Alice & The Mums Issue 7 Weaning Edition

AUGUST 2020 | ISSUE 7

A L I C E & T H E M U M S Post Natal Depression Living through PND with twins

Pelizaeus-merzbacher disease READ

SADIE'S

STORY

Disney Holidays ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A DISNEY MAD MUMMY

Allergy Free Recipes & Weaning Tips

The Weaning Edition

The Mummy OT A COMPLICATED PREGNANCY AND ARRAY OF ANOMALIES

Contents 05

The Mummy OT

08

Parenting IS NOT a Competition

10

Breastfeeding & Me

12

Your Disney Experience

15

27 30

PND With Twins Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease Parenting IS NOT a competition Cloth Nappies Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor Turkey Mince Curry Veggie Mess

32

Feeding Harriet

34

Weaning: Where to Start?

37

Wingin' Weaning

18 21 23 26

Editor's Note Hi, dolls! This issue is honestly my favourite yet.

It's got a whole weaning section that's full of wonderful (and allergy free) recipes along with really helpful tips for anyone at the beginning of their weaning journey.

Along with the weaning features, are some really important articles raising awareness of some issues that most of us mummies can't even imagine. You can read about Sadie's Pelizaeusmerzbacher disease and where you can donate money. You can read the story of a mummy

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enduring PND while juggling twins. You can read about an OT mummy who uses her knowledge to help her little one with a congenital heart defect and a partially formed hand.

There's also a breastfeeding story about two very different feeding journeys, and all you need to know about a Disney trip! Plus you can read me moaning about the competitive element around parenting, starting with cloth nappies and how to improve your pelvic floor!

A special shoutout to Rebecca Richards, Shila Mody, Helen Marshall and Laura Grant on your help with proofreading for this issue. You've been and continue to be a massive help. Thank you!

Enjoy, angels!

Alice x

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THE MUMMY OT ALICE TELLS US ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES WITH HER SON WHO WAS BORN WITH A PARTIALLY FORMED HAND, AND HOW THIS HAS INFLUENCED HER PRACTICE AS AN OT

BY ALICE GAIR I’m Alice, the @themummyot, a children’s Occupational Therapist (OT) and first time mum to 14 month old Reuben. An OT (for those who don't know what that is) is a healthcare professional that can look very different across specialities but ultimately is about helping someone to be able to do something through changing how they might normally do it, working on an underlying problem or providing special aids or adaptations.

For example, I work with kids that may find it difficult to form their letters because of an underlying motor coordination difference, can’t get into the bath because they have Cerebral Palsy or only like dry, ,crunchy foods because they have Autism.

The reason I am telling you this, apart from being a

passionate flag flyer for my profession (fist bump to any OTs reading this!) is that Reuben was born with a few anomalies last year including a congenital heart defect and a partially formed hand, so for him having a mother as an OT is very helpful. For me, I couldn’t believe the coincidence and despite working with children with differences on a daily basis found I found it really hard to accept.

Before having a child I would regularly refer to children I saw in work as ‘disabled’, an every-day word (a much more preferable word to describe children with differences into today’s society) that is politically correct and revolves around not being able. Now I consciously avoid using this word at all costs (unless it’s going to work in Reuben’s favour or I’m trying to get a point

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across) because as a mother I actually harbour a lot of negative feelings around the word ‘disabled’ and it instantly makes me feel an overwhelming sense of pity for my little boy which is really not helpful for me and actually his ‘disability’ doesn’t affect him that much at all because he finds other ways of doing things. So for the duration of my article I will refer to ‘disability’ as having a difference.

From 28 weeks I was monitored as Reuben was small for gestational age (sga). This kick started major anxiety issues for me which continued for the remainder of my pregnancy and to this day I feel robbed of all the lovely pregnancy planning, celebrations and anticipation that everyone goes on about, which also made me feel incredibly isolated. Despite all of this I was told that my baby looked fine and was likely underweight due to suspected placental insufficiency and might just need a bit of time on the special care baby unit (any mother will know that you don’t just park all that worry and say goodnight).

So as you can imagine when Reuben did manage to make it to 37 weeks, arriving by emergency c-section and then was presented to me with what I can only describe as what looked like a little purple mitten instead of a hand with 5 fingers on it I had a shock. As I look back the next part of our journey is what saddens me the most when I think about how I was blindly led through the post-natal process as a first time mother. I joined a bay with 3 other women and their babies. For the whole 5 days I was on that ward not one member of

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"Not one member of staff asked me if I was ok and if I needed to talk about the fact that I had a baby with a very obvious difference." staff asked me if I was ok and if I needed to talk about the fact that I had a baby with a very obvious difference, which at the time I was certain was going to ruin his life.

I had also been accessing telephone CBT to manage my anxiety during pregnancy and this was not communicated to the maternity unit. I had a massive meltdown on the second night and the midwife on duty could not understand why I was crying hysterically and didn’t want to explain myself at 3am with just a curtain serving some privacy. I understand that differences like Reuben’s occur so rarely, and that we were lucky not to be admitted to the special care baby unit which, I can only assume, is why nobody took the initiative to say anything, but it also seemed very odd to me for people working in a caring profession. Making sure I was physically recovering, that I had established breast-feeding and that Reuben was stable was done brilliantly but you could argue that the care delivered was not at its true potential by

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forgetting to nurture the mental health of myself as the mother.

This continued when we got home when my midwife and health visitor had no idea of Reuben’s difference; two instances really did it for me though.

The first was when the health visitor assistant was sent out to me in response to our ordeal to support bonding and the assistant did not know the back story. I literally unleashed holy hell (making a point to tell her that my frustrations were not personally directed at her) as I was so exacerbated at the stress I had gone through and that in actual fact it was not just that I had to repeat my story AGAIN (which took me about 40 minutes and was painful) but that the lack of communication and joined up care clearly demonstrated how my needs as a mother had not been considered, how that made me feel completely unvalued as a person and that by not caring for the mother’s needs you are ultimately not caring for the baby’s needs. The second was when I expressed to my health visitor a variety of negative feelings and thoughts towards Reuben, his hand difference and how things were going in general (he was a very colicky baby) and I received the simple suggestion of “do you think you need some

medication?” I said “No, I need some support to help me process that my baby is different.”

