Mum Reviews...

Got Acne? Get JooMo

When I received a new natural face wash aimed at people with sensitive skin and also for sufferers of acne, I was initially a little dubious about how well it might work. The reason for this was because as a former acne sufferer, I thought I'd tried everything to no avail and the only thing that ever did help was a very strong prescription-only product prescribed by my GP. I certainly didn't expect that an over-the-counter face wash, natural or otherwise, would make much difference to anyone with real acne!

However, as the mother of a 12 year old girl who is only recently starting to experience unwelcome skin changes, I thought to myself there'd be no harm giving JooMo a try as I wasn't too keen on her taking the same route I'd travelled.

Having read the information that was sent along with my sample, I was impressed that this product markets itself as the very first 100% natural face wash. Unlike many products currently on the market which claim to be pure but which actually have all manner of nasties hidden within the ingredients, JooMo actually is completely natural! 

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.

Press Release: Dads Get Anxious Too!

Helping Dads Cope with Immunisation Anxiety   

When taking children for their routine immunisations, it is often dads who have to be brave when mums find it all too stressful! But dads, particularly if they are one of the 10% of the population with a needle phobia, can be anxious about taking their children for routine child immunisations too.

Emla, from AstraZeneca, helps to reduce the pain of the needle by numbing the skin. A topical anaesthetic cream which is available over the counter from pharmacies, Emla is applied an hour in advance of the procedure and is the only numbing product approved for use on even the very smallest babies – from full-term birth.

Emla is available in an ‘all in one’ pack from your pharmacy, to help numb the pain of the needle during procedures such as childhood immunisations, minor skin procedures, blood tests and travel vaccinations. The pack includes two air-tight (‘occlusive’) plasters which need to be applied over the Emla cream, plus full instructions on the correct way to apply Emla. The handy pack is available from your local pharmacist for just £5.10.

Guest Post: Pregnancy - Know Which Vitamins and Minerals You Need

Discover the Most Important Component of Prenatal Vitamins

by ljuben Georgiev

Today, pregnancy and prenatal vitamins go hand in hand. When a woman gets pregnant, she is usually advised by her doctor to take multivitamins for pregnancy. These are specially formulated dietary supplements that are designed to support the diet of pregnant women. They provide some of the most important micronutrients that play important roles for the healthy development of the fetus and to ensure that mothers will not suffer from vitamin deficiency.

All prenatal vitamins contain different micronutrients and minerals. However, you need to take note that these vitamins are not created equal. So how can you determine if a given supplement is right for you? Here are some guidelines that can help you.

Medicine Free Cold Sore Treatment for Breastfeeding and Pregnant Mums

I blogged a while back about how a breastfed baby died after being exposed to the Herpes virus which had caused her mother's coldsores during pregnancy.

Well, for anyone who suffers from this unpleasant condition (including yours truly!) there's a new product on the market which promises to get rid of coldsores quickly and easily without any mess. Best of all, it's suitable for breastfeeding mums and pregnant women and promises that you'll never need to use another coldsore treatment again.

Herpotherm looks like a lipstick and emits heat which you apply to the affected area as required. The heat kills the virus and you can get on with your life without worrying about how messy your face looks - which is the main problem with many of the creams and patches used to treat the problem.

Now I haven't tried it (although I'd love to as every year I get at least two or three breakouts!) but it certainly sounds promising. And if it means less gunk on your face it's got to be worth a try!

Find out more here. 

Antibiotics and Breastfeeding

SHE magazine is currently working on a feature aimed at women in their 30s-40s who have had a negative experience following a course of antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection. The article focuses on the fact that as more and more of the same antibiotics are prescribed by GPs, the more ineffective they are becoming and subsequently they do not work after someone has had one or more courses of them.

Doctors have been told to stop prescribing antibiotics for colds, coughs and many chest and throat infections as their overuse is ineffective and is fuelling the spread of fatal super bugs. 

Since antibiotics are commonly prescribed to treat mastitis their researcher, Sarah, is interested in speaking to any breastfeeding mothers who have had a negative experience with antibiotics whilst breastfeeding.

If you would like to share your story, please email sarah.barnard[at]natmags.co.uk

Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog's Tanya to the Rescue!

Well, what an incredible few days I've had since breaking my ribs.

As I suspected the drugs I was prescribed were stronger than those I was already on and after checking them out on KellyMom, I made a decision that I'd better not breastfeed Jack anymore.

So, with tears streaming down my face, I gave him his last breastfeed and tried to explain to him that his "tea" was going away...

Poor Jack had no idea why I wouldn't feed him all evening and, during the night, it almost broke my heart to see him begging for a feed and struggling out of Stan's arms to get to me. He was absolutely distraught and I spent most of the night crying too, partly because I was still in a lot of pain, but also because I never wanted it to be like this. The gradual weaning had been going so well and to have to stop so unexpectedly was a shock for both of us.

All day yesterday he kept pointing at me and giving me kisses before looking into my eyes and whimpering "tea", his baby talk for breastmilk! It was just awful...

As time passed I was also getting very engorged and had to go hunting for my old faithful, the Medela breast-pump!

After expressing 8oz of milk, it was with a sinking heart that I realised I would have to throw it out. But, it just seemed such a terrible waste. And I quite honestly couldn't bring myself to throw it down the sink - so instead I poured it into a glass, took a few photos of it and then called Jack. We went into the garden and I let Jack pour it onto a very special Japanese Maple we have in a pot at our front door. It was like a little final goodbye to breastfeeding and I felt a little better about it than the last feed Jack had had with me dripping tears all over him!!

But that's not quite the end of the tale...

Last night, just after Jack had wept himself to sleep as I tried to give him a bottle, and I was on my way to bed, I decided to check my emails.

Lo and behold there was an urgent message from Tanya from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog. She had read my previous post and, having just returned from a conference give by world's leading expert on the pharmacology of medications and mothers milk, Dr Thomas Hale, she asked me to let her know what my prescription was.

Within minutes of replying, she had very kindly checked out my medication and was able to assure me that it was fine to continue breastfeeding on this particular drug because of Jack's age (as a toddler he doesn't take as much breastmilk as a tiny baby would), the fact he is eating a varied diet, and because so little of the particular drug I am on passes into my milk.

Well, I was so thrilled I almost threw myself downstairs (which wouldn't have been very pleasant!) in my haste to pass on the good news to my hubby!

But, oh my goodness, was Jack pleased? After going without a breastfeed for about 34 hours he was deliriously happy to get his Tea back again! And I've been smiling ever since too.

So all that remains is for me to say a very public Thank You to Tanya.

Thank You Tanya for coming to the rescue.

Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

And just in case you hadn't realised it, I really appreciate that you took the time check out the latest research on my medicine and to let me know I could continue to breastfeed.

You have made me one very happy mummy and Jack a very happy little boy! :)