Baby London Nov/Dec 2014

FOR MOTHERS AND BABES ABOUT TOWN

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NOV/DEC 2014

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baby london FRESH LOOK

Expecting THE THINGS YOU don't EXPECT

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contents NOV/DEC 2014

FEATURES 18

80

86

93 96

101 106 128

131

142

157

163

BABY LONDON AND LITTLE LONDON LAUNCH PARTY The highlights from the party of the year SWEET DREAMERS The secret to helping your babies become super sleepers EXPECTING? Lulubaby’s Louisa Van den Bergh on the surprises pregnancy throws at you SICK OF SUFFERING When morning sickness gets serious LULLABY AND GOODNIGHT Emma Oliver explores the pain of sudden infant death syndrome FOLK WISDOM The old wives’ tales of childhood ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

Four glam mums make their lists BRINGING UP BABY How far parents can affect developmental milestones MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME...

Relationship expert Kate Taylor on how to reconnect this Christmas WHAT’S THE HOOK? We meet the working mum making crochet cool BOSOM BUDDIES? Jenny Scott of Mothers Meeting asks if breast is always best SMALL TALK Fiona Barry takes new parents through their child’s first words and how to aid language development

STYLE

146

114

63

70

43 WINTER WARMERS Keep baby snug and stylish this season 46 BABY STYLE NEWS The hottest new trends and brands 59 HAVE BUMP, WILL PARTY Tips for maternity partywear 60 SLEEP IN STYLE Cosy comfortwear for mums and mums-to-be 70 BABES IN THE WOOD Magical styles for your little sprites

BEAUTY 63 BEAUTY INSIDER All that glitters...

67 HAIR NECCESSITIES The best treatments for unruly hair

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 7

contents

18

NOV/DEC 2014

SHOPPING

REGULARS

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15 21

51

BABY LONDON LOVES Adorable knitwear from La Coqueta CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Everything you need for baby’s first Christmas

TRAVEL 146 A MONTH IN MANHATTAN Christmas in the Big Apple 149 TRAVEL NEWS From winter wonderlands to beautiful British boltholes 152 MOUNTAIN HIGH Lisa Carter climbs Pico Aneto for charity Kids Company

NEWS MINI AGENDA What’s on in London for baby 26 ECO-FRIENDLY PARENT Have a green Christmas 30 BOOKS AND AUDIO 10 best Christmas stories for baby 35 MY ESSENTIALS Make-up artist Emma O’Byrne reveals her busy mama must-haves

AT HOME 136 LIGHTER SHADE OF PALE The soft hues of baby boutique owner Leo Haynes’ chic home 141 WINTER’S HOME For Narnia-inspired nurseries

134

110

106 8 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

85 FACT OR FAD? Dr Chiara Hunt and Marina Fogle of The Bump Class discuss vaccinations 89 MEET THE EXPERTS Our panel tackle those frequently asked baby questions 104 DIARY OF A MUM Becky Dickinson goes back to school 108 A FATHER’S CHRISTMAS Alex Payne recalls those festive firsts 110 NANNY ASH COOKS Treats for tickling seasonal taste buds 114 MAGGIE & ROSE Activities and recipes for Christmas 119 TOT GEAR We test out the best all-terrain buggies 123 THE REVIEW Laura Mason puts the best baby bouncers to the test 124 MUM TO THE RESQ Our resident mums give us a pinch of practicality this Christmas 134 BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE. Our guide to staying in this Christmas 154 MUM’S THE WORD We get by with a little help from our mumpreneur friends 167 EDUCATION NEWS 172 GROUPS AND CLASSES A selection of activities for you and your little one 179 BOUTIQUES Our guide to shopping in the capital 194 INSPIRE Tara Lee on motherhood

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Hello While we can’t quite believe it’s nearly that time again, we are secretly a tiny bit excited that the countdown to Christmas has begun.

COVER CREDIT: IMAGETHIRST PHOTOGRAPHY, WWW.IMAGETHIRST.COM, PHOTOGRAPHY: IN A FLUTTER BY ALILIA, RRP £598, ALILIA.CO.UK

We’ve pulled out all the stops this year to bring you a super duper gift guide, motivational mamas such as pregnancy yoga guru Tara Lee (Inspire, page 194) fairy tale winter fashion (Babes in the Wood, page 70) and arts and crafts inspiration (Eco-Parent, page 26 and Off the Hook, page 142).

Add to this the usual high calibre tips and advice from the experts on how to turn your baby into a super sleeper (page 80) and a tiny talker (page 163), what you might not be expecting when you’re expecting, by Louisa Van den Bergh of Lulubaby (page 86) and the Bump Class’ Marina Fogle and Chiara Hunt’s Fact or Fad column (page 85), which this issue covers vaccinations.

There’s also party beauty, hair repair, chic interiors and Christmas eats for tiny taste buds by Ashley Campion (aka Nanny Ash).

Feeling the perfect combination of festive and well-informed yet? We really hope you will by the time you’ve leafed through this issue.

Please do drop us a line to let us know what you think at: editorial@littlemedia.co.uk Happy reading – and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Summer Litchfield Senior Editor

BABY LONDON IS PUBLISHED BY LITTLE MEDIA, A DIVISION OF THE CHELSEA MAGAZINE COMPANY LTD, JUBILEE HOUSE, 2 JUBILEE PLACE, LONDON SW3 3TQ WEB: BABYLONDON.CO.UK | TEL: 020 7349 3700 | FAX: 020 7349 3701 | EMAIL: EDITORIAL@LITTLEMEDIA.CO.UK SENIOR EDITOR SUMMER LITCHFIELD | MANAGING EDITOR REBECCA MOORE | SUB EDITOR NATALIE MILNER | SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT MARIE-CLAIRE CHAPPET | EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CAROLINE LEEPER | SENIOR ART EDITOR CHLOË COLLYER | SENIOR DESIGNER EMILY WELLER | DESIGNER BRIGITTA HOLMAR | MANAGING DIRECTOR PAUL DOBSON | DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR STEVE ROSS | PUBLISHER ANNABELLA WARD | COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR VICKI GAVIN | MARKETING MANAGER WILL DELMONT | DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER JAMES DOBSON | DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE HOLLY THACKER | ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER JESSICA WAY | CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER STEPHANIE ORGAN | SALES EXECUTIVES AMY THACKER, KATIE AMPS, IYESHA CHEEMABRADSHAW | DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ADRIAN WILKINSON | BABY LONDON ISSN 2040-8550 | DISTRIBUTED BY SEYMOUR DISTRIBUTION LTD. 2 EAST POULTRY AVENUE, LONDON, EC1A 9PT | TEL: 020 7429 4000 | FAX: 020 7429 4001 | PRODUCTION ALL POINTS MEDIA | PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY WYNDEHAM HERON, MALDON, ESSEX | © THE CHELSEA MAGAZINE COMPANY LTD 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 11

Contributors THIS ISSU E’S DR E AM TE AM

Jenni Baden Howard

Penny Watson

Nonstopmama.com editor Jenni is, you guessed it, a non-stop mama. She also just so happens to be our beauty guru. This issue, just in time for Christmas, she turns her expert eye on all things glittery in Beauty Insider (p.63).

Imagine uprooting your young family for a whole month of fun and Christmas cheer in Manhattan.

Dreamy? Restaurant PR Director Penny Watson tells us all about doing just that on p.146. We’re not jealous at all. Not one bit.

Becky Dickinson

Our resident Diary of a Mum writer continues to chronicle her family’s humorous pursuits this issue (p.104) as well as examining the curse of morning sickness that so often plagues expectant mothers in Sick of Suffering (p.93).

Louisa Van den Bergh

Founder of lulubaby.co.uk, Louisa is a breastfeeding consultant and babyfeeding specialist. She also likes cake – and no doubt needs the sugar rush when looking after her two boisterous boys. She shares her expertise with us in Expecting (p.86).

Wait! There’s more...

Emily Weller

Senior Designer Emily’s work is as bold and wonderful as her hair, which changes colour on an almost weekly basis. She spends her days working at the speed of light and is currently coveting everything in our Baby London Christmas Gift Guide (p.50).

It’s not just Baby London that’s had a makeover. Our website has been pampered and preened and is now your brand new one-stop destination for all things baby, from up-to-the-minute news and hot new trends, to the latest expert advice. Pop over to babylondon.co.uk and see for yourself. Follow Baby London on Facebook and Instagram and on Twitter @Baby_London... we’re never far away.

12 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

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UPDATING YOU ON ALL THINGS GREAT + SMALL

news

NEWS

Leading fertility expert and author Emma Cannon has just launched The Breastfeeding Café with midwife and lactation consultant Anna Cannon at Emma’s clinic The Fertility Rooms in Chelsea.

Emma says: “I believe that if the mother is supported well in the first month following child birth then the bond between mother and child is strong and enduring. If not a woman’s health can really suffer.”

Combining the collective 55 years of expertise of Anna and Emma’s 360 degree approach they are able to support and help new mums and treat the underlying reasons behind any difficulties. emmacannon.co.uk

Supporting your Breasts…

Emma Cannon (top) and Anna Cannon have more than half a century's experience to draw upon

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 15

NEWS

KARMA CAMELEON

After three years of hard grafting, this month Bugaboo and Diesel are introducing a creative and fashionable take on parenting. The first product from the collection is the Bugaboo Cameleon3 by Diesel – a rugged yet stylish pushchair for urban adventurers. £999 | bugaboo.com

HEALTH NEWS: Cows’ Milk Protein Allergy (or CMPA) is the most common infant food allergy affecting three to seven per cent of infants worldwide. November is ‘Moovember’ Cows’ Milk Protein Allergy awareness month. Donate by texting “MOOV80 £1 to 70070”.

WIN! WIN A PACAPOD DESIGNER CHANGING BAG, WITH NEW METANIUM EVERYDAY EASY SPRAY BARRIER LOTION To celebrate the launch of Metanium Everyday Easy Spray Barrier Lotion – the latest addition to the Metanium family – we’re giving away a Pacapod Mirano (RRP £100) changing bag. And five runners-up will win a Metanium Busy Baby Planner (RRP £9.99).

New double-action Metanium Everyday Easy Spray Barrier Lotion protects and moisturises the skin to help prevent nappy rash. In an easy-to-

16 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

use spray, it forms a barrier to protect delicate skin from irritants like urine and faeces that can cause nappy rash.

It’s quick, convenient and simple to use, providing light, even coverage.

There’s no need to rub the lotion in, so application is extra-kind to delicate skin. It’s ideal to keep in your changing bag for easy use when out and about. metanium.co.uk babylondon.co.uk/competitions

NEWS

NEW SUPER HERO ON THE BLOCK The latest from Bare Biology is Super Hero, bursting at the seams with Omega 3 fish oil. In fact one tiny drop has the same amount as a tin of sardines, but with a lovely lemony flavour and no after taste. Suitable for babies from six months, available at Space NK. £29.50 | barebiology.com

Grand Study…

According to a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland, grandparents’ support has been linked to parents’ willingness to have additional children and child wellbeing. The study shows that in Europe, grandparents continue to play an integral part of family life, as they have done historically.

DINER’S DREAM

An essential when out and about, this newly developed app CityHawk is a godsend for spontaneous dining in London.

Whether you’re enjoying brunch with friends, a romantic meal or grabbing a bite with the family this clever app will do all the hard work for you. cityhawkapp.com

Spot On BabyBjörn’s Limited Edition 2014 Dots

by Karin range has just gone on sale exclusively at John Lewis, but if it takes your fancy (like it does ours) you’ll have to be quick as it’s only on sale for a few months. Our favourite is the Baby Carrier We – using the latest design it’s easy to use and features four positions including back carrying.

Priced £84.99 | johnlewis.com

WANT TO STAY IN THE LOOP? Visit babylondon.co.uk to find out the latest parenting news, competitions and events about town

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 17

PARTY TIME

Paul Dobson, Annabella Ward and James Dobson

Susannah Warren, Cordelia Payne, Georgina Vaughan, Georgie Soskin and Minnie Davis Jedidiah Lajumoke

Tine Stapelfeldt and Frida

Charlotte Pearl and Leonora Bamford

Maggie Bolger and Sun Migliacci

Annabella Ward, Baby London cover girl Florence and Dr Chiara Hunt Minnie Davis and Summer Litchfield; fun with Little BU

Little London and Baby London Launch Party The cupcakes were piled high, the Buck’s Fizz was flowing, Sharkey & George were blowing bubbles, Maggie & Rose were setting up camp and everyone was tucking into BKD London’s bespoke biscuits. It could only be the Baby London and Little London launch party, where the capital’s most glamorous mamas and papas filled a Party Pieces decorated Kensington Roof Gardens, excited tots in tow. Little London columnist, mybaba.com’s Leonora Bamford, chatted to Pink Lining’s Charlotte Pearl and Sky Sports presenter (and Baby London writer) Alex Payne brought his family along.

Little BU provided mini manicures and everyone clamoured to take home an inflatable flamingo and one of our generous goody bags.

18 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: KATE SHORTT, KELLY JANE NOADES

Alice Callander and George

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A NEW RETAIL EXPERIENCE FOR PARENTS AND KIDS We’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to.

We’ve chosen the best in healthy, modern baby products to make the transition to parenthood that little bit easier. From furniture and buggies to feeding, bathing and toys, we’ve got it covered.

8-10 Winchester Road Swiss Cottage NW3 3NT 020 7483 2826 www.huggle.co.uk

mini agenda LIANNE KOLIRIN ROUNDS UP THE SEASON’S EVENTS

SCRUNCH It’s Baby’s First Christmas, created by Sarah Argent and Kevin Lewis, is just the ticket for introducing festive cheer to our little Christmas crackers. Snow is on the ground and lights in the tree, then scrunch, scrunch, scrunch... footsteps on the path – who can it be? Ding-dong. Doorbell rings and there’s a present for baby, not to be opened until Christmas Day though, of course. The paper’s exciting – scrunch it, rumple it, crumple it – what can it be? An engaging and sensory show for babies aged six to 18 months.

Tuesday 9 December to Sunday 4 January 2015.

Performance times vary, see website for details.

Admission: £10 for one child and one adult.

Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ 020 7645 0560 | unicorntheatre.com babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 21

mini agenda PEPPA PIG’S BIG SPLASH Join Peppa Pig and her friends for another all-singing, all-dancing adventure. Peppa returns with super-cute puppets and brilliant sing-a-long songs to brighten your day. Plus, the show features a Champion Puddle Jumping competition judged by Mr Potato where everyone gets very wet.

So grab your wellies and brollies and get splashing!

Tuesday 2 December to Sunday 4 January 2015. Check website for performance times.

Admission: £13.50-£25.

Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, London W1V 9LB 0844 844 0444 | peppapiglive.com

MEET PENGUIN FATHER FISHMAS Penguin Father Fishmas is making daily appearances at The Sea Life London Aquarium. Guests can meet the cuddly penguin who will be spreading Christmas cheer alongside the aquarium’s resident colony of Gentoo penguins as they swim underwater and waddle about in their icy home. Other highlights include the rare giant Green Sea Turtles, rays, crabs and jellyfish.

Monday 15 to Sunday 28 December.

Open daily besides Christmas Day. Opening times vary during the festive season, see website for details.

Admission: Under threes go free.

Prices from £18.36 per adult and £13.52 per child.

Sea Life London Aquarium, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB 0871 663 1678 | sealife.co.uk/london

SANTA, HIS REINDEER AND HUSKIES Where better to really get a feel for winter than at London’s own nature reserve? The friendly huskies are working animals, so younger children can experience a husky sleigh ride. You can also meet the family of reindeer, including a six-month-old youngster. Father Christmas will be ready to welcome families in his cosy grotto among the trees.

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December, 10am-4pm.

