Mother&Baby March Issue

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING MAGAZINE FOR MUMS
www.motherandbaby.co.uk
Sweet
dreams
How your baby’s character
is the key to a good
night’s sleep
HELP YOUR BABY THROUGH
VACCINATIONS
60 timeless tips
for a healthy, happy baby
Saving for your baby’s
future made simple
Make Mother’s Day
memories you’ll treasure
HOW TO PLAN A POSITIVE
C-SECTION
Pregnancy
£3.99 MARCH 2016
Tested Advice Shopping

MOTHERS DAY
MAKE
MOTHER’S DAY
Memories
Spend time with your child creating moments you’ll treasure forever
46 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Personal
history
Linda says: ‘You'll
be able to look at
the family tree
together and say,
“Look, you got
your green eyes
from Grandpa,
your curly hair
from Uncle Fred.”
That gives her a
sense of
connection.’
This activity celebrates your relationship with
your toddler and other important family
bonds too. It will also gently introduce the
concept to her that you are not just her mum,
but a daughter too, and perhaps a wife,
aunty and cousin. And show her that Nanny
isn’t just her nanny, but your mum as well.
Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to
chat about all this. It will enable her to slowly
change her current view that you belong
solely to her – which is a very healthy thing
for your mother-child relationship.
Before you start, print or find photos of all
the family members you wish to include on
Baby&Toddler
CREATE A FAMILY TREE OF FACES
your family tree. On a large sheet of paper,
create a picture of a tree. Tailor how you do this
to what activities your tot enjoys – you could
use glue and tissue-paper, or use paint to make
thumbprint or handprint ‘leaves’. Stick a photo
of your child on the main trunk. Then draw a
line upwards and add a photo of you and your
partner. Continue with grandparents, aunties,
uncles and cousins, until your tree is as big as
you wish to make it. Stick your finished family
tree up on the wall at your toddler’s eye-level.
She will love pointing to the faces and saying
the names. And it will help her realise that she
is part of a bigger family.
START A MOTHER’S DAY JOURNAL
We’re so busy taking care of all the
necessities of looking after a baby that we
sometimes run out of time for emotional
housekeeping. In 20 years, you won’t be
wistfully remembering how diligently you
changed nappies. You’ll want something
that captures what is really important – the
bond between you and your child.
Every Mother’s Day, film your tot saying,
‘I love you’. It will just be cute gurgles for
the first couple of years, but your little one
will get the hang of things, and perhaps
there’ll be more than one voice someday!
Put the clips together to make a short
film your family will
treasure for
years to come.
Capture
the moment
Linda says: ‘When your
child first verbalises her love
for you , there is an amazing
connection between you that
you’ll want to hold on to.
Capture this on film,
and you’ll play it over
and over.’
MEET THE
EXPERT
Dr Linda Papadopoulos
is a chartered
psychologist and mum;
drlinda.co.uk
VIDEO YOUR CHILD
SAYING ‘I LOVE YOU’
You may
have editing
software
on your
computer,
or you can
find free
editing
tools online.
You might think that you’ll never forget just
how gorgeous your baby is right now, or all
those funny words your toddler comes out
with, but trust us, there are plenty more
precious moments coming your way over the
years, and you can only remember so many.
So, start a Mother’s Day journal now. As well
as it being a record of this and all the Mother’s
Days to come, use it to capture a snapshot of
your ever-changing family each and every year.
Write down those crazy little things that you
love about your tot. Ask your partner to note
down why he thinks you’re a fab mum. Get your
tot to add some scribbles too and, as she grows,
to draw a picture of you, and one day in her
finest handwriting explain why she thinks you’re
the best mum in the world. Stick in the heart
torn from newspaper that arrived with your
breakfast in bed, the receipt from the coffee
shop where you went for chocolate muffins
and Babyccinos, and a photo of you all feeding
the ducks afterwards. And instigate a new
Mother’s Day tradition to sit down on the sofa
as a family, and look through this time capsule
of special moments spent together.
Dear diary
Linda says:
‘Mother’s Day
gives a clear
message to our
little ones that
being a mummy is
really important.
Keeping a journal
is a lovely way to
express this,
although we
shouldn’t need
to wait for a
special day to
say all these
things! It will give
your child
snapshots of your
family through
time, and of
what’s constant
within it.’
motherandbaby.co.uk | March 2016 | 47

