The Breastfeeding Mum's Guide to Family Life!

Guys and Dolls - Sales of new Oobicoo soft toy Ollie outstrip Orla 2:1

Boys’ dolls are selling twice as fast as girls’ dolls according to Totseat founder Rachel Jones, who believes the media have been integral in helping to break down gender stereotypes.

The UK toy industry is worth £2.96bn and since launching the soft toy tots Ollie and Orla last year, multi award winning entrepreneur Rachel Jones has sold twice as many of the boy ‘doll’ Ollie. Sales of boys’ toys take 55% share of the UK toy market and Rachel believes sales of Oobicoo Ollie reflect society’s changing perceptions of traditional gender stereotypes.

Rachel says, “We live in a culture where many people look to the media as a guide to behavior and as a result many people conform to majority norms. Traditionally girls have been expected to play with dolls and wear pink and many parents have discouraged their sons from playing with dolls per se, however there appears to be a shift in this gender stereotyping which can only be a good thing.”

Oobicoo was originally developed and sold as a mannequin to display the multi-award winning Totseat; a safe, portable, fabric highchair for families travelling with babies. Rachel soon realised their appeal when they became the unlikely classmates of her daughter Freya and her friends, who loved the fact that they were so big and cuddly!

The adorable, soft toy tot Oobicoo is made from gorgeous soft plush fabric and, at 60cm tall, is the same size as a six month old baby - the perfect size to be an instant baby brother, sister or best friend. They come in their own wee fabric 'pod' and are designed to be dressed in hand-me-down-baby clothes. This simple idea not only saves money, it encourages the reuse of outgrown baby clothes, teaches children dexterity and provides Oobicoo with an instant wardrobe.

With sound eco credentials, Oobicoo is filled with recycled polymer, manufactured from recycleable fabric and is raising money for the Children's Immunology Fund - £1 from every sale goes to the charity. Oobicoo even has its very own dance tune, penned by Emily Philips and Josh Wilkinson who co-write for pop superstars One Direction and Alexandra Burke!

Rachel added, “Oobicoo not only helps your child’s development, they are perfect for imaginative play, great for teaching dexterity in terms of dressing and undressing and because of their realistic size, they give children someone to cuddle!

“We are delighted to announce the launch of Olwyn, our fourth soft toy tot, who has a different skin tone to the other Oobicoo tots. We are keen to encourage diversity and since launching Oobicoo Ed last year, who is entirely bald, we have had great reactions to the entire Oobicoo family.”

Get ready for a new career with NCT and University of Worcester

If you’re looking for a rewarding job you can fit around your family, or are thinking about returning to study or work after having a baby, a change of career to become an NCT practitioner could be just what you need.

NCT, the UK’s largest charity for parents, and the University of Worcester have joined forces to provide university-accredited training for those wanting to support parents on their journey from pregnancy to parenthood by becoming an NCT practitioner.

NCT College admissions are open for courses beginning in September 2012. There’s no better training if you want to build up a rewarding and enjoyable career working with parents at a unique and important time in their lives.

NCT is well-known for the information and support its practitioners provide through antenatal courses, breastfeeding counselling and facilitated postnatal groups, enabling parents to feel more confident and prepared for their new role.

The courses allow students to learn through a mixture of tutorials, one-to-one time with tutors and online learning. With tutorials run across the UK and study days hosted regionally, students can complete the majority of their studies without the need to travel to Worcester. This flexibility is ideal if you’re looking for a career you can juggle around a young family, and the varied syllabus offers plenty of choice depending on your interests and aspirations.

One NCT antenatal teacher, Fiona, said: “For me, my NCT work fits around the needs of my teenage boys. The training is very comprehensive, diverse and interesting and of a very high standard. I also love getting together with other practitioners and sharing ideas. I have a job I can do around my family and earn a decent hourly wage.”

The new Certificate of Higher Education – Birth and Beyond Practitioner, completed over one or two years, is the only university-accredited qualification for parenting education. Qualifying students can then begin a year of probationary practice, delivering innovative Preparation for Birth and Beyond (PBB) courses based on the Department of Health’s new framework. So, you can start earning an income from your new knowledge and skills right away.

Students can then choose from a range of modules from the Foundation Degree course. Will you train as an antenatal teacher, breastfeeding counsellor, postnatal leader or NCT Doula? Or perhaps you’d be more interested in running NCT Yoga for Pregnancy classes.

In the climate of an ever-increasing birth rate and overstretched maternity services, there could not be a better time to build a fulfilling career as an NCT practitioner working alongside midwives and other health professionals to support new and expectant parents. As one of the UK’s largest network of practitioners working with new and expectant parents, students are supported to find work quickly and easily through the charity’s national operation.

Clea Harmer, Education Manager at NCT, said: “We’re delighted to offer a range of exciting opportunities through NCT College. The varied training programme allows students to specialise in a wide range of areas, while the flexibility means they can fit their learning around families and potentially be earning an income after one year. So if you’re interested in a new career making a real difference to new parents, come and join us at NCT College.”

Professor Geoffrey Elliott Director of Regional Engagement at the University of Worcester at the University of Worcester, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to work with NCT to help parents in their transition to parenthood and will do all we can to help the country’s parents and children get off to the best possible start.”

If you are interested in finding out more about our training or a career working with new parents, visit http://www.nct.org.uk/nct-college for more information about the full range of courses on offer.

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Case studies are available: to speak to a current NCT practitioner about their work please contact the NCT press office.
For more information about NCT or NCT College please contact the press office on 020 8752 2412 or email press@nct.org.uk.

