august 2014 issue

5/22/2018 August 2014 Issue

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If you have any questions or would like to

receive a hard copy, please email us at:

Baby Buzz Magazine LimitedLondon

Company No: 8234631

EditorNickie Evans

[email protected]

0208 440 115907957 731 617

Arts EditorCindy Evans

Website & Design

Emily Hewett, I am [email protected]

Dean Baxter, [email protected]

Baby Buzz Magazine is amonthly printed and online

publication.

No purchase is necessary. All prizes must be acceptedas offered. For products that have been reviewed andthen given away as part of a competition giveaway, itmust be noted that there will be minimal wear andtear to that said product. All prize details and pricesare correct at time of going to print. Winners shall be

notified by email after the closing date with a deliverydate to be agreed.

If the winner does not acknowledge prize awardedwithin 2 weeks, the prize shall be offered to therunner-up.

The views expressed in this magazine are not always those of the

publishers. Neither the publisher nor any other person associated

with the production and publication of this magazine makes any

guarantee, warranties or claims as to the accuracy of any of the

contents of this magazine. We include and use products and

services that we believe to be of a reputable standard but we

advise readers to make their own judgements. The publishers andmagazine will not be held accountable and or responsible for any

loss caused by errors, loss or negligence resulting from Baby Buzz

Magazine Limited. We do not accept responsibility for any

unsolicited material/photographs published. Terms and

Conditions for our competitions can be found on our website at

the time of being published. No section of this magazine is

authorised for use or reproduction in any form without the prior

consent of the editor.

So half way through the year and already Ive been invited to 6 Christmas PR days! How scary is that?!

Im still trying to think about what to do this Summer with my girls - what is everyone else up to?

We have another packed issue for you to enjoy this month including a great interview with X-Factor

winner Sam Bailey on pregnancy, her relationships with the X-Factor judges and life in the public eye,

fantastic articles to help you through health, fashion and lifestyle as well as another great feature about

Raw Foods from our resident fitness and health expert to the stars, Ruben Tabares, ready to answer

any questions you may have! Ruben is one of the most in-demand strength and conditioning coaches

in the world and he boasts a client list with the likes of the former World Heavyweight Champion Boxer

David Haye. Former light welterweight champion, Amir Khan. Actor Mickey Rourke and rapper Tinie

Tempah, Ruben's world-renowned approach to weight loss, strength and condition, as well as nutrition,

continues to attract some of the most elite clients from around the world and now we have the privilege

of getting his insight, knowledge and experience to guide us too!

We also have our fabulous feature Parents & Business which showcases businesses started up by other

parents and their tips on how theyve managed to succeed and advice on what you should or shouldnt

do. We also have our regular legal advice which this month gives you the inside knowledge on whatto do should you wish to become a parentpreneur!

If you have any questions, or would like me to feature a particular topic, then please do get in touch

by email on [email protected] or give me a call on 0208 440 1159.

Wishing you all a wonderful July / August, x

ITORSL TT R

Much love and thanks to Elena for my beautiful il lustration: https://www.facebook.com/LiveLoveDoodle/info


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P15 The Baby Bible

P23 Interview with Sam Bailey

P30 Announcing The Winner of The 2014 Tiny

Tux Competition

P16 Medela - New Research Reassures Breastfeeding Mums

P18 An Holistic Approach to Fertility

P19 Back to Body Basics - By Abi Adams

P22 Postnatal Depression or Baby Blues By Michelle Eshkeri

P24 Boots - Protecting Little Peepers

P33 JM Herbalist - Your Q&A

P40 The Benefits of Baby Massage - Mumma Loves Organic

P42 Fitness Expert Ruben Tabares - Raw Foods

P58 Baby Buzz Fashion Guide - The Little Tailor

P59 Maternitywear - Seraphine

P45 Our Top Six Pushchairs / Travel S y s t e m s

and Car Seats

P47 Childrens Health & Beauty Products

P48 Childrenswear & Acccessories

P49 General Health & Beauty

P50 Childrens Food, Meal Ideas and K i t c h e nGadget Reviews

P52 Childrens Toys & Games

P55 Baby Buzz Book Club Reviews

P06 Enterprising Mums

P07 Parents in Business

P14 Start Up Business of the Month Raspberry Plum

P27 London Mum Finds her Live/Work Balance -

No Letting Go

The Rise of the Parent-Friendly Franchise -

Yoga Bellies

P05 Welcome to the World

P28 Little Signers Club - Signing Fun

P32 Designer Babies - By Elizabeth Hobson

P44 Dont Leave It To Luck - Busy Bees Benefits

P54 The I In Team - The Buggy NetworkP60 Home & Furnishings with Piccoli & Co

P17 Toddler Damage Prevention Tips Fit For A Royal

Household

P20 How Much is Too Much?

P21 Competitive Parents Train Up For Sports Day

P24 Tinies Launches Summer Club for Teens

P25 Parents to Splash Out 500 this Summer

P26 Frugal Fun - Keeping Your Kids Busy this Summer

P34 UK Parents Fear Summer Repression

P36 7 out of 10 Parents Feel Judged on Decisions They

Make For Their Child

P37 Gaining A New Perspective - Parent Perspectives

P41 Kids Want Screens - The Fine Bedding CompanyP62 Keeping Your Childs Imagination Active -

Maynards

P81 Aegon - Women Not Making a Financial Plan B

P72 Norweigan Seafood Council - Amazing

Salmon Recipes for all the Family

P74 Sizzling Summer Cooking with Santa

Maria

P63 The Isle of Wight

P66 The New Forest / Milford on Sea

P68 Martinhal

P26 Spoilt Rotten Babies - Supporting A

Good Cause

P76 Cake Lingerie & CompetitionP77 Little Steps - Back to School with Geox

P78 Willows Farm - Maisies a-maizeing-

maze

P80 Hauck - Celebrating a Double Award

Win

Blinx - Eyewear Accessories for Kids

Which Guide - Tens Machines? Do

They Work?

P82 Disney Highlights for August

P.70 Baby Buzz Get Growing Challenge

P.71 Dawn Isaac - Little GreenFi


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Weve been reading about a beautiful little girl called Matilda, born at

just 26+2 weeks and we would love for her parents to have the support

of all our readers! To read her incredible story so far, please copy and

share this link: https://www.facebook.com/matildakhatibsjourney

Name: Matilda Eve Khatib

Date of Birth: 7June 14

Weight at Birth: 1lb 10oz (Now 5 weeks old and 2lb 4oz)

Parents: Laurie & Adam

Another of our wonderful mums, who has followed the magazine for a long

time and helps with our product reviews, also gave birth to two gorgeous little

girls born at 32 weeks as they were MonoAmniotic Twins (Monoamniotic twins

are identical twins that share the same amniotic sac within their mother's

uterus which poses a serious threat to their wellbeing).

Name & Weight: Brooke Smith - 3lbs 4oz

Name & Weight: Harley Smith - 3lbs

Date of Birth 30June 14

Parents: Kirsty & Mike

Congratulations to Stacey and Matthew on the birth of their

beautiful little boy!! x

Name: Sonny Alexander Lewis

Weight: 9lbs

Date of Birth 11July 14

Parents: Stacey & Matthew


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PR is a great tool for promoting your business and is st ill one of the least

expensive forms of advertising available to you.

When looking at PR, there are several options available. You could hire

in a consultant or agency to work on a launch project and pay a one off

fee, or if budget allows, there are lots of good people out there who will

charge you a monthly retainer fee. There is the option to do it yourself,

but if you do, bear in mind PR takes a lot of time, as it is about building

and maintaining relationships with individuals.

There are a lot of journalists and bloggers out there and they can be

extremely hard to reach and they have very little time. They get

approached by hundreds of companies a week who think they should

give their brand coverage, so how do you stand out from the crowd?

Here are some 5 key dos to get ahead.

If you dont understand your story yourself

then how do you expect a journalist to? So, keep your words to a

minimum and to the point (for example a one page press release). Run

it past some people you know who dont know your business and get

their feedback, or ask them to tell you what the key message is, so you

know it is clear to someone other than yourself.