It took me a while after this to actually leave the house and join in with all the baby stuff that I had initially looked forward to. I would scan the room at every class to see if another baby had a difference, sometimes I covered his hand up or I would find myself rushing to tell random people about it in an effort to avoid awkward moments when people noticed it, but I did eventually get used to it and the intense feelings of jealousy towards other mummies, anger at not knowing why it had happened and worry about what else was wrong eased.

At 7 months, Reuben was further diagnosed with a congenital heart defect (that is not currently affecting him thankfully). All of the above process happened again but on fast-forward. It was like my brain had built that road and we just needed to drive down it again to be ok.

I still have my moments of fear about what will happen in the future but Reuben continues to surprise me on a daily basis doing things in his own special way which can only be building his problem solving skills and resilience for any more bumps in the

road. As the shock and worry becomes a little less and I’ve gone back to work, I’ve still found myself talking about everything that has happened a lot (whether I have a willing audience or not!). I’m realising every day that in the immediacy of having a complicated pregnancy and an array of unexpected anomalies, which often comes part and parcel of having a child born different, how much I want to advocate for maternal mental health and I am so grateful to Alice forgiving me the opportunity to do so by writing this article.

You mammas of babies and toddlers with differences you are not on your own and if I can help even just one of you feel better then my job is done: 1. Your mental health needs are SO individual to you. What one mum can cope with may not be what you can cope with and what helps one may not necessarily help you and that is 100% OK. Ask for help if you need it.

2. Having a pregnancy and/or a baby that is different, irrespective of the degree to which the difference is present and visible or not, can be extremely hard to process and it takes time. There will be new hurdles throughout your journey. It’s OK to feel really negative stuff. The pain will get easier; ride the waves, you are made of strong stuff.

3. Children are massively resilient and genuinely do just get on and find ways to do things in their own way if they want to. They might need a little help from time to time but they will do you proud, hand on heart I can tell you they will.

4. We are part of a very special community of parents of children with differences and you will be overwhelmed by the support that is out there; they will reach down and lift you up because they have worn your shoes.

5. Prosecco can be helpful!

Difference is in everyone. I do now believe what’s meant to be will be. I absolutely resisted this idea for at least the first 6 months, weeks? when we found ourselves in the situation we did with Reuben but you know what? It has brought out good stuff in me that I didn’t even know existed, it’s brought a whole new dimension to the therapeutic relationships I build at work with families and it’s relit a bigger fire in my belly to make a difference to Reuben’s life and to other peoples’ lives as I bring together two of the most important roles in my life; as a mummy and as an OT.

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Parenting is not a competition... (and no one is winning!)

By Alice King Editor & Director One thing I will never- I mean NEVER- get my head around is the element of competition that sometimes comes with parenting. I'm sure it's existed since the dawn of time, and it certainly happens in the Animal Kingdom, but what with the scary prospects of a world that is centred around technology, social media parenting has reached unimaginable heights.

Our parents never had to go through this. The 'do i share this? Do I hide this? Do I share just the happy stuff or the bad stuff too?' It's another external pressure in the long list of parenting duties and modern day dramas.

When Ted was first born, I didn't want to share him at all or anything about how he was progressing or growing up. As a newborn, that felt right, but as Ted slowly became the little man, with the cheeky smile, completely logical mind and hyperactive personality, all I wanted to do was show him and who he was becoming off.

With that bought a whole lot of guilt. Not because I was sharing and he couldn't tell me if he wanted to be shown, but because with every achievement and milestone he reached and with every new pair of trainers or day out, I didn't want to look like I was showing off or boasting about my life or his. Ridiculous, right? I have every right as a mother to celebrate the little person I created. Especially when he reaches steps to be truly proud of.

I totally get it. I sometimes watch videos of children a

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"I don't buy into the school gate gossip culture."

similar age to Ted and think 'how the hell did they do that?' or I see the Insta mums with their creative, imaginative activities wondering why my child has zero interest in my poor replication, and why other children seem so happy. All. The. Bloody. Time.

The truth is children all do different things at different times and progress differently. No life is as perfect as it may seem online and that is exactly why I make the conscious effort to ensure I share both the good and the bad. There are so many, too many, wonderful things about my child and my life, but it isn't ll sunshine and daisies like some people may portray. BUT, we have each other,

and that's the most important thing.

Ultimately, and more often than not, it makes me so happy seeing other people happy. I don't buy into the school gate gossip culture, I don't care whether your child is wearing Zara or Primark, real Vans or fake ones- if you're a great mum, a friendly, welcoming person and don't try and convince me your child is always happy, slept through from the day they were born, and is Jesus reincarnated, then I've got all the time in the world for you. From the moment our children enter the world, it's battle of the Best for parents and kids alike. From who looks the best after giving birth to which child is going to walk Â

or talk first. None of that is important or impressive.

Let's celebrate each other and every child's achievement. Let's look after each other and remind everyone that we are all doing a great job, whether we've got millions in the bank or nothing at all. 'Things' aren't important, but love and kindness are. Our children will value the morals we bring them up with far more than overpriced clothing and extravagant birthday parties. ALL of our children are fabulous. They all deserve love for being who they are, without someone else coming along and saying "that's great, but mine does that backwards and upside down." Parenting is not a competition!

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BREASTFEEDING & ME Young mummy, Tiarna Bebbington, tells us about her 2 very different breastfeeding experiences with her two babies.

By Tiarna Bebbington

I

t’s crazy to think that when I was pregnant with Milo, I had absolutely no intention of breastfeeding. The whole idea of breastfeeding just wasn’t for me, well at least that’s what I originally thought.

