Being Mum – baby

“Everything You Need to Know About Storing Your Baby’s Stem Cells” is a paid collaborative post with Cells4Life. As a parent, keeping your child safe is, obviously, the number one priority. Thanks to cord blood banking, you can set up a safety net for your baby as soon as they are born. 

Technology giving you Power in Birth, Pregnancy and Beyond is a paid collaberation with Bounty. When I was pregnant 14 years ago smartphones were not really a thing – I had a blackberry for work but hadn’t heard of an app. Now there is no chance of any more babies here, but I wanted to share with you some fabulous details of how the Bounty App can really give you power in birth, pregnancy and beyond. I really wish this had been around when I was expecting.

I am in such a reflective mood.  Maxi, my precious first born turns 13 in March. How on earth has that happened? I blinked and have a teenager. In all seriousness though it really seems like only yesterday when I was thrown in at the deep end of the parenting pool without a life raft or even armbands. I came to parenting pretty late and really had no idea what to expect and I had absolutely no idea how hard it would be.  

When was the last time you had your children’s eyes tested?  Did you know that it is free on the NHS and you can take them from around 6 months old on an annual basis?  I am working with Optical Express to share with you the importance of getting your kid’s eyes tested regularly. As a Mum to a child who has worn glasses since he was 18 months old and wife to a husband who wore them from a year old and who wore glasses herself until having laser surgery with Optical Express in 2012, I understand just how precious sight is and how important eye tests are.

It is hard to believe that this time 12 years ago we were waiting on the birth of Maxi and we researching what to buy for our first born child.  Maxi was a much longed for child, who we never really believed would really come, so we left buying everything till last minute.  We wanted to make sure that our perfect first born had the best of everything, so we made sure that we subscribed to Which? magazine.

Top 9 reasons why your baby might cry and what to do: is a collaborative paid post.  Arriving home from hospital with a new-born bundle of joy can be a daunting occasion, particularly when they start crying in a tone you don’t recognise. Care, the number one healthcare brand sold into UK pharmacy and Penny Lazell, a qualified midwife and independent health visitor are here with advice to help you comfort your little one.

Children are curious little things, and while that’s exactly what makes watching them grow through their initial years such a memorable experience, it’s also one of the main reasons as to why they often end up hurting themselves. A few cuts and bruises are perfectly alright and part of the growing up process, but as parents, we need to be extra careful and make sure that their innate curiosity doesn’t lead to a serious accident.

Did you have the perfect birth?  If you asked 100 mother’s this question, I bet most of them would say they didn’t.  But what is the perfect birth?  For each person, it differs.  If you had asked me before my boys were born I would have said “one where the mum and baby are both healthy” as I am sure lots of first time mums to be would.

We all know that maintaining a strong immune system is so important for your little ones, but did you know that 70% of the immune system is found in the gut? Healthy gut flora could help to protect against nasties such as diarrhoea, and common conditions such as eczema, hay fever, food intolerances and colic.

Being a parent is the hardest job I have ever done.  In fact it isnt even a job as you don’t get paid for looking after your own children.  But it is the most rewarding and amazing thing I have ever done, but nothing prepared me for being a Mum.    Nurofen for Children asked me to share with you when I first started feeling confident as a parent.  Well for me that took quite a while and had a lot to do with me stopping comparing my child to books and others and started to concentrate on my parenting milestones.