Admission: Normal admission prices apply: £6.90 children, £12.35 adults and £34.50 family including Gift Aid. Under fours go free.

Visit to Santa is £5 per child.

WWT London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, London SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 | wwt.org.uk/visit/london

BABY LOVES DISCO’S CHRISTMAS PARTY Baby Loves Disco is transforming London’s coolest nightclubs into childproof discos, featuring club DJs spinning and mixing classic disco and pop tunes.

Parents can socialise with a drink from the licensed bar and listen to some proper tunes while the children go gaga on the dancefloor. Of course the big fella in red will be making a special appearance too!

Saturday 13 December, 1pm to 3pm.

Admission: £9.95.

Paradise By Way of Kensal Green, 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10 4AE 07968 535 707 | babylovesdisco.co.uk

22 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

TODDLER TAKEOVER AT THE 145-YEAR-OLD CUTTY SARK The world’s most famous tea clipper is celebrating Kids in Museums Takeover Day, as well as its own 145th birthday.

A fun-filled event for toddlers, babies and grown ups, venture aboard the beautiful three-masted clipper, walk along the decks and even walk underneath the ship.

Friday 21 November Admission: Special admission price of £5 for every adult accompanied with a child aged four or under.

Cutty Sark, King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE10 9HT 020 8312 6608 | rmg.co.uk/cuttysark

CHRISTMAS AT KEW Head for west London where you can embark on a glittering night-time trail around Kew. The route takes in a garden of fire, unique tree canopies brought to life with Christmas shades, a Tunnel of Lights, giant snowflakes, twinkling holly bushes, Santa’s Snowflake Grotto, Mistletoe Moments and the iconic Palm House and pond bathed in festive colour.

Wednesday 26 November to Saturday 3 January 2015. The trail opens at 5pm and closes at 10pm.

Admission: Children £10, adults £15 and under fours go free.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB 020 8332 5655 | kew.org

CHRISTMAS TALES

WINTER WONDERLAND The UK’s largest winter family event returns to Hyde Park. Enjoy the ice rink, the Magical Ice Kingdom and the Angels Christmas Market. Shop for traditional toys in the Yuletide Market. Zippos Christmas Circus returns with world-class jugglers, clowns and aerialists.

Friday 21 November to Sunday 4 January 2015. Open daily from 10am to 10pm, apart from on Friday 21 November when the fun starts at 5pm.

Closed Christmas Day. Admission: Winter Wonderland is free to enter. Prices and times for specific attractions including the circus and skating are available on the website.

Hyde Park, London W2 | hydeparkwinterwonderland.com Christmas Tales is a fun and festive celebration that takes the very best of Chickenshed’s vibrant Tales from the Shed shows and sprinkles it with new magic and larger-than-life characters. Laugh, sing and join in with Rain Dear and Snow Many and all their fun and games. Perfect for children under six years old.

Performances on selected dates between Saturday 6 and Tuesday 23 December.

Admission: £8. Free to babies under one.

Chickenshed, Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 4PE 020 8292 9222 | chickenshed.org.uk

FAR, FAR AWAY... AURORA FAMILY CONCERT Far, Far Away… is the first ever 'Orchestral Theatre' series for under fives and their families, engaging young audiences with classical music through sensory journeys, original storytelling and live music of the very highest quality.

Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November.

Several performances per day, see website for details.

Admission: Advance online booking costs £5.50 per child, £7.50 per adult and £17.50 for a family of four.

Hall Two, Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG 020 7520 1490 | kingsplace.co.uk

MINI MASTERPIECES Enjoy sensory, interactive discovery through art sessions tailored for you and your baby at Dulwich Picture Gallery. The sessions are aimed at babies of six to 18 months old, taking place after an informal, child-friendly gallery visit. Collection-based themes change each month.

Tuesdays 18 November and 9 December, 10.30am to 11.30am.

Admission: £12 per adult and child.

Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD 020 8693 5254 | dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 23

mini agenda MAGGIE & ROSE KENSINGTON CLUB Maggie & Rose are now running classes for six months to nine years at their newly revamped Kensington club. They offer term time activities, as well as holiday programmes. Activities include art and cooking classes, music and ballet classes, plus there is soft play, a cinema and a Wii. See website for further details. Admission works on a members only basis.

Open Monday to Friday 9 to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 to 5pm.

58 Pembroke Road, Kensington, London W8 6NX 020 7371 2200 | maggieandrose.com

BABY SENSORY AT EDDIE CATZ Baby Sensory provides hundreds of sensory development activities that are great fun for parents and babies to share in the first year.

The classes include fibre optic light shows, bubbles, bells, musical fun, baby signing, puppet shows, amazing light balls and more.

Each class includes a discovery playtime, during which your baby can enjoy our exploratory play area while you chat with other parents and carers.

Tuesdays during term-time. Classes run 10.30am to 11.20am (five to 13 months) and 11.45am to 12.35am (birth to 13 months).

Admission: The cost is £75 for the term and includes a free play session at Eddie Catz before or after the class.

Eddie Catz Wimbledon, 42 Station Road, Merton, Wimbledon, London SW19 2LP 020 3475 5268 | eddiecatz.com

COFFEE MORNINGS AT MERMAID MATERNITY RETREAT Whether you are an expectant mother or a new mother with a baby up to 12 months old, Mermaid has a huge variety of fitness classes, wellness therapies, educational sessions and social opportunities.

Coffee mornings in the Bump Bistro are the perfect chance to meet other pregnant women and new mums and to find out more about this secluded retreat. Head to the Mermaid for a coffee, a consultation, a tour or a class.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 12pm.

Admission: Coffee mornings are free to attend, though there are charges for classes. Membership is also available – see website for details.

Mermaid Maternity Retreat, 234a Kings Road, London SW3 5UA 020 7199 3220 | mermaid.co.uk MESSY PLAY AT CREATIVITY CRAZY Suitable for pre-schoolers aged between 18 months and five years old, this hidden gem of an arts café offers little ones the chance to get messy with a range of arts and crafts materials. There is painting, finger painting, play dough, gluing

and sticking, glitter, drawing and lots more.

Mondays and Thursdays, 10am to 12pm.

Admission: £4.

Creativity Crazy, 423 High Road, Finchley, London N12 0AP 020 8343 3274 | creativitycrazy.co.uk

VISIT FATHER CHRISTMAS AT RAINFOREST CAFE

From mid November, Christmas comes to the Rainforest Cafe.

Take a trip into the depths of the jungle to enjoy a magical Winter Wonderland. Father Christmas will be waiting with his elves in a snowy woodland grotto ready to give the whole family a magical memory to last a lifetime.

20 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7EU 020 7434 3111 | therainforestcafe.co.uk

24 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

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ECO-FRIENDLY ECO-PARENT PARENT

few years ago, a friend invited me to her house for a Christmas-garland-making party. The garland part didn’t really excite me but, as a new mum, I wasn’t going to say no to a night out with friends. I realised on the way to her house, as I stumbled through the pitch darkness, that I should have picked my greenery in daylight. In the bright lights of her kitchen, as everyone started preparing their bundles of holly and lush red berries, I looked down at my basket. It contained a few ripped vines, some squashed blackberries still attached to the bush and a piece of stinging nettle.

Needless to say, my garland was not door-worthy. But those amazing, creative women inspired me to start taking a more natural approach to Christmas. What began with decorations, soon crept into all of my Christmas planning. I simplified and scaled back – and it felt beautifully refreshing.

Christmas can be a time of excess and over-consumption. We are surrounded by twinkling lights, beautiful gifts, sumptuous food and shiny paper, and it can be very easy to get caught up in the excitement.

Even those of us who are more eco-friendly can lose our way once the sunshine has disappeared and Christmas lights adorn the streets.

It’s the time of year my green ambitions start to go a bit wrong. I want the house to feel festive, and so keep buying things to fill it, and I start my Christmas shopping far too early, resulting in me buying twice

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK

A

the amount I should have otherwise.

It’s not all bad. Over the years, it has always been very obvious which gifts were from me under the family Christmas tree. They stood out like a boring-brown-paper sore thumb next to the beautiful silver glossy gift wrapping used by my siblings (although they did trump the large cardboard box my brother used to dump all of our gifts in). But luckily, Christmas fashion seems to have turned a corner – the rustic and natural look is finally having its day.

And not a moment too soon.

More than three million tonnes of waste is dumped during Christmas in the UK, and the carbon footprint of that one day equates to 5.5 per cent of our annual emissions. We buy far more of everything than we need to, consuming unnecessary energy and natural resources, and much of it ends up in landfill – as uneaten food, unrecyclable wrapping paper, plastic packaging, and broken or unwanted toys. It’s a huge price for the planet to pay.

So, while the choices you make for your family this Christmas may seem insignificant, any small changes will make a difference to the environment. If you’re not motivated by the eco benefits, there are many other upsides to going green for Christmas. It’s fun, cheaper and feels much more festive. It also helps me create the kind of Christmas memories I want my children to have – collecting holly and hunting for pine cones, rather than shops, tantrums and tinsel. Here are a few ideas…

GROW YOUR OWN DECORATIONS There are lots of simple decorations you can make with your children that require very little skill or effort. Toddlers will love exploring and collecting natural goodies to fill your home. And even babies can get involved by investigating different textures, sights and smells.

• The simplest of decorations to make are pine cone baubles. Just collect pine cones (only from the ground) in different shapes and sizes. Then you can either paint them in bright colours, roll them in glitter, spray them with fake snow, or just leave them as they are and tie a ribbon to hang them from your tree.

• The Woodland Trust’s Nature Detectives site has some brilliant activity sheets you can download with many more ideas for DIY decorations, such as twig stars, snowflakes and winter ice art.

Go online | happywrap.co.uk, localfoods.org.uk, naturedetectives.org.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 27

ECO-PARENT

GIFT WRAP IS FOR LIFE… NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS Wrapping paper really is pointless. Using something once and throwing it away just makes no sense. Much of it, especially the dyed, glossy paper, can’t be recycled, and even the paper that can be is a waste of natural resources.

So this year, why not wrap your gifts in fabric instead? It looks beautiful and can be reused forever. You can buy specially made fabric gift wrap from companies such as Happywrap, but any piece of fabric would do. Another idea, which I tried last year, is to buy a huge roll of brown paper, give your children some bright fingerpaint in festive colours and let them go crazy. Just leave it to dry, then roll it back up ready for use. It’s free, much more personal and a fun activity for your children.

SEND LOVE, NOT CARDS Like wrapping paper, Christmas cards are a waste of resources, eCards are the obvious alternative but if you still prefer sending and receiving good old fashioned post, then think about making your own Christmas cards rather than sending shop-bought ones. If you do buy Christmas cards, make sure they’re made from recycled material, and also recycle or reuse the ones you receive (they can be kept and used as gift tags for next Christmas).

CHRISTMAS DINNER – GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR THE PLANET The best option for choosing food for your Christmas dinner is the same as any other time of year – make it organic, local and seasonal if you can. This option can be more expensive – and not always as easy to source – but if you’re lucky enough to have a local farmers’ market, then you should have plenty of wonderful produce to choose from. And companies such as Abel &

Cole deliver special Christmas boxes packed full of seasonal produce. And it doesn’t have to stop at food. By also opting for organic wine, you will be helping the planet even more. Organic wine is becoming quite widely available and it is also said to lessen the chance of a hangover (they really should market that to parents more).

You can find your nearest Farmers’ Market at localfoods.org.uk.

TOP FIVE GREEN GIFTS Teddy & Ele Activity Stack £22 | naturespurest.co.uk

Plan Toy's Clatter £15.98 | toyella.com

Knitted Christmas Rattles £12.99 each | justforbaby.co.uk

Freddie Fire Engine £37 | jammtoys.com Wooden Rocking Horse £63.99 | greenbeekids.co.uk

28 | NOV/DEC | babylondon.co.uk

BOOKS

unwrapped OU R R E SIDENT BOOK WOR M EMMA O’DON OVAN CELEBR ATE S TH E FE STIVE SE ASON WITH H ER PICK OF TH E 10 BE ST CH RISTMAS R E ADS

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IS THERE A DOG IN THIS BOOK?

By Viviane Schwarz, Walker Books For those little ones hoping for a Christmas puppy this could be the solution. A bright and imaginative picture book with fabulous flaps to lift and pop out features for a wonderful interactive story experience.

30 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

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A GOOD HOME FOR MAX

By Junzo Terada, Chronicle Books In this enchanting tale Tabi the mouse takes great care to keep the shop he lives in ship-shape, but realising Max the toy dog is being overlooked he sets about finding his beloved friend a new home in time for Christmas.

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SNOW

By Sam Usher, Templar Publishing Set to be a modern classic this book perfectly encapsulates the silent crisp magical moment in which the first snowfall settles.

A beautiful observation of a boy’s special relationship with his grandfather.

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BEAR HUG

By Katharine McEwen, Templar Publishing A perfect introduction to the seasons, this picture book follows a family of bears as they prepare for hibernation and the arrival of spring. Exquisite collage illustrations draw the reader into the depths of the forest.

BOOKS

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THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, Little Tiger Press Clever cut-away pages reveal 12 beautifully illustrated gifts, encouraging a special shared reading experience as the story builds to a magnificent climax. Perfect for reading together or singing along to on Christmas Eve.

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FLORA AND THE PENGUIN

By Molly Idle, Chronicle Books A beautiful wordless lift-the-flap story set in a magical icy landscape. Flora and her penguin twirl, glide and leap off the pages as they explore the boundaries of their friendship in this breathtaking balletic picture book.

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BLOWN AWAY

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WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

By Rob Biddulph, Harper Collins Penguin Blue is thoroughly enjoying his new kite when he is unexpectedly whisked away by a gust of wind. Where will he end up and who will he meet along the way? A supremely stylish and humorous picture book to read again and again.

Illustrated by Tim Hopgood, Oxford University Press Based on the song by Louis Armstrong, this is a delightful splash of colour in the depths of winter brimming with joy. With vibrant illustrations it is a charming homage to that famous song, with its universal appeal.

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SNOW

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KATIE’S LONDON CHRISTMAS

By Walter de la Mare, Faber Children’s Books Exquisite Scandinavian-style illustrations perfectly complement this traditional poem.

A celebration of family, nature and the magic of winter. One for sharing under a warm blanket.

By James Mayhew, Orchard Books This glittering traditional tale deftly illustrated by Mayhew whisks us away on a spectacular sleigh-bound adventure across London, as Katie and her brother help a delightfully rotund Father Christmas deliver gifts to a very special Royal resident.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 31

LISTEN + LEARN

MEET THE

Author

AUTH OR AN D ILLUSTR ATOR SAM USH ER TELL S US A BIT ABOUT HIS FON DE ST CH RISTMAS M EMORIE S AN D TH E CR E ATION OF HIS L ATE ST PIC TU R E BOOK SNOW What are your earliest memories of Christmas as a child?

Decorating the tree – we used to put real candles on it and sit round reading our Christmas books, listening to carols, eating cake. Perfect!

Which books did you enjoy as a very young reader?

The earliest books I can remember are by Janet and Allan Ahlberg – Peepo, and Each Peach Pear Plum and The Jolly Postman.

My all time favourite book is How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen, by Russell Hoban and Quentin Blake.

Favourite Christmas gifts?

I used to love getting piles of second-hand books, or piano music. Things that would still be bringing me happiness months even years later.

Which is your favourite illustration in your new book Snow?

The best picture in Snow is when Boy looks out of the front door for the first time and sees the pristine snow.

Watch out for the footsteps a few pages later though...

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT

Narrated by the author Julia Donaldson, this book and CD set tells the continued tale of the Owl and the Pussy-cat. A beautifully rhyming story of adventure, delicious treats and true love. The perfect continuation of the story of one of the most romantic pairings in children’s literature.