Will a journalist want to

tell your story? The best way to think about this is to look at the

publication, blog or website they are writing for and think as yourself as

a reader. Would you want to read an article about the story or product

you are putting forward?

It may be a more effective use of

time to speak to someone small who engages well with your target

audience, than a bigger publication who has mass coverage. Likewise if

your business is internet based, it would be better to target online

publications and bloggers who can put a direct link through to your site

rather than a print publication, where you are relying on people to keep

hold of the article and log on later. Look at bloggers as they tend to be

very focused and speak with a specific niche. Spend time researching

them and understanding their likes and dislikes. Social media is a great

way to do this.

Think about ways to grab their attentionphotos, videos,

research and case studies are always good ways to introduce a product

or service. Just be sure to make it relevant!

The world is built on human relationships. It

is sometimes easy to forget this in the social media and internet age, but

if you can find a connection with a journalist or a blogger it can go a long

way

For more information on Enterprising Mums networking groups or to set

up a networking group yourself, please visit www.enterprising-

mums.co.uk or tweet us @enterprisemums

AtEnterprisingMums,weaimtosupportandinspireeachotherthroughournetworkingmeetings.Inthismonths

advicecolumn,wehopetogiveyousomebasicPRtipstohelpyougetyourbrandmessageoutthere...


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Parents & Business

When you become a parent, your priorities naturally shift. Many

parents are now seeking new ways to work around their family

and as a result, we have seen a rise in parentpreneurs parents

starting up their own businesses seeking a more flexible way of

working so they can balance work and family on their own terms.

The great thing is that there has never been a better time to getyour brilliant business idea up and running, thanks to the internet.

With a plethora of services at your fingertips, making the first

steps neednt be time-consuming or complicated.

Seeking guidance from friends and family is one of the best ways

to road-test your business idea theyre going to be the most

forthcoming! On your way back from the school run or whilst

waiting at the school gates, set up a phone call to bounce a few

ideas around and to garner honest feedback and advice.

They may also be able to give you a helping hand with funding to

get your business off the ground. If borrowing money from friendsand family, draw up a promissory note to record details of the

amount you are borrowing and when you will aim to pay it back.

This provides security and clarity for you and the person lending

you the money. You can create one for free if you sign up to the

one-week free trial on Rocket Lawyer.

Or you can even seek investment from the public and crowdfund

through popular sites like Kickstarter and Crowdcube.

If youve been sitting on a brilliant business idea for some time,

you probably have a few ideas for the name of your business.

Keep them all in one place so you can refer back to them quickly

and this will make it easier to shortlist your favourites.

Enter prospective names through Companies House, it takes just

a few seconds to find out whether the name has already been

registered and could protect you from future potential name

infringement issues.

Depending on the nature of your business, you may only need to

create two to three social media accounts, Facebook and Twitter

being the most popular and valuable free marketing and

networking tools.

Alternatively spread the word by handing out branded business

cards - Vistaprint often offer free business cards (you just pay

postage) so this could be a really cost-effective way of promoting

your new venture. Hand a stack of cards to all those you know

family, friends, other mums you meet on the school run etc

you never know who could be a potential customer and a

personal recommendation is always the best way to secure new

business.

Its an unavoidable part of life but you do have to register your

business for tax purposes! You can easily do this online through

HMRC. Make sure youre organised with paperwork from the start

and keep all records and copies of invoices, receipts etc. as you

will need these to tally up the numbers at the end of everybusiness year.

As your business gets off the ground, you may need to think about

assistance and staff so you can get on with what really matters

growing the business. Even if you hire help from close family and

friends, you are still legally required to issue an employment

contract! Consulting a lawyer may sound daunting (and

expensive) but there are online legal sites like ours that allow you

to create your own professional document so you have solid legal

footing from the start and both employer and employee know

where they stand.

Set up a business bank account at your local branch; you can also

do this online very quickly. This helps you to maintain a high level

of professionalism and keeps your personal and business finances

separate for tax purposes, which will make it easier to calculate

in the long run!

There you have it! Dont be afraid to bring into fruition those ideas

youve been sitting on. Some of the best ideas are born out of

your everyday needs or surroundings, it could be a gap in the

market youve spotted at home or a problem that seemingly

couldnt be solved whilst running an errand. Look for inspiration

in those precious spare moments, possibly when youre on the

school run, which often goes by in a flash.

www.rocketlawyer.co.uk

How to become a parentpreneur


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The company was founded by Julia Minchin, mother to three children Tom,

Ollie and Sophie.

Hippychick is a business that sells a range of essential nursery products that are

innovative, practical and designed above all, to make life easier for parents.

Hippychick sells a mix of its own products such as the multi award-winning

Hippychick Hipseat, the Hippychick Mattress Protector range and the Hippychick

Waterproof range as well as distributing a carefully chosen range of products

such as The Snoozeshade, the best-selling Wheelybug collection and Nattou soft

toys

I started Hippychick 15 years ago, after the birth of my first child, Tom.

I didnt want life to stop while Tom was a baby and was always thinking about

things that I could do that would complement family life, as well as provide an

income. What I discovered, as a first time mum with precious little knowledge

about the role I was suddenly plunged into, was the dearth of nursery products

actually designed to help ME.

The Hippychick Hipseat was the first product I developed a back-supporting belt

with a built-in shelf on which toddlers can perch, taking the strain off the spine.

It was instrumental in the take-off the business. As the orders started to flood

in, my husband Jeremy joined the team. Hippychick started life in the spare room

at our family home near Bridgwater in Somerset where I was able to work around

my brood. As the business continued to grow, the boxes started to pile up. We

realised that the business was starting to impinge on family life and needed to

look for commercial premises. We found a warehouse on a small industrial estate

in Bridgwater that was perfect for our needs and with plenty of room for

expansion.

I would like Hippychick to become a household name, and to be a widely

recognised nursery brand synonymous with products that make life easier for

parents. I also see the international side of our business as a huge opportunity

and want to establish a network of overseas distributors in order that Hippychick

grows as a brand right cross the globe.

There have been just so many. But probably all the feedback and testimonials

we receive, unsolicited, from our customers, as well as all the awards we have

won for our products over the years.

No downsides, just obstacles. My husband Jeremy had a terrible paraglidingaccident in 2011, suffering life threatening injuries. He was out of action for four

months, leaving me to run the business and the family as well as function as his

primary carer when he came out of hospital. Though it was hard at the time, I

recognise in hindsight that the whole experience gave me greater confidence in

my capabilities as both a business woman and a mother.

If youre going to start a business, you really need to research the market. Be

sure that it hasnt been done before, or, if it has, that you are going to do it better!

Never underestimate the amount of time and hard work it takes to set up and

run a business. It sounds obvious but it is absolutely true that the more time you

put in, the more youll get out of it. Never be arrogant and assume you know it

all. Business is a continual learning curve.

Always spend enough time with your children. All too quickly, mine are growingup but I feel good that I have tried my best to never sacrifice them for the sake

of the business. Its probably just taken a little longer to get the business where

I want it to be and thats the compromise.

For more information please contact:

Website: http://www.hippychick.com/Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hippychick.nursery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hippychick_com

Julia Minchin, Hippychick founder, with husband, Jeremy

The Wheelybug

The Hippychick Dream Tubes

The Hippychick Hipseat in a new Liberty Art Fabric

Parents & Business


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Love 13 was started by myself, Denni and my husband Dan. We are

both extremely passionate about our businesses! I have a creative

background and a love for all things handmade. Dan, having previously

worked in sales, had run Love a Cup (Enfield Town Station) for over 4

years. He has the financial brain and is also a great barister. We employ

my mum, Lorraine who is enthusiastic, vibrant and a real asset to our

shop. We also recently took on our first apprentice.

I began to sell my handmade fabric flowers at designer-maker shops and

markets in London, such as Spitalfields. They were well received so I

decided Id like to also sell my creations locally, but there was absolutelynowhere that specialised in creative or handmade goods. This was

frustrating, as I knew there must be a market for this kind of thing. Wed

spend our weekends in Crouch End or Islington (and even Brighton!)

trawling shops that stocked beautiful and unusual things Wishing that

there was somewhere in Enfield that we could shop instead. After a

couple of years gaining business experience at Love a Cup, we decided

to combine our skills and passions for coffee making and crafting and

opened Love 13 in 2011.