NCT has an ISDN line. Please call the press office in advance to book.

For more information about the University of Worcester please call 01905 857517 or email s.jones@worc.ac.uk

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.

Shh! Supermum's Secret Revealed... (Press Release)

One of the main complaints of parents is that they simply don't have the energy they need to tackle all the tasks they are faced with. With a full time job, a busy social life and family responsibilities, parenting nowadays can be extremely draining on the body and mind.

 

Being exhausted is no fun and it can often be tempting to stock up on sugary treats and caffeine. This, however, is only ever a short term solution that will mask the problem as opposed to solving it, and can leave people feeling wired and even more stressed than before.

KEEP BABY WARM WITH MERINO LAMBSWOOL COT AND PRAM BLANKETS FROM LUXURY LIFESTYLE BRAND SCARLET & ARGENT (Press Release)

Keep baby warm with a Liberty Born cot or pram blanket from luxury new British lifestyle brand Scarlet & Argent.

Woven with luxuriously light and ever so soft merino wool, these truly lovable baby blankets are trimmed with Liberty fabric, adding an extra special touch for that extra special little person in your life.

Bound all round in Liberty printed cotton lawn, the 100% Merino Lambswool blankets are incredibly lightweight and have a soft and warming touch. The ideal baby blanket, it is available in two colours; pink for girls and blue for boys and in two sizes; Cot and Pram. (The Pram blankets cost £90 while the Cot blanket is £105)

PARENTS REST EASY: INNOVATIVE NEW RANGE OF BABY MONITORS LAUNCHED FOR THE HOME, GARDEN AND CAR (Press Release)

Leading CCTV and surveillance vendor Storage Options, has launched an innovative new range of easy-use ‘Baby Cam’ monitors, giving parents much-needed reassurance that their babies or toddlers are safe and secure, whether it’s in the car, the home, or even the garden.

BabyCam Car is a specialist baby back seat monitoring system, developed to help parents avoid the potentially-dangerous need to turn around and check on their children whilst driving – a habit, which according to research,  puts them at a much higher risk of having a car accident.*

Working much like a Sat Nav, parents simply attach a compact wireless camera to the side rear window to get a clear view of their baby and to transmit a high-quality video picture to a display attached to their windscreen. The system is extremely easy to use and comes equipped with a host of useful features including night vision, a built in rechargeable battery with four hour life, as well as versatile window suction mounts. 

Accordion Apparel - New Products Now Available (Press Release)

The new Accordion Apparel products are now available.  Accordion Apparel is a little online company that aims to sell inspired and unique clothes, designs and accessories.   They sell what they enjoy, what they would wear and what they want to look at.  In exchange for your hard earned money they will send you a little bit of love in product form.

Accordion Apparel also help to raise money for Leukaemia CARE and have an exclusive poster & card collection by a range of artists and bands.  All the profits taken from these posters are going straight to the charity so they can continue doing the great work that they do.

The Giraffe Bag

A wonderfully fun, ethically screen-printed, 14oz cotton canvas tote bag.  Designed by Sally Linsdell, this bag is great for a kid’s day out, for the city, for work…anything really. It can pretty much fit in all your worldly goods. Capacity: 19 litres. Dimensions: 43 x 38 x 13cm 

RRP £6.99

Fear of Childbirth Increases Likelihood of C-Section (Press Release)

A new study published in the international journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that fear of childbirth is a predisposing factor for emergency and elective cesarean sections, even after psychological counseling. This may mean a negative experience that lasts a lifetime among the approximately 3% of women who in this study were estimated to suffer from excessive fear of childbirth.

Led by Professor Gunilla Sydsjo of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital in Linköping, Central Sweden, researchers analyzed the antenatal and delivery records of 353 women who were referred to a unit for psychosocial obstetrics and gynecology because of fear of childbirth, and 579 women without fear of childbirth.

KIT OUT THE KIDS FOR LESS AT YOUR LOCAL NCT NEARLY NEW SALE

The rising cost of living and tough economic climate mean many families are having to tighten their belts. NCT Nearly New Sales are a haven for cash-strapped parents, offering a brilliant alternative to trawling the high street for pricey baby products

Becoming a parent is exciting, but it can be an expensive time too. At NCT Nearly New Sales, expectant and new parents can buy top quality baby and children’s toys, clothes and equipment straight from their loving owners, saving around 70% on what they would set you back brand new.

Meanwhile, local families can clear out their clutter and make some cash at the same time by selling the baby goods they no longer need. Clothes and equipment must be in excellent condition, and most sellers make more than £60. Sellers keep up to 70% of the proceeds while the rest is returned to fund NCT’s vital services and support for parents.

Aaachoo! Most of us will have a cold this winter, but do you know how to treat it?

NHS Choices reveals some of the myths around treating a cold and offers advice on how to

get well quickly

According to NHS Choices, on average an adult can expect to catch a cold between two and four times a year, with more people suffering during the winter months. But do you know how best to treat a cold?

 

Myths about cures for the common cold:

·        Vitamin C – according to NHS Choices, one in three people believe that Vitamin C can help cure a cold. In fact, research has shown that Vitamin C doesn’t prevent or cure a cold.

·        Echinacea – many think that Echinacea can be used to prevent a cold or treat one, but research has shown that there is no proof of this being the case.

·        Over the counter medicines for colds – over the counter medicines do not cure a cold. The usual ingredients are painkillers and decongestants, which only help manage the symptoms.