M & B 6 0 T H
BIRTHDAY
Special
trust
yourself!
Learn to trust your parental
instinct! It can be really hard if you’re
being given lots of advice from family
and friends. But remember, no one
knows your baby as well as you do.
Dr Ellie Cannon GP and author of
Keep Calm: The New Mum's
Manual
Our
best advice
for 2016
GO PLAY!
My number one tip for improving your
child’s sleep right away is EXERCISE! Our
children have high energy levels and they
need an outlet for that energy before they
are asked to rest. Science has proven that
exercise, especially in combination with
healthy nutrition, leads to better overall
sleep and a decreased risk of developing
childhood sleep apnea. So after dinner,
I would encourage you to leave the
washing up for later and go straight
outside for some active play!
Michelle McAvoy, sleep expert,
Lovebugs Sleep Coaching
Buy a
sling
Baby-wearing eases
colic, soothes
fractious or ill
babies, and
promotes bonding
– so get Dad using
the sling too. And
it means you have
both hands free.
Lorraine Berry,
midwife
BE A TEAM
Before your baby is born, it’s important that,
as a couple, you recognise there will be a
change in your relationship. Both of you will
have to make sacrifices and change your
individual lives to work together as one unit
if you are to provide a loving, supportive
environment for your baby. To stay strong as
a couple, make sure you find the time to talk
and be physical, even if that's just a cuddle
on the couch. Be understanding of each
other and allow friends and family to help
out too – his as well as your own.
Nicola Bradley, midwife,
Birth Rocks Academy
70 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Recreate your womb
When you have a newborn baby, try to always keep in mind
where he's just come from. He's been tightly held in your womb,
protected from light, cold air and noise, rocked by your
movements, never put down and surrounded by white noise.
He can’t just adapt to a whole new world overnight! So try to
recreate a womb-like environment for him to help him adapt
and feel safe. Try white noise, using a Sleepyhead baby pod that
makes your baby feel secure, give him something with your
smell on and dim the lights.
Lyndsey Hookway, sleep expert, Little Sleepers
TAKE DEEP BREATHS
My top tip, both as a pregnancy yoga teacher and mother of two, would
be to learn a gentle, nurturing breathing technique when pregnant.
Do this and you will feel more confident in labour, and you'll be able
to tune into this breath as you move into motherhood.
Cherie Lathey, yoga expert
JUMP OVER SHADOWS
To persuade a reluctant toddler or preschooler
to walk from A to B, play showjumping over the
shadows. I’ve often had a little one dragging
his feet but this game works a treat! First of all,
describe your horse and get him to tell you
about theirs – to start off with, ask questions to
prompt an answer, such as, ‘I'm riding a black
horse. Is your horse black too?’, or ‘My horse
has got a long tail, has yours?’ Then set off
together, and every time you come to a shadow,
leap over it as if you were riding a horse.
Children particularly love trying to jump over
the shadows of people and bikes coming
towards them on the path. A tired toddler
walking home from nursery will be transformed
into a prancing showjumper and, before he
knows it, you’ll have arrived at your destination
without any tears or tantrums.
Dr Rebecca Chicot, co-founder of
essentialparent.com and author of
The Calm and Happy Toddler.
keep
baths short
To promote sleepiness during
your baby's bedtime routine, keep
his bath short, to just five minutes. It
will still stimulate melatonin production,
as his body temperature drops on coming
out of the warm bath, which helps sleep.
But it also minimises the chance for
exciting bath play, which can stop a
child falling asleep.
Mandy Gurney, sleep expert,
Millpond Sleep Clinic
motherandbaby.co.uk | February 2016 | 71