Due to me being a young mum, I had a family nurse who was an absolute gem. Any concern I had, she would answer and make me feel so much more at ease. A couple of weeks before my due date, she asked how I was planning to feed Milo and I instantly said by a bottle. She then asked if I would ever consider breastfeeding to which

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my answer was ‘no’. She left me a few leaflets and after a read through them, I decided I actually wanted to try it. I just told myself, what’s the harm in trying, if it doesn’t work at least I can always say that I tried my best.

Fast forward to when Milo was born, I breastfed straight away.

I loved the bond breastfeeding gave me and him but unfortunately due to two Mastitis attacks, poor mental health and a clear lack of knowledge, our breastfeeding journey came to an end after two weeks of feeding.

Whilst Milo was growing up, I would really miss feeding him. In

fact, I actually got a little bit upset about it sometimes. Looking back now, I did the right thing.

Breastfeeding wasn’t right for me and him and although it was a beautiful thing to experience, I’m glad I stopped. I was really struggling with my postpartum recovery and adjusting to life as a new mum which all combined, had such a huge impact on my mental health. Breastfeeding just wasn’t helping me, it actually made me feel very down but I think this was because of how poorly I was.

This time it has been very different. As soon as I found out I

was expecting Arabella I knew instantly I wanted to breastfeed.

I stayed up late and any spare time I had, I browsed breastfeeding groups and constantly watched breastfeeding mums on Instagram.

Arabella was born in May and just like Milo, she was straight onto the breast for her first feed as soon as she was born. The bond this time was so different.

It felt right and I loved it. I literally cannot explain my love for breastfeeding and It’s crazy to think that nearly two years

“

ago I said I would never breastfeed my babies.

We are now nearly celebrating nine weeks of exclusively breastfeeding and I can honestly say I am so glad I started. It is the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced. Don’t get me wrong, some days I’ve found it difficult, especially going through the pain of Mastitis again but it was all worth it.

I think the main reason I was scared to breastfeed; was due to the huge amount of stigma I was already experiencing because I

am a teen mum. I knew there was a stigma surrounding breastfeeding and I didn’t want to draw more attention to myself which is really sad. I’m so glad I ignored all of that this time and just went with what I wanted to do.

If you are thinking of breastfeeding my advice is go for it! The bond you create with your baby through feeding is unexplainable and even though it can be hard, it honestly is so worth it. my breastfeeding experiences have definitely been different but I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute of it.

The bond you create with your baby through feeding is unexplainable and even though it can be hard, it honestly is so worth it.

”

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Your Disney Experience PLANNING A POST-COVID, CHILD-FRIENDLY TRIP? READ RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE DISNEY EXPERT HERSELF!

BY HANNAH BARKHAM My daughter was 3 months when we first went to

There’s plenty to do what ever age you are from

Disney land Paris as a family. We went for the day on

0-100 and more. The french seem to be quite

the way home from my step brothers wedding in Italy

relaxed with sizes for rides and both my babies were

and we’ve not really looked back. We’ve been pretty

allowed on a fair few, of course the older they are

much every year since. People quite often ask why

then the more they can go on, but from babies they

I’d take a small baby, but there’s so much to look at,

can go on rides such as ‘it’s a small world’ and

the sounds, the colours and the smells, mmmm those

Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Then there’s the

Disney food smells, hotdogs, candy floss, a child’s

characters, just strolling down Main Street, you can

(and adults) dream, a complete sensory overload if

meet the likes of Winnie the poo, goofy and the main

you will.

man Mickey.

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"The staff are extremely helpful and made bringing a baby and a 4 year old a breeze."

and chat to you whilst you eat. My daughter practically lost her shit when Belle and Ariel came and spoke to her. It’s pricey but it beats the two hour queues to meet a princess. I’d say it’s a lot more personal, and a memory bound to last for ever.

When staying at Disney on a budget- I’d recommend the ‘Explorers Hotel’ which is a sister hotel of Disney, has a free shuttle service and this hotel is a little bit cheaper as it’s not an actual

However, if you’re not a fan of queuing or don’t

Disney hotel. However, if you want the full immersive

have a lot of time, I would ultimately recommend

experience then I’d recommend the ‘Sequoia Lodge.’

character dining. Character dining is the loveliest (if

It’s a 10 minute walk from the parks and is set up just

a little expensive) experience. There’s a few to

like an American wood house. My daughter loved

choose from, but I would highly recommend the

the theming of the rooms as it was Bambi and as

‘Inventions’ restaurant with its all-you-can-eat buffet

she’s seen it quite a few times was able to pick out

and view of the castle. It’s second to none, and this

characters on the wall paper. The staff are

is your perfect opportunity to get those all important

extremely helpful and made bringing a baby and a 4

photos with some of the characters. My babies

year old a breeze. Check in is easy and the staff

absolutely loved this and the buffet is genuinely

always make a huge fuss of the kids which is so

catered to suit everyone.

lovely. I’d also highly recommend a ‘Glowtini’ after a

The other thing I’d recommend is princess dining (especially if your children are really into the

hard day walking all those Disney miles. It’s the perfect beverage to wind down in the evenings.

princess side of Disney.) You get a delicious, quite posh, three course meal and the princesses come

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One thing I will say is make sure you save a fair bit before hand. Merchandise isn’t cheap and if you’re anything like me and my lot then you’ll want to bring half the shop home with you- no joke. Then there’s travel. I’m someone who has flown there, driven there and got the train there and I would honestly say it’s a close call between driving and Eurostar, if you’re likely to want to bring a load home then I would recommend driving plus you don’t have a leave time so you can stay in the park for the whole of the last day instead of leaving early to get the train, and you may be able to entertain the kids better like ours. We brought a DVD player for the back of the car and Mollie just watched a few Disney movies on the way, but then equally the train is unbelievably convenient, and practically drops you at the door which is absolutely fantastic.

