The Breastfeeding Mum's Guide to Family Life!

Breastfeeding Facts

Thanks to PregnancyGroup.org for this fascinating breastfeeding infographic.

Five Reasons to Run Post-Baby (Guest Post)

Many new mothers want to establish a routine running habit to lose excess baby weight, gain more energy and take some time alone for themselves. Postpartum fitness is the perfect way to get the body back into shape after pregnancy. Lack of sleep, a fussy baby and a hectic routine can leave mom feeling exhausted. Running can give postpartum women both short- and long-term benefits, including an efficient workout that will help the day go more smoothly, better sleep habits, a boost in confidence and weight loss. Here are five reasons to strap on some running shoes and get fit.

What Should I Eat and Drink While I'm Breastfeeding? (Guest Post)

It's common knowledge that breastfeeding your baby is better for its health, but is there anything you can eat and drink to make your milk even more nutritious? And what about your own health while breastfeeding? Two of the most common complaints amongst breastfeeding women are exhaustion and dehydration, both of which are helped by drinking plenty of water, herbal tea and milk (providing you can eat dairy). Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help to maintain your energy levels, and ensure that your baby is getting all the vitamins and minerals he or she needs from your breast milk. 

What is a healthy diet?

You'll need to be eating a variety of vegetables, and lots of them. If you're not a big fan of veggies, try stir-frying them with some garlic or flavoured oil. Stir-frying is the most delicious way to prepare vegetables, and also the healthiest, after steaming & microwaving, as the quick cooking time means you're not destroying so many of the vitamins. (Vitamins are water-soluble, so boiling veg usually means you're boiling away the vitamins, too.)

Three Top Tips to make New Mum Feel Good (Guest Post)

If you are a new Mum you may be experiencing a roller coaster of emotions as your hormones rebalance after the birth of your little bundle of joy. Some days might be plain sailing with the house immaculate, a contented baby, the washing done and tea on the table domestic-goddess-style whilst others could be car crashes of weeping and wailing – you and the baby – mess everywhere and takeaway pizza for dinner.

Healthy Eating for Baby and You (Guest Post)

When you are breastfeeding, it is vital that you maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet. Not just for your baby, but for you, so that you can maintain the energy levels you need to go about the tiring business of being a new mum!

Eating healthily doesn’t have to be a chore either, and we all know that easy is the way forward when it comes to being a new mum; there’s so much more to worry about than preparing fancy meals! But instead of reaching for the takeaway menu and slipping into bad habits, make sure you have the right foods in to fix yourself healthy and nutritious snacks whenever you need to.

Have nuts, fruit and oat crackers ready to hand for healthy snacking when you’re on the go, so that you’re less tempted by the multipack of crisps in the cupboard.

It's Not Too Late to Improve Your Diet (Guest Post)

The new year may be in full swing now, but it really isn't too late to do some things to improve your health in 2012.

Starting a healthy eating regime is something you can do at any time of the year. But with spring just around the corner and new beginnings galore around now, it seems as good a time as any.

The key to eating healthily is to still give yourself a treat every now and again. You're bound to despise your regime if it cuts out everything you love in the process. Don't have no chocolate whatsoever, just don't gorge on it when you have it. A little of what you love won't hurt you, it's more when you consume too much of it that it becomes a problem.

One in Four Parents to Face a First Aid Emergency (Press Release)

– New online training campaign to help improve parents’ first aid skills –

81% of parents in the UK don’t have the knowledge required to administer basic first aid to a baby or a child although one in four will have to deal with an emergency first aid situation.

New research* by Tesco Baby & Toddler Club also reveals that 72% of parents wouldn’t feel confident in administering first aid. 60% would worry they would do something wrong, 54% would panic and 47% fear they would cause more harm.

The survey marks the launch of the fifth Tesco Baby & Toddler Club BabySafe campaign – an initiative to offer free, basic first aid training to parents, grandparents and carers. To reach as many parents as possible, this year’s sessions will be run exclusively online via a series of short videos, Twitter chats and webinar. Experts from the British Red Cross will teach invaluable lifesaving skills to help deal with bumps to the head, falls, meningitis, burns, choking and what to do if a child is unconscious.

Celebrate the Battle (Guest Post)

My friends always said I was the optimist in our little crowd. I was the one who always saw the glass as half full, the one who never took off those rose colored glasses. Never did that trait serve me better than on November 21, 2005 when, at the ripe old age of 36, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

I’m not sure there is any preparation for hearing the words, “You have cancer.” I am certain there is no preparation for hearing them just 3 ½ months after the birth of your only child. There I was, in the midst of the most joyous experience of my life, and the doctor was handing me a death sentence.

So I dawned those rose colored glasses. When the doctor scheduled surgery for Groundhog Day, I nicknamed the tumor “Punxsutawney Phil”. The day they removed my lung I renamed Groundhog Day, “Lung-Leavin’-Day”. My family and I still celebrate “Lung-Leavin-Day” the first weekend of February every year. It is a celebration of life, a celebration of conquering fear, a celebration of turning the bad into good. It is a celebration of hope.

Morning Sickness: When Nausea Rears its Ugly Heave (Guest Post)

10 stomach-easing home remedies for expectant moms

Why is it that some women never have the slightest touch of morning sickness during pregnancy—while others are doomed to vomit the entire time? It doesn’t seem fair, does it? Well, you’re not alone. According to the March of Dimes you’re in the company of half of America’s pregnant women. That’s right, 50% of expectant moms suffer from morning sickness.

Your Child’s Vision: Recognizing Problems (Guest Post)

Your child’s vision is the most important of all his senses. Although there are programs designed specifically for the advancement of the blind, the truth is that if your child goes undiagnosed for vision problems, he is likely to miss out when he gets to school since the majority of materials are presented visually. This could limit his ability to read and write, which will put him behind in every subject. The point is, you need to be vigilant in looking for signs of vision problems because the earlier they are detected, the better chance your child has of correcting the issue so that vision can develop normally. So here are some things to consider.

There are often simple indicators that your child is suffering from vision problems and they can start in infancy. Some babies, for instance, are born with cataracts (or children may develop them within the first few years of life). If you have a family history of this condition it could be inherited, but there may also be other causes. Regardless, you need to get an immediate exam and analysis done if you notice the cloudy spots that indicate cataracts. If they are present, surgery will be needed in order to remove the cataracts so that your child’s vision develops normally.