Month: August 2016

Pretend Play to help Develop Social skills and behaviour in toddlers featuring Honeybake Toys range by Le Toy Van

Parenting sometimes can be really challenging and surely when you child is a bit different or have more/special needs. Difference is never easy to cope with and to find the right support and the right things to do.  Sometimes, a child will need more help to develop social and interpersonal skills: it does not mean that you child has an issue or is not “normal”. I absolutely hate this word as it does not mean anything. A thing I have learnt with the time is that there is nothing more helpful than play. Yes, Playing helps learn so many things and also helps reveal any difficulties your child might have. So how children can learn through play? Young children are learning and developing quickly. They are playing, learning and experimenting. Children learn through all their senses by: tasting, touching, seeing, hearing and smelling watching and copying people close to them: this is how they learn language and behaviour We have already discussed the importance to touch and see and I presented you Grimm’s Toys in my article …

All about Swaddling: From benefits to controversy

Did or do you struggle with your baby sleep? If this is the case, let’s read an old story that is all about swaddling. If your baby was or is born in the hospital, chances are she will be swaddled at some point but not when she is given to you. Skin to skin contact is very important to establish breastfeeding and for bonding. But afterwards, each of my little princesses has been carefully swaddled by Midwives: they are masters of swaddling newborns. What is the reason behind this? When you come back home, you just put your lovely newborn baby in her Moses basket and the nightmare starts: between colic, trapped winds, your little bundle of joy starts crying and being so unsettled. This is when you are trying to reach and explore anything that might help you with your baby sleep and yours indeed. So sure that when you will be looking for some help to soothe your newborn, a friend, family member or Health Visitor will suggest you to swaddle your baby.  Swaddling works to help babies drift off and stay …

Snüz Designz Swaddle blanket Review

Just after their births, babies are swaddled by midwives. My daughters have been too. I heard about swaddling when I was younger but have rarely seen a swaddled baby so when Anna was born, when I came back home, I did not swaddle her, not because I did not want to, no, just and simply because I did not know much about swaddling. She was an unsettled baby, and the only way to calm her was by holding her and keeping her next to me: thanks baby wearing and my Mobywrap! Then with Maryam, from the hospital, her first day into this world, I used to swaddle her. Why? An evidence this time. I learnt about swaddling and the benefits and how it could improve baby’s sleep. At this time I was using some baby blankets to swaddle her and it did wonder with her. She was sleeping very well. In fact so well, we were worried about her. For us it was so contrasting with Anna who barely slept during the day and at night! I …

Baby’s first name Announcement to Siblings featuring LostMyName Book

When I was pregnant {it seems so far but a month ago, I was still with my bump}, Anna {4 years old pre-schooler} kept asking about Baby’s first name and when Baby will go out to meet her. She was really curious about baby and eager to discover her and learn her name. Hubby and I decided to keep Baby’s gender and name secret until birth and we built a little story for our daughters. We wanted them to have a real surprise when baby would arrive and some “sibling” gifts. Because Anna kept asking why Baby did not have a name, we started to say that Baby lost her name and would find it when she would be born but we would need to help her find it. We found this more whimsical than just tell her that we were going to choose a name. 🙂 I was looking for: something original, something beautiful and playful something that each of them will keep something to develop some skills finally something that will corroborate our story. Do you know …

Breastfeeding: Worries about milk supply and lactation cookies by Boobbix

“I think you do not have enough milk”  ……”You should top up your baby with some formula, she seems so hungry” Who has never heard these comforting sentences during their breastfeeding journey? When I gave birth to my first baby, when we were at the hospital and my breastfed baby was unsettled, instead of helping me with breastfeeding, I have been proposed several times to give some formula to my baby but I did not. I knew my milk supply was not the issue, it was something else.   From her first day in this world until she was three months old, because she was so unsettled and always asking for breastfeeding, I kept hearing those silly sentences! The truth was breastfeeding her was the only comfort she could seek to ease her pain, unfortunately it was causing her more distress and it was an infernal circle because the truth was somewhere else. Well, indeed it was… just those silly allergies diagnosed too late. My milk was the trigger full of allergens. For new baby, …

EcoSnack Wrap for Lunch Boxes and Sunny days!