I’m going to leave you with a few essential tips you might need to know. Firstly- snacks. Food in the park is expensive so take snacks. We took crisps, a few biscuits and a piece of fruit each day. Comfy shoes- you walk SO many miles around the parks

that it’s worth taking a good pair of comfy shoes.

You won’t regret it- especially as most days you rack up about 4-5 miles walking. Pain relief- Calpol etc.

There isn’t anywhere onsite really to get this, so worth taking a little stash with you. And the biggest tip- people start getting their ‘fireworks’ spot early.

Some, two hours in advance. So be prepared, it’s a long wait. It might be worth taking some more snacks, a colouring book and some cards or top trumps to kill the time- and a blanket as the temp can drop a fair bit at night. Or if you’re like us, my partner took the kids off and I held the spot until they came back half an hour before the fireworks started- what ever you decide to do, try and get a central spot. You won’t regret it! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to inbox me over at @mollie_mason_and_me and I’ll try and answer. Also we’ve only ever booked with Magic breaks and I can’t recommend them highly enough! See ya real soon!

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BY STACEY SUMNER

POWERING THROUGH PND WITH TWINS

When you are trying for a baby and it takes a while, the moment you finally fall pregnant is amazing. The utter joy and happiness you feel is so magical and it’s the start of an amazing journey. To then find out you are having twins is an emotional rollercoaster but after a few weeks you get your head around it and you are back on cloud nine loving every minute and counting down the days until you meet your little ones.

What you don’t think about during this wonderful time is how you will feel when they get here. It’s a given right? You will love them unconditionally and will be so happy and nothing will change that.

leave my mind and it was more than just passing thoughts.

I remember one night just lying there wishing this wasn’t how it was and then crying because I was so confused because all through my pregnancy and the first few weeks I had been so in love with my new babies and the bubble we were all in.

This is what PND does to you, along with other things and because we had read about it and understood the possibility of it happening due to my high anxiety and family history, I was on the phone to my health visitor straight away.

DIAGNOSIS

POST NATAL DEPRESSION

We had a chat and I had a referral to my GP where they would discuss how I was feeling and complete a Unfortunately for me and so many questionnaire to see if it was in fact other women Post Natal Depression PND I had. I made an appointment is a very real, scary thing that can and hoped it would take away the creep up on you and before you know dark cloud that was getting me so it your world feels like it’s crumbling down. down around you.

I don’t know if you have ever My PND journey started super experienced depression yourself or early. It hit me around week 3 after someone around you has had it. If you having my girls and luckily me and my haven’t I just want to share how my husband were able to spot the signs days felt before my road to recovery. and start my recovery almost Each morning I would lie in bed instantly. I had been crying a lot, thinking I can’t do this anymore. I notyour normal I need a cry would have to force myself to get up moments, it would be on and off all and look after my babies. I would cry day long. I started thinking, I can’t do making bottles and my head was felt this and it was all too much. Thoughts like there was a constant fog there. I of my old life wouldn’t

"BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR WORLD FEELS LIKE IT’S CRUMBLING DOWN AROUND YOU." ALICE & THE MUMS | 16

started to forget who ‘me’ was and went in to zombie mode most days.

It felt like it would never go away and I felt so helpless.

Seeing everyone worried around you is a horrible feeling and is one of the things that kept me going.

After my GP appointment we decided that for me the best option was to try some medication.

They said it would take 2 weeks to enter my system and this was honestly the worst two weeks of my life. Insomnia, sweating, complete lack of appetite. No energy from sleep deprivation and just the general new mum of twins exhaustion took its toll on me.

I had a lovely lady from the perinatal team come and see me and I just sat there crying. I couldn’t see the end. I didn’t think

the tablets would help and I was worried I would never feel the amazing unconditional love for my babies that I was suppose to.

Becky, my perinatal nurse, and Teressa, my health visitor, both reassured me I would and that they had seen many women over the years (some better, some worse than me) all overcome this and that I would too.

GETTING BETTER Around week three there was light at the end of the tunnel for me. I started to sleep better, I was eating again and I was enjoying moments shared with my beautiful girls. My mind started to clear and I could feel myself coming back.

I continued to take my tablets and eventually the bad days were few and far between and I could finally enjoy being a new mum.

This whole experience made me super grateful for many things. Firstly, my amazing husband who had to watch me crumble. He stayed so strong throughout the whole of it and gave me all the love and support I needed. Secondly, my mum who kept it together each day even though she was so upset inside watching me feel this way. And finally all the amazing staff from the NHS that gave me all help I needed so quickly and with such care and support. If you are reading this I hope it can help in some way and always remember it’s ok to not be ok.

CONFUSION WITH CURRENCY Waging or fleeing war or for the enjoyment of traveling. Travel may occur by human-powered transport such as walking or bicycling, or with vehicles.

VIETNAMESE ICED COFFEE IS GOOD ,Such as public transport, automobiles, trains. Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you choose.

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BY RACHEL FINCHAM

SADIE & PELIZAEUSMERZBACHER DISEASE

One of the things they don't prepare you for enough during pregnancy is the chance of your child having a illness or disability. Yes, you might take the tests in your pregnancy for a few things but that doesn't even touch the surface on the amount of different diseases and illnesses there are out there that no one has even heard of before!

My beautiful daughter has been diagnosed with a type of Leukodystrophy called Pelizaeus-merzbacher disease (PMD) which is a rare genetic disorder. PMD is a disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord and it is characterized by problems with coordination, motor skills and learning.

PMD in generally more found within boys making my daughters case even more rare.

This is something she was born with and we have been fighting ever since she was three months old to finally find a diagnosis to know how to move

forward. We have continually been going backwards and forward to Great Ormond Street for all sorts of different tests to finally get a diagnosis- one most important trip being to have a gasostromy button fitted in her tummy to be able to feed her.