App Review ANGEL’S GREAT ESCAPE BY AND SO WE BEGIN

Can you tell us a bit about what you are working on next?

I’m working on a black-and-white chapter book, which is a totally different discipline to picturebooks, as well as two more picturebooks for other authors. I have another picturebook of my own in the works, with some new characters, and I have some good ideas for further books with Boy and Grandad.

Sam's favourite illustration in the book is when Boy looks out of the door for the first time and sees the pristine snow

32 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Audio

This charming app provides a real sprinkle of Christmas magic.

Narrator Alan Titchmarsh tells the story of a box of toys who plan an ambitious escape from a mean and miserly family to spend this special time of year with a family who really care about them. This tale comes with a fabulous accompanying snow globe app.

© Oe uf NY C

©Kidsonroof

©Caramel Baby & Child

©Ferm Living

The Online Kids Department Store for 0-16 year olds.

Over 350 designer brands and 10,000 items of fashion, furniture, decorations, toys and books.

WELCOME OFFER* £15 off with the code BLXMAS14 www.smallable.com *Offer valid on orders over £80 until the 31st of December 2014. One use per person only. Non-cumulative with other current offers or voucher codes.

The value of the voucher is non-refundable in the event of a return and is not taken into account in the event of an exchange.

MY ESSENTIALS ON E OF TH E FASHION WOR LD’S FAVOU RITE MAKE-U P ARTISTS, AN D MOTH ER TO TODDLER TOM AN D N EW BABY RODDY, EMMA O’BYRNE R EVE AL S H ER BUSY MAMA MUST-HAVE S Tell us a little bit about your two boys.

Tom is three and has just started at Miss Daisy’s Nursery at St Lukes in Chelsea. He loves it and is even learning French. He said “Bonjour, maman,” to me the other day! Roddy is six months old and the sweetest baby who only really cries when hungry or tired and smiles and giggles endlessly.

It blows me away how different their personalities already are. Tom used to go straight to sleep, whereas Roddy needs a lot more cuddling and stroking.

How is life with a new baby and a toddler?

It’s a bit of a shock to the system. I have to spread myself out a lot thinner and have found that there is just so much more to organise.

I like to try and spend quality time with both boys, and my husband, and friends, and like every other mum I often feel

like there aren’t enough days in the week!

Could you tell us a little about your wellbeing pregnancy essentials?

Coconut oil for the body, every day after showering.

It’s amazing for helping to guard against stretch marks.

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask really perks up your complexion and I swear by reflexology at Reflexions in Chelsea. Plus kale and other ‘super greens’ to keep iron levels high – and plenty of sleep, of course. The Clean & Lean Pregnancy Guide book by James Duigan was my bible and I also worked out with Bodyism which helped a lot.

Did you have any favourite maternity labels?

I was lucky in that I didn’t gain much weight so I found loose clothes from designers like Marithé and François Girbaud worked

really well. I discovered the maternity jeans from Topshop when I was pregnant the second time around – they’re simply amazing. And Simone Perele maternity bras from Harrods were comfortable and actually looked attractive. I tried so many other maternity lingerie brands the first time round that weren’t nearly as pretty. For postpregnancy bras and underwear I find the pieces from Cake Lingerie super comfy.

Above, Emma O’Byrne and family; right, babycare must-have; below, hard at work at the day job; at home

PROFILE

Clockwise from top: Emma loves Daylesford; Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask; Petit Bateau; Aden + Anais. Emma with Tom and Roddy

Which labels do you love for your sons?

I love everything from Bonpoint but for everyday gear you can’t beat Zara, especially for boys’ straight leg jeans and cords – that actually stay up during all those growth spurts. Sue Hill Hand Knits have the softest, cutest little cashmere cardigans, blankets and hats

for cosy winter babes. Then in terms of practical basics it’s got to be John Lewis for those indispensible multipacks of white babygros.

You can’t beat the vests and pyjamas from Petit Bateau.

They’re such lovely quality and never seem to get too tired looking from the endless washing.

Did you head to anywhere in particular for all those new baby essentials?

I used a company called Babylist for everything.

They’re a one-stop shop for absolutely everything from cots, buggies, chairs and bags. And they deliver and assemble the lot. They even installed the car seat.

What style did you go for for the boys’ nursery?

I’d say the style is kind of contemporary cool with a bit of traditional thrown in.

36 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

I got lots of lovely things from the online boutique Molly Meg, found a really cool train wall sticker by Bambizi from Harrods and also bought some beautiful pictures by the amazing artist Rob Ryan.

What items do you keep in your changing bag?

Very little compared to the first time. Bamford Baby Balm is a must. It’s so gentle and much better than Sudocrem or any of those other chemical-loaded versions.

Aiden & Anais muslins and swaddles are so chic and cosy and SKIBZ are handy for teething babies, they’re like little cool-looking bandanas.

Could you tell us a bit about your current favourite hangouts?

These days, when I’m not working or at home, I tend to spend most of my time in

the park, if the weather’s good, or Purple Dragon kids club in Chelsea. Battersea Park Zoo is also a big favourite. A rare coffee in one of the Daylesford Cafés is always a treat.

And, finally, what are your beauty must-haves?

Oh, I have a few: Erborian CC cream HD has SPF45 and gives an incredible glow over a light moisturiser, followed

by Tom Ford concealing pen which is a total winner. It’s so easy to use, I could not live without it. I love Sisley Phyto Lip Twists and need my Chanel Inimitable Mascara to hand at all times. Laura Mercier do a cream blush that blends well when using a cheek brush – I favour Tom Ford’s – and Charlotte Tilbury have the best lip liners and fun eye shadows.

That’s my ‘look fab in five minutes kit’ right there. bl

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Stroll in STYLE INTRODUCING THE NEW JOOLZ DAY QUADRO, A BE AUTIFUL TR AVEL SYSTEM WITH A PERFECT MIX OF FUNCTION AND ST YLE hen we turn our heads to our enviable Italian neighbours we are greeted with a passion for fashion and family – and young Dutch company Joolz, the advocates of Positive Design, have stunningly captivated this in their latest pushchair the Joolz Day Quadro.

Hitting the market this autumn, the Day Quadro is truly an exquisite collection where modern design meets classic Italian style creating a rich blend of comfort and craft for all to enjoy.

However, with this pushchair beauty is more than skin deep. Based on the Joolz Day which is ergonomically designed around the human body, the Joolz Day Quadro runs with the same concept including features such as a high seat and cot position, all-round

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suspension for a supremely comfortable ride, and a very compact fold.

Everything this Dutch brand executes has the views of the parent and child exclusively at the forefront.

From afar the chic grey chassis and anthracite wheels of the new Joolz Day Quadro undoubtedly attract your attention, while the beauty continues in the detail as the leatherette trims of the handle and bumper bar are both soft on the eye and soft to the touch. Rich fabrics detailed with a stitched check pattern and a soft grey mélange lining complete the look of timeless elegance.

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seat, shopping basket and a raincover as standard.

Enhance your system with optional accessories including car seat adapters to complete the travel system, a nursery bag, footmuff and

parasol – all available in the same cool shades to complement the collection.

Let your autumn strolls be Italian inspired.

The Joolz Day Quadro is a mix of pure functionality with Italian style.

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Available this November, check out the new Joolz Day Quadro at The Baby Show, London Olympia (24 to 26 October). The RRP is £799.

PETIT STYLE

PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIELLE OWEN AT MIND THE CASHMERE. SHOOT COORDINATION: SARAH LANCASTER AT MIND THE CASHMERE

L VES

La Coqueta Knitwear We have been huge fans of this charmingly old-school Spanish label since it launched in 2012 and their new collection of baby knitwear has only increased our affections. The Merino pieces, which range from the sweetest sets to the softest separates, are ridiculously easy to care for and are irresistibly cuddly.

Burgundy Cable Merino Hat, £22 and Dark Green Lantana Cardigan, £36 | lacoquetakids.com

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 41

Explore our wonderful world of children’s toys, clothes, and accessories at www.loubilou.com

BABY STYLE

WINTER warmers KEEP BABY SN UG AN D ST YLISH THIS SE ASON

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1 Lucio Knitted Set £49 | lacoquetakids.com 2 Little Marc Jacobs Shoes £47.93 | smallable.com 3 Stella McCartney Babygrow £45 | liberty.co.uk 4 Ralph Lauren Cardigan £85 | childrensalon.com 5 Growley Hat £34 | elfielondon.com 6 Branwen Leopard Cuff Boot £96.50 | step2wo.com 7 Cotton-Cashmere Leggings £26 | thelittletailor.com 8 TALC Faux-fur Sweater £39.83 | smallable.com babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 43

BABY STYLE

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1 Telmo Knitted Winter Set £49 | lacoquetakids.com 2 Moschino Baby Sweater £68 | childrensalon.com 3 Jara Dress £54 | lacoquetakids.com 4 Oeuf NYC Rabbit Pyjamas £61.43 | smallable.com 5 Stella McCartney Babygrow £55 | liberty.co.uk 6 Petit Nord Sheepskin Boots £51.30 | smallable.com 7 Velour Jacket £45.50 | petit-bateau.co.uk 8 Lili Gaufrette Hat £33 | childrensalon.com 44 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: JACADI.COM

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BABY FASHION

GIFT IDEA

BUNDLE & BOW Made using the prettiest Liberty and retro print fabrics in soft cottons, Bundle & Bow pillows are an essential stocking filler.

In two designs – one specially shaped to fit a car seat and the other a more classic design intended for use with a changing mat – they are ideal for travelling with to cushion tender heads whenever necessary. Simple, stylish and clever, they get our thumbs up.

From £13.50 | etsy.com/uk

baby style news BR ANDED IDE AS FOR THE SMALL ON E S IN YOU R LIFE – THAT AR E FAR TOO ADOR ABLE TO IGNORE

NEW BRAND iPiccolini iPiccolini is a new London-based online children’s clothing boutique offering timeless Italian clothes that are both beautiful and comfortable for children to wear. Founded by two mothers, the pieces are designed through experience, and beautifully crafted in collaboration with a small family-run manufacturer in Italy using the highest-quality wool, cashmere and cotton. ipiccolini.co.uk

BLADE & ROSE Bottoms up! New brand Blade & Rose have got cheeky babies sorted with their fun leggings. Perfect for crawling tots; each design features comfortable and durable woollen legs and a design especially for baby’s bottom.

From £10 | bladeandrose.co.uk

NEW BRAND

JACADI AT HARRODS One of our favourite French brands, Jacadi is finally making its mark on the capital with the opening of its very first London boutique in Harrods last month. Those seeking a fix of their signature Parisian chic for some winter style are in luck: you can snap up these gorgeous pieces now. harrods.com

46 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

See us at Spirit of Christmas 4th - 9th November, London Olympia Stand D77

www.aliolikids.com INTRODUCING

Ethically sourced and gorgeously designed children’s fashion

Celebrate our launch with an Iglo & Indi giveaway for the first 20 shoppers. Offer Code: Baby London Beibamboo . Hilda.Henri . HTKAF . Iglo & Indi . L’asticot . Macarons . MarMar. Slug & Snails

www.oscarandolivia.co.uk babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 47

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S N O W F A I R Y D O L L’ S P R A M Limited to just 800 pieces this elegant Doll’s Pram is sure to be a precious gift. Included with the pram is a detachable furry hood trim, furry mattress, and colour co-ordinating changing bag.

LIMITED EDITION CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR

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#poconido

Poco Nido, is helping to protect Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside for generations to come by donating £1 to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust with every pair of badger mini shoes or badger blanket sold on its website.

CBI_baby London ad_V3-otr.indd 1

50 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

10/7/14 1:06:05 PM

ChristmasGIFT

GUIDE

Knitted Play Set, from ÂŁ32 | boden.co.uk

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bespoke PER SONAL PIECE S TO L AST A LIFE TIM E 1

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1 Emma Alington Handmade Ceramic Tree Decoration, £58 | littlecarouselgallery.com

2 Baby Boy Musical Keepsake Box with Photo Frames, £39.50 | bundlesofjoy-

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Mayoral shopping.co.uk Baby Pink 10 Drawers Memory Box, £43 |

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childrensalon.com Baby’s Personalised Angel Charm Bracelet, from £30 |

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mercimamanboutique.com Guess How Much I Love You Gift Edition Book, £10 | bundlesofjoy-shopping.co.uk

6 Personalised Nursery Box Frame, £74.99 | lepetitbonbon.co.uk 7 Monica Vinader Engraved Pendant at Harrods, from £75 |

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monicavinader.com Ethel and Co Personalised Toadstool Plate, £35 | johnlewis.com

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10 Alexia Collectable Bear, £245 | taunina.com 11 My 1st Years Personalised

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Rocking Chair, £55 | gift-library.com

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12 Stripey Cats Personalised Whale Framed Print, £30 | johnlewis.com

13 Christmas Personalised Photo Frame £95 | bluealmonds.co.uk 14 Bespoke Charms Locket, from £399 | loquetlondon.com

15 Zeddy & Parsnip Imprint Tin £10.95 | 16

Emma Allington mamasandpapas.com Bespoke Egg Cup and Saucer, £58 |

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Personalised littlecarouselgallery.com Wooden Name Train, from £4.50 |

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Mayoral Blue thelittleblueowl.co.uk Photo Album, £33 | childrensalon.com

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daytime LOOK TH E PART THIS FE STIVE SE ASON 1

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1 Novelty Knitted Set, £22 | boden.co.uk 2 Star Baby Wrap, £19.95 | tuppenceand crumble.com 3 Sweet Printed Top, £16 | boden.co.uk 4 Bloch Baby Sirenetta Ballet

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Pumps in Pink, £26 | ilovegorgeous.co.uk

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5 Hare and the Tortoise Mini Shoes, £18 | 6 Rare Bird Jogging Bottoms, £18.90 | smallable.com 7 Mix and Match

poconido.com

Graphic Bodysuit, £14 | mamasandpapas.com

8 Milleraies Striped Jersey Socks, £8 | petit-bateau.co.uk 9 Converse Red Crib Shoes, £25 | alexandalexa.com

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playtime IT IS TH E PER FEC T DAY TO PL AY 1

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1 Colin Camper Van, £32 | jammtoys.com 2 Porcelain Baby Harriet Rattle, £12.95 | joules. 5 com 3 Pomme Musicale Betsy, £52 | shop. bobokids.co.uk 4 Steiff’s Little Floppy Linda Lamb, £24.90 | steiff.com 5 Ellie Elephant Muslin Toy Comforter, £11.95 | fayeandlou.co.uk

6 Farmyard Two-Piece Puzzle, £.6.50 | orchardtoys.com 7 Plush Wheelybugs, £64.95 | hippychick.com 8 Nest and Play Blocks, £21 | jojomamanbebe.co.uk 9 Primrose Cottage Play Tent, £149 | babyface.uk.com

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bathtime MINI E SSENTIAL S FOR A DIP IN TH E TU B 1

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1 Cuddledeer Towel, £34.99 | cuddledry.com 2 Boon Frog Pod, £30 | huggle.co.uk 3 Munchkin Cupcake Squirters, £6.00 |

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jojomamanbebe.co.uk Lion Laundry Hamper by 3 Sprouts, £40 | nubie.co.uk

5 Floyd Bath Mitt, £9 | cowshedonline.com 6 The Jolly Pirate Bath Book, £5.99 | trotters. 8 co.uk 7 Kid-o Floating Whale, £15.49 | toyella.com 8 Baby Essentials Gift Bundle £39.95 | anawiz.com

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bedtime PIECE S FOR TH E COSIE ST NIGHT ' S SLEEP 1

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1 Fawn Jersey Pyjamas, £65 | rachelriley.co.uk 2 Moon PJ set, £55 | mariechantal.co.uk 3 Miffy Lamp, £109.99 | lazyboneuk.com 4 100% Cotton Boys Dressing Gown, £37.50 5 mini-la-mode.com 5 Star Hat, £8 | thewhitecompany.com 6 Giesswein Felt Lion Slippers, £24 | alexandalexa.com

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7 Winter Weight Go Go Bag, Cherry Blossom, £85 | merinokids.co.uk 8 Bunny Teddy, £22 | eliasandgrace.com 9 Lambswool iCandy Blanket, £80 | iCandyWorld.com

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babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 57

We use the finest organic ingredients in our follow on milk, which means no chemical pesticides and no GM ingredients: maybe that’s why 10 out of 10 mums who have changed to our milk say their babies seem happier.* We’ve been researching breastmilk for over 50 years, so you can rely on us to include the ingredients your baby needs from 6 months onwards to grow strong and healthy (like iron, vitamins A, C and D, and PRÆBIOTIK®).