Birth stories
My baby was breech but
I chose the birth I wanted
Breech births hit the headlines last December when Kim Kardashian’s
baby was turned before birth. Here three mums share their stories
Allegra and Atticus
at five hours old
Ihad always wanted a home
AMY BAILEY,
waterbirth. But when I found out 40, AN ACTRESS,
I was having twins, the doctors
LIVES IN LONDON
pushed me to book a c-section. WITH HER HUSBAND
I thought that was crazy – they were ANTHONY AND TWINS
treating my normal, healthy pregnancy
ATTICUS AND
like an emergency. My twins were
ALLEGRA, 13
fraternal, so didn’t share a placenta, and
WEEKS.
the placentas were high up in my womb.
Even at 35 weeks, when a scan showed the
top twin was breech, I saw no reason not to
have a home birth. I did research and found
two independent midwives who specialised in
breech babies. They had a good relationship
with the local hospital, which was only seven
minutes away should we need a transfer.
After several days of Braxton Hicks,
I woke in the middle of the night one
Sunday with regular contractions. I was
convinced full-on labour was starting,
and called my midwife, Andy, to the
house. But she knew I wasn’t close to birth.
Sure enough, the contractions died down.
They came back thick and fast three nights
later, and I couldn’t sleep. Andy examined me,
finding I was 5cm dilated. As part of her care,
she stayed overnight in the spare room.
I lay in the bath for hours, practising
hypnobirth breathing, while my husband
Anthony slept. Andy checked on me every
hour . Having her there was reassuring, and
I felt positive. By 5am the contractions were
32 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Bump&Birth
every few minutes. I lowered myself into the
birth pool that Anthony had filled in the
lounge. Andy called the team and soon there
were four midwives: one for me, one for each
twin, and one to oversee. They were there
when I needed them but also gave me space.
By 10am I was checked again. I’d reached
8cm. I was in active labour and it was
overwhelming. Just when I thought I’d no
strength left to push, I reached down and felt
my daughter's head. It gave me a tremendous
boost to keep going. I continued pushing in
the water for two hours, but eventually had to
get out, as the midwives felt gravity would help.
For the next hour I sat on a special birth
stool. It was such hard work. I managed to get
half of the baby’s head out, right up to her
eyebrows, where she got stuck. Climbing onto
the fold-out couch, I lay on my side while
Anthony held one of my legs up. At 12.30pm,
the reason for the obstruction became clear.
‘I can see the baby’s hand in the way,’ Andy
said, explaining I might need an episiotomy.
I didn’t want that, so I mustered all my
strength and pushed. The baby slid out.
She was perfect. I breastfed her for the next
hour and the pain seemed a distant memory.
In my happiness, I almost forgot about the
second labour. The midwives were anxious
to deliver the other twin so encouraged me
to stand up. My waters broke with a loud pop
and a new wave of contractions hit me.
I gathered every last bit of energy and
followed instructions to get onto all fours. My
bump was manipulated to try to turn the baby,
but he didn’t budge. After I’d been pushing for
about 10 minutes, the midwives wanted to call
an ambulance to wait outside the house as a
precaution. I didn’t want to go to hospital but
knew my exhaustion was serious. I thought to
myself, ‘I have about two more pushes left in
me, and that’s it.’ With one mighty surge, my
breech boy came out, bottom first. But his
hand was also by his head. Andy reached
inside me and pulled out his arm. With the
last big contraction, she manipulated his head
to ease the passage, and Atticus was born.
The midwives immediately slid him next to
me, telling me to talk to him and hold him
close. It scared me to see how pale and fragile
he was, but I kissed his tiny face and whispered,
‘Hey, little guy, I love you and I’m so glad to
see you.’ A glow of colour spread from where
his heart was until the rest of his body flushed
pink and healthy. It was incredible.
As a precaution, the midwife placed an
oxygen mask over his face for a few seconds
then lay him on my chest to feed while
Anthony held our girl, Allegra. The entire
experience was intense and very difficult, but
I’d made an informed decision about the birth
I wanted. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Three things
I’d tell my
friends
Don’t listen to
negativity from
inexperienced,
uninformed people
who talk about how
dangerous home
birth is. Research local
breech birth specialist
midwives and read
positive breech home
birth stories.
If your baby’s in the
breech position, look
up ‘rebozo sifting’
online. It’s a technique
which uses long
pieces of material to
relax tight ligaments
in the abdomen
and may even help
a baby rotate.
Remember that
fear about breech
births is unfounded.
It is possible to have a
safe, natural, positive
breech delivery.
Amy and Anthony
with Allegra at just
a few minutes old
motherandbaby.co.uk | March 2016 | 33

5-minute
Beauty
fixes
Want to revive tired-looking skin?
Are your roots showing but you have
no time to get to the salon? Check
out these time-saving products
1
Airbrushed skin
in seconds
There are four key steps to getting
flawless looking foundation: prepping
with a primer, buffing in your
foundation, concealing and, finally,
setting with powder. But when you have
a five-minute window to get ready, this
just isn’t going to happen. That’s where
this wonder stuff comes in to play.
The creamy foundation glides on easily
then dries to a powder to give a fine
finish that’s light enough to be swept
over the delicate under-eye area to
disguise dark circles. It
comes with a sponge
applicator, so you can dab it
on any other areas that
need more concealing,
such as spots or pregnancy
pigmentation patches.
● L’Oréal Paris True
Match Genius 4-in-1
Compact Foundation,
£12.99, boots.com
92 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk
1