Ever since Sadie was born she has had problems with feeding- she was just not interested what so ever! But because of this she was losing weight. I guess what I'm saying is don't always just take the word of a professional, you're their mum and mums know best! All the professionals around me were saying "aw its OK, she is just little, she will catch up" and was shrugging off and concerns I had. Then one day I took her to get weighed at my local weighing centre and I spoke to one of the health visitors explaining how I was feeling and what the professionals have been saying and she told me I was absolutely right to be worrying and feeling the way I was and that

"PMD is a disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord and it is characterised by problems with coordination, motor skills and learning."

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"We are still none the wiser to how Sadie will or will not progress which is why I am doing everything I can to try and help her as much as possible."

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something wasn't quite right. So from there she rang straight through to the hospital, we got an appointment and it was ongoing from there. But the fight still wasn't over.

After doing more tests they believed something wasn't right, but still were in no rush to help figure out the feeding (or not feeding) situation. It's taken me crying my eyes out down the phone to Sadie's consultant because she was losing weight and no one wanting to do anything about it to help, for her to finally say to come in two days later, be assessed and maybe have an NG tube fitted. That's what we did.

So she had a NG feeding tube fitted but was still not tolerating high volumes of milk, so three months later she had her gasostromy mick-ey button fitted and it's

been a blessing! She is now tolerating her milk so much better and is slowing putting on the weight.

As I said before, we are still none the wiser to how Sadie will or will not progress which is why I am doing everything I can to try and help her as much as possible. The team of professionals we have around us now are amazing and so helpful! Sadie is currently under a Physiotherapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Speech and Language therapist (SALT), Dietitian, Community Nursing team (CNN), two consults at Great Ormond Street and one at Broomfield. Safe to say we are constantly busy with appointments, visits, phone calls and emails!

Just before COVID-19 lockdown hit I started social media pages to raise awareness out there of her condition and a Just Giving page to raise money to fund private physiotherapy once a week at least in the UK, and was also hoping to raise enough to be able to take her to America/Canada next year for an intensive course of physiotherapy! Physio unfortunately does not come cheap which is way we are trying to raise as much money as we can! We have had great support by friends and family so far and eventually when safe to do so we will be doing some charity events to raise some more!

Sadie is such a happy, loving, beautiful little girl and we all just want the best for her and her thrive in anyway possible. We have a Facebook and Instagram page called The life of Sadie Chittock for anyone interested in following her progress.

Also her justgiving page link is.. https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Thel ifeofSadieChittock. All donations will be greatly appreciated! Xx

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING STARTED WITH CLOTH NAPPIES

BY AMY PIGGOT

Since long before I became a mum, cloth nappies were something I was uniquely interested in trying if and when my time came, and now here I am a full time cloth bum mum with an entirely relaxed attitude.

As the time got closer to giving birth and the usual fears about becoming a mum for the first time appeared, I decided to not put any additional pressure on myself before I gave birth, so started my daughter's life with disposable nappies and moved onto cloth when I felt ready and we had settled into our new

routine.

It is probably worth noting here too that if you intend to do cloth nappies from birth you will need one’s suitable for newborns, as standard birth to potty nappies (BTP) don’t generally fit babies immediately and usually start to fit around the 2+ month mark.

We’ve now been doing cloth for over a year and I hope to be able to show you that cloth does not have to be an all or nothing kind of thing. Whether you want to just commit to one cloth nappy a day, daytime cloth nappies or go full time, you can totally do cloth your way.

The biggest questions when it

comes to starting cloth is; Whether it is easy to get started and whether it is worth the expense. I want to share each of these with you from a mum who had the exact same worries.

Getting Started When it came to getting started I knew there were two options; study, plan and do a lot of research or dive in and learn as I went. I went for the second option, as I so often do in life, and jumped in head first, grabbed myself a cloth nappy from a local supermarket and gave it a go, thinking that if I loved it then great, but if not I

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wouldn’t be too much out of pocket.

While I encourage you to find out what cloth is like I really recommend getting even just one cloth nappy and giving it a try. If you don’t love it there is a thriving resale market where you can make your money back.

You need an average of 25 cloth nappies to commit to full time, however, there are so many cost saving ways to help you get started and build up your collection one nappy at a time.

Cost Effective?

On face value the cost of cloth

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nappies can look overwhelming but it’s worth noting that overall you can save money in comparison to disposables. The average cost of a child using disposable nappies in their lifetime is around £1800, while the average cost of purchasing cloth nappies, including laundry costs, is no more than £400.

In fact, to set myself up with twenty-five cloth nappies, I have spent under £200. You don’t have to go out and spend a fortune on and I have a mixture of brand new, free from our local council free nappy scheme, discounted selection from the Aldi baby event and some second hand. What I love the most about cloth nappies, other

than the eco friendly and financial aspects, is that you have the total freedom to do it your way. If it’s been on your mind I urge you first check whether your local council has a free cloth nappy scheme, start slow, build your collection and find other like minded mums to help you along the way.

"I REALLY RECOMMEND GETTING EVEN JUST ONE CLOTH NAPPY AND GIVING IT A TRY."

HEALTH & FITNESS

Q&A WITH LONDON FITNESS MAMAS

Introducing our new columnist... Ben Simpkins!

"HOW DO I STRENGTHEN MY PELVIC FLOOR?" feel like this is a great place to

I start as pelvic floor health often

gets shifted down the lists of priorities once your little one arrives. Lots of mamas either hope it gets better or just accept it as the new normal. Self care is often neglected as all your focus and love goes outwards rather than looking at what you need. If we can say one thing it is to take care of yourself, happy mum, happy baby.

The pelvic floor acts like a little hammock for your pelvic organsthey keep everything supported and work in sync with your breathing. A weak pelvic floor can be caused by a number of health and lifestyle issues but it is usually linked to pregnancy due to the stress it takes from carrying your baby, it is then stretched through a vaginal delivery while an instrumental birth can also cause further weakness. This can lead to issues like incontinence and prolapse. It can impact your core recovery, although in some cases your pelvis may be too tight which will mean it needs releasing rather than strengthening.