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For more information ask your healthcare professional or visit hipp.co.uk Important notice: Breastfeeding is best for babies. Breastmilk provides babies with the best source of nourishment. Infant formula l milks ilk and d follow f ll on milks ilk are intended i t d d to t be b used d when h babies b bi cannott be b breastfed. The decision to discontinue breastfeeding may be difficult to reverse and the introduction of partial bottle feeding may reduce breastmilk supply. The financial benefits of breastfeeding should be considered before bottle feeding is initiated. Failure to follow preparation instructions carefully may be harmful to a baby’s health. Infant formula and follow on milks should be used only on the advice of a healthcare professional. *99.8% of 515 mums using HiPP Organic who have changed from a different brand agreed either ‘strongly’ (62.5%) or ‘slightly’ (37.3%) with the statement ‘my baby seems happier’. Research conducted July 2013.

STYLE

HAVE BUMP,

will party 1

DON ’ T LE T YOU R BUM P GE T IN TH E WAY OF A GOOD TIME. THE ST YLE ALCHEMY FOUNDER SAM JON E S GIVE S H ER EIGHT TIPS ON DR E SSING FOR A NIGHT ON TH E TOWN

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Unless you’re about to drop, then wear a pair of amazing heels. They’ll lift your spirits and make you feel instantly glamorous again. Taxis and seating at the party a must!

You can’t over accessorise. Wearing a great statement necklace, a gorgeous cuff, an oversized clutch and of course some jazzy shoes will look fabulous with your bump in tow.

And it also means you can keep your outfit simple and let the accessories do the talking.

Invest in a cape. It adds instant class to an outfit and, apart from being completely on trend right now, it will last well beyond your pregnancy.

Don’t be afraid to wear leggings. Make sure they aren’t looking tired though (no bags at the knees).

Wear with heels (strappy sandals or ankle boots) and team with an oversized top, long enough to reach mid thigh. Don’t experiment with colour – black only please.

Don’t be tempted to show off too much cleavage.

A deep V creates a great line, but make sure it’s not stretched over your ever-expanding bosom.

Dresses should be fuss free. Keep the detailing to a minimum. All eyes are on the bump, you don’t need a bold print (thanks for confirming that Kim Kardashian) or a load of diamante to cause confusion.

Maxi dresses are a fail safe. You can’t go wrong, just make sure it’s long enough and floaty enough.

It should also be cinched just above the bump to give you a flattering shape. Wear with dressy flats.

And finally, a black tux will finish off most outfits. Wear with an oversized silky tunic mini dress and a pair of opaque black tights and heeled booties, or go masculine chic with a long white maternity shirt, a pair of black leggings and a polished Chelsea boot. A red lip is a must.

For more style tips | thestylealchemy.com

Clockwise from top left: main image, all items from emoi-emoi.com | Paulina Jacket £290, blossommotherandchild.com | Crepe Dress £190, inpig.co.uk | Pink Lining Pumps £89, pinklining.com | Grey Belly Button Dress £86.49, emoi-emoi.com | M Missoni Maxi Dress £510, blossommotherandchild.com babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 59

STYLE

SLEEP in style CL ASSIC PYJAMAS AR E MAKING A COM EBACK , AN D AR E TH E PER FEC T AT HOM E WE AR FOR N EW MUMS AN D MAMAS-TO -BE, SAYS SUMM ER LITCH FIELD

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I’ve never been a fan of super feminine nightwear so, when I was pregnant, as none of the conventional maternity sleepwear appealed, I reached for my husband’s PJs. Like a simple white shirt, a pair of tailored pyjamas compliment a bump perfectly. What’s more, once you’ve had your baby, they are ideal for breastfeeding – and you feel decent answering the door in them. Hey, if you invest in a nice pair you can get away with staying in them all day. My personal favourites are by Poplin, the prettily named label designed by Lucy Guinness.

Choose from styles in cotton or silk and, if you’re hankering after that chic, personal touch, have your initials embroidered on the pocket.

I’m also saving for a pair by Raphaëlla Riboud which are a little more dressy – think a romantic kitchen supper with your loved one, once you’ve got you-know-who to sleep. In fact, some of Riboud’s pieces, such as a beautiful PJ-inspired jacket, are far more date night out than home alone. I’m also partial to a bit of brushed cotton: Derek Rose do some lovely ones – for him and little ones too. Mix with jersey separates by Charlotte Keating or Blossom Mother & Child for a softer look. Most of all, though, get ready to do some seriously stylish lounging.

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1 Pale Blue Polka Dot Pyjamas, £138 | derek-rose.com

2 Belabumbum Queen Bee Robe Cover Up, £55 | blossommotherandchild.com 3 Speckled Egg Pyjama Bottoms, £28 | charlottekeating.com 4 Bardot PJ Set, £115 | poplin.co.uk 60 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: POPLIN

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HEALTH + BEAUTY

beauty insider

JENNI BADEN HOWARD SUCCUMBS TO GLITTER WELL POLISHED Nails are getting their glitter on this season. Check out these starry options:

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Nails Inc’s Alexa Sequin (£15) is a sky-at-night black polish with a gold sequined and glitter effect, created in collaboration with brand ‘face’ Alexa Chung.

Another star collaboration, Gwen Stefani has teamed up with OPI this winter. The OPI Rollin’ In Cashmere Nail Effects Trio (£29.95 at Debenhams) lets you ‘amp up your style’ with special effects glitter in three limited edition shades.

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The Glam Seduction Nail Lacquer

by Michael Kors (£15.50 at House of Fraser) gives a great midnight shimmer, perfect for eye-catching party nails.

I also love Bourjois’ 1 Seconde (£5.99) in new It’s Raining Stars.

Wear it alone for a wash of silver sparkle, or use to accent a colour to give yourself some top tips.

For winter, at CND Shellac nail salons and spas nationwide, you can dip into a range of glossy new colours (think berry reds, deep plums and purples). For Christmas, go the extra ‘Rock Star’ mile and add a liberal sprinkling of glitter!

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IN OTHER GLITTER NEWS… AS WINTER SETS IN AND THE PARTY SEASON GETS underway, the temptation to add a little sparkle to the beauty mix becomes impossible to resist. Even better, just one touch – on eyes, lips or nails – takes no time at all, and will instantly make you feel festive. Another way to add some sparkle to lips, eyes and wherever else you fancy is to invest in a set that allows you to mix and match. Smashbox’s On The Rocks (£29) palette contains a gorgeous array of glittering, jewel-like eyeshadows, while lips get the sparkle treatment with BeautyMART’s Boxing Clever Gift Set (£20) featuring a Glitter Lips (high shine gloss and press-on glitter) and super cool Sophy Robson NAIL-ITS with a bow design.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 63

HEALTH + BEAUTY

A SKIN THING

WE ALL WANT TO SPARKLE DURING THE festive season but the real key to party beauty is having a good canvas to begin with. The changing seasons, colder weather and central heating can play havoc with the complexion, so getting back into the habit of a routine is crucial. Go gently, though, and select your tools and products with care so they’re suited to your skin – and you’ll be ready to face the music in no time.

BRUSH-U P NICELY If you’re not brushing there’s a chance your skin is not the best it could be. The new Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush gets rid of dead skin cells, stimulates circulation and refines your skin tone. In a nutshell: cleanses 85% more effectively than most of the usual methods. £35 | marykay.co.uk

ADDED E X TR AS

HEAVEN SCENT A gorgeous, intense blend combining Tom Ford’s signature Black Orchid with Italian bergamot, mandarin, honey, vanilla, orange blossom and rose absolute, among other notes, Tom Ford Velvet Orchid (£72, 50ml Eau de Parfum) is reminiscent of those heady ‘power’ perfumes of the Eighties, but with a very modern, stylish edge.

The purple flagon-style bottle is dressing table-fabulous, too.

TOUCHING BASE The new base on the block, Bobbi Brown’s New Skin Weightless Powder Foundation (£33) comes in a compact, making it quick and easy to blend on the go. It’s light but creamy, comes in 20 natural shades and delivers a cashmeresoft complexion.

64 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

FOR R ADIANT SOF TN E SS If you’re going to invest in a luxe face mask you could do worse than the recently launched Crème de la Mer Intensive Mask. A refreshing formulation, featuring the trademark Miracle Broth, the mask works its magic in just eight minutes. Wipe away the excess and, voilà, you are left with radiant, baby-soft skin. £105 | cremedelamer.co.uk

EDITOR’S PICK: TH E WINTER FACIAL New and exclusive to Liberty, Susanne Kaufmann is a high-performance, skincare range from Austria using the healing power of Alpine plants. There are different lines depending on your skin type, and the wonderfully spoiling treatments are also tailored to each individual’s needs. Highly recommended is the Sensitive facial which uses a blend of calming ingredients to reduce redness, encourage lymph drainage and rebalance the epidermis. £95 | liberty.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: MAIN IMAGE BOBBI BROWN, SHUTTERSTOCK

SCENTSATION

Spanish brand Natura Bissé is a well-kept secret among those with enviably smooth skin and the High Density Lift Moisturiser is their new superhero product. Lusciously balm-like, the cream goes on like a dream and, after just a few applications, seems to magically erase imperfections and fine lines. £234 | harrods.com

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66 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

HEALTH + BEAUTY

HAIR necessities FROM SALON SERVICE S TO AT-H OM E TREATMENTS, WE LOOK AT THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR TAMING TH E WILDE ST OF MAN E S Having problem hair is not dissimilar to caring for a small, unruly toddler. At the best of times it can be playful and bouncy, but at the worst it’s disobedient and requires an awful lot of attention to calm and control it. And, after the joy of glossy, healthy pregnancy locks, post-baby hair can be particularly tricky. Any tendency towards frizz or wiriness is usually increased and many of us sprout an entirely new hairline which can take months, sometimes years, to cooperate with the rest of your tresses in an orderly fashion. Or, on the flipside, there’s (sometimes quite dramatic) hair loss to deal with. Drastic action is needed, so we have found the very best at-home and salon treatments to soothe and smooth your hair cares away.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

HOME HELP PHYLIA DE M CONNECT REPHYL

PHILIP KINGSLEY TRICHOTHERAPY

GHD AURA HAIRDRYER

One of the biggest causes of dry, frizzy hair is keratin deficiency. As we all know, stress and poor diet can take their toll on your hair. Phylia de M’s potent products aim to get to the root of the problem.

With aloe vera, tannic acids and fulvic acid as their core active ingredients, the plan is to heal and renew. Spritz the Connect leave-in treatment on to hair and scalp, ideally with the shampoo and conditioner, and after a few repeats it’s pretty much guaranteed to put a spring back into your hair. £45 | victoriahealth.com

A man who knows a thing or two about hair and scalp care, Philip Kingsley has been developing his latest system of products – designed to combat hair loss and optimize hair and scalp health. Comprising a Volumising Protein Spray and Daily Scalp Drops – with green tea and quinoa protein – and a Hair Nutrition supplement, it’s a routine to stick to for results but hey you’re worth it. £90 (special introductory offer) | harrods.com

Utilising Laminair™ technology that delivers a 42% more concentrated stream of air, this new dryer promises to make hair shinier and bouncier in a single blow. It uses Cool-Wall™ technology that stops the nozzle from overheating, meaning you can style much closer to the root without scalp burning.

It’s also lighter and quieter than your average dryer, so less arm ache and a chance of listening to Woman’s Hour while you dry. We were impressed with the results when used in conjunction with some of our trusted anti-humidity, defrizzing products. £145 | ghdhair.com

babylondonco.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 67

HEALTH + BEAUTY

Salon Selections HAIR HEAVEN VIA TWO CURES AND A CONSULTATION

SCHWARZKOPF EXPRESS PROTEIN SHOT Of the proteins our hair needs to be healthy, 17 to 18 are restored during this innovative process at the new express blow dry bar, blo by Real Hair. This is a godsend for those who resort to subjecting their hair to the furnaces of hell to get it fit for public consumption.

The treatment, with accompanying deep conditioning mask, does exactly what it claims to. You can almost feel it doing your follicles some good.

Express shot £15, blow dries from £25 | realhair.co.uk

THE CAVIAR CURE Not just a fad, this luxurious hour-long treatment is like a lipid-rich facial for your scalp, treating dehydrated hair to a cocktail of ceramides, fatty acids and vitamins A and E. And no, you won’t end up smelling remotely fishy.

What’s more, with every treatment at Neville’s your hair is magnified 600 times with a diagnostic camera to get an accurate analysis of its true condition. £150 | nevillehairandbeauty.net

THE EXPERT CONSULTATION Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned consultation and blow dry and we think the classic Toni & Guy experience is still one of the best. With all sorts of tricks up their sleeves on how to guard against the dreaded humidity, and the fact that each blow-out seems to achieve just the right mix of body and sleek smoothness that lasts for days, every one’s a winner.

Blow dries from £35 | toniandguy.com

HAIR R AISING

THE ESSENTIALS LOREAL VO5 GIVE ME MOISTURE MASK Leave it on wet hair for five minutes and bask in its sumptuous smell and smooth, creamy softness. A guaranteed re-hydrator for dry, broken hair. £4.39 | boots.com

SCHWARZKOPF MIRACLE OIL Schwarzkopf Miracle Oil is the Holy Grail of big hair haircare that will smooth out any errant frizz and add much needed sleekness to dry, brittle hair. £19.95 | feelunique.com

68 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Once you’ve restored your mane to its lustrous best, shake a tail feather and waddle along (pregnancy pun intended) to Duck & Dry, the newly opened, super glam shrine to blow dries and updos. The brainchild of financier Yulia Rorstrom and stylist to the stars, Snowden Hill, the salon aims to make gorgeous, ‘done’ hair a little more affordable – but still feel like a treat.

Choose your look from the style menu, order a glass of Prosecco from the full-sized cocktail bar and enjoy. You can also take your budding, under 12, starlet for a ‘Little Do’.

From £25 for a blow dry | duckanddry.com

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BELOW: Sophie wears Sequin Mesh Dress, £22, Marks & Spencer, Striped Tights, £16 (for pack of three), Boden, with Haylie Shoes, £35, Hug and Hatch. Tilly wears Gold Brocade Party Dress, £40, Boden, Fur Collar from Chloé, and Striped Boden Tights.

RIGHT: Harper wears Pink Hooded Jacket, £40, How to Kiss a Frog. Sheepskin, £75, Celtic & Co.

Babes in the wood

PHOTOGR APHY: H ELEN MAR SDEN ST YLIST: KELLY H ER RING babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 71

BELOW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Mollie wears Slate Tinkerbell Dress, £69, ilovegorgeous and Earcat Hairband, £9, La Coqueta.

Anniyah wears Fairisle Cardigan, £26, Boden.

Darcy wears Baby Darcey Dress, £59, ilovegorgeous.

RIGHT: Tilly wears Turquoise Glitter Crown, £7 (pack of eight), My Little Day available at alexandalexa, and Grey Coat, £29.95, Gap.