Life&kids
4
2
3
2
HERO FOR
HORMONAL SKIN
The change in your hormones can mean
all kinds of things for your skin: pregnancy
spots, increase in sensitivity and dryness,
dark patches, enlarged pores… we could
go on! The last thing you want is to have to
buy different products to deal with different
problems, which is where this miracle cream
comes in. It hydrates and soothes inflamed
and sensitive skin. With a velvet texture,
it balances the skin’s oil levels, reducing
shine and disguising pores without clogging.
In short: apply this over your face in the
morning, marvel at the change it makes to your
temperamental skin and then carry on with
your day, knowing you’re looking your best.
● La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur,
£16.50, boots.com
3
INSTANT ROOT
DISGUISER
Getting to the salon to get your roots touched
up when you have a baby is tricky. If you want to
make it look like you’ve just spent hours in the
hairdresser’s chair, when all you have is two
minutes in your bathroom, reach for this genius
spray. It comes in three shades – light blonde,
light brunette and dark brown – and packs on
colour where you need it, while it blends with
your natural tones, making your hair look
instantly luxe. The powdery consistency also
acts as a dry shampoo, reviving greasy roots.
● Josh Wood Instant Root Concealer Spray,
£12.50, marksandspencer.com
5Quick
& easy
mani
If you consider
painting your
nails a luxury
because of how
long it takes to
dry – and still
inevitably get
smudges – say
hello to a product
that will change
your world. The
clever people at
Nails Inc have
invented the first
spray-on nail
polish! Just apply
a base coat first
– or use it over
already applied
polish for a colour
change. Shake
the Nails Inc Paint
Can and spray all
over your nails
from 10-15cm
away. Allow to
dry, then wash
your hands in
soapy water to get
rid of any excess.
For a longerlasting
look,
apply a top coat.
● Nails Inc
Paint Can,
£10, boots.com
WORDS SARAH-JANE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY ISTOCKPHOTO
5
4
HEAD-TO-TOE
HYDRATION IN A HURRY
We all know we should moisturise after every bath and shower,
but who has the time? Hand Chemistry have come up with this
time-savvy body spray that’s packed with hyaluronic acid, the
hydrating ingredient for your skin. It takes seconds to spritz all
over your body, and is so light and airy that it sinks into your skin
immediately, so you don’t even have to stretch to rub it in.
● Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Body Mist, £17, boots.com
MORE
ONLINE
For more
beauty tips
and best
buys, visit
motherandbaby.
co.uk/beauty

How I announced
my pregnancy
Telling family and friends you’re expecting can be when it starts to feel
real, so no wonder people like to make the announcement memorable!
Magnet magic
Susan Bloomer, 32, and husband
Scott, 29, live in Shropshire with
Eleanor, 18 months. They’re expecting
their second baby this month. ‘My husband
and I announced our first pregnancy by
spelling out “we’re having a baby!” with
fridge magnets. We decided to carry on
the tradition and get our daughter
involved the second time round. They
are the most “Liked” pictures on
our Facebook page, so that
says it all!’
24 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Bump&Birth
MEET THE
EXPERT
Dr Rachel Andrew is
a chartered clinical
psychologist.
‘Announcing your
pregnancy offers a
means for you to get
support from those
around you at what is
a time of huge
transition and
change,’ she says.
‘Getting people
excited and
interested means
you can have a real
sense of bonding
and support. They
will then feel like they
are with you every
step of the way. If you
need support or
advice, then you’ve
got that network
around you.’
Is it a Bird?
Is it a plaNe?
No, it’s SuperDog
and Wonder WomaN
Jessica Molyneux-Spence, 27, and husband
Marc, 28, live in Buckinghamshire with
Elizabeth, 18 months. Their second child is due
this month. ‘When we were expecting Jessica,
we’d just had a puppy, so took a photo of him
with a “baby guard dog” sign. The second
announcement I had planned before I was
even pregnant! My little girl is very
boisterous, so we thought dressing
her in a Wonder Woman
outfit would be
perfect!’
We gave them the best
Christmas present
Joanne Marr, 35, and husband
Ash, 33, live in Bristol with their
baby boy Albie, five months.
‘Ash has a son, Cole, from a previous
relationship, but we struggled to get
pregnant. We had three rounds of
intrauterine insemination and two
of IVF, all unsuccessful. But it was
third-time lucky! It was December,
so we decided to tell our parents
on Christmas Day. We wrapped up
a positive test for each of our mums.
They were over the moon!’
IT’S A FOUR-LETTER WORD!
Danielle Curtis, 28, and fiancé
Daniel Cowie-Smith, 30, live in
Surrey with their son, Charlie
Michael, one.
‘I wanted a fun way to tell my
parents, and thought it would
be lovely to include my brother.
It just popped into my head
that there are four letters in the
word “baby”, and four of us.
I bought four frames and put
one of the letters in each of
them, then wrapped them all
up so I knew the order of the
letters. When they opened them,
they were looking at each other’s
to see what letters everyone had.
When they realised that together
they spelt “baby”, their reaction
was fantastic!”
motherandbaby.co.uk | March 2016 | 25