Our shop thrives on offering different things to different people. We are

more than just a gift shop, we offer unusual products many of which are

made especially for us. We offer coffee and cake in relaxed and

welcoming surroundings and we were the first place locally to runprofessional social craft classes for adults. We have created drop-in

sessions which run weekly to bring the community together including

our 'Mums, bumps and babies' group and our 'Knit and Natter' which is

regularly attended by 20+ people aged 19-90! We hold crafty parties,

childrens classes, community charity craft projects and have raised over

400 this year for North London Hospice.

When we started, there was nowhere else in Enfield that offered this

kind of class or specialised in handmade products. We aim to keep

adding to and improving our offering, leading the way for classes to

teach adults new craft skills in a fun and social environment. We are

increasing our range of gifts, cards, classes, running more corporate

team-building sessions, baby showers and hen parties.

We always wanted our business to bring people together. When wehave a class, a mums meet-up or a Knit & Natter where there are a huge

group of people who didnt know each other before, chatting, swapping

tips and making friends it gives us an amazing sense of achievement. We

recently hosted the launch of the Enfield Breastfeeding Welcome

scheme, which was such a pleasure to be a part of both as a business

owner and as a new Mum.

You are always at work! We find it almost impossible to completely

switch off But maybe secretly we dont want to ;)

BE UNIQUE. For your idea to succeed it needs to be all you. Beorganised; this will free up more family time. Do something you are

passionate about. Work harder than anyone else, be braver, dream

bigger Oh and keep your accounts away from your baby! x


Website: http://www.love13.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/love13shop

Twitter: https://twitter.com/love13shop

Parents & Business


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I, Neha Vyas, am solely behind BabyRoof, which was formed

earlier in 2014 in Wimbledon.

Early 2014 when my son was a few months old.

BabyRoof displays all recommended products, from the

biggest retailers, under one roof. As a new mother I realise

how many options there are currently, and how taxing all the

searching can get. BabyRoof was formed with the idea of

giving new parents (and even while they are pregnant) a one

stop shop where they know everything displayed is

researched, and hence, recommend. Nothing on the site is

something we dont swear by.

I hope to target new parents who are as confused as I was

back then, and give them peace of mind while online buying

for the love of their lives.

My son! And of course, getting great feedback in terms of

customer stories is always a delight.

BabyRoof is like having another son - hyper active and always

wants me. It sometimes becomes a challenge to detach

myself from BabyRoof, especially on the weekends when my

husband demands undisturbed attention.

I would say - GO FOR IT! I know what its like to be a new

mum and staying home can take a toll on your entire

personality. Treat it like your baby - have patience and dont

give up.


Website: http://www.babyroof.co.uk


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BabyRoofUK

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BabyRoofUK

Parents & Business


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That would be me, Helen. I struggled to find un-processed finger

foods for my baby without added sugar and salt, e numbers etc. I

started making my own fish cakes and risotto fingers for Ted, a

couple of my friends from my antenatal and NCT group asked for

some of the items. I thought I might have found a gap in the market

and after I was made redundant from my job I started making thefoods in my home kitchen to sell at a local farmers market.

In 2012 I learnt that the food needed to pass stringent analysis to

comply with the Processed Cerealbased Foods and Baby Foods for

Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2004, after some

experimenting I got the 9 items available approved for sale to

babies. A friend set up a website for me and I started to trade at

local baby shows. The food is now professionally made in purpose

built accredited kitchens by my business partner, acclaimed chef,

Richard James (Fuud ltd)

The companys about providing quality, nutritious, guilt freeconvenient finger foods for babies, toddlers and young children.

The food is unique and not what you typically find in the

supermarket but above all its healthy, handy and yummy!

I hope to be successful in my business and make parents life a little

easier with guilt free, convenient food. Now the food is in

production I hope to be able to spend more time with Ted rather

than cooking. I would love to have Fab Finger Foods available to buy

in farm shops and deli's as well as online direct to customers.

I have found many highlights of starting my own company, a sense

of achievement, new friends but hearing from parents whose

children enjoyed the food has been the biggest highlight after all

that tells me that Im on the right track and heading in the right

direction.

For me the biggest downside has been the time away from Ted at

baby shows and markets. I struggled with cooking until the small

hours, deliveries throughout the day as well as juggling my part time

job as an Audiologist along with general household jobs, Ted having

no clean clothes wasnt a highlight, but at least he had some healthy

food!

Advice I would give to a parent wanting to start up their own

business is to work hard and it will pay off. For me I live by the saying

"I would rather regret the things I've done than the things I havent"

and so far it's served me well. I would say give it a whirl!


Website: http://www.fabfingerfoods.co.uk


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FabFingerFoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FabFingerFoods

Parents & Business


12/84


A Regular Mum of four, who had an idea and a passion for helping

people not to forget occasions.

I was discussing the Idea with my Husband for an e-organiser and

planner for all occasions, this led us to the idea of also stocking

cards and providing a hand writing service. That conversation was

over a year ago now and Smartsenda is now up and running.

My husband is useless at remembering birthdays and keeps getting

into trouble, and hes not alone. We understand that life is

evermore demanding and that people do not intentionally forget to

send out cards. We provide a free service that plans out all

your regular occasions, and sends cards on your behalf, saving you

the embarrassment of forgetting. We remember so you don't have

to.

To be there for our customers and provide a service to those busy

people out there. We would like to be an online concierge facility,

maybe expanding to high end gifts as well as cards. Our main aim isto provide premium top quality products at a competitive price and

provide a free occasion planning too.

The highlight has to be seeing my ideas coming to life, I get a great

deal of satisfaction every-time we help someone out, we also get

the occasional thank-you email from happy customers, which

makes it all worth while.

I am having fun being my own boss but if there was a downside,I think it's trying to get to grips with all the jargon involved with

developing your own website.

Don't do it... Only kidding its rewarding but very time consuming

running your own business, it helps if you have a passion for your

product, tons of patience and the ability to talk to people on a level

that they understand. It's not to different from parenting really!!.

Parents & Business


Website: http://www.smartsenda.com/

Email: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/SmartSenda

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmartSenda


13/84


Parents & Business

Louise Millard first thought of Thoroughly Modern Baby after having her first baby, Skye,

18 months ago,. She enlisted the help of her old friend, Nicola Martin and together they

launched their website at the beginning of June.

We did a huge amount of online research to find out what other websites offered andwhat made a site popular. We were happy in our vision for TMB and appointed Atholl

Road Web Designers in February this year. Louise had a "hit list" of products we wanted

to showcase on the site and with this in hand we set off for Harrogate Nursery Fair in

March, test site up and running and a head full of great ideas!

Thoroughly Modern Baby is an online based shop that specialises in innovative and

modern baby products. It's a portal site that showcases the very best in new products

and ideas for babies and parents.

We would love to see the site be a huge success and expand into becoming an online

resource for mums and dads. We want to be able to give people easy access to all of

those gorgeous, practical and innovative products that keep appearing! We also hopeto offer great advice and real feedback from other parents and experts in all things baby

and toddlers. Because we have everything in one easy shop, making life easier is right

at the top of the list!

Seeing it all come together and go live! It was months of hard work and although there

were exciting little milestones - approving the brand, the site layout, getting our

favourite suppliers on board - it was that wonderful day on the 8th June when the

holding page came down and the site was there and live that we could breathe out

again and relax! We've had some amazing feedback from other Mums and Dads and

this has made it all the more special.

Midnight product uploads! We both have other jobs and we're running this at night.

The website has been built to automate a lot of the ordering and our suppliers all

dropship for us. However, we are there, resizing photographs and writing descriptions

until the wee small hours. Its hard work but worth it!

Go for it! Get your plan together, get your support network sorted out and just do it.

Be clear in your head but don't overthink it. If you think about it too hard your head will

explode - and lets face it, we'd never have had children if we'd been put off by all the

risks and tales of sleepless nights!


