You gave life…. But do you know how to save it? Parents often joke that they are allowed to leave the hospital with their precious bundle and no certificate of training. We are taught how to feed, bathe and change nappies, and books will guide us on the growing changes and stimulating ideas for their ...
Pelvic pain during pregnancy is relatively common. In fact, it is estimated that one in 35 women will get pelvic pain. Symptoms include: Pain in the pubic area and groin; Pain in the inside of the thighs; Lower back and hip pain; Pain while walking, moving or going upstairs; An audible ‘clicking’ sound that you ...
The camera has never been particularly kind to me. I am not one of those photogenic women who stares soulfully down the lens, chin tilted at just the right angle, managing to look both hip and formidable at the same time. I am far more likely to be the only person in the photo with ...
Surely pregnancy is an excuse, if any were needed, to go a little easier on ourselves. To chill out and relax and to stop asking too much of ourselves. Not so for a small proportion of women who insist on seeing pregnancy as another field of endeavour in which to ‘go for gold’ and who ...
There have been many reports over the last few years about the negative aspects of children watching TV. Indeed, a recent study from Michigan and Montreal universities found negative effects on older children rose with every hour of toddler TV. But is TV always such a bad idea? Toddlers and TV The study, part of ...
There are some words that parents of small children long to hear. They listen, ears ever-alert for those first throaty gurglings that might, with a little artistic licence, be interpreted as a passable ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’. There may be other words, though, in those early, slightly chaotic, years which are less welcome. Like when your ...
words by Lucy Pearce Many moons ago, when you saw that blue line on the pregnancy test, you were given a date, a magical date, carefully conjured up in a high-tech way by an internet site calculator, or in a low-tech form by your doctor with a little plastic wheel. In went the date of ...
What does your reading indicate for your pregnancy? Sharon Dempsey Measuring and recording blood pressure is an essential part of your antenatal appointment, but few of us ever give it a second thought until a problem arises. During a healthy pregnancy the hormone progesterone makes the arteries relax. This means that the heart does not ...
Once upon a time, after an uneventful pregnancy, a serene new mum took an extra deep breath and effortlessly popped out her baby. She then dressed him in the hand-crafted sleep suit she had knitted during labour (the shortest in the hospital’s history) and immediately began Googling recipes for homemade florentines to serve to her ...
It’s supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life. During your pregnancy, everyone will tell you how lucky you are and how happy you should be. But that doesn’t stop you having your own wee worries…. Pregnancy Concerns I’m afraid of giving birth! Although there are varying degrees of worry regarding childbirth, ...