Sunny days are still here and we all love a bit of a day out, to the park, beach or zoo or anywhere else you fancy ! September is also coming fast and it is already {unfortunately} time to think again Lunch boxes for work or four little Bambinos. Back to school very soon, we love green alternatives. So instead of wrapping our  -or our children- sandwiches in plastic bags or foil, why not try some more sustainable alternatives?   One of the alternatives available is Fabric wraps. I have seen a lot since a while and always wondered if it was really keeping food fresh. You can always use plastic box, but we try to avoid plastic: I am just saying we try 🙂 But sometimes, you just do not want to take a big plastic box and you are looking for something more flexible. We have tried Eco Snack Wrap that I have discovered through the website of LivingNaturally who stock them. “Ecosnackwrap is the sole UK distributor of http://www.4myearth.com.au range of Sandwich …

All about soapnuts featuring Living Naturally

Tired of using Laundry powders full of chemicals that irritate your skin or your children skin? Exhausted of using this green liquid soap for the washing up? Are you looking for a greener alternative for your laundry? Why not try a laundry-cleaning product that does not come in a plastic jug, that does not leave a soap residue n  clothing or in washer, and that cleans clothes efficiently? But what is this miracle product? It is Soapnuts. Have you ever heard about them? I have not until recently and since I have discovered about them I was really eager to try and see by myself how they perform. What Are Soap Nuts? Soapnuts are found in both the eastern and western hemispheres, but are native to India and Nepal. They have recently become a popular environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent, and are a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. They have traditionally been used as an expectorant, and in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Soap nuts …

Week 2 : Baby’s First Bath {Green People Organic Babies Newborn Hamper Review}

We have decided to delay Baby’s first bath  for Baby3 and decided this time to give another go to baby care products. I have been looking for months for the best products around and I decided to try Green People  because I have heard so much good things about their range. Why Green People? A bit of story , What attracted  me and why I like Green People: Green people , it is a mom life to start with. The life of Charlotte Vøhtz’s. When I first read her story  I had the feeling of a flash back with my first daughter. It seems that we have all encountered this issue : battling multiple skin, food allergies and eczema. Like many of us, after trying to find natural cosmetics with no results and realising that high streets cosmetics are everything but not natural, she created her own organic creams and salves, carefully tailored to her daughter’s allergy-prone skin. And in 1997, Green People was born. Did you know that? In fact you only need to have less than 1% …

5 Good reasons to delay Newborn’s First Bath

Baby’s first bath is one of this thing that can be really worrying for first time parents. When I was a Nurse/Midwife student, I remember we were bathing newborn babies on Day 1 in postnatal ward with their mom. The main goal was to simply show how to do and to tone down it. It can be quite impressive to handle such a little human being for first time parents. When I gave birth to Baba1 in York back in 2011, I asked if I could give a bath to my baby in the postnatal ward. Why? Simply because for me, it was like this. We bath baby after delivery. This was what I learnt and what I saw all my little life. The answer shocked me. I could not give a bath to my baby and I begged someone to show me and be with me for the first bath. I know it is quite funny as I have bathed so many newborns but was so anxious for mine! As I explained in one of …

4 Best products to heal cracked nipples and sore breasts: Breastfeeding essentials

My first week on breastfeeding has been a bit of rollercoaster. So if like me you are in an Ouuuuchhh… mood, read this! Your baby is just born and you are starting together your beautiful and hopefully long breastfeeding journey together {at least this is what you are dreaming of} but as you begin to nurse , you are discovering that it hurts! Do not worry! Sore nipples are a frequent complaint for breastfeeding mothers so you are not alone, and as far as I am concerned I do assume it’s an inevitable part of the nursing experience. Well, I did get sore nipples for each of my daughters, time to get on with the latch on thing. However you must know that pain is a sign that something is not so right: You should not feel pain when baby is feeding. If you do, it means that baby may not have latched on properly. You need to check: Baby’s latch: Usually sore nipples are a consequence of  baby not taking the nipple deeply enough into his mouth. For …