Website: http://www.thoroughlymodernbaby.com/Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoroughlymodernbaby

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThorModBaby


14/84


That would be me, Aleksandra Stastic. I

design the entire range and the image of

the company. That is the most enjoyable

part of my job, but sadly it's the shortest

part of it. I am always getting excited by

new ideas for the brand, but there is just

not enough time or space in the collection

to realise all of them.

I am at that age when most of my friends are having babies. While

shopping for presents I failed to find kids clothes that suited my taste

and that were comfortable fork ids. I found that the vintage style thatI like is often uncomfortable and impractical. This brought me to design

a range that keeps that chic look of vintage clothes, without being

gimmicky, but also looks modern. Comfort is another priority. I have a

lot of experience in womenswear and textile design and I felt that it

was the right time to create my own range, and put my own vision out

there. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs therefor it was a natural

path for me.

Raspberry Plum is about embracing childhood, letting kids be kids, play,

get messy, be comfortable but always look cool a chic. I don't think

that clothes should be precious but I think that by letting kids express

themselves though clothing at an early age builds their self-esteem.

Having a business that is ethical is greatly important to me. This means

producing garments that are not only beautiful and original, but

ethically made and durable is one of the priorities of RaspberryPlum.

I also want to create a work environment for my employees where

they feel appreciated and a part of the team. I believe in a pleasant

work environments that embraces peoples skills, creativity and efforts.

Seeing my vision come alive and not having to compromise or conform

to somebody else's aesthetic standards. It is amazing when that vision

is recognised and embraced. I think children's clothes have the ability

to make people happy, and I love seeing my range bringing smiles to

peoples' faces.

Being in charge of a company is a great deal of pressure. There are so

many things you have to keep under control. Leisure time becomes

very sparse, so I've learned to make the most of the little free time that

I do have.

As I am not a parent yet, I can only imagine that it would be very tough

juggling family and a new business. I would mostly advise anybody who

wants to start a business to wait until their business grows a little bit

before starting a family, as while the business is still young most of the

work needs to be done by the business owner. If they are a parentalready I hope that they have some help with childcare, or they should

start a business with a partner who has a different set of skills to

themselves.

Website: http://www.raspberryplum.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raspberryplum

Twitter: https://twitter.com/raspberryplum

Start-U Business of the Month


15/84


Have you ever had one of those moments when you stumble across

something, or in this case someone, that brings a whole new

definition to motherhood and makes you want to rejoice that

someone finally understands how you are feeling?

So did you or do you have the perfect pregnancy, the perfect family,

the perfect child. Uh, sorry - NO! So why is it that society keeps

pounding us with the illusion of everything is rosy pink and perfect

when you are expecting or have just become a mum! There are so

many books out there that paint the picture of perfection and tell

you what you should or shouldnt do, that when you inevitably fail

at living up to these impossible standards, you feel that youve

failed at being a mother!

For those of you who havent heard of Olivia Siegl and The Baby

Bible, pay attention. PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION! She is about

to become your life saver, your friend - hell your confidant!

I would urge all women out there who want a straight talking, no

bullshit sanctuary and an escape away from the shitty situations

we face daily on the battlefields of motherhood, to visit The Baby

Bible (http://www.the-baby-bible.com/). Im pretty sure you will

find yourself relating to most of the confessionals that have been

written by other like-minded mums whove dared to tell it as it is.

So what is The Baby Bible all about? The idea for The Baby Bible

started out as the ramblings and rants of writer and mum Olivia

Siegl, who after reading all the traditional baby books felt smugly

prepared to be the owner of a tiny human. What a load of Bullshit!

Once she had pushed her baby, sanity and any dignity she had left

out and into this world it suddenly dawned on her that the book

dealing with the hilarious, downright horrific and at times incredibly

dark realities of motherhood did not exist. To preserve her sanity

she decided to start writing about them herself and then to share

them with fellow mums.

It soon became apparent that she was not alone in the wilderness

of motherhood, trying to negotiate her way around the daily pitfalls

no one had warned her about pre baby, as she started to hear from

hundreds of women worldwide who were in exactly the same

situation but just not talking about it.

Following the overwhelming support from fellow mums, all after a

fresh and un-sugar-coated perspective on the reality of

motherhood, Olivia wrote a book, set up a website and is currently

inviting all like minded mums out there to join her in her No Bullshit

Revolution! We will be featuring regular features from Olivia each

month to try and give our readers some level of sanity in the world

that is motherhood!

Want to discuss how you are feeling about being a mum, warts and

all, NO JUDGEMENT? Come join the No Bullshit Mum Revolution

and pop into The Confessional to chat to other like minded and

straight talking mums at www.the-baby-bible.com, follow us on

Twitter @thebabybible and on the closed Facebook Group bysending your email address to [email protected].

Exclusive


16/84


Health & Wellbeing

Every breastfeeding mother will, at some stage, question if she is doing

everything ok.

Common questions such as, how often do I need to feed my baby or, how

do I know if my baby is getting enough milk, will certainly play on their

minds. Breastfeeding mothers may also find they compare themselves,

wondering why a friends baby doesnt feed as frequently during the night

for example. These types of questions will be asked by mothers during

their breastfeeding experience and may cause anxiety or concern for some.

Now, thanks to a new study from leading lactation researcher Dr Jacqueline

Kent our understanding of breastfeeding is far

clearer. Kents work has outlined the

boundaries for what can be considered

normal breastfeeding and in doing so has

answered these common queries. This is music

to the ears of many mothers who find

themselves questioning their personalbreastfeeding experience and asking if it is

normal? Dr Kents findings were presented for

the first time at Medelas world leading

breastfeeding symposium in Madrid this April

and have since been shared far and wide

around the world. Her work confirms that in

fact there is no breastfeeding norm, no specific

pattern that infants will, or indeed need to

adopt, and certainly no set of rules that

benchmark the right way to breastfeed. The new research explains that

every breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby is unique and

that it will adapt and change throughout the breastfeeding period. The

differences may appear extreme, but are natural and not necessarily an

indication of insufficient milk supply or other problems. Kents findings

highlighted varying breastfeeding patterns between infants, but alsoshowed changes in each babys individual experience, sometimes changing

monthly. Between one and six months of lactation breastfed infants take

fewer, faster, larger feeds, but their total daily milk intake is constant. The

significant variability in frequency and volume intake of the healthy,

exclusively breastfed infant aged 1 to 6 months is as follows:

the number of breastfeeding sessions per day

minutes the duration of a breastfeeding session

ml volume of milk consumed in a breastfeeding session

ml the volume of milk consumed in a 24 hour period

All of the infants who were monitored as part of the study were considered

to be growing normally according to the WHO growth charts. At every age

there is a wide range in the number of breastfeeds in a day, but on average

the frequency decreases between one and six months, after which itstabilizes. Similarly, there is a wide range in the duration of each

breastfeeding session at every age, but on average the duration decreases

between one and six months. This knowledge will undoubtedly provide

much-needed evidence to give health professionals confidence in various

feeding situations and to give mothers self-assurance in their role. Better

knowledge of the variability and expected changes in breastfeeding

patterns will also improve mothers confidence about their milk supply.

The breastfeeding community must take from this study the understanding

that changes in an infants breastfeeding behaviours are completely

normal, as are differences between babies. Lack of milk is often cited as

one of the reasons mothers give up breastfeeding; the concern that their

baby is not getting milk is naturally a worry. Mothers may think that

because their baby is feeding more often it is a sign they are not getting

enough each feed, but thanks to Kent we have learnt that this is not

necessarily the case. Using Kents new work to further educate bothmothers and health professionals on the expected breastfeeding journey

can potentially irradiate breastfeeding myths, thus making it a truly

ground-breaking study in the field of lactation.