72 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Sophie wears Cream Dress from Chloé, Head Band, £29, No Added Sugar and Sheepskin Boots, £51.30, Petite Nord at Smallable.

Ava-Lily wears Pleated Dress, £59, Billieblush at House of Fraser and Merino Piccot Cardigan, £55, Hucklebones. Darcy wears Baby Chantal Dress, £45, Monsoon. Harper wears Cardigan, £48, Elfie with Baby Grow, £30, Soft Gallery from Cissy Wears. Tilly wears Cream Knitted Jumper, £19.95, Gap, Gold Dress, £40, Monsoon, Harlequin Tights, £19, No Added Sugar, Pompom Headband, £26.50, Hucklebones.

BELOW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Harper wears Pink Bunny Hat, £22, Boden, and Cream Wool Bunny Baby Grow, £61.43, Oeuf NYC from Smallable. Sophie wears Cream Dress from Chloé, and Sheepskin Boots, £51.30, Petite Nord at Smallable with Bow Hat, £10, Monsoon.

Tilly wears Cream Knitted Jumper, £19.95, Gap, Gold Dress, £40, Monsoon, Harlequin Tights, £19, No Added Sugar, Bobble Hat, £35, ilovegorgeous, Glitter Shoes model’s own.

RIGHT: Sophie wears Cream Dress, Chloé, Pink Bunny Hat, £22, Boden, and Sheepskin Boots, £51.30, Petite Nord at Smallable.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 77

LEFT: Roman wears, Dungaree and Bodysuit Set, £19 BELOW: Autumn wears Blue Wool Dress, (0-18 mths), Next. Wellington Boots, £11 (4-12 yrs), Next. from Chloé. Sheepskin, £75, Celtic & Co. Coat, £40 (3 mths-8 yrs), Monsoon.

ABOVE: Jasmine wears, Heart Skirt, £94.95 (3-36 mths), RIGHT: Mollie wears Silk Ruffle Top, £69, Mona Lisa at Harrods. Cable Sweater, £95 (3-10 yrs), No Added Sugar, Bottoms, £45.50, Rachel Riley.

Hucklebones with Haylie Shoes, £35, Hug Socks, £5 for pack of two, John Lewis. Wellington and Hatch.

Boots, £11 (4-12 yrs), Next. Tartan Head Band, £19, ilovegorgeous.

78 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

STOCKISTS alexandalexa Boden Celtic & Co Chloé Cissy Wears Elfie Gap House of Fraser How to Kiss a Frog Hucklebones Hug and Hatch ilovegorgeous La Coqueta Marks & Spencer Monsoon No Added Sugar Smallable

alexandalexa.com boden.co.uk celticandco.co.uk chloe.com cissywears.com elfielondon.com gap.co.uk houseoffraser.co.uk howtokissafrog.com hucklebones.co.uk hugandhatch.com ilovegorgeous.co.uk lacoquetakids.com marksandspencer.com monsoon.co.uk noaddedsugar.com en.smallable.com

M O D E L S: SO PH I E , AN N IYAH , AU T U M N , AVA- LI LY, DARC Y, HAR PE R , SO PH I E a n d TI L LY, S PECIAL T HAN KS TO M O D E L AG E N CI E S: B RU CE & B ROWN , G R ACE & GALO R , TOTS ' N ' DAR LI N GS a n d BIZZ YKI DZ

Sweet DREAMERS TH E SECR E T TO H ELPING YOU R BABIE S BECOM E SU PER SLEEPER S

hat one thing we all have a actually seek help for it. In my belief this is relationship with… sleep. Some due to the lack of public awareness.” good, some bad and some We all want our babies to, quite simply, downright unfair. Whether you share a love sleep like a baby. But many of us know this or a hate relationship with sleep, one thing’s is far from the reality. This is all too familiar for sure when you add a baby into the mix for Karen’s clients Sarah and Rob with their sleep can be a bumpy road for everyone. baby Henry. “At six months, Henry had And with lives busier than ever it is now never slept for more than an hour at a time, estimated that people are sleeping 20% less night or day,” remembers Sarah. “He wasn’t than they did a century ago. Even more napping well in the day and was obviously worryingly the latest research shows that grumpy. We were both totally knackered 84% of children who are experiencing sleep and feeling that we weren’t able to engage problems will continue to have them until with him as much as we should because we between the ages of three and five years. were so tired.” They decided to seek help So nailing those first sleeps are more and were pointed in Karen’s direction. Sarah important than ever. Karen Bramall, says: “We found Karen and baby sleep consultant and asked for her help. She founder of Baby Sleep the was fantastic, within Night (babysleepthenight. five nights Henry com), says: “A lot of was sleeping people complain about through for 12 from Merino Kids sleeping difficulties, yet hours and fewer than 10 to 20% within a week Leave your baby to settle on his own.

It is hard at the beginning, do it sooner 80 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk rather than later to make life easier

T

Top Tip SETTLE

he was having three naps in the day as well.”

Sleep is a pretty complicated thing to understand. And when you’re a tired parent your main interest isn’t fathoming it but actually having it. But in order to make some sense out of baby’s sleep patterns knowing how sleep is organised may help. “Sleep is organised throughout the night into REM and NREM sleep,” explains Karen. REM sleep is the lighter phase of sleep in which we dream and NREM is the deeper phase.

Although everybody’s cycle is different we all cycle in and out of light and deep sleep.

“A child’s sleep cycle is about 45 to 50 minutes. So your baby will briefly wake 45 to 50 minutes after she has been asleep.

Overall your baby’s deepest phase of sleep is in the earlier part of the night, with 4-6am being the lightest phase.”

In the world of baby sleep one material that appears to be many mums’ best friend is Merino wool. With the best being sourced from New Zealand, Merino is a

DEVELOPMENT

Top Tip

from Merino Kids microclimate as natural and Merino garments renewable breathe and wick product. New After feeding and burptime, our circle of moisture away Zealand Merino is friends recommend tiring baby out a bit from skin. This perfect for aiding before you start putting them to bed. clever material babies sleep; Some favourites are peekaboo, belly has the ability to Merino Kids roll time and anything with giggles respond to changes (merinokids.co.uk) and laughter which is exhausting in baby’s body is one of the global for little ones temperature, keeping leaders and them warm if the commentators of using weather is cold and cool and natural fibres for young comfortable when it’s hot. Medical children, and prides itself on being studies have shown that babies sleeping in the natural choice giving newborns, babies or on Merino settle quicker, sleep longer, and toddlers better and safer sleep. Merino feed better, cry less and gain weight faster. wool ensures your baby won’t overheat or We all hope for a good night’s sleep this get too cold but also helps prevent skin winter, and one concept you will hear on irritations. As Merino can be worn all year repeat when talking to others is “it’s all round, you are also offering your baby about routine”. another bedtime routine with consistency Karen has put together her top tips for and familiarity. getting your babies to sleep like angels this When your baby sleeps in a Merino festive season and beyond. product, your baby is sleeping in their own

EXERCISE

Top 10 Sleeping Tips 1

Have a Set Routine You can start this from day one as a cue that it’s time to settle down for sleep. Routines should last from 20 to 30 minutes and some of it should take place in the child’s room. It might include a bath, pyjamas, feed, a song or book

2

Pick an Early Bedtime This is vital to ensure that children don’t become overtired because it becomes more difficult to settle down and fall asleep. When sleep does come, a person is a lot more restless with more tossing and turning and more night-time waking

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

3

Get a Good Blackout Blind Our body clock (circadian rhythm) is set by daylight. If there is daylight coming in around the side of your blinds at 5am your baby’s body will release hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, that signal it being morning. Similarly if it’s nice and

dark then melatonin, the sleepy hormone, will be released

4

Babies Need to Learn to Fall Asleep Without Props Props come in many forms, from feeding to patting, rocking, music, cuddles and many more.

If your baby is reliant on one or more to fall asleep then they will need it each and every time they wake in the night (which we all do at least several times a night briefly!)

5

Naptime Routines A short nap routine will help cue your baby’s body and brain that it is time for a nap. It need only take five minutes or so and might involve closing the curtains in baby’s room or saying goodnight to some toys in the room, a short cuddle and a song

6

Overtiredness is Your Worst Enemy Skipping naps or a late bedtime will affect the next 24-hour

cycle. Do not let anyone tell you that naps are not important, or that skipping them will help your baby sleep longer at night

7

Keep Baby Awake While They’re Feeding If you are feeding your infant in the night try not to let him fall asleep at the breast or bottle.

Keep feedings low-key and quiet with the aim of getting baby back into the cot aware of their surroundings

and cuddle in the night, without waking you

10

Consistency is Everything Whatever is happening at one sleep situation needs to be happening at all sleep situations so to send a clear message about what is expected – and that includes every time your baby wakes in the night

8

Feed Upon Waking Where possible offer baby a feed when they first wake up.

They will be at their most alert, so are most likely to take a nice full feed and not develop a feed to sleep association

9

Use a Lovey If your baby is old enough (current SIDS guidelines suggest seven months) then use a cuddly toy as a transitional object your baby can reach out

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 81

Shhh…

THE BEST-KEPT SLEEP AIDS

Send your lit tle ones to the land of nod in comfor t and style

Merino Kids Cocooi Swaddle The world’s first swaddle to be made from 100% superfine Merino wool, the Merino Kids Cocooi Swaddle has been designed specifically for the newborn to three months age group. £40 | merinokids.co.uk

Classic Musy Mate Lovey How could you not fall for this little lovey?

We adore Aden + Anais’ cuddly, hand-made Musy Mate. Perfect for soothing baby. £19.95 | naturalmat.co.uk

Merino Kids Go Go Bag Ewan the Dream Sheep

An award-winning product, the Go Go Bag by Merino Kids is a 100% natural sleeping bag which prevents your little one from waking during sleeps. £70 | merinokids.co.uk

Ewan replicates the soothing sounds of a pregnant mum’s womb and heartbeat. His tummy also glows pink as research shows babies are comforted by aspects of the womb. £29.99 | sweetdreamers.co.uk

Lights Out Blinds

The Gro-hush The Gro-hush is a unique portable white noise baby calmer. It transmits soothing ‘white noise’ directly to your baby so that only they can hear it, keeping them relaxed and happy. £34.99 | gro.co.uk

Top Tip

from Merino Kids

SOAK

A lot of babies love bath time. A quick, warm bath is a natural soothing experience as well as another fun energy zapper. While you are running and testing the water, remember to toss your fluffy towel over the radiator so it’s nice and warm for drying and cuddle time 82 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

These blinds from Lights Out fit most windows and are easy and safe to use. You can put them up in less than 10 seconds, too. £34.99 | lightsoutblinds.com

Organic Crib Mattress We love Little Green Sheep’s mattresses. Made-to-fit standard sized cribs, this mattress is Soil Association certified organic and handmade in Wales. It’s also 100% chemical-free so it’s extra breathable. £74.95 | thelittlegreensheep.co.uk

CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL

The Kensington Wing Private Maternity Unit The birth of a new baby is a very special moment for any family and the Kensington Wing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital ensures that you will be in the hands of experienced Consultant Obstetricians and Midwives, all dedicated to ensuring you receive the best possible care.

You'll enjoy the privacy and comfort of our private en-suite bedrooms and can be reassured that you are in a dedicated private maternity wing within one of the safest hospitals in the UK.

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20/02/2014 16:00

HEALTH

Meningitis B – this vaccination has only recently become available and provides protection against the meningitis strain.

It’s not available on the NHS yet, although there is a plan to introduce it in 2015. ✽ Chickenpox vaccine – although rarely life-threatening, the chickenpox infection can sometimes cause serious complications and often leaves scars. This infection can be uncomfortable for children and inconvenient, as the child should be quarantined. It’s especially worth considering if there is a new baby in the house as babies are particularly vulnerable. ✽

FACT OR FAD?

Vaccinations

DR CHIAR A HUNT AND SISTER MARINA FOGLE OF THE BUMP CL ASS INVESTIGATE...

PHOTOGRAPHY: HELENE SANDBERG

Vaccinations have saved the lives of millions of children. And as these vaccines are given worldwide with virtually no negative consequences, the medical world agrees that they are incredibly safe. These vaccinations protect against illnesses that could potentially kill or seriously harm your child if they contract them, while also preventing the spread of disease.

WHAT VACCINATIONS AND WHEN? After birth BCG (TB): Currently only given in high-risk areas but can vary depending on hospital. If your baby is likely to travel or you live in a high-risk area, it’s worth giving your baby this vaccine. Give it as early as possible as it provides the most protection the earlier it’s given. Usually given in the left arm, the BCG causes a small pustule that blisters and scabs, leaving a scar. Privately, some doctors give the injection in the bottom.

Eight weeks ✽ DTaP/IPV/Hib injection – five vaccinations are given in one injection (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and haemophilus influenza type B) ✽ Pneumococcal injection (protects against pneumonia)

Rotavirus oral dose (protects against the diarrhoea/vomiting illness) 12 weeks ✽ DTaP/IPV/Hib injection (second dose) ✽ Meningitis C injection ✽ Rotavirus (second oral dose) 16 weeks ✽ DTaP/IPV/Hib injection (third dose) ✽ Pneumococcal injection (second dose) 12 to 13 months ✽ Hib/Men C booster injection – haemophilus influenza (fourth dose) and meningitis C (second dose) ✽ MMR injection (measles, mumps and rubella) ✽ Pneumococcal injection (third dose) From Three Years ✽ MMR – second dose ✽ DTap/IPV (4-in-1 pre-school booster) ✽ Two, three and four year olds are offered the flu vaccine as they’re at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch it.

This is worth having, especially as it’s now just a nasal spray. ✽

There are other vaccinations you may also consider which, rather like travel vaccinations, are available privately or at an additional cost through your GP.

DISPELLING VACCINE MYTHS Separating vaccinations provides no benefit; rather it’s more traumatic as your baby has to have more injections, so medics group as many as is safe and viable into one jab.

Multiple studies have conclusively shown that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The study that suggested this has been retracted and the doctor responsible has been struck off the medical register.

Vaccines cannot overload a child’s immune system. From the day he's born, your baby’s immune system has to deal with exposure to different bacteria and viruses every day and the immune system is able to cope perfectly well. bl

TIPS Don’t count on your GP reminding you when the next vaccinations are due; put them in your diary ✽ Plan a convenient time for jabs. Bear in mind that your baby might still be grizzly for up to 48 hours after the vaccinations have been administered. ✽ Bring your child’s personal health record (the little red book). It’s crucial vaccinations are recorded ✽ Give your baby some infant paracetamol an hour before. It’s quite normal for babies to be more restless, and grumpy. They may develop a mild temperature, so keep the paracetamol handy. The injection site often becomes a bit red and sore. Serious reactions are incredibly rare but if you’re worried, call your GP ✽ Remember injections are not that painful, the cries are more a form of objection and shock rather than pain ✽

Dr Chiara Hunt and Marina Fogle run the hugely successful Bump Class in South Kensington. Find out more: thebumpclass.com

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Expecting?

OU R BODIE S GROW AN D CHANGE AS WE N U RTU R E A DEVELOPING LIFE IN SIDE. LOUISA VAN DEN BERGH , FOU N DER OF LU LU BABY, SHAR E S ALL SORTS OF SU R PRISE S THAT PR EGNAN C Y TH ROWS AT YOU

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FEELING HOT When you’re pregnant you feel hot (not sexy hot, but sweaty, red-in-the-face hot) and may feel quite uncomfortable. It’s hardly surprising, you have a lot more blood pumping around your body and another person to carry. Once your baby has been born, you may be hoping that all will return to normal, but alas those hormones have the last laugh. You’ll sweat like never before, especially at night. No it isn’t a bad dream, just a post-partum delight to deal with.

