I’ve just been helping Amy pack our hospital bag as we could be going into hospital any minute now. I also have a separate bag for me, with more food in! I’m also putting in my digital camera and phone charger.

I’m fully stocked up on the tea and coffee too as the couple of weeks after the birth we will have a house full of visitors. Most people will be bringing a baby gift for the new arrival and some of them may remember to bring a little bit of something for Adam but what about Amy? I thought I’d write a quick article this morning on some great little gift ideas for Mammy so she doesn’t feel left out! I thought I would give you my top three gift ideas.

1) A puzzle book
This could actually be a gift idea for in the hospital as well as after the birth. It’s an easy pick up and put down idea and if it’s your first child, they sleep loads in the first few weeks so you’ll have plenty of time. Some people will say you should sleep when the baby sleeps but it didn’t work for us! As an example of a puzzle book, the BIG Crossword is a popular monthly magazine with cash and prizes to win in 21 contests. These include the challenging Demon, the super-sized Goliathon and Bigcash crosswords, as well as a DIY Crossword and lots of brainteasers.

2) A cook book
I love this idea! Having a baby can be a strain on the bank balance so why not try and save a bit of money at the checkout? As I mentioned above, you may find your baby will sleep loads so it’s a perfect time to try some new cooking ideas. As an example you could try Recipes+, it’s an inspiring magazine for families on a budget. With easy and delicious meals in every monthly issue, all made with common ingredients from the fridge. From fabulous no-fuss mains to tempting snacks for kids, Recipes+ keeps saving you money at the checkout month after month.

3) Out & About Ideas
If you’re buying for a new Mammy and you have kids already, you’ll know that getting out and about with your child is a big thing. It can get stressful being stuck in the house all day and I’d firstly recommend doing loads of walking. This will give the Mammy some exercise and more importantly, fresh air. Babies love movement too, you’ll find they’ll sleep loads in the buggy or in the car because of the vibrations.

So as a parent you’ll already know the places you can go with your child which are safe, fun and sometimes free. Why not give the Mammy a list of these places or even buy them a magazine with some out & about ideas in? I know there’s a magazine out called Out & About With Kids and it’s the perfect reference guide when planning weekend and school holiday activities.

Well I hope you found this article interesting and that you may consider treating the Mammy as well as the new arrival. Hopefully I’ll be back soon with a photo of baby number two!

Bye for now,

I’d just like to apologise that I haven’t been blogging much lately, this is mainly because my wife is about to give birth to baby number two!

It’s been a hectic last few months to say the least. It’s completely different second time round, especially with a two and a half year old running around. Amy is doing fine, some of the things that were affecting her last time haven’t been bothering her as much this time, which is great.

I have been taking notes about this 2nd pregnancy, so I’ll be sharing those with you over the coming months. Thanks for continuing to read and speak soon.

Paul

I’m a multi tasking Mummy with a passion for gorgeous fabrics and hand made crafts. I love searching for new fabrics that can be made into fabulous colour combinations for that perfect nautical look, pretty in pinks theme or soft and neutral feel. I love seeing photos of gorgeous nurseries to match to or being challenged to coordinate with cute bedsets. My little one helps me along the way showing me the fabrics he likes and charming the ladies in the haberdashery!

My aim is to give my customers a truly personal service so you find the perfect gift for family and friends or item for your own little one all with the assurance that they are made by hand and with love.

How to Recognise Baby Acne
Baby acne is most commonly present on the cheeks of a newborn, but can also be found on the forehead, chin, and even the back. The outbreaks resemble small whiteheads that are ringed by reddish skin. These outbreaks can also resemble adult pimples and be red and fleshy in appearance.

When a baby is calm the condition can look fairly mild, but when a baby is fussy or overheated the condition can look worse. Saliva, rough fabrics, and spit-up can also aggravate the look of the condition. Plus, the use of harsh detergents on fabrics, clothing, and blankets that come in contact with the baby’s skin can also worsen the look and feel of this condition.

Because acne in newborns is sometimes confused with a regular rash there are a few patterns that can help you decide exactly what is going on with your baby’s skin. Baby acne usually occurs first in babies three to four weeks in age, and then goes away naturally once the baby reaches the age of three to four months. Also, this condition is more common in male babies than in females. Finally, unlike a rash, baby acne is never found on the extremities or chest of a newborn.

What Causes It
Although baby acne is quite common, it affects almost 20% of all newborn babies; an exact, proven cause has yet to be discovered. However, many experts believe that the passing of hormones from mother to baby in the last stages of pregnancy can precipitate occurrence of this condition. These hormones are naturally passed through the placenta and are responsible for aiding the survival of a newborn once they have left the womb. The hormones help stimulate things like lung maturation, but they also cause increased oil gland activity. It is this increased gland production that may be the cause of baby acne.

Other suspected causes of baby acne include the use of certain medications by a mother while she is still pregnant or nursing, certain medications that may be given to newborn babies and certain diet elements consumed before birth.

Since you cannot control the passing of hormones from mother to baby, prevention is nearly impossible. You can however treat the condition to a certain extent.

What You Can Do to Treat it
Although baby acne will clear up on its own, many parents wish to speed recovery since the condition can be a bit unpleasing to the eye. The best course of treatment is daily cleansing. Once a day wash your baby’s skin with a mild soap and clean, warm water. Do not scrub the area or use medicated soaps. Both of these techniques will worsen the condition and further irritate the skin. You also do not want to overdo the washings. Too many daily washing will also make the condition worse. You can also switch laundry detergents since harsh chemical residues can make the condition worse. Choose a detergent and fabric softener that is meant for use on a baby’s items.