NewResearchReassuresBreastfeedingMothers

For more information, please visit:

http://www.medela.com/

Dr Jacqueline Kent


17/84


As Prince George turns one (22July), the world is inundated with images

of a beautiful calm and well behaved little prince. But mums and dads know

too well that behind closed doors, every toddler can wreak Royal havoc,especially in the home. In fact, damage by animals and children are a common

cause of home insurance claims. With Buckingham Palace now home to both

kiddies and the corgis, the Queen will need a good home insurance policy

more than ever to ensure the Crown Jewels are suitably covered. As the

nation prepares to celebrate the birthday boys big day, home insurance

specialist, Together Mutual Insurance, has compiled some top tips on

safeguarding the home for those with a little havoc-wreaking prince or

princess of their own.

1. When selecting the wallpaper and carpet for a room, make sure you

consider how easy it will be to clean them. Children love scribbling,

especially on walls. So opt for the easy clean wallpaper, or be pre-

pared to display your little princes masterpiece for quite some time.

2. Make sure that the little one doesnt get hurt by baby proofing sharp

corners and securing furniture that could topple. But also check that

in doing so, you wont damage or devalue your favourite piece of

furniture.

3. Standard contents policies include an element of cover for acciden-

tal damage - including stereo equipment and glass-in furniture - but

they don't cover accidental damage to other goods or actual furnish-

ings. So it is worth adding extended accidental damage cover to your

home contents policy, or investing in hard wearing sofas. Make sure

kids dont take food on to the sofa and if they are colouring in, that

they wash their hands and leave the ALL the pens and crayons in the

play area, not in back pockets.

4. Heres hoping Kate & Wills have insured their jewellery. Little ones

love everything that sparkles, and have a nasty tendency of hiding

them in the weirdest places. And if they havent stowed it away,

theres always the chance theyve flushed it down the toilet. Keep

your jewels and crowns out of childrens grasp and get them suitably

covered in your contents insurance.

5. Mummys handbag is a treasure trove of goodies, and wed all love

to know what Queenie carries in hers. If the tot gets into your purse,

your lipstick and mascara being used as crayons could be the least of

your worries. One spilt juice carton could spell the end for the bag

and whats inside. Make sure your bag is closed and kept out of reach.

6. It is said that children are a drain on finances. In addition to their high

maintenance cost, tiny tots often like to slip credit cards, crisp 20notes, cheques and important business cards through the gaps in

floorboards. Avoid pulling up the flooring and make sure you have

your credit card details close to hand, stored in a safe place away

from the big spenders.

7. If your little prince is visiting granny, it might be worth her paying an

extra premium for accidental damage cover to be added to her

policy. That way, if your toddler knocks over the TV right before her

favourite soap starts, you can rest assured that it will be covered.

8. A standard home insurance policy doesnt cover portable electrical

equipment and clothing for accidental damage. So, as much as your

phone or iPad pacifies your child, it might be better to get them a

child friendly version and to hang your favourite expensive jacket out

of harm's way

9. Keep baby wipes with you at all times. They are great for any messy

activities, and can equally be used to clean up minor spills* as well

as mucky hands (*Before using wipes to clean furniture and uphol-

stery try wiping in a small inconspicuous area and only continue to

use if no adverse reaction occurs)

10. Last but not least, accept that Make

sure youre covered with a suitable policy for if, and when, the worst

does happen.

For more information, please contact:

http://www.togethermutualinsurance.co.uk/

Family Focus

TODDLERDAMAGE PREVENTION TIPS FIT FOR A ROYAL

HOUSEHOLD


18/84


Jacqueline Hurst is a fully qualified

acupuncturist specialising in fertility, an

accredited BACP Counsellor and

Psychotherapist and a member of BICA. She

runs Fertility Support clinics in Warwickshire

and the West Midlands, alongside a network

of specialists and attracts clients from the

surrounding counties due to her reputation in

successful outcomes and the range of holistic therapies she

offers:

Acupuncture

Nutritional Advice

Fertility yoga & Pregnancy yoga

Fertility Reflexology & Pregnancy reflexology

Massage for stress reduction Mindfulness Guidance and Breathing for relaxation

Monitored Cycles

AMH blood testing

Ultrasound Scanning

Here she offers some key pieces of advice.

I am often asked how acupuncture works. The common

consensus is that it helps to improve the flow of blood and energy

to the reproductive organs, balance the body, build up the womb

lining, grow follicles and help with implantation. It also helps with

endorphins to help calm and reduce stress levels, as stress can

impact significantly on fertility. I work closely with top fertilityconsultant, Dr Rina Agrawal who practices at the Centre for

Reproductive Medicine at University Hospital Coventry and

Warwickshire and also from a clinic in London. Both clinics offer

fertility treatments, such as IVF, privately as well as through the

NHS. Clinics around the country are now recognising the benefit

of a holistic approach to complement IVF treatment.

Ideally you should have a weekly acupuncture session three

months prior to trying to conceive. For natural or clomid cycles

we work on a 4-phase plan to complement a natural cycle and

with assisted IVF or ICSI cycles I have a set protocol.

I am also associated with Tummy2Mummy who provide ultra

sound services with over 30 years experience. We offer a

monitored cycle, which provides valuable insight into our clients

fertility status, being able to see if and when ovulation occurs.

This is particularly helpful for sufferers of PCOS who have

extremely long cycles. Ultra sound scanning may also be able to

identify pelvic and gynecological disorders, which when treated

may eliminate the need for assisted conception.

Good nutrition, for the man and the woman must be a priority as

it impacts on every aspect of health and wellbeing, particularly

when undergoing IVF. I am a founding member of the Zita West

(London) affiliate network, specialising in all aspects of male andfemale reproductive health. We advise all of our patients to take

a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Vitamins

C, E, A and B complex, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron and

Co-enzyme Q10 play a vital role in egg production, fertilisation

and implantation. Vitamins can also help with more extreme male

fertility issues or very low ovarian reserve.

For clients going through IVF or ICSI I recommend a Detoxifying

Lymphatic Drainage Massage and a specifically designedrelaxation massage the night before embryo transfer has proved

to be tremendously successful.

My key pieces of advice for anyone preparing to start a family,

for those who are experiencing a delay in conceiving or those who

are facing IVF are:

Dont smoke and avoid smoky atmospheres, as cigarette

smoke affects the lining of the womb

For males, blood flow and heat affect sperm production,

so limit the amount of time sitting at a desk and avoid very

rigorous exercise

It takes 100 days to create healthy sperm (or to change it)

Try to limit your stress levels. We advise breathing

dynamics and visualization as excellent ways to combat

stress. Good breathing technique helps to circulate oxygen

around the body and into the reproductive organs. It will

also help to focus the mind and cope with the stresses of

the conception journey. Visualization is very important at

every stage of the cycle. I help my clients to visualize what

is happening in their body the follicles growing, the eggs

maturing, the womb lining thickening, the embryos

implanting. I also provide instructional CDs for my clients

to try at home.

Keep talking with you partner and spend time doing things

you both enjoy. You are on this journey together so you

need to be able to support each other throughout it.

You can read more about Jacquelines holistic approach to fertility

support, and read her successful client case studies at

www.fertility-support.co.uk

An Holistic Approach to Fertility

Health & Wellbeing


19/84


Health & Wellbeing

6 weeks...... Now, a 6 week holiday is awesome. 6 weeks of studying and

living in an ashram, meeting all warps of life and a few legends in between

is epic. 6 weeks (+ some for an emergency c section) of doing nothing

(aka resting) is not awesome or legendary. Yes I am a yogic sharer career

(aka teacher) and pregnancy masseuse and have advised many women

of the benefits of taking it slow and allowing the healing to take its

course. To all those ladies, I'm sorry. But we do have to look at the body

as a long term investment. Rush it and all that hard work could disappear

in the blink of an injury.

The first 4 weeks were a beautiful haze of resting and getting to know

Rafferty. And I really did immerse myself in the indulgence of not doing

much. But if I'm being honest, and to all those ladies out there that workfor yourself as a yoga teacher or fitness instructor I'm sure you can agree,

the thought of getting back to work (for the sake of your client base and

earnings and not neglecting your child) and back to body is never really

far from your mind. And getting back your body to all women kind is

generally slapping you in the face when yet another magazine is

dissecting some poor celebrity for going up a dress s ize to size 6 - EEEEK!