Below are 3 of the most important steps we advise for our new mamas before they return to exercise with ways they can help boost their pelvic floor health. We

have the rest of our advice over on our blog: 1) Get checked out First and foremost we always recommend getting yourself checked out by a women’s health physio as they can perform examinations to see how your pelvic floor is after childbirth, they can inspect for any damage to the surrounding areas and will know what your body needs to help with your recovery.

They will check with muscles are over or underactive and can prescribe exercises to help get your core & pelvic floor working in unity.

2) Deep breathes Improving your breathing can play a significant part in your pelvic floor health. Throughout your pregnancy your posture gets shifted into odd positions to accommodate your little one, and postural problems can remain once you have given birth.

This can lead to not breathing properly as you cannot get the full

range of movement within your core, which can then impact your ability to perform a kegel correctly.

When you take a deep breathe in, there should be downward pressure on the inside that presses the pelvic floor down causing it to stretch, once you exhale the pelvic floor returns to its static state, this is when you link in the kegel to contract the pelvicfloor which will help strengthen it.

Start by getting used to breathing fully with your ribs lifting and filling while the belly slightly expands. Begin practising this lying on your back, then once mastered move to being seated and finish using the deep breaths standing.

3) Pelvic floor exercises The kegel is a good start place but you should be looking at linking your breathing with your kegels.

Once that is mastered then you should link your breathing, kegels and your exercises to get your body used to activating the pelvic floor with movement.

Most day to day jobs for a mama involve lifting, twisting and lots of odd positions while holding their newborn. So if you're only doing a seated kegel, then this only trains your pelvicfloor for static work, it doesn’t help strengthen it for normal dynamic tasks.

Find a pre and postnatal specialist who can teach you how to combine all aspects as you build up your pelvic floor strength.

READ MORE AT www.london fitnessmamas.com/blog.

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Weaning Stories

Tips, tricks & recipes

Auntie K's Turkey Mince Curry Welcome and thank you to our BRAND NEW COLUMNIST, Auntie K, parent consultant and nanny!

You can read more at @auntiekschildcare or www.auntiekschildcare. co.uk.

Often parents are unsure about giving their baby spices, but introducing these early on in weaning is a really great idea.

You don’t need to give them hot spices but adding some aromatic ones to your baby’s food can help them to be more experimental with new flavours, teach them to expect changes with food and they are a great replacement for flavouring dishes instead of salt and sugar which needs to be kept to a minimum.

This recipe is perfect for all the family and brilliant as an introduction to curry. It is great for baby led or spoon fed weaning and it is very easy to make. You can even fling all the ingredients into the slow cooker (except the peas which need to be added at the end) if you are short on time. I came up with the recipe after having a play around when my little boy was weaning as, like his big sister he didn’t like the creaminess of the usual child friendly curries. It is tomato based with no coconut milk or cream in it and no milk or yoghurt in either so works well for anyone who is dairy free. Both my kids still like it now at age 7 and 3 and I have had lots of positive feedback from other parents who have given it a go too, particularly when their babies have found meat a bit tricky.

If you don’t fancy turkey mince then you can use any other type of mince instead, including Quorn if you wanted to make it vegetarian. I have added carrots and peas but you could easily add other vegetables like sweetcorn or broccoli to bulk it out or just a good handful of frozen mixed vegetables. It really is a versatile recipe.If you are serving it for the whole family, you could stir in some chilli powder or hot sauce once you have served your little one’s portion if you wanted it to be a little spicier for yourself.

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Ingredients: 1 x Tbsp Oil 1 x Pack of Turkey Mince 1 x Tin of Chopped Tomatoes 1 x Onion, Diced 2 x Medium Carrots, Peeled and Diced 1tsp Garam Masala 1tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Ground Coriander 1 tsp Turmeric 2 x Small Cloves of Garlic, Crushed 1 x Red Apple, Peeled, Cored and Diced Frozen Peas, a Good Handful.

To make: Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the carrots and onion until the onion is just softening. Add in the Turkey mince and brown.Add the chopped tomatoes along with 1/2 the tin of water. Add the garlic, spices and apple. Cook over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened and the carrots and apple are soft, adding more water if needed and stirring often. Add the peas about 2 minutes from the end of cooking. Serve with steamed broccoli, rice or Naan bread.

DAIRY, SOYA, EGG AND GLUTEN FREE RECIPE

BY EILISH ELMASRI ALICE & THE MUMS | 27

My name is Eilish and my little boy is Adam. published Adam would have been weaning a Weaning was always a dawning prospect for total of 8 months and I think we have it down. me, I think being a first-timemum it's scary to So once we began weaning we were told to think of all the possible things that could go introduce the top 14 allergens slowly, week by wrong. week. This was to check for any reaction and to Adam was diagnosed with cows milk protein check for a build-up reaction. It was slow and it allergy at 9 weeks old. This became even scarier meant I had to learn to cook a lot more than when it came to weaning because I thought just my bolognese or fried rice. what if there are more allergies and well, there So I am going to be sharing with you one of was.

Adam’s (and mine) favouriterecipes. One that is Adam has allergies to dairy, egg, soya and free from all top 14 allergens and is very gluten. This makes cooking for him that little bit versatile! We hope you enjoy it as much as we harder, however when this issue is do!

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VEGGIE MESS: (suitable 6 months plus)

Ingredients: 2 medium Courgettes (sliced) 1 Medium Aubergine (skin removed and diced) 1 onion (diced) 1 pepper (seeded and sliced) 1 Butternut squash (skin removed and sliced) 1 carton of passata 1 tsp paprika 1 clove of garlic

Method: 1: Prepare your vegetables and roast the courgettes, aubergine, pepper and butternut squash for 20 minutes on 200.

2: In a pan, saute the onions with the garlic until translucent.

3: When the vegetables are ready in the oven, transfer to the pan with onions and garlic and mix.

4: Add your passata and paprika and heat through.

5: Serve as is, or blend into a hidden veggie sauce! We tend to serve this alone or with pastry twists.