BOOBS Sometimes they double, triple, or even quadruple in size; they can be tender and really hurt. If you escape with little change at first, be prepared for when your baby arrives and your milk comes in. Boobs can become enormous, hard and lumpy and will literally fill with milk. Your nipples and areolae (area around them) can get bigger and you may notice little bumps on the areolae.

These are normal, they release oily fluid and help prevent chafing. Don’t be alarmed if they look really veiny, they’re doing a precious job so more blood flow is needed in that area. If feeding is very painful do seek help.

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PREGNANCY

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PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

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‘DOWN THERE’ Don’t be alarmed if ‘down there’ swells up a bit and looks different/larger – this is normal and not permanent. Truth is, many first-time mums will need some stitches either because they have torn or been cut (episiotomy) to make way for their baby’s head. But mums should be encouraged to know that you do normally heal beautifully. It may sting to pee (make sure you have a jug of warm water by the toilet) and sitting will be painful but it will pass.

Before your baby arrives, spend some time on perineal massage (yep that’s massaging or even stretching – try the Epi-no – with a nice oil).

LUSCIOUS LOCKS You have all heard of pregnant ladies having luscious locks, this is because it doesn’t really fall out like normal. But were you aware other parts of your body may become a little more hirsute? Hairy tummies and faces are pretty common and this extra growth is thanks to those pregnancy hormones and extra blood raging through your system. Unfortunately once your baby has been born, that luscious hair will begin to fall out though.

‘NUMBER 2’ Many women suffer with an impaired digestive system during pregnancy. You may also develop haemorrhoids (piles), nasty swollen veins around your rectum.

Unfortunately once baby is born, a little more discomfort may come your way before things improve. If you’ve had a c-section, constipation is a common problem as iron supplements (if you’ve lost blood) or certain painkillers will block you up.

Stock up on high-fibre food and keep well hydrated.

ANOTHER TRIP TO THE LOO Weeing all the time is commonly an early sign of pregnancy but happens again in later pregnancy. Your bladder has a huge weight bearing on it, and you feel the need to go all the time.

This may happen when you’re not actually on the loo. Once your baby’s born, and depending on how big

they are and how they were delivered, you may find you’re leaking down there again. Remember to work on your pelvic floor muscles early.

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MOTHER OF ALL PERIODS Most mums would agree one of the best things about pregnancy is the months spent period-free. Some do bleed during the first few weeks, and should always seek medical help, but for many it’s a lovely break. Once your baby has been born, you are greeted, however, with the mother of all periods, known as lochia and this can last up to six weeks.

KICK, KICK, KICK Feeling your baby kick makes pregnancy feel more real and is a wonderful moment. But those first few gentle movements can develop into forceful kicks. You can see your stomach move and it can really hurt especially when their feet are poking right up into your ribs.

TEARS. LOTS OF THEM Most women know pregnancy may make them a little emotional. After your baby’s arrived, pregnancy hormones dive, and your milk-making hormones rise, causing a massive hormonal shift.

This frequently results in tears on day three or four (often when your milk comes in). Even if everything’s peachy, chances are you will cry but for most mums this is short-lived. However if the tears come every day there is a chance post-natal depression may develop, where medical attention should be sought immediately.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? For many mums the moment they first meet their baby it is love at first sight. For many others, this is not always the case. This is completely normal and not a reason to feel guilty. It can take time to bond with your baby, especially if his birth was not easy or breastfeeding is proving challenging.

Give yourself time and you’ll soon realise you have fallen completely in love with your baby. bl Visit: lulubaby.co.uk

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Ultrasound in Pregnancy for diagnosis and peace of mind Pregnancy can be a time of anxiety as well as celebration for expectant parents. To ensure you and your baby receive the highest level of care, we offer one of the most accurate ultrasound scanning and antenatal screening services in the UK. “We wanted to announce the birth of our son. He weighed 3.7kg and was 53.7cm!!!

Mummy and daddy are well and enjoying being parents. Thank you for being there for us since 5 weeks of pregnancy - we could not have been happier with the service we received from you. Pictures attached as promised.”

Zaneta la Morgia The Medical Chambers Kensington is the only UK clinic carrying out the advanced non-invasive prenatal tests VisibiliT and MaterniT 21PLUS. These allow us to gain information about a baby’s chromosomes and check for conditions such as Down syndrome, using a sample of the mother’s blood. Results are available within one week.

“Thank you so much for getting back to me so promptly. I was so impressed with your clinic it was a calm oasis during a difficult time.”

Katie Dawson Our specialist ultrasound consultants are world leaders and their skill proves time and again that not all ultrasound services are equal. Using 2D, 3D, 4D and Doppler technology, they examine anatomy and organ function in the finest detail, often detecting issues that other specialists may have missed.

“Only thanks to you we knew about his heart condition and were able to put everything in place just in case. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for detecting this. Yes, you were the one delivering the bad news, but you were also the one that saved him from much worse.”

Anna A. Our commitment is to deliver the care you would expect for the future generation of your family, and we work within a team of medical specialists who are here for you as your family grows, whatever your needs.

Appointments + Information Monday - Friday: 0830 - 1830 Saturday: 0900 - 1300 Email: admin@themedicalchambers.com

Clinic hours Monday - Thursday: 0800 - 2000 Friday: 0800 - 1900 Saturday: 0900 - 1400

The Medical Chambers Kensington 10 Knaresborough Place Kensington London SW5 0TG

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HEALTH

meetTHE EXPERTS

WE SPE AK TO SOM E OF TH E BE ST IN TH E BUSIN E SS ABOUT TH EIR FR EQU ENTLY ASKED QU E STION S THIS WINTER

Sleep for Twins Screening for Down's syndrome Dr Elisabeth Peregrine, Consultant Obstetrician at Richmond Practice I am often asked about the options for screening for Down’s syndrome.

Down’s syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality and there are several options on how to screen for it during pregnancy.

Combined Screening, the most frequently used test, has a success rate of around 85% for detecting Down’s syndrome. It involves a scan and blood test between 11 and 13 weeks, calculating the risk of Down’s syndrome (e.g. 1 in 1000). It carries no risk to the pregnancy, but cannot give you a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Free foetal DNA testing is now available.

It involves taking blood from you from 10 weeks on and has a success rate of 99% for detecting Down’s syndrome. There are several different tests available, such as

the Harmony test, but none are currently available on the NHS. They are only offered in private clinics and cost around £500. The test cannot give you a definite answer but carries no risk to the pregnancy.

Amniocentesis and CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) are diagnostic tests, which can give you a definite answer as to whether your baby has Down’s syndrome or another chromosomal abnormality.

However, these tests involve putting a needle into the womb and carry a risk of miscarriage of around 1 in 100. CVS is done from 11 weeks and involves taking a biopsy of the placenta. Amniocentesis can be done from 15 weeks and involves taking fluid from around the baby. These tests are only done on those at high risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome.

Karen Bramall

Dr Etienne Horner

T: 020 8940 5009 | E: mail@richmondpractice.co.uk | richmondpractice.co.uk

Deearna Withey

Dr Elizabeth Peregrine

OUR PANEL

Karen Bramall, Baby Sleep Consultant There must be something in the air as I have been very busy helping twins sleep recently.

Teaching one baby to sleep well can be hard work, so with twins I’d say the sooner you can get them into a good routine the better.

Teaching babies to self settle at bedtime and naps is the biggest key to teaching them to sleep for extended periods. It’s very important not to overstimulate young babies, and also to get them down for a nap within the appropriate ‘wake window’ for their age.

Every child has slightly different sleep needs. One baby may not want to sleep at quite the same time as the other, or for as long. As parents of twins, though, it’s far more beneficial if they sleep at the same time. A little bit of gentle pushing in the right direction can help you achieve this. I suggest putting both babies down for naps at the same time; if one wakes then wake the other within 30 minutes to attempt to get them on a similar schedule. I’d do this both at naps and morning wake time.

Some parents prefer to separate the babies while teaching them new sleep skills as this can make the process a little easier.

T: 01794 341 172 E: karen@babysleepthenight.com babysleepthenight.com

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HEALTH

Morning Sickness Deearna Withey, Maternity Nurse A particularly hot topic at the moment is morning sickness, as no one really knows why it happens. The thought process is that morning sickness occurs due to all the hormonal changes and the mass chemical changes that pregnancy will start to trigger.

Morning sickness (although this can occur at anytime of the day) is a good sign that your body is preparing itself to carry the pregnancy.

Dr Etienne Horner, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist When pregnant for the first time there are so many questions floating around.

Everything is very new and it’s a real journey of discovery which can be full of surprises from getting pregnant, being pregnant and then finally giving birth – it’s often just like riding a roller coaster.

In one of my last clinics the partner of a very pregnant woman asked me several times at different consultations what else there was to plan for labour. He asked if I could go through the process of labour with them again so they could be prepared for all situations. They also asked if there was anything else to read and get to know other than the normal NCT classes, a whole list of pregnancy books, more antenatal classes, information on hypnobirthing and many, many hours of One Born Every Minute. Trust me, anything extra curricular this couple could do they had done. I was quite surprised, and thought to myself that that was homework well done. But they wanted to know what else they could add to all of this. My

answer was simply nothing. They had done extensive homework in preparing for the labour and my job was to remind them that they should keep all options open.

A lot of information is fantastic, however it is not always easy to benefit from all the knowledge once labour has started.

I try to distribute all the information and encourage clients to have a “see how it goes” approach because then they can decide on position, mobility and pain relief. Nothing should be set in stone if all options are open medically. Women in labour seem to experience pain completely differently to normal situations. What seems to be unachievable outside labour is all of a sudden possible. Your thought-out birth plan might not be what you want or need in labour. Don’t let that put you off writing one though as birth plans do help organise things in your head.

Be open minded and take one step at a time; with enough basic knowledge of what is happening this will be by far the best plan.

T 07868 972 920 | E info@etiennehorner.co.uk | etiennehorner.co.uk

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PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK

Planning for Labour

Here are a few things I suggest to my clients: ✽ My top tip, and this seems to be the most effective, is to take up to 200mg of vitamin B6 a day, but consult your GP first. ✽ Avoid eating large meals and filling yourself up as you may end up skipping meals and an empty tummy will trigger sickness. Small meals are much better. ✽ I find that acupuncture on the wrists can work wonders. ✽ Try lying on your left side as this can be very beneficial. ✽ Try drinking ginger-based teas. ✽ Acupressure is amazing. Personally, I don’t suggest trying the home remedy until you have sought correct direction from a professional acupuncturist.

Should you experience extreme morning sickness seek medical attention as you could be suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum. deearnas-maternity-agency.co.uk

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From Superdrug, Holland & Barrett, supermarkets, chemists, health stores & www.pregnacare.com †Folic acid contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy. Pregnacare® has always contained 400mcg folic acid, the level recommended for all women from the start of trying to conceive until the 12th week of pregnancy. ††Based on a survey of 1000 midwives. For more information on this research, please visit www.pregnacare.com/mostrecommended 1Agrawal, R. et al. Prospective randomised trial of multiple micronutrients in women undergoing ovulation induction, Reproductive BioMedicine Online December 2011. 2L Brough et al. Effect of multiple-micronutrient supplementation on maternal nutrient status, infant birth weight and gestational age at birth in a low-income, multi-ethnic population. British Journal of Nutrition (2010), 104, 437-445. 3Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol.18, No.5, 487-489 (1999). *A beneficial effect can be obtained from a daily intake of 200mg DHA in addition to the recommended daily intake of 250mg DHA / EPA for adults – Annex of Commission Regulations (EU) No. 440/2011. ‡(IRI value data. 52 w/e 22 Feb, 14).

PREGNANCY

SICK OF

suffering TH E GR EEN SIDE OF PR EGNAN C Y, BECK Y DICKIN SON LOOKS INTO TIM E S WH EN MOR NING SICKN E SS BECOM E S SERIOUS

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IT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE, I COULDN’T STOP BEING SICK OR KEEP ANYTHING DOWN FOR NINE MONTHS. I WAS TOLD TO JUST EAT A GINGER BISCUIT ere at Baby London we are beyond excited at the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second baby. But the medical details of Kate’s pregnancy have once again been thrown into the spotlight, as she is forced to cancel her public engagements due to acute morning sickness, or hyperemesis gravidarum, to give the condition its official title.

But what exactly is this most unwelcome, though fortunately rare, side effect of pregnancy and can anything be done? In simple terms, hyperemesis means ‘vomiting a lot’ and gravidarum means ‘in pregnancy’.

The condition causes severe sickness which can lead to dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine called ketosis. Symptoms may also include low blood pressure and fast heart rate, headaches, lethargy or confusion.

Kate is no stranger to the sick bowl. The 32 year old suffered with the vomiting

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condition during her last pregnancy with Prince George in 2012. Unfortunately, if a woman experiences hyperemesis gravidarum in her first pregnancy, it is highly likely that she will have it again. What’s more, the affliction is generally worse in subsequent pregnancies and has an earlier onset. So it’s no surprise that Kate is suffering once again.

Tracey Ballantyne, 43, from Ottershaw, Surrey, knows just how she feels. She suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum with all three of her pregnancies. She says, “It was uncontrollable, I literally couldn’t stop being sick or keep anything down for nine months.” Tracey’s first daughter is now 11 and Tracey believes back then the condition wasn’t taken seriously. “I was just told it would pass and to eat a ginger biscuit.” It wasn’t until Tracey was severely dehydrated and bringing up green vomit that she was admitted to hospital and placed on a drip.

Isla was born four weeks early weighing just 4lb 10oz – a direct result, Tracey believes, of

The Duchess of Cambridge is suffering with hyperemesis gravidarum for a second time

PREGNANCY

the hyperemesis. Although she suffered with the condition in her two subsequent pregnancies, she was given better care and admitted to hospital earlier.

She says, “I was monitored more and was offered anti-sickness tablets although I decided not to take them.”

While some morning sickness is seen as a relatively normal part of pregnancy, little is known about its far more debilitating cousin. Hyperemesis gravidarum is much worse than morning sickness. It affects about 0.3 to 1.5 per cent of pregnancies, which equates to around three (and a half!) of every 1,000 pregnant women. So what causes some women to spend hours, weeks and months crouched over the loo, while others enjoy a healthy glow?

Mr Tony Boret, consultant gynaecologist obstetrician for Spire Bushey Hospital in north London says, “Hyperemesis gravidarum is due to a combination of factors which may vary between women and include: genetics, body chemistry and overall health. There are numerous theories regarding the cause, but the actual cause is not known. One theory is an adverse reaction to the hormonal changes of pregnancy, in particular, elevated levels of beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

This theory would also explain why hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is most frequently encountered in the first trimester (often around eight to 12 weeks of gestation), as hCG levels are highest at that time and decline afterward. Another

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH NAUSEA DURING PREGNANCY • Try to have small, frequent meals and snacks. Nausea tends to be worse on an empty stomach • Keep hydrated. Sip small amounts of fluids through the day • Stick to cold, plain foods and avoid hot, spicy or fatty ones • Sip or suck on ginger flavoured sweets and drinks • Stay out of the kitchen during cooking time to avoid strong aromas. If possible ask someone else to help prepare meals • Avoid eating and drinking at the same time – this may make nausea worse

postulated cause of HG is an increase in maternal levels of oestrogens – decreasing intestinal motility and gastric emptying leading to nausea and vomiting.”

So can anything be done to try and minimise the symptoms? Unfortunately, there is no panacea for combating nausea during pregnancy. The main advice is try to stay hydrated and eat small, frequent and plain meals. Some women find alternative therapies helpful such as: acupuncture, hypnotherapy, travel sickness bands, eating ginger and other herbal remedies.

Yet in the most severe cases, the only option may be admission to hospital. This is necessary for women who are vomiting almost constantly and unable to keep any nutrients down. In these cases, they may be treated with intravenous fluids and anti-sickness tablets.