Ladies and warrior princesses of the world, I hear ya! Not only are we

getting to know our new little addition to the family, you're recovering,

you're healing, you're looking after your house, you're trying to get back

to a healthy diet and burning your biscuit tin, heck! You may even be

working?....... But if I'm being honest, the later of the above were all

issues I pushed myself into thinking I needed to do. Burn those magazines

ladies (other than Baby Buzz of course)! And get this: you. Are. Beautifuljust as you are (sorry to the producers of Bridgette Jones if this paragraph

is trademarked). I think its fair to say most of us worried early on about

getting our bods back, but remember, if your breast feeding the weight

will fall off anyway and as proof is in the pudding, lifting, carrying, pushing

and hanging your head in bewilderment as to what to do next burns

those calories to Mars. Dont be afraid to eat those carbs before Marbs

as your gonna need that energy to keep you going and most importantly,

emotionally stable.

I promised myself I would indulge in the healing from others and I'm

proud to say I've kept my word. Acupuncture was great to clear all the

drugs from my body and help clear up restless leg syndrome. Deep tissue

massage helped with the acutely tight shoulders I had from lifting Raff.

And the pice de rsistance was the Thai abdominal massage from myteacher and friend on her trip to England (more on this in another blog).

The question I would ask myself when I began to consider cancelling my

appointments due to finances was: if money wasn't an issue would you

go? And the answer was always yes. A lot of my work is to change the

mindset of others in that YOU are WORTH any therapy you get called to.

This has also been a learning curve for myself. Instead of always giving

therapy to others I now know how important it is for me to receive and

that I am WORTH it too. Is your health really second best to that handbag

(even if it is Mulberry)!

And after 3 months I'm getting back to my practice. Slowly. And you know

what? I'm really enjoying going back to the beginning. Practicing the most

easiest of postures that unlock the key to issues I've been experiencing

of late. The Joint Freeing practice by Mukunda Stiles (RIP) and Yoga For

Emotional Balance by Bo Forbes have been wonderful integrating into

my practice. Simple, but so effective. Remember, the body is a long term

investment. Respect it and don't rush it.

Back to body

business...YOGA - LESSON SEVEN

This is just sooooooo good for the shoulders! And I can involve Raff,

who absolutely loves it when I make faces when lifting my head (no

better yoga than hearing a baby laugh):

Lay on your back with soles of the feet as close to the buttocks as

you can.

Lengthen out through the crown of the head and then gently draw

your chin backwards, bring the arms up to shoulder height and then

bend elbows so fingers are pointing upwards.

Strongly draw the shoulder blades down towards the feet and keep

them like this at all times.

Inhale with head on floor, exhale and slide shin up chest and lift head,

inhale to lower.

Soften your face, jaw and tongue

Keep repeating until the upper body starts to shake. This means

you've had enough!

As you get stronger, increase repetitions. You can also include your

pelvic floor by drawing it up on the exhale and head lift. Enjoy!

Abi AdamsOolong

07951 101 049www.loveoolongtime.com


20/84


As parents, Im sure many of us are guilty of giving our child a games

console, mobile, iPad or some other gadget in order to give us 5 (ok

maybe 10) minutes to get something done. But how long are children

using these devices on a daily basis? Are kids spending too long looking

at screens and backlit devices and, if so, what effect is this having on

their health? Lenstore conducted a survey across 2,000 parents in the

UK with children aged between 2 and 16, to see which digital deviceschildren use and how regularly they use them. The results of this have

been really astonishing and highlighted some really concerning areas

such as overuse of digital devices, social media and online safety. Weve

been given some of the key stats to highlight the point of how much is

too much!

are the age range spending the on

digital devices with an average of with 14-16

year olds spending 9.48 hours on devices per day.

Interestingly parents who have children aged said they

thought a day was for their child to

be spending on digital devices. Interestingly, the majority of

about how long their children were spending on

digital devices (57%) but identified that the average 2-4 year

old was spending using digital devices.

Parents identified that their children within the age brackets

below were using digital devices predominantly for the below

functions:

Nearly 1 in 3 children aged 2-4 own a tablet (30%) and 10%

have a mobile phone.

37% of children aged 5-7 own a tablet, 22% own a mobile

phone and 12% already have a Facebook profile.

1 in 5 8-10 year olds (20%) already have a Facebook profile

with 41% owning a tablet and 36% owning a mobile phone.

8-10 year olds are also the most likely to have an Ask.fm

account (8%).

Nearly half of parents surveyed with children aged 11-13 said

their child owned a tablet (49%), 75% said their child owned amobile phone and 46% already have a Facebook profile. 11-13

year olds are also more likely to own a tablet than 14-16 year

olds (43%)

The survey revealed that 83% of 14-16 year olds have a mobile

phone which enables 69% of them to already have Facebook,

1 in 3 to have Twitter (33%), 27% to have Instagram and 26%

to have Snapchat.

Less than half of parents surveyed with children aged 5-7 (41%)and 8-10 (49%) said they check their childs online activity or

even monitor their use of digital devices (5-7 year olds 47%

and 8-10 year olds - 48%)

The majority of parents with children aged 2-4 DONT worry

about any of the identified side effects of digital use e.g. sleep

quality, attention deficit, obesity, eye strain

The main worries for parents with children aged 5-7 years old

were behavioural problems (31%), attention deficit (29%) ad-

diction (24%) and eye strain (24%)

The main concerns for parents with children aged 8-10 years

of age were behavioural problems (34%), sleep quality (31%)and headaches (30%)

The main concerns for parents with children aged 11-13 years

old were sleep quality (41%), eye strain (40%) and headaches

(34%)

The top worries for parents with children aged 14-16 were

sleep quality (44%), eye strain (40%) and headaches (29%)

The majority of parents with children aged 2-4 (35%) have

never taken their child for an eye test

The majority of parents with children aged 5-16 have taken

their children for an eye test within the last 12 months

The survey results show that children learn to manoeuvre theirway around a tablet(52% based on children aged 2-10) before

learning vital skills such as swimming (42% based on children

aged 2-10) and telling the time (37% based on children aged

2-10)

They are also more likely to confidently use a mobile phone

before being able to read or ride a bike.

Lenstore have explored these results and in particular the damaging

effects our childrens digital aptitudes are having on their health and

eyesight in a blog post where doctor Rob Hogan has offered his expertise

on how to keep our childrens eyes healthy while using digital devices.

To read more, please visit:

How much is too much?

Age Main reason for digital use

2 - 4 years Additional learning

5 - 7 years Online gaming

8 - 10 years Online gaming

11 - 13 years School and homework

14 - 16 years Social media

News & Features


21/84


Ever since David and Victoria Beckham took part in their sonsschools parent relay race last year, the anticipation of Sports Day

has seen parents preparing months in advance to impress their kids

and beat fellow mums and dads.

Amazon.co.uk has seen the following increases in sales:

Sales of Adult Racing Sacks are up by 263% month on

month

In order to beat their personal best, sales of stopwatches

are up 221% month on month

To improve accuracy, parents have been buying ring toss

sets up 142% month on month

Extending the trend to the family picnic, rounders kits

are also up 1,100% month on month

As the popularity of the Parents Race continues, it appears that

parents are now going the extra mile to impress on Sports Day,

commented Xavier Garambois, Vice President of EU Retail at

Amazon. Dont be surprised to see parents practicing the sack race

in their back garden or training with an egg and spoon in the local

park.

Whether youre encouraging your children to be the next Andy

Murray or see yourself as the next Judy Murray, Sports Day is a

great motivator for all the family to get fit and have fun together,

commented Ian Bradley, Sports & Outdoors Store at Amazon.co.uk

Ltd.

Not all parents are quite as successful on the field as they might

like, and for those that fall at the first hurdle, First Aid Kits have also

risen 11% month on month.

Find a range of products to help get a head start before Sports Day

with the Sports & Outdoors Store and Toys & Games Store at

www.amazon.co.uk.

COMPETITIVE PARENTS TRAIN UP FOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

News & Features


22/84


Between 10-15% of women will suffer from postnatal illness

10% of new fathers also get depression following the birth of

a baby

Where women have suffered depression during pregnancy,

the statistic for postnatal depression rises to 33% and of these

25% will still be experiencing symptoms up to a year later.