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By Sian Saxby

S

COUSCOUS “ARANCINI”

tarting your weaning journey is always a bit fraught.

Whether you opt for the traditional or baby-led approach, there is no escaping the fact that suddenly, you have to find time to prepare and serve three nutritionally-balanced meals to a tiny tyrant in a highchair who likes nothing better than to chuck everything on the floor with wild abandon.

So, here you have cheats “arancini”; quicker, but just as delicious. Even better, it’s dairy, soya and egg free. I’ve used cup measures because personally, I find these easier to use when I only have one spare hand. And everyone has a cup. Right?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup couscous 1 cup hot chicken or vegetable stock (I use the Kallo low salt version) Optional

1 cup grated cheddar cheese or dairy free alternative (I’ve found VioLife to be the best tasting one) For the sauce

2 handfuls (about 14) cherry tomatoes (or however many you want really!)

2 cloves of garlic, diced 1 cup hot chicken or vegetable stock 1 tbsp dried oregano or basil Splash of balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 tbsp olive oil Ground black pepper INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F or gas mark 6) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Add the couscous to a heatproof bowl or saucepan.

Cover with 1 cup of the hot stock, stir, cover and leave for 5 minutes.

3. Add 1 tbsp olive to a frying pan over a medium heat.

4. Add the diced garlic and fry for a minute until it starts to soften.

5. Add your cherry tomatoes and stir. Let them sit for a minute while you go and fluff your couscous with a fork.

6. Add the tomato puree, the second cup of stock, a splash of balsamic vinegar, the herbs and a couple of

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twists of ground black pepper.

7. Reduce the heat and leave your sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, until your cherry tomatoes start to break down.

8. Carefully – especially if you’ve got a baby in your arms – squish the tomatoes so all the juicy goodness oozes out into the sauce. You might find it helpful to pierce the skin with a fork or a sharp knife before squashing them.

9. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, until all your tomatoes have been squashed and the sauce starts to thicken.

10. If you have an older baby and want to give them a bit of sauce on the side for dipping or spooning, now’s the time to

transfer a few spoons full of the sauce into a separate bowl. You can blend it up, or leave it chunky.

11. Add your couscous to the frying pan and give it all a good stir.

12. If you’re using cheese of any description, add it in now and stir it all up.

13. Use an ice cream scoop to form your mini bites. I recommend pressing it down in the scoop with the back of a spoon before turning it out onto your baking tray.

14. Brush the tops of your mini bites with the remaining olive oil and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden and starting to crisp on top.

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RECIPES

FEEDING HARRIET: BLW & Recipes

BY CHELSEA LEE As a new mum I found there were many things I needed to learn, the difference between hunger cues and finding their hands, how to adapt to life as a mum, all whilst ensuring that I was raising my daughter the best way that I possibly could.

Before Harriet was born I had already decided that I would love to make my own foods for her when the time came to wean. Traditional weaning is all I had observed growing up; parents’ spoon fed their babies pouches or premade purees; I thought weaning started with purees for every baby. As a new mum, this method of weaning seemed easier and I would be able to see the amount of food she was consuming more effectively.

However, as she grew older, and cheekier, I discovered BLW. I began to look into, and consider, this method when it was time to wean. What made up my mind was that baby led weaning gives babies’ total control over what they eat, how much and allows them to develop chewing and healthy relationships with food. I hated the thought of a fussy baby, and don’t get me wrong we have ‘ew yucky’ moments, but they are very few and far between and I firmly believe that weaning Harriet this way has made her more open to new foods and has, in turn, made meal times easier and much more enjoyable for us all.

Everyone I spoke to about BLW stated that I should ‘just give purees as a baby cannot eat ‘adult’ food at 6 months, especially without teeth’. This is not true at all! I joined groups and built up a network of parents who had also weaned their babies in this

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way; I found out so much and knew this was the method I was going to follow.

My initial concern was choking, how could I ensure she would safely eat foods and what would I do if she did choke? I downloaded a first aid app and researched baby first aid, and looked at appropriate ways to serve foods to a baby. You’ll be surprised how much is actually out there, and is being added daily.

Harriet’s first meal was carrots and broccoli, her second meal, however, was chicken fajitas. Baby led weaning meant that, so long as I cut food the right way for her and omit salt from foods, she was able to eat what we ate. I amended mealtimes to suit her routines, I made a little extra, and we all eat at a table together. Plus, my meals were HOT! Eating the same foods and together, as often as you can, allows your little one to observe and develop those necessary eating skills quicker than a baby who is weaned in the traditional way. In the early days, eating did consist of a lot of picking up, spitting out, and eventually we started to see some finished meals. It’s so important not to feel pressured into feeding them a little bit more than they choose to eat; exposure is key!

For a couple of months, and even now when Harriet just doesn’t want to eat, BLW proves to be ery messy.

Many recommend high chair splash mats and a topless baby when eating. I, however, highly recommend the Bamboo Bamboo suction plates, super cute and cannot be flipped, you will be surprised how fast a plate can be thrown off the highchair by your baby, and the Bibado coverall bibs.

These two products save me time, and my sanity, everyday!

Harriet is now a ‘graduate’ of Baby Led Weaning.

She is almost two and still has total control over her meals and how much she eats. Of course, we still have moments where she refuses foods she once loved, or throws her broccoli on the floor, messiest food ever when dropped from a height, but this is all about being a toddler, right?

Sugar Free Raspberry Doughnuts Makes 6 Ingredients: 100g of self raising flour 1 egg 110ml milk (I used whole milk) 1 tbsp unsalted butter (melted) 1 tsp vanilla essence 9 raspberries Method: Step 1- Preheat oven to 180˚c.

Step 2- Add all ingredients to the bowl except the milk and raspberries.

Step 3- Slowly add the milk and mix, until you reach a runny consistency Step 4- Chop your raspberries and add all to the bowl and mix.

Step 5- Add mixture to silicon doughnut mould, leaving a little space for rising (If you don’t have a doughnut mould you can always use a lightly greased muffin tray).