Tony Boret says, “If vomiting is very severe, it can be dangerous for the mother and can cause a condition called Wernicke’s encephalopathy and may also affect the kidneys but this is very rare and usually the condition is self-limiting. Malnutrition and other serious complications, such as fluid or electrolyte imbalances, may result.

Occasionally if the mother continues to suffer from hyperemesis for a prolonged period, it can affect growth of the foetus.”

Former hyperemesis sufferer, Tracey, now has three healthy children. However she admits the condition does leave a blemish on what is supposed to be a special time in a woman’s life. “I hated being pregnant and carrying a sick bag on the train to work every day. It does spoil it.”

So while the world waits with baited breath for news of another heir to the throne, our hearts go out to Kate and we hope she will soon be feeling better and able to enjoy the rest of her pregnancy.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge can take comfort in the fact that her suffering is helping raise awareness and understanding of this horrible condition. That, and the knowledge that in a few months time she will have a beautiful baby in her arms. bl

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Lullaby &

Goodnight

EMMA OLIVER E XPLOR E S TH E PAIN OF SU DDEN IN FANT DE ATH SYN DROM E

REAL LIFE

id you know that ‘cot death’ is a phrase now considered outdated?

Sadly, babies die unexpectedly, and in all manner of locations. Emma Oliver speaks to two families torn apart by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), who want to explain the real meaning behind this cruel syndrome.

Earlier this year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) consultation on safe sleep was published.

It did little to explain SIDS adequately to many of the parents left behind by babies who had SIDS as the cause of death on their death certificates.

The Lullaby Trust, a charity providing specialist support for bereaved families, is committed to supporting research to understand why five babies a week die suddenly and unexpectedly in the UK, and to find out more about how to prevent these tragic deaths.

Jennie Henley, age 38, is mum to four beautiful children. Twins, Esther and William, age four, who have recently started infant school, eight week-old Beatrice Hope, aka rainbow baby, and, Matilda Mae, angel baby, who at nine months old, went to sleep one day as usual, and never woke up.

Living with grief ever since, Jennie has carried a further pregnancy with fear not joy, and now, with her rainbow baby in her arms, finds it difficult to relax because of what happened to Matilda Mae. She said: “I will never understand why she could not stay with us and I will worry every day that her sister will follow her.

We hope that Bea will grow old. I live in continual fear of losing our eldest as well.”

Jennie is in close contact with The Lullaby Trust, who she has helped by raising

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upwards of a staggering £30,000 in her daughter, Matilda Mae’s name. And although Jennie has received care and support with their Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme – a national healthvisitor led service for bereaved parents run together with the NHS for families before and after the birth of their new baby – naturally, Jennie worries that her new daughter will suffer the same tragic fate as Matilda Mae. The Lullaby Trust commented, “Although siblings of babies who have died of SIDS are at a slightly increased risk, it is very difficult to say whether this is due to genetic or environmental factors.

A subsequent baby could be exposed to

I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY SHE COULD NOT STAY WITH US the same SIDS risk factors in day-to-day life, and therefore be at slightly higher risk.

“As we don’t know what causes SIDS it could also be that a subsequent baby has a similar genetic vulnerability, alternatively the previous baby could have had an underlying infection and therefore a sibling is not at an increased risk at all. Research shows us there is an increased risk, but as yet we don’t know why this is.”

As a mother of an infant claimed by such a cruel death, Jennie is keen to share what she knows about SIDS. “Not enough

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Jennie is an inspiration to many, raising more than £30,000 in Baby Tilda’s name for The Lullaby Trust through walks, balls, marathons, bake sales, sky dives and much, much more.

A Rainbow Walk and a Mile in Memory in Kent are being planned for 2015. If you would like to be a part of this and get involved, do get in touch with Jennie at: jennie@edspire.co.uk. If you would like

to support the Lullaby Trust, Matilda Mae’s Just Giving page is still open, visit: justgiving.com/MatildaMae Or you can also purchase a Matilda Mae bag from Mia Tui: miatui.com/ collections/matilda Or Matilda Mae clothes are available from The Princess and The Frock, go to: theprincessandthefrock.com/productspage/matilda-mae-collection

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 97

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REAL LIFE

WHAT IS SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME?

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people are aware that it is not what is so commonly mistermed as ‘cot death’. It is not when a baby suffocates or overheats.

It is not when a baby gets caught in a bumper or cord. What SIDS is, is when no cause of death can be ascertained.”

She added: “It is a syndrome of exclusion, when every other possible reason has been discounted. It is when a healthy baby dies, suddenly, and with no apparent cause.

“I followed all the safe sleep guidelines, and my beautiful healthy baby still died.

Realising I may never know exactly why, and that nothing I could have done would have made a difference; that is what SIDS is.”

Robert Weeks’ daughter Sophie was three months old when she died of SIDS. He added, “SIDS is when a medical expert and police inspector visit your house the same day that your baby dies, to inspect where the baby lived and where it was found, so that they can rule out foul play.

“SIDS is also trying to explain what happened to your child to those that ask, when you have no idea what happened.

As far as you knew, everything was normal.

It is also trying to explain to the children remaining, that their sibling has died.”

For all of these incomprehensible clarifications as to what SIDS is, for Jennie and Robert, and their families, gaining closure is not likely to be on the horizon.

What Robert and Jennie do understand is that they have to accept the anguish of not knowing how to prevent SIDS from happening again. Along with the shocking realisation that there is no one else who knows how to prevent it from happening again either. bl Jennie blogs a beautiful tribute to her angel daughter Matilda Mae at edspire.co.uk Robert blogs about angel daughter Sophie, and what SIDS is really about at: chutzpah84.wordpress.com.

Also known as SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the term used when deaths remain unexplained after the post-mortem. Other terms such as SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) or ‘unascertained’ may be also be used.

What are the stats?

According to the Office of National Statistics, 2014, 270 babies and toddlers still die every year of SIDS in the UK. However, since parents and carers have been following the risk reduction advice first promoted in the early 1990s, the number of infants dying has fallen significantly.

Can you prevent it?

Annie Simpson from the London based infantsleepconsultant.co.uk says, “You cannot ever prevent SIDS but there are steps to safe sleep that can reduce the risk.”

According to The Lullaby Trust, which promotes expert advice on safer baby sleep and raises awareness on sudden infant death, these are: ✽ Always place your baby on their back to sleep ✽ Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth ✽ Breastfeed your baby, if possible ✽ Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition ✽ Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby ✽ Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you smoke, drink, take drugs or are extremely tired, or if your baby was born prematurely or was of low birth weight ✽ Avoid letting your baby get too hot ✽ Never cover your baby’s face or head while they're sleeping or use loose bedding Further help and advice?

Advice including factsheets and the latest research can be found by visiting lullabytrust.org.uk or emailing info@lullabytrust.org.uk The Lullaby Trust bereavement support line is 0808 802 6868 or the information line is 0808 802 6869.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 99

HEALTH

wisdom FOLK

MANY TR ADITIONAL SAYINGS CAR RY SOM E TRUTH , OTH ER S AR E SIM PLY OLD WIVE S’ TALE S. K AT YA BOBOVA E XPLOR E S WH EN TO LISTEN TO OU R GR AN ’S PR E ACHING AN D WH EN TO TAKE IT WITH A PIN CH OF SALT ears ago, before the Internet, tips and insights on how to raise children, stay healthy and bring good luck were passed by word of mouth, from one generation to the next. By observing nature people could predict oncoming rain and storms, early onset of winter and many other weather conditions.

“If the sky is bright red at sunset, tomorrow

Y

will be sunny”, they used to say. “If seagulls are flying low by the water and crying, you can expect rain.”

Likewise, older generations had plenty of advice for their children in regards to their health. They urged that a newborn baby should be wrapped in many layers, warmly and snugly, otherwise he might catch a cold.

They believed that a baby should not be

left to sleep by an open window, as drafts can bring on colds.

The sayings that we now brand old wives’ tales may have been useful advice at some point. People believed in them, as many of the ‘old wives’ were midwives and healers who were valued medical practitioners.

Over time, some of this folk wisdom has been validated with scientific research,

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 101

Warm milk before bed has been scientifically proven to aid sleep; but your face freezing when the wind changes is indeed an old wives’ tale

some is still doubtful and several of the beliefs have become pure superstition that puts a smile on our faces.

When I was a young girl I spent my summer holidays at my grandma’s house in the countryside. I remember granny had one principle that all her grandchildren had to abide. We could have few, if any, clothes on, run outside until we turned blue from the wind, she did not mind, but we could not let our feet get wet. This was one thing granny was never tired of saying: “You get your feet wet and tomorrow you’ll be in bed with a fever”. Of course, we trusted her.

She was old, she was wise. Later, at biology lessons at school I learned about common cold viruses, so I scoffed at my grandma’s rule, but it always amazed me that she was right. Soon after I got cold and wet feet, I was down with a cold or flu.

In Ireland, in similar fashion to my gran’s rule, to this day old ladies advise youngsters not to go outside with wet hair. These folk sayings until recently had no scientific support. In 2005, at the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff, research proved that getting oneself chilled might cause common colds. Researchers took 90 students and chilled their feet in cold water for 20

minutes. Over the next five days this group had twice as many colds compared with the control group whose feet were not chilled.

The explanation the authors gave is that when common cold viruses are circulating in the community many people carry them without showing symptoms. But having one’s feet chilled or hair wet causes a constriction of blood vessels in the nose; this inhibits the immune response and allows the virus to replicate resulting in a common cold or flu.

IT’S COMMON TO GIVE CHILDREN A GLASS OF WARM MILK BEFORE BED, THIS LONG-LIVED TRADITION HAS SCIENTIFIC APPROVAL 102 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

In many cultures, Britain included, it’s common to give children a glass of warm milk just before bedtime in order to promote sleep. It turns out that this long-lived tradition has a lot of scientific approval. Dairy products contain the amino acid tryptophan as well as calcium.

Tryptophan is involved in the production of serotonin, which helps to calm the nerve transmissions in the brain and induce sleep.

Calcium acts as a catalyst helping in the absorption of tryptophan. Hence it is a good idea to offer children dairy products, such as milk, yoghurt or cottage cheese before bedtime to send them off to a night-long sleep.

With this knowledge in mind, it is curious why, in Irish folklore, they believe that eating a piece of cheese before bedtime might give you nightmares.

Italian folk wisdom says that children with chickenpox should not, cannot, absolutely ought not to go outside until they have cleared their spots. Some staunch folklore

HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

Traditions say that wet feet may lead to a common cold or even flu

advocates scare Italian mums that a child can die from complications if he goes outside during his chickenpox illness.

Possibly, the origin of this scare (as it is only a old wives’ tale), comes from observations of the long recovery period from the illness.

A child with chickenpox is infectious one or two days before the rash appears and remains contagious until all the lesions have crusted over, which takes approximately five to nine days. It is therefore possible that Italian old wives created their ominous belief in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

In Germany, parents tell ever so gullible little ones that if they don’t finish their dinner plates the next day will rain. It is a great incentive to help fussy eaters clear their plates, but it is not surprising why this folk belief has never seen light in Britain.

Our parents would have run out of back-up stories in order to explain to children why it has rained non-stop for a week. In India, parents tell their children that picking their

noses will make the nose bigger. They also don’t cut children’s nails before bed, as the old saying has it that cutting nails at night will summon ghosts and bring you bad luck.

Possibly one of the oldest and most widespread folk customs is to soothe a crying baby with a snug swaddling blanket and a ‘shh-pat’ technique. Swaddling is believed to be over 4,000 years old, as there are depictions of swaddled babies from Crete and Cyprus of that period.

What has made swaddling so popular and carried the tradition through millennia? We can only assume that ancient Greeks and Cretans, and many other cultures, primarily used a cloth to wrap their babies in order to keep them warm. With the time passing people noticed that a warm swaddle calmed babies and prolonged their sleep.

Nowadays baby experts say that the explanation to the miracle of a swaddle lies in the fact that a snug swaddle lets the baby experience a similar tight feeling that he had while in the womb.

Our forefathers also had a knack for calming an inconsolable baby. In many cultures they made the ‘shh’ sound into the baby’s ear while either rocking him gently or patting the baby’s back until he stopped crying. Both of these techniques receive praise from many paediatricians at present.

They believe that the ‘shh’ sound reminds the baby of the whooshing noises inside the mother’s womb and hence calms him down.

As for the gentle rocking or swaying, or patting the back, all of these aides simulate the movements the unborn baby would have experienced when he was carried around by the mother.

It is wonderful that many of the old folk beliefs find an explanation and some empirical backing. Ultimately we should remember, that unlike our grandparents we have a strong advantage – to us verifiable information is instantly available. The most common tales have survived the test of time, so it might be worth our while to listen to the advice of the old, and wise.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 103

DIARY OF A

mum PART 9

IN PART NIN E OF OU R SERIE S, MUM- OF-TH R EE BECK Y DICKIN SON GOE S BACK TO SCH OOL TO WOR K ON H ER PAR ENTING SKILL S – WITH MIXED R E SU LTS

NO B

outweigh my daughter’s caterwauling.

Instead, I wrestle her squirming, thrashing body into the straps, winning only because of our mismatched sizes. Baby A is not just angry, she’s wild. Raspberry-faced, tonsil flaunting, decibel defying livid, in a way that only anyone under the age of three can manage. Which means I have another nearly two years of this to enjoy. Lovely.

For crying out loud, it’s just an armchair on wheels with the benefit of in-flight snacks. I ignore the shrieking and shunt the contraption out of the door, yelling at J and D to get their shoes on and get on their scooters before we miss the post. We make it. Just. By now Baby A is blotchy and

‘ IT’S JUST AN

AR MCHAIR ON WHEELS WITH THE BENEFIT OF IN-FLIGHT SNACKS’

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

aby A has discovered a new word.

It begins with N and ends with ooooo.Darling, would you like your breakfast? “Nooooo”. Darling, time to go to sleep now: “Nooooo”. Darling, take that LEGO; loom band; hair clip; (insert choking hazard here) out of your mouth: “Nooooo”.

Today, the object of her “No” campaign is the pushchair. Personally, I can’t see what’s not to like about being chauffeured around in a softly padded, gently reclining set of wheels. Baby A doesn’t agree. I try the rice cake tactic, followed by the box of raisins tactic. If I had a chocolate biscuit I’d probably try that too, but I don’t. I polished off the Hobnobs this morning.

My daughter arches her back like a feral cat and squeals like someone’s stepped on her tail: “Nooooo”.

Unfortunately, not going in the pushchair is not an option. I have a birthday card that needs posting and precisely eight minutes to get to the letter box. I could of course, just not post the card, but the family tensions that would ensue actually

BABY TALK

snivelling and her older brother and sister don’t look impressed either. Feeling guilty, I buy them all a Milkybar in the corner shop.

They are all instantly cheered up, which is more than can be said for me.

Back home, I feel a twang of remorse. I mean what kind of mother arm wrestles her own child into the pushchair just because she wasn’t organised enough to send a birthday card before the deadline, then yells at the other two to get a move on?

Convinced of my maternal short comings, I decide there’s only one thing for it: a parenting course. One phone call later and I’ve enrolled. It’s a six-week programme that happens to take place on an afternoon when I’m not ferrying one of them to an activity.

Unhusband finds it all rather amusing: “You’ve got three kids, isn’t it a bit late?”.

Admittedly, he’s got a point. It’s kind of like doing marriage guidance after the divorce. After seven years of parenting, you’d think I’d have it down to a fine, if not messy, art by now. But who says you can’t teach a third-time mum new tricks?