Recent research by charity 4Children shows that 49% of wom-en who thought they had suffered from postnatal depression

did not seek treatment, mainly because they either did not

believe the symptoms were severe enough or they were

concerned about how they and their baby might be impacted

by seeking treatment.

Postnatal illness occurs after the birth of a baby. It is a form of

depression which can affect both the mother and the father. Many

experts believe it is caused by genetic, environmental and social

factors and hormones also play a part.

8 out of 10 women experience a brief period of feeling depressed

which occurs 3-4 days after birth and can persist for a few days. This

is known as baby blues and coincides with a large release of

hormones associated with milk production. Postnatal depression,

however, often occurs between 4-8 weeks post birth, or later and is

often longer lasting with more symptoms.

Common symptoms include:

Crying a lot

Feeling exhausted

Difficulty eating

Difficulty sleeping

Feeling guilty about not being about to cope

Feeling guilty about not loving the baby enough Difficulties in the relationship with the partner

Low libido

Withdrawal from family and friends

There are two usual treatments for postnatal depression: medication

and talking therapies (counselling).

For mild to moderate depression, the recommended treatment is

counselling and a course of at least 6 sessions can be as effective as

anti-depressants.

For severe depression, a combination of anti-depressants and talking

therapy should be offered.

In the first instance, women should access support through their

health visitor or GP, but partners or other close family member may

be the first to spot the signs and may need to encourage women to

seek help.

Puerperal psychosis is a rare but severe mental health condition

which affects around 2 in 1000 women after birth. Symptoms include

hallucinations, delusions and suicidal thoughts. Help must be sought

promptly at a mother & baby unit or psychiatric facility. Most women

improve significantly within one month following the correct

treatment.

For support with postnatal illness, visit

www.anpi.org

www.pandasfoundation.org.uk

www.mind.org

The NCT helpline on 0300 330 0700

This article was written by Michelle Eshkeri, director & founder of Parent

Partner, a Barnet-based company which provides private and NC group

courses as well as tailored individual birth and parenting coaching

sessions and baby/child first aid sessions.

Family Focus

Postnatal Depression

or baby blues?

For more information, email:

[email protected] or visit

http://www.parentpartner.co.ukor

callMichelleon07789928530

By Michelle Eshkeri


23/84


Five months pregnant with her third child,

X-Factor winner Sam Bailey spoke exclusively to

Kiddicare. Candid, down to earth, a real

womans woman this is a lady weve got a

whole lot of love for!

Looking tanned and relaxed, fresh from a

holiday in Gran Canaria (we stayed in a German

hotel so no one knew who I was) Sam tucks

into a cheese toastie and reveals that shes

always longed for baby number three but says,

I was working 41-hour weeks at the prison,

leaving home at 6 in the morning and getting

home at 9 oclock at night. Craig and I were like

ships in the night. Then after the X-Factor our

circumstances were different. And we were in

a better financial situation.

With honesty she reveals I had a bit of a scare,

when I had a bleed, and had to go to hospital

says Sam, but they checked me out and

everythings fine with my little girl. Even

so, Sams decided to take it easy two

months before her October due date,

particularly as her first came eight weeks

early and her second was two weeks early.

I dont want to be on stage in the middle

of a show and have my baby! Mind you it

would make great TV if I did!

The bond between Sam and her mentorSharon has been strong from day one.

Shes going to be the babys godmother.

Shes always there if I need her. Were both

mums and we have a lot in

common. Weve become really

close, shes definitely someone I

can trust and tell anything to. I

dont have the same relationship

with Simon!

So how did she break the baby

news to Craig? I did a pregnancy

test in Asdas toilets. Classy, me! I

just came out and said Craig Im

pregnant. He had a huge smile on

his face. And how did her

management react to the news?

I thought they were going to go

ape! They were really supportive though,

everyone was delighted. We had to let everyone

on the X Factor Tour know not to manhandle

me especially Nicky (McDonlald) and Luke

(Friend) getting me in a headlock!

The pop star says in her typically down-to-

earth way, I dont want to move house, she

says. The kids are happy and I dont get

hassled. I dont get the paps outside like

Nicholas and Luke do, so were extending thehouse and Im going to swap my 4-seater Mini

for a 5-seater. The extension wont be finished

until early next year so the Babystyle Aspen

(linktoKiddicare.com) furniture Ive got my eye

on will have to wait - there wont be anywhere

for it to go!

Its chip shop chips with loads of vinegar that

have got her through her pregnancy. That and

ice lollies. I love a Twister its a very fine lolly.

Then I was into Nobbly Bobblies, now were on

to white Magnums.

With her children, Sams had two very different

labours. I didnt have any pain with my first.

My waters broke, I had no contractions, then I

had an epidural and C-section. I went natural

last time and I screamed! I was off my face on

gas and air which was great, then had an

epidural and played on the Nintendo DS for 4

hours!

Sam agrees that the last 24 months have been

an incredible journey. Highlights were

definitely winning X-Factor and singing with

Michael Bolton at the NTAs. My actual audition

was more terrifying though, I was petrified. I

sang Listen by Beyonce and I got a standing

ovation from all four judges. I was also a fat

heifer at the time! Funnily enough, Sam

admits that she cant actually remember the

exact moment she won the X Factor title. Its

all bit of a blur. Almost like it didnt happen. I

heard Dermot say And the winner is then

that massive pause that seems like ages. Next

thing I see Sharon on the floor. It was just

bizarre. I genuinely dont remember it.

Does Sam have any words of advice for fellow

mums-to-be? Yes, just go with the flow and

dont commit to anything because kids alwayscome first. And when it comes to juggling make

sure youve got a good support network. I

believe in favours for favours Ive given my

Leicester season ticket to my child minder!

When chatting about our #WIWIK (link to

Kiddicare.com/wiwik) campaign, Sam reveals

the one thing she wishes shed known was

about storing formula milk. My son really

suffered with gastroenteritis. He was very sick

and lost a lot of weight. I wish Id known that

you shouldnt make up bottles in the morning

and keep them in the fridge for the day. New

research says you have to make them up fresh

to prevent babies getting poorly. He was ill foryears I really wish Id known!

Sam spent an afternoon browsing our

Peterborough store and enjoying a Bump, Baby

& You 1-2-1 consultation with colleague Rachel.

She and Craig scooped an impressive haul of

baby gear including: Funky Friends bedding

bales, Jumperoo, some beautiful Pumpkin Patch

dresses and matching shoes, nursing pillow,

just4bums nappies, Ewan the Dream Sheep and

a Little Bird Told Me Butterfly play gym.

For all your baby essentials visitand for more

parenting inspiration, advice and offers

visit

Sam Bailey enjoying Kiddicares

new Bump, Baby & You service.

Celebrity Interview


24/84


As the summer holidays arrive parents with teenagers will be racking their

brains to find fun and innovative ways to entertain them during the school

break. For parents in London, the challenge has been made significantly

easier as Tinies launch their first ever holiday camp specifically for

children aged 11 to 16.*

Activities vary each day and include rock climbing, kayaking, crazy golf,

go-karting and trips to the movies.

Situated just behind Victoria Station, the holiday clubs at St Peters are

perfect for London residents and commuters who can easily drop their

children off onsite before heading to work.

at Tinies says: Kids who are

11 to 16 can be a really tricky age group for parents who are unsure how

to keep them busy over the holidays. The last thing parents want is them

sitting around the house all day or hanging out with the wrong crowds.

At Tinies weve experienced a high demand in parents asking for advice

on how to keep their children entertained when they hit their teenage

years. For parents who work or have children where there is a big agegap, it can be particularly difficult, so weve sought to make it easier for

them and helped to make the Summer holidays a time for kids to enjoy

life and have fun, as it should be!

The first camp will take place from Thursday 24 July and will run

throughout the summer, ending on Friday 29August.

The teen trials cost 37 for a day from 8.30 until 6, including all activity

costs and food. Parents can book their child in online at

tinies.com/stpeters, as last minute as they like. Places are currently

limited to 14 spots per session, giving kids the opportunity to make new

friends and experience things they have never tried before. Situated

beside St Peters Club which caters for children aged 4 to 11, taking care

of childcare has never been easier.