Lastly, do not allow spit-up, formula, or breast milk to sit or dry on the baby’s skin. These liquids can clog skin pores and result in the appearance of whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples.

There are also a few things that you should not do that can help reduce the appearance of baby acne on your newborn’s skin. Never apply lotions, creams, or oils to the affected area. These treatments will further clog pores and worsen the condition. You should also never use any type of acne treatment on a baby’s skin. The active ingredients in these solutions are too strong for sensitive baby skin and can cause other problems like burning, excessive dryness, and inflammation.

If the above treatments don’t improve the condition within three months, or if you still continue to be worried by the baby acne, you should consult your pediatrician for further advice. But try not to stress too much over this condition, baby acne is a natural maturing process for a newborn and it will not harm him or make him uncomfortable. As you wait for the condition to clear up naturally, patience is key.

Smiling is healthy and contagious, so we want to see who makes YOU smile — and get everyone to do it! It’s as easy as “1-2-3, say cheese!” Simply upload a captivating, exciting photo of yourself with someone who makes you smile, and write a brief description about the picture in 140 characters or less (think Tweet caption).

Use Twitter, Facebook, blogging, email and word of mouth to enlist all of your friends, family, friends of friends, family friends – everyone! – to vote for your submission by February 24th. Remember, the five submissions with the most votes will be eligible for the grand prize. The top three entries within 100 miles of Troy, MI; Philadelphia, PA; Aventura, FL; Austin, TX; and Beverly Hills, CA, will be judged for the five regional prizes.

Your entries will be tallied up, and, on March 16th, 2012, we will announce the grand prize and regional-prize winners!

When it’s time for bedtime, remind your child again that baby is listening to the bedroom story and like them, getting sleepy and ready to dream sweet dreams. Make the experience of waiting for the baby’s arrival as joyful and full of fun as you can, and don’t forget to cuddle your toddler very often to reassure them of your love.

Stage 2 – Mashed, Sieved or Pureed Foods
It is important to progress at the baby’s pace. The amount of food given should be gradually increased by offering two and then three small meals a day adding new tastes and textures. The consistency of the solid food should be mashed, sieved or pureed depending on the food and the child.

As solid food intake increases milk intake will gradually decrease, however breast milk or approximately 500-600mls infant formula should be given daily until one year, this milk nay be added to solid feeds if necessary.

Stage 3 – Mashed and/or Chopped Food (Finger Food)
As solid food becomes an increasing part of baby’s diet, it is important to offer a wide range of foods, presented either mashed or chopped and offered three times a day. Offer fruit and vegetables at every meal and try to provide vitamins and minerals essential for infant growth and development and reduced risk of cancer in later life.

Eggs
Both the yoke and the white need to be cooked until they are solid. Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Dairy
Unpasturised cheeses should only be offered from 1 year onwards. Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Cow’s milk as a drink
Between 6 and 12 months whole pasturised cow’s milk can be used in cooking only (Custard, rice pudding). Should be avoided until at least 12 months.

Wheat based foods/cereals
Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Fish and Shellfish
Raw shellfish should not be given to babies or young children. Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Citrus Fruit
Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Citrus Fruit Juices
Preferably diluted. Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Seeds
Although be aware of choking hazards. Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months.

Whole Nuts
Should be avoided until at least 12 months.

Ground Nuts
Avoid for under 6 months but fine for babies aged 6 to 12 months, unless there is a high risk of nut allergy.

Added Salt
Should be avoided until at least 12 months.

Added Sugar
Should be avoided until at least 12 months.

Honey
Should be avoided until at least 12 months.

Weaning is not recommended before 6 months.

Some of this information was provided to me in a work sheet from the NHS.

Primarily, the website can reveal your precise date of delivery, based on the date of your last period, and the probable date of conception. This website is managed by experts and provides detailed guidance on the foods that you can eat during your pregnancy. Apart from listing out the substances that will be healthy for you and the baby during each month, the pregnancy calendar also contains a separate section food cravings during the period, and indicates how to manage them. The key is to avoid undue weight gain, as well as avoid consuming substances with too much cholesterol or fat. The website talks about how food cravings are related to the development of pregnancy, as well as how the taste, smell and ease of digestion for several foods can change significantly. It reveals that pregnant women experience cravings for the usual spicy or sweet foodstuffs, as well as abnormal cravings – like cravings for iron and metal substances. While this may sound weird, the website assures you that it is a passing phase induced by pregnancy, and hence nothing to worry about.

The pregnancy calendar uses the unique approach of dividing your pregnancy into three equal periods of three months each – which helps you gain the best insight into the development of your baby. There are numerous articles about various pregnancy issues, authored by medical professionals, psychologists, and experts in the area. The pregnancy calendar provides information on topics like twin pregnancies, post-natal depression, things to do on the eve of the birth, and so on.  The website also provides guidance on strange fetishes that seem to arise during pregnancy – from a desire to clean up your surroundings, to random mood swings and so on. It provides a scientific explanation for each of these phenomena.

There is also a complete section on pregnancy complications. It details the various possible pregnancy complications, and provides extremely in-depth information on them. It guides women on how to overcome stress, fatigue, depression and worry during these complications.  Information on the ways in which doctors treat these complications, and the best known methods, is also given.

One portion is equal to one handful.

Suggestions of how you can get five portions a day
1) One glass of 100% pure natural juice.
2) One piece of fresh fruit.
3) One tablespoon of dried fruit.
4) Salad in a sandwich.
5) 2-3 tablespoons of frozen vegetables.