THE BIG
TEST
FOLDING
HIGHCHAIRS
Is a fold-up highchair right for you
and your baby at mealtimes?
WORDS LIAT HUGHES JOSHI & HEIDI SCRIMGEOUR
When do you need a highchair?
Your baby will need a highchair from around
six months when he starts on solid food.
He will then use it until he is able to sit in
a normal chair to reach the table.
Is a folding highchair right for you?
There aren’t really any downsides to choosing
a folding highchair. If space is an issue in
your home, then they are a good idea,
but even if it’s not, a folding model could
still be the best option, depending on the
other features and design.
Do you want the chair to have a longer term use?
Some highchairs can be used for younger
babies instead of a bouncy chair, or convert
into booster seats. These usually cost more
than standard comparable models, so consider
whether it is worthwhile for you.
What should you look for?
Think carefully about whether the design
of the highchair works in the space available
in your kitchen. The size and shape of the
highchair’s footprint might mean it gets in
the way if room is limited. If you’d like to
move the highchair easily for cleaning or
for transferring between rooms, then wheels
will help you do this, as will it being
freestanding when folded. You will be using
the highchair for a year or more, so find
one you like the style of – there are plenty
of attractive-yet- practical models now.
Do you want a tray or do you want your baby
to sit up at the table with you?
A tray can help you contain mess and mean
This month’s
testers
Tami Anderson
33, mum to Edith,
six months I need a comfy
highchair that occupies
minimal space. I’d love one
with a removable tray
that’s also easy to clean.
Sarah Smith
36, mum to Ralph,
12 months To me, a
highchair’s most important
feature is that it’s easy to
clean. I need one which
also folds neatly away.
Baccara
Gallacher
22, mum to Indie,
21 months Mealtimes are
less messy now Indie’s
getting older so I’d like to
find a stylish highchair
which looks great.
your kitchen table isn’t damaged by your baby
bashing or constantly spilling things on it.
Using a highchair at the table integrates your
little one more into family mealtimes, which
can help him pick up better eating habits.
There’s no right answer as to which is best,
and if you can’t decide, look for a highchair
that works either way, with a removable tray.
If you do want to use the highchair at your
table, check it will fit underneath it, close
enough for your baby to be able to reach
the table top easily to feed himself.
Prioritise ease of cleaning…
Highchairs can get really mucky during the
course of mealtimes. A design that makes
cleaning up quicker will make your life easier.
Prioritise smooth, easy-wipe-clean surfaces,
no nooks and crannies for food to get stuck
in, and a seat cover and harness that can be
wiped down and ideally removed for a more
thorough machine wash.
Look for a highchair that you can adjust as
your baby gets bigger
This is an important consideration, as there’s
a huge difference between your baby’s size
and needs when first using a highchair at
six months and when he is two.
Our‌ testers
are chosen to
represent the full
range of ages your
child will be using
the highchair
Anything else to consider?
Some models have
extras such as a
storage basket,
which is handy
for bibs and wipes,
but is also another
place to clean up.
106 | March 2016 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Tray
How large is
this and is it
removable? Ideally it
should be able to go in the
dishwasher for a thorough
clean. Some highchairs
come with a second tray,
so you have a spare,
clean one.
Harness
and bar
Most highchairs have a
harness for additional
security, but not all, because
sometimes the design of the
seat means one isn’t needed.
A bar is useful to prevent your
child slipping down in their
seat on some styles of
highchair.
Folding
mechanism
How easy is it to
fold and unfold the
highchair, and how
compact is it when
collapsed?
Shop!
Seat
Is this
comfortable and
supportive enough for a
baby who is still just learning
to sit up, but roomy enough for
a toddler? Is the seat cover
easy to clean and can it be
removed for machine
washing, if needed?
Adjustability
Can you adjust the
seat or tray height to
suit your baby’s size
and the height of
your table?
Footrest
A useful feature
for your baby or
toddler to lean his
feet upon – this can
help him feel more
secure.
motherandbaby.co.uk | March 2016 | 107

THE UK’S BEST-SELLING MAGAZINE FOR MUMS
www.motherandbaby.co.uk
Sweet
dreams
How your baby’s character
is the key to a good
night’s sleep
HELP YOUR BABY THROUGH
VACCINATIONS
60 timeless tips
for a healthy, happy baby
Saving for your baby’s
future made simple
Make Mother’s Day
memories you’ll treasure
HOW TO PLAN A POSITIVE
C-SECTION
Pregnancy
£3.99 MARCH 2016
Tested Advice Shopping
now!
ON SALE