Tinies organised a teen trial over the Easter holidays this year and one

attendee was Sam Williamson. He said: I really enjoyed going and trying

new things every day, like kayaking and climbing in a castle.

Tinies Holiday Club Westminster is taking place at St Peters Primary

School, Eaton Square, Lower Belgravia Street, Westminster, London,

SW1W 0NL. For more information visit www.tinies.com/stpeters or call

020 7384 8368.

*Children are eligible right up unto their 16 birthday.

Family Focus

Tinies launches new summer kidsclub exclusively for teenagers

Boots Opticiansnowoffer UVprotectionand toughened lensesas

standard.

With so much to see and do, little ones eyes need to be kept in tip-top

condition to ensure they do not miss a moment of the fun. Now, Boots

Opticians is making it easy for parents to keep young eyes protected

by including its Protect Ultratough UV lenses, as standard, with every

single pair of childrens frames it sells. With the majority of the eyes

lifetime exposure to UV light reached before the age of 18, childrens

eyes are particularly susceptible when it comes to UV, with evidence

suggesting up to 70% more light reaches the retina than in an adults

eye. With only 10% of people aware that eyes are up to 10 times more

sensitive to UV damage than skin, Boots Opticians is committed to

helping parents understand how best to protect their childrens eyes

in order to maintain great eye health in the same way that they would

protect their little ones skin by applying sun cream. Championingevery childs right to UV protection, Boots Opticians is making its

Protect UItratough lenses - which filter UV rays from the front and back

surface - available at no extra cost. Its new clearer prices, clearer

vision promise will apply to even the most basic frame range and NHS

prescriptions the first time UV protection will be available, as

standard, to NHS customers.

With every pair of glasses from Boots Opticians now coming with UV

protection, as standard, parents can rest assured that their precious

pride and joys eyes are protected - even when its overcast, when up

to 40% of UV rays still penetrate through the clouds. And knowing

children are prone to a bit of rough and tumble, the Boots Ultratough

lenses are also scratch resistant, reflection free and are so tough,

theyre virtually unbreakable!

Victoria OConnor, Eye Health Condition Manager, Boots Opticians

comments The risks associated with UV exposure are cumulative so

its important to protect eyes at an early age. UV damage can occur

even when it is cloudy, so everyday UV protection is essential to

minimise chances of your child experiencing sight problems as they

get older. 80% of childrens learning is through sight, but one in five

primary school children have an undiagnosed vision problem so it is

important to ensure your child visits the optician at least every two

years and has a check before they start school.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.boots.com/en/Opticians/

Protecting little peepers


25/84


Over the six week period, parents will spend 492

entertaining their children a 26 per cent increase on last year

On top of this, an average 119 will be spent on petrol and a

further 106 on childcare

Summer worries: almost two thirds (58 per cent) of parents

worry about the cost of entertaining their children

One in 10 would miss bill payments in order to cover costs

UK parents will splash out 492 entertaining their children this summer

a 26 per cent increase on last year suggesting that parents are feeling

a renewed sense of confidence, according to annual

Parents also expect to see further damage

done to their bank balance as they shell out 66 on other peoples

children, 106 on childcare and 119 on petrol.

While children all over the UK are eagerly awaiting the summer holidays,

more parents than ever before (58 per cent) are still fretting about the

cost of keeping their kids entertained despite planning to spend more.

Worryingly, nearly half of all parents (46 per cent) also feel under

pressure to keep up with other parents spending. To cover costs, one

in four parents expect to dip into savings (24 per cent), and a further 16

per cent would consider stopping saving altogether to make ends meet.Nearly one in five will rely on their credit card (18 per cent), while 17 per

cent are prepared to work overtime to boost the familys monthly

budgets. In an effort to keep costs down, one in 10 (12 per cent) will rely

on auction sites to pay for activities over the summer holiday.

When it comes to spending, the bulk of money will be spent on admission

for various attractions, including theme parks and museums (47 per

cent), while two in five parents (42 per cent) also plan to spend a

significant amount eating out. A family holiday abroad is where nearly a

third of all parents (29 per cent) expect to spend the most of their money.

This is nearly double the amount of parents who planned to head off last

year (15 per cent), perhaps indicating that the average family is feeling

more confident about their finances.

Many mums and dads would also consider making personal sacrifices. A

third of all parents would give up buying new clothes (34 per cent), while

others would miss out on their regular takeaways (34 per cent) and resist

buying treats such as magazines or coffees (34 per cent) this summer.

Others would be forced to rely on more drastic methods as they watch

their bank balance. Nearly one in ten (eight per cent) admitted that they

would skip paying household bills and around one in twenty (six per

cent) might take another type of holiday this time from their mortgage

payments.

However, two out of five savvy parents (41 per cent) have saved in

advance for their summer holiday expenses. This represents a 12 per

cent increase on the number of parents who planned ahead in 2013 (29

per cent) indicating that families have learned lessons from previous

summers, with 29 per cent admitting that they spent more than they

expected to last year entertaining their children.

The

significant rise in parents spending this summer may be due to families

feeling a renewed sense of confidence as the signs of economic recovery

take hold.

The summer holidays are an exciting time for all and while its important

to keep your children entertained during the summer break, its a good

idea to plan ahead and budget wisely. There are a number of ways to

manage your finances, including options such as credit cards, savings

and overdraft facilities, but it's important to work out which one best

suits your needs. Its encouraging to see such a significant rise in the

number of people saving in advance to cover their costs this year.

Track down deals online, there are great discounts and 2 for

1 offers to be found to theme parks, the cinema, family days

out and restaurants

Look out for offers at local attractions and events organised

by your local community, these are often free or inexpensive

Travelling by train can also be cheaper if you book tickets in

advance and avoid travelling at peak times

Some museums have free entry throughout the year and the

summer break is a great time to make the most of this

Whether youre heading to the park, a museum or simply a

day in town, take a packed lunch as eating out can be expensive Look out for deals at supermarkets that could save you money

on packed lunches or simply eating at home

Organise a funfilled day at home such as cake making,

painting, crafts or start a reading club

Filling up at a less expensive garage or driving in a way thats

fuel efficient could mean you save extra cash

A day in the garden or helping with the gardening can be just

as fun as a day out at an amusement park and may save you

some time on gardening yourself!

Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of Post Office between 30 May to 02

June 2014. 2,004 online interviews took place, of which 585 were parents with

children aged 18 and below. Parents expect to spend 82 a week entertaining

their own children 6 X 82 = 492. The cost in 2013 was 391.50.

PARENTS TO SPLASH OUT ALMOST 500

ENTERTAINING KIDS THIS SUMMER

Family Focus


26/84


Since Spoilt Rotten was founded in 2010, with a vision to

always provide beautiful organic cotton baby clothes and

gifts. This vision has grown from selling baby clothes, to

now having an extensive range which includes organic

maternity tops, ethically made mum and dad t-shirts &gifts and kids t-shirts. Spoilt Rotten are proud to present

the Whatever It Takes babygrow featuring artwork

kindly donated celebrities such as Tinie Tempah, Daniel

Craig, Dave Grohl, Kanye West and Pink. Each celebrity

has created a unique hand drawn piece of artwork

featuring different designs. Their original artwork has

been donated for the exclusive use of the Whatever It

Takes campaign, which has so far raised over $7 million

for 21st Century Leaders. The babygrows are 100%

Organic cotton manufactured to high standards of the

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Fair Wear

Foundation (FWF), and the Soil Association. The

packaging has been specially designed to hold the

babygrows, making it a perfect gift packaging, anddesigned around the artwork donated by the celebrity.

Spoilt Rotten is committing to raise a minimum of $26,000

from the sale of this Babygrow collection for 21st Century

leaders, for selected projects in support of key global

development causes poverty alleviation, environmental

conservation and the protection of children.

We were thrilled to be sent a babygrow with the Tinie

Tempah design and it really is gorgeous whilst supporting

an amazing cause! Tinie Tempah's ar

august 2014 issue

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