FAMILY HEALTH & NEW FAMILIES 30 FAMI LY VALUE S 21 JUNE 2014
Gearing up for a new arrival
Getting pregnant and preparing for your first child can sometimes seem overwhelming. Read our top tips to help ease the burden
1. Pregnancy: Childbirth experts advise that to optimise the chances of conception it’s advisable to give up smoking, reduce stress, cut out alcohol and aim to be a healthy weight. If you’ve been trying for a year with no luck, have a check-up with your GP and consider visiting a fertility clinic in order to weigh up your options including IVF. 2. Pregnancy nutrition: If you’re thinking about getting pregnant you should take a 400mcg folic acid supplement each day and continue for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy as it reduces the risk of having a baby with conditions such as spina bifida. 3. Birthing aids: Taking time to research what to expect during birth and making a birthing plan can help you prepare mentally for the birth. Birthing balls can be an invaluable aid throughout labour and for pre- and post natal exercise. TENS machines, which use small electrical impulses to ease pain, can provide a useful alternative to medication, as can gently heated rice socks. 4. Baby nutrition: Breast milk and formula should provide your child with everything it needs, except for vitamin D. Nutritionists now recommend giving specially designed supplements from the very first days of life to help prevent rickets. 5. Safety: Before the birth, make sure you have the essentials such as a car seat, a crib, a pushchair and baby monitor. You’ll also eventually need to get safety plug covers, cupboard and drawer latches and toilet seat locks and a stair gate. 6. First aid kit: From day one you’ll want a digital thermometer and bulb syringe to clear stuffy noses. Te NHS has a full list on
its website, which includes other items such as calamine lotion, antiseptic cream/spray and age-appropriate pain killer. You’ll also need a nail care kit to keep your baby’s nails short so they don’t scratch themselves.
www.nhs.uk 7. Relaxation: Teethers will be vital to relieve sore teeth and gums. Make sure they’re made from 100% natural rubber and painted with non-toxic food-grade paints. Classical music is supposed to make babies smart — and may help keep new parents relaxed too. 8. Vaccinations: Your baby will require vaccines at two, three and four months; between 12-13 months and also as a toddler. A checklist of the vaccines routinely offered in the UK for free on the NHS, can be found on the NHS website. 9. Family finance & legalities: New parents should check to see if they are entitled to child benefit and consider opening a junior ISA. Make sure your wills are up to date and that you have appointed guardians. 10. Support: Ask midwives, your GP, experienced mums for advice. Join a parenting club and accept any help offered!
Family Values recommends: • Chelsea and Westminster Hospital: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, based in the heart of central London, provides specialist medical and surgical care at all stages of life. An award- winning hospital, we have the best performing Accident and Emergency Department in England and our Assisted Conception Unit has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the UK. Patients consistently tell us that they would recommend our services to those they care for.
www.chelwest.nhs.uk • Mermaid: Mermaid brings together the resources and experts that every pregnant woman and new mother will find invaluable alongside the support of her medical team. It fills that void that the vast amount of online information and conflicting views
Image: Getty
don’t. Te wellness therapies, professional advice and community support can give women the extra confidence that comes from being in a secure environment with trusted staff. And at many stops along the way and following discharge from hospital it’s a perfect place to stay and regain strength and take the essential time out with her baby and family before embarking on the care of her child at home.
www.mermaid.co.uk • Mamas & Papas: We know what it’s like starting a family, because we are one. We’ve
been a family business since the beginning. In fact David and Luisa were expecting their first baby when they created Mamas & Papas over 30 years ago. We know that families come in all shapes and sizes, that every family is unique. We’ll always be here for you and your baby with an experience helping hand. We sell over 3,500 products, many of which are award winning. Armadillo is one of our newest members of the family and we are very proud of our ‘Big Little Stroller’.
www.mamasandpapas.com
Toilet training’s more than dry days…
Care by a private midwife with a choice of birth environment
Every woman is different. Every birth is different. But being where you want to be, with midwives you trust and who know you well, gives you the best chance of having the birth you want and deserve. As a fully insured, leading provider of maternity
care, UK Birth Centres understands only too well the importance of a woman’s right to choose the type of care she receives throughout her pregnancy and beyond. It offers flexible packages of antenatal, postnatal or full birth care with a dedicated midwife or it can tailor a package to meet the needs of the individual; appointments are organised at a convenient time and location for you. With the importance of continuity and choice key
to its ethos, the company has recently broadened its birthing options by offering private midwifery care in partnership with the NHS at several hospitals and birthing centres across the country. Whether
a pregnancy is straightforward or
complex, whether it’s your first baby or you’ve experienced a previous less-than-perfect birth experience, UK Birth Centres can support you in a safe appropriate care pathway, in partnership with the hospital team of midwives and doctors.
If you choose to birth your baby in hospital or at
home, a dedicated UK Birth Centres private midwife can support you. Following birth, daily care from a UK Birth Centres midwife continues, at home or in hospital. Tese daily visits by a dedicated team can help to establish breastfeeding and can offer reassurance and confidence to families. Assessed and regulated by the Care Quality
Commission and having worked closely with insurance underwriters, UK Birth Centres is fully insured to cover all aspects of midwifery and child birth and has a dedicated team of experienced midwives nationwide. For a free, no-obligation discussion with one of our midwives contact us at
www.ukbirthcentres.com or call 0800 3800 579.
UK Birth Centres also work with Future Health Biobank to offer stem cell collection and storage to help you to protect your family’s health. For more information, go to
www.futurehealthbiobank.com.
Very few parents leap gleefully out of bed in the middle of the night to change a wet bed. It isn’t a joyous prospect, but night toilet training is essential as children learn to master their bladder. To help smooth the way, here are some tips as you approach dry nights together.
Between 18 months and
two years of age If the child is keen, make it fun and keep it easy. Expect wet nights at first and don’t be disappointed when they happen. Keep a potty in the room to give the little one a safe way to toilet at night, and remember positive praise goes a long way.
Between two and three years Most parents begin toilet training at this stage.
Children are usually physically able to control their bladder, but many parents choose day training first, then progress to night. Children learn to rely on their own body signals rather than nappies. Issues with night toilet training often start at this age and can relate to starting and stopping training. Just hold tight. Give children the chance to learn, but expect week one to be bad!
Pre-school age At this age, tackle day and night training together.
Fear of the dark is the biggest barrier to night toileting. Most children are physically big enough for night bladder control. Accidents tend to be less frequent and more a result of needing to empty the bladder in the early morning rather than at night. Cheer them on! Active, positive encouragement really does help. Born from a need to find a safe way to toilet train night,
at LumiPotti supports your child’s
development throughout their toilet training days and nights. LumiPotti doesn’t stop at day dry; with its
removable, movement-activated night light
LumiPotti summer toilet training offer — buy now for just £19.99 (normal RRP £23.99). T: 02392 735 482 E:
info@lumipotti.com www.lumipotti.com
LumiPotti encourages independent night toileting by providing a reassuring guiding light just when they need it. Once night dry is mastered, the LumiPotti
removable night light becomes a portable night light for that final stage, the independent night walk to the bathroom. It can help children find their way for years to come. LumiPotti has some great features:
• Portable movement activated night light • Anti-microbial plastic • Battery operated • Ambient light sensor • Made in England
Available directly, via Amazon or independent retailers throughout the UK — please visit
www.lumipotti.com for further details.
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