Step 6- Cook for 18 minutes, carefully remove from mould and return to oven for a further 5 minutes.

Chicken Pasta Soup Ingredients: 6-8 chicken drumsticks Casserole vegetable mix (I added extra carrot and celery) alternatively, you could prepare leak, celery, onion and carrot.

500ml Low salt chicken stock 200g pasta 1tsp Dried thyme 1tsp garlic salt 1tsp dried tarragon Method: Step 1- Add chicken drumstick, vegetables, chicken stock, thyme, and tarragon to the hob and bring to the boil.

Step 2- Once boiled, reduce heat and cover.

Simmer for 25 minutes Step 3- Remove chicken from pot, debone and shred with two forks, return to pot then add pasta and serve once cooked.

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WEANING: WHERE TO START?!

BY MEGAN BATH

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"THERE ARE TWO REAL APPROACHES TO WEANING AND THAT IS BABY LED AND SPOON FED."

The memories of weaning always make me giggle - you’ve just figured out a bit of a routine and now it’s time to throw another spanner in the works. Weaning.

For me, the hardest part was to know when to start. You’d have your mothers telling you that ‘you were having baby rice at 6 weeks!’ Yep, little old me, being spoon fed at just 6 weeks old. Everyone from your mum, to your nan, to your best friend’s sister’s cousin will have an opinion on when you should start weaning your baby… It can make it all a bit overwhelming.

Today’s advice is to wait until 6 months before you start weaning your baby as they get all the nutrition they need from breast or formula milk until that point. However, in my eyes, you have to do what you feel is best. So for me, I had Harrison eating jelly at 11 weeks and eating ruskS by 16 weeks. I lost track of the countless amount of times I’d be stared at for doing this but in all honesty, who cares!

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I based my decisions to start Harrison on soft solids based on his fascination with food; he would watch every mouthful as I ate at the dinner table, he would start grabbing for my plate etc. He’d started to show a genuine interest!

From my personal experience, there are two real approaches to weaning and that is baby led and spoon fed. Baby led is pretty much self explanatory, the baby leads the way into their weaning journey; it involves lots of finger foods and mashed up foods they can eat using their hands (potatoes, bananas, avacados etc). Spoon fed babies often start with a very puréed mix of fruits and vegetables that gradually gets more lumpy over time, so they can explore new textures.

With Harrison, I did a mixture of both methods. We started with spoon feeds and then once Harrison had a good enough grasp, we switched to baby led weaning. My advice is just to go with the flow. Obviously, if you have concerns over your baby’s weight gain you should seek advice from your Health Visitor.

For me, weaning was one of those things where I went with my gut. Ultimately, we know our babies better than anyone.

Remember that food is just for fun for the .

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first 12 months so you should try and do just that. Strip your baby off, chuck a load of exploratory food on their high chair and let them enjoy themselves. They might not eat a single thing but they will have had loads of fun, an amazing sensory experience and you will have some excellent pictures for their photo album.

The advice can be overwhelming and, like everything, everybody has their own opinion on how it should be done. So girl, just do you and enjoy every second with your growing bundle. *DISCLAIMER: Please seek medical advice if weaning before 6 months.*

Wingin' Weaning

By Nicola Duffy

As a mum who breastfeeds, I was initially worried on how to start weaning my son. I knew not to start before six months and I knew the foods that I shouldn’t give him. I did a lot of reading beforehand.

However, I wasn’t completely confident. It wasn’t, until when we were away on holiday, that I knew James was ready to try solid foods. He expressed interest in the meals we were having. So, when we came home, we bought a highchair and bibs and did our homework by reading up on various suggestions. We first started to offer him breakfast after I breastfed him. We gave him baby porridge or a pouch of fruit. We didn’t use breastmilk with his porridge which, in hindsight, probably was the reason he didn’t like it as much. We then moved on to giving him Ella’s fruit pouches. We usually alternated between every meal so that he can try every flavour. We also tried him with solid food too. He particularly liked dry toast and strawberries.

We didn’t decide on what to do for him next. We simply followed his lead. If he was hungry, he would let us know so we would offer him some vegetables such as carrot, cucumber and tomatoes for his dinner. We tried this out for a few days before we gave him an Ella’s kitchen pouch, which we can’t recommend enough! If he was still hungry after the pouch, we would then offer him some fruit ranging from apples to his favourite- strawberries.

We slowly built up his meals over a few weeks. So, we were sure he was ready. We didn’t want to force meals on him. We just simply introduced him to different flavours and textures. This was fun especially seeing his scrunched-up face after a chilli. Some of what he tried was a hit and for others it was a miss. We did try to offer him many times but he is a stubborn child and when he says no, he means no! After 5 weeks he would have three meals a day. Around his first birthday he would have his three meals and two snacks.

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WEANING TIPS

I continued to breastfeed James but cut down on some feeds so he would eat better at meal times. We also introduced James to water as he wasn’t a big fan of formula milk and he was very picky on who he would accept expressed milk from. Therefore we had to think of an alternative for him to stay him hydrated when I was at work.

After, a lot of perseverance from us and our family he would have a beaker of water. He would drink 1-2 cups of water when I was at work.

James is now 19 months and he is a ALICE & THE MUMS | 38

good eater. We are still introducing new foods to him which he enjoys. I am also still breastfeeding him but not as much as I have in the first six months So here is my advice, if you need any.

Don’t rush your baby to try food for the first time. Look for cues for when they are ready. They may be wanting food before six months or even after. Offer different flavours and textures. If they don’t like it initially, don’t worry. They will probably like it later on. As long as they get a taste, that’s the main thing.

Lastly, if you are breastfeeding don’t feel pressurised to stop. Only stop when you and your little one are ready. *IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT INTRODUCING FOOD BEFORE 6 MONTHS, PLEASE SPEAK WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL FIRST*

N E X T M O N T H

THE MULTIPLES ISSUE

ALICE KING/ ALICE & THE MUMS