeping Tips

New Baby – Sleeping Tips Here are some tips that we have collected from talking to mothers who have been through it before you.   It is worth trying to swaddle, but bear in mind that not all babies like to be swaddled.  Mine spent all the time trying to escape and get his arm out. We love these swaddling blankets from Aden & Anais which also double up as large muslins/sun shades/blankets Aden & Anais Swaddling Muslins   Get a sling- if you have a baby that doesn’t like to be put down, put him in the sling in […]

Having a baby in France

When we gave up our London lives to move to the French Alps and run a ski chalet business we were young, child-free and ready for the adventure.  We didn’t even consider at that stage that we were going for the long term and this would involve having babies in another country.  But as these things happen, a couple of years later we were pregnant, and our journey into the French baby system had begun.   I wondered how the process might differ from the UK, and regularly spoke to friends at home to compare various things.  Monthly 4D scans seemed to be the […]

Tips to help preserve your sanity with a new born!

Tips to help preserve your sanity with a new born! Here are some tips that we have collected from talking to mothers who have been through it before you.   Don’t be embarrassed to say no to visitors.  If you feel awkward saying no, then get your husband to do it for you. If the baby is born in winter- get a good “pram pushing” coat and shoes as you may find yourself pounding the streets in the rain trying to get the baby to sleep! Warm his cot or moses basket with a hot water bottle so that when […]