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As I watch the pained expression on my husband’s face as he graciously allows our one-year-old daughter to bludgeon his head with a hairbrush as she attempts to neaten his hair, I cannot help but chuckle as I reflect on the number of pains parents put up with.
It all starts with labour – a necessary pain with a worthwhile result. It sets the tone for the rest of a parent’s life.
During toddler years we allow ourselves to be multifunction as a jungle-gym, a trampoline and my personal favourite… a makeup mannequin. All of the above involve some level of battery but anything for a smile, right?
I have clear memories (and long since healed bruises) of my daughter using me as a landing mat after fearlessly launching herself off the couch and assuming that my person was a safe place to fall – luckily it was. And the number of times I have been poked in the eye by a wayward eye shadow brush; too numerous to count.
And then our babies grow up.
They stay out late, forget to tell us they love us and would rather spend time with an iPad than in conversation with old mum or dad.
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If ever there was a perfect time and context to be pregnant, the year 2013 is assuredly it. Historically, pregnancy hasn’t always gone down all that well for women; sanitation was a tad… rubbish and there was no such thing as an epidural or ‘save the day’ medicine, equipment or procedure.
How times have changed…. We live in an age of amniotic leak detection panty liners. No joke!
The Amniotic Leak Detector (ALD) by Vision is an in vitro self-test that is intended to detect probable leaking amniotic fluid and identify the cause of wetness during pregnancy.
In what type of situation might it help to use an ALD?
- When encountering unidentified wetness
- To determine when waters have broken (so after 36 weeks-ish)
- After amniocentesis
Why an ALD is useful? Early detection of amniotic fluid leakage can help to: Continue reading →
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New babies are hard work. Babies in general are hard wok but new babies take the cake. Maybe two, even three cakes!
If you’re feeling low on energy and those ‘I just can’t do this anymore’ moments are becoming increasingly regular; firstly, you are not alone (so definitely don’t feel guilty – your despair is normal) and secondly, you’ll feel a million times better if you can find a way to up your energy.
Sleep is a no-go, thanks to your beautiful new baby, so your best energy-boosting option is to look at your nutrition intake and tweak your diet in an effort to feel better.
Easier said than done, right!?
A new mum barely has time to eat never mind eat correctly. In which case ‘super smoothies’ are the best way to make sure you (and baby, if you’re breastfeeding) get your nutrients and have enough energy to get through the challenges of a new baby.
Heard of ‘jungle juice’? It’s a fab natural energy boosting drink for new mums. Loads of my mummy friends swear by the stuff! Here’s the recipe (and you don’t need a blender/smoothie maker for this recipe – just a spoon and some hands):
- blackthorn berry tonic
- 1l apple/grape juice
- 2l water
- 1 sachet fruit flavoured rehydration booster (Rehydrate, FitH2O)
Mix all together, and keep in fridge to drink throughout the day. It should last for 2-3 days if refrigerated.
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Baby Massage For Colic – Guest post by Justina Perry
To coincide with Baby Massage Week UK 2013 (13th May onwards), we thought it would be useful to get some tips on baby massage for colic from expert Justina Perry. If you want to find out more about baby massage classes, just click the link.
If your baby suffers from severe wind or colic, this can be very distressing for you and your baby. We have put together a short sequence of combined baby massage for colic and baby yoga techniques that can help you settle your baby.
If a baby has an attack of colic, it generally occurs at the same time every day, so try and keep a close watch over your baby’s daily activities. Keeping a journal can be helpful in highlighting any triggers
About half an hour before your baby normally has a crying period, begin by lying your baby on a mat. Try to create a soothing, calming, warm environment, with dim lights and as few distractions as possible. Keep any sensory stimulation to a minimum.
Undress your baby, but keep a vest on, as you may also have to pick your baby up and carry him or her around.
Begin with a soothing tummy massage. Make a few gentle circles around the belly button. Keep noise to a minimum, however, it can help to hum a slow tune. This will help keep you and the baby calm. Find a soothing, gentle pace and try to keep your body language and breathing as relaxed as possible.
Next using your handles as paddles, make a gentle flowing movement, gliding down the lower abdomen. Finally, just make a gentle peddling movement with your baby’s legs. Repeat this little sequence and the tummy massage a few times during the day, as it will help strengthen the digestive system and so can help prevent the build-up of wind and tension in the baby.
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I always love a mum who can keep it real and Lily Allen now Cooper is one such mum. Read one of her latest twitter rants:
“Sometimes I wish I had better things to do with my time then change nappies, cook dinner, watch s**t telly and respond to Internet trolls. #bored #needtogetoutmore (sic).” – courtesy of Dailymail.co.uk.
So – is motherhood boring?
No doubt Lily’s brazen statement has got mums up in arms – some mums, not all mums.
The truth of the matter, for many mums out there, is that the humdrum of nappies, poo, regurgitated milk, sleep training, tidying and online shopping –the stuff that quite easily becomes the all-encompassing life of a mums who’s at home with her baby – is pretty darn dull. There’s no escaping the fact. #you’rerightLily
The good news is that the routine that accompanies motherhood is only one aspect of being a mum – thank goodness! – otherwise we’d all be barking mad. There are only so many nappies that a mum can take before her mind wonders off into la-la land.
Babies (and children) make great companions; they’re funny and fun, playful and totally precious. Here’s the news: you do still love your child even if you think the routine thing is as dull as can be!
Infacol Blog - Colic Treatment
Britain's number 1 infant colic remedy