Two weeks later I go along to the first session. Fortunately, there’s a crèche, so I can leave Baby A and her four-year-old sister, D, in the qualified hands of some carers, while I learn how to be a ‘positive parent’. Unfortunately, it’s in a different room to the one where the course is taking place. I’d naively assumed we’d all be together and there’s only one person who’s regretting this more than me – that's Baby A. “Nooooo!” she screams as I kiss her goodbye while she grasps desperately at my face, my top and then the air. Choked, I issue firm instructions to the crèche staff to come and get me if she doesn’t settle. Baby A has never been left before and it seems neither of us are ready for the experience.

Just 15 minutes into the first lesson a head appears around the door and I’m beckoned back to the crèche. Despite the best efforts of D and some kind play workers, my youngest child is still inconsolable. She coils her arms around my neck and clings to me so hard we might actually be stuck. I’m secretly a tiny bit pleased.

When it’s clear there’s no way my daughter is going to let me out of her sight, it’s agreed I can take her into the session rather than miss it. I’m not sure the other parents are entirely happy, but Baby A seems to know she needs to be on her best behaviour and listens intently to what’s being said, while I take notes.

The following week I adopt a thicker skin.

It is after all only an hour of separation and she’ll need to get used to it at some point.

But we’re barely into the second PowerPoint when I’m called out once again. Baby A puts

‘ “NOOOOO!” SHE

SCRE AMS, WHILE SHE GR ASPS DESPER ATELY AT MY FACE, TOP AND THEN THE AIR ’ on a repeat performance and spends a second session on my knee.

Later, with the kids finally in bed, I do some thinking. Do I really need a parenting course just because I get a bit stressed

sometimes? Do I really need another commitment in my already demanding week? The next day I hand in my notice.

If those two (interrupted) sessions taught me anything, it’s that parenting is a hard, often thankless, task. And that most of us are doing a pretty good job, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Of course, parenting is also an absolute privilege denied to too many. There are unbeatable highs and fuzzy moments. There are also some stressful, awful ones. Recognising that doesn’t make you a rubbish mum.

Parenting courses definitely have their place. However, I learned that I didn’t need to go on one to make me a good parent and that bad days don’t make a bad mum.

What’s more I now have a free afternoon for parks, picnics and not fighting over the pushchair. Until the school run, that is.

WANT TO READ MORE ON BECKY DICKINSON'S FAMILY LIFE? GO ONLINE AT BABYLONDON.CO.UK

O O O N

NO babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 105

ALL I WANT FOR

Christmas WE ASKED FOU R OF TH E BUSIE ST, GL AMM E ST MUMS WE KN OW TO SHAR E TH EIR FE STIVE WISH LIST

THE BEAUTY ENTREPRENEUR Having spent 17 years working in the beauty industry, New York-born Patricia Haimes (above) finally settled in London, with her husband Matthew, five years ago and founded Little BU – a collection of non-toxic, wash-off, water-based nail colours for little fashionistas.

“My husband and I usually spend Christmas with friends who are as close as family in London. Now that we have two children, Grayson, two and a half and Weston Harlow, three months, who are already growing up too quickly, my biggest Christmas wish is to spend this one with our families in New York. It’s such a special time for them to create lasting memories with their grandparents and cousins. While we’re enjoying the season of all things that twinkle and shine in the city, a visit to our jeweller for something sparkly would be an added Christmas treat!”

106 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

FEATURE

THE BUSINESSWOMAN

THE FITNESS GURU

Originally from a small village in Devon, Sophie Ajram moved to London to work as a model when she was 18. Now a property developer and director of GPS tracking device company GoTek7, she lives with her husband Abi and their three children Jahan (seven), Iman (five), and Sheherazade (two).

“As a mother, all I really want for Christmas, firstly and foremost, is good health and happy memories for all the family. In addition to this, I would really like to start Christmas Day with a kiss from my husband, a cup of tea in bed, a lie in, a glass of Champers on getting up – and a Dior handbag would go down nicely too!

We will be skiing in Méribel this year, so will be up very early watching the kids unwrap their presents, then hitting the slopes and coming home to a roast dinner in the afternoon, a film and the usual tin of Quality Street!”

Nathalie Schyllert is a trained ballerina, the Director of Operations at cult gym Bodyism, the founder of Bodywear – a new clothing range available on net-a-porter.com – and mother to three-year-old Oliver.

“This Christmas I would really love to go back to Reethi Rah in the Maldives where we went when Oliver was only three months old and it was the quite simply best holiday I’ve ever had. It is such a special place to spend time with the people you love the most. However, I’m really excited to be travelling to Salt Lake City to see my auntie and cousins and to go skiing; the slopes and snow there are supposed to be just incredible. A year’s worth of complimentary breakfasts at Granger & Co, an Alaïa dress or a lifetime discount code for Net-a-Porter would also be nice. But I already have the best gift I could ever have wished for, my son Oliver.”

THE MODEL AND ACTRESS Originally from Copenhagen, Tine Stapelfeldt has been living in London for 10 years working as a model and actress. She has two children: Monty, four years old and one-year-old Frida.

“Besides the obvious gift of a good night’s sleep – and maybe a new outfit that doesn't have snot, mud or spaghetti on it – the thing I’d actually like most of all is to know what to get my little monsters and boyfriend for Christmas. I would love to take their breath away with a present and make them think I am simply the best! Jewellery from Maria Black would also make me feel pretty special. We will be spending Christmas in Mexico: great food, palm trees and the beach perfect! One last wish: for sleepy children on a very long flight home.”

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 107

A Father’s

Christmas hristmas has come early this year in the Payne house as, after a long eight months of renovations, we have recently moved back home.

As with all these things, we are way over budget and there is still a huge amount to do – light switches here, smoke alarms there, carpet for this room and curtains for that.

The knock-on effect is that there won’t be Christmas presents this year, which could cause problems, married, as I am, to someone who still wakes up early on the big day to check that there is an overflowing stocking at the end of the bed. This year she has been told in no uncertain terms there is to be nothing from Jo Malone or The White Company. B&Q is Dasher and Blitzen’s only destination in December.

I’m lucky that recent history has capped her hopes and expectations though. During the endless unpacking over the last few weeks, there were a couple of wasted hours in the attic looking at bundles of photos.

While lingering over the images of our first Christmas as a family, the thought occurred to me that noone can take Yuletide festivities quite as seriously as new parents.

We had been through a fairly bumpy first eight months following the premature arrival of our daughter, but there was huge enthusiasm for the perfect day as a little team. The build-up had been intense; the shopping began in August, the decorations came out in October and most of December was spent wrapping. Even flicking through those photos in the attic a couple of weeks ago, the half-a-dozen images of our sleeping daughter with her stocking presents at the end of the cot, still generated a warm glow. A precious moment in time, literally.

For there is nothing quite like a teething baby suffering from chronic reflux to shatter the peace and anticipation of ‘the night before Christmas’. Far from ‘not a creature

C

108 |NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

DAD - OF-T WO AN D SK Y SPORTS PR E SENTER , ALE X PAYN E, R ECALL S TH OSE ‘SPECIAL’ FE STIVE FIR STS was stirring’, the whole house was up at regular intervals due to the poor child’s screaming. The whisky and mince pies left out for St Nicholas were drained and devoured several times over.

With snow lying all around, Christmas Day was spent with our little cherub sitting forlornly in a cardboard box, tearing up tissue paper and sucking on a cold spoon.

And although everyone gathered round and wanted so much for her to enjoy it, it was hard not to feel a little bit like a fire blanket had been thrown over the festive spirit.

Which unfortunately made it the second year in succession that my wife’s Christmas lights had fused on the big day. As I kept flicking through the photos, it was hard not to grimace as I came to the bundle of our

first Noel as a married couple. One shot of my wife’s utter disappointment captured the whole holiday.

To be honest, I had panicked on Christmas Eve when I suddenly realised that stockings were now part of the marital contract. With only a couple of hours to go, I had rushed to Homebase as a last resort and had left with two fire extinguishers and an emergency escape ladder to wrap and pop down the chimney that night. Nothing, I thought, could better demonstrate my love for my wife than protecting her in event of a house blaze.

On reflection, I am happy to admit that, as early love tokens go, these were not perhaps of the ‘orthodox’ variety. But it is worth factoring in that her initial despair turned to delight when she realised the strength of the story, and for a week or two it became her opening gambit to every phone conversation.

“Awww, so tell me, how was your first Christmas together?”

“Well, have you heard the version that goes: ‘On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me three health and safety devices?’”

And she’d probably still have it as an argument fall-back, were it not for the fact that not four days into the new year she managed to set the kitchen on fire. As the flames leaped from the oven and she screamed in desperation, I was happy to let the house burn in order to savour the moment. It is important to keep cool in an emergency, and I took control of the

OUR LITTLE CHERUB SAT FORLORNLY IN A BOX, SUCKING A COLD SPOON

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

FATHERHOOD

situation by nonchalantly swinging on my stool and calmly telling her to locate and deploy her Christmas present. I’m not sure what irritated her more in the foam-filled aftermath; the present itself or the fact that she’d actually had to use it.

There is a small dash of irony here, too, in that my earliest Christmas memory centres on a requirement for the emergency services at the Nativity scene in the local church. No older than four or five, and transfixed by an orange with sweets and a candle stuck in it, I managed to set my hair on fire at the Christingle service – the ‘light of the world’ spreading rapidly across my

flaming fringe. For a week afterwards I was followed by a burnt odour and to this day I carry that cribside humiliation. Why is there never a risk assessment when you actually need one?

The point is this: young or old, all that Christmas excitement can often go up in smoke. Which brings us to this year. With our girl now four and her brother just turned two, this should be the Christmas when everything clicks. Certainly, there is no doubting the kids’ feverish excitement, the flames of which we’ve fanned since July with the ‘Father Christmas, good behaviour’ bribery game. Despite the lack of traction,

it is certainly ramping up their anticipation for 25 December.

And why not? This time I am determined to avoid a Christmas disappointment. I’m up for as much noise and chaos as 24 hours can offer. Give me a 4am start with shrieks and screams of joy, I’ll take mass E numbers for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I want carols, crackers and Quality Street at every turn. This Christmas we are cooking on gas mark nine and creating an explosion of memories for the children.

I am just hoping they will be happy with presents from the floorboard department of B&Q.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 109

NANNY ASH

cooks

ASH LEY CAM PION TICKLE S SE ASONAL TASTEBU DS, FOR TEENY WEENIE S AN D TINY BOPPER S

I love sweet potato, as most little ones seem to, which is why I have made it the star ingredient in these quick and simple recipes.

Sweet potato is not only full of vitamins and minerals but it enables you to create a sweet treat without having to make use of refined sugar.

Have a delicious Christmas!

For more foodie tips from Ashley Campion you can visit mybaba.com.

TOP TIP

A thick biscuit and simple shape will help keep baby from breaking pieces off as they teethe. Be sure to always supervise your baby 110 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Teeny Weeny 6-8 MONTHS

CHRISTMAS CRUNCH

Ingredients • 1 cup sweet potato • 1 cup plain flour • 1 cup Infant Oats (you can also use baby cereal) • 1 tsp of cinnamon Method 1 Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until you have a firm dough. You may need to add a few drops of water to achieve this 2 Roll out to 1cm thick and cut into desired fun shapes 3 Line a tray with baking parchment, lay out the biscuits and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown

FOOD

Tiny Bopper 12-24 MONTHS

YULE ROLL-OVERS

Ingredients • 1 cup sweet potato (roughly mashed) • 1 cup boiled potato (roughly mashed) • 1 cup, finely chopped, cooked turkey • ½ cup flour • 2 small eggs, or one large • 1 cup bread crumbs Method 1 Mix all the mash, and the turkey, in a large bowl, the mixture needs to be quite sticky 2 Shape into long sausage shapes – they should be no thicker than your thumb 3 Whisk the eggs together to make an egg wash 4 Coat the roll-overs in the flour so that they are thinly coated. Then roll them in the egg wash. Finally roll them in breadcrumbs. Place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper 5 Bake at 190°C for 20 to 30 minutes, turning regularly until crisp and golden

CHEESE SAUCE

Ingredients • 30g butter • 2 tbsp of plain flour • ½ pint of whole milk (heated) • 100g mild cheddar Method 1 Melt the butter over a low heat 2 Stir in the flour till smooth 3 Add the hot milk a little at a time and make sure you keep whisking 4 Add the cheese and continue to whisk until you have a creamy cheese sauce

TOP TIP

Perfect with a cheese sauce

TOP TIP

Most babies prefer sweeter tastes, but it’s important to offer savoury foods first to help encourage a well-rounded palate

Itsy Bitsy 8-12 MONTHS

PHOTOGRAPHY: HELENE SANDBERG

FESTIVE MASH

Ingredients • 1 sweet potato • 2 carrots • 1 tbsp apple purée/apple sauce • 3 sprigs rosemary Method 1 Peel the carrots and sweet potato, cut them into one-inch cubes

2 Place in a roasting tin along with sprigs of rosemary 3 Then put into a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes at 190°C or until soft 4 Remove the sprigs of rosemary and whoosh everything up with a blender until smooth, stir in the apple purée

Ask the

EXPERTS Your guide to private maternity care at The Portland Hospital

If you’re considering private maternity care, you’ll want to find out as much information as you can in order to make the best decision for you and your family. The Portland Hospital is London’s only private maternity hospital, and last year our dedicated midwives provided exceptional levels of care and support to over 1,700 mothers-to-be. They understand the questions and concerns that you’ll have at this important time, so this is their guide to help you make an informed choice on your maternity care.

At The Portland Hospital, you’ll find a nurturing and supportive environment in which to welcome your baby into the world.

Our team of world-class obstetricians and midwives can offer you and your partner control over how you want to give birth, supported by the highest standards of comfort, safety and clinical excellence.

Can I choose the type of birth I want?

You can opt for either consultant-led care, where a consultant obstetrician looks after you during pregnancy and birth, or midwife-led care, where our small team of expert midwives support you throughout your pregnancy and delivery. Either way, you’ll develop a close relationship with the team in a welcoming and relaxed environment, where your care is tailored to your personal choices.

All birthing options will be available to you where medically suitable, including water birth, natural delivery or caesarean section. And you’ll always receive one-toone midwifery care on the labour ward, supported by high staff-to-patient ratios of 1:4 during your antenatal and postnatal care. Throughout your pregnancy and delivery, our midwives will be on call 24 hours a day to offer advice and reassurance to both you and your partner.

Is pain relief readily available?

You’ll have 24-hour access to a consultant obstetric anaesthetist who will administer epidurals and other types of pain relief as soon as you decide that’s what you want.

Once you’re comfortable again, they’ll continue to monitor that it is working well for you until your baby is born.

What happens in an emergency?

We are committed to the highest standards of safety and have a range of on-site emergency facilities, with three operating theatres for planned procedures and a dedicated emergency operating theatre on the labour ward. The latest data from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology confirms our emergency caesarean section rate to be very low – just 6.2 per cent compared to the national NHS average of 11.6 per cent.

A dedicated neonatal intensive care unit, special care baby unit and transitional care provision are all available for babies born from 30 weeks, alongside a highdependency unit for mothers who may require a higher level of monitoring.

We have an excellent safety record and our rate of temporary admissions to intensive care is extremely low (just

Premium delivery packages start from £7,330

0.002 per cent, compared to the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ expected rate of 0.25 per cent), but on the very rare occasion when this might be necessary, you will be transferred to the adult intensive care unit at our sister hospital just around the corner.

What about aftercare?

Following your baby’s birth, you’ll stay in one of our private en-suite rooms or exclusive suites. You can stay with us for as long as you need to – your package includes one night’s stay and we can arrange for additional nights if you would like to stay longer. Your partner is welcome to stay with you overnight, and you can both enjoy our full range of room services.

Our team of midwives will look after you and help with breastfeeding and our nursery nurses can care for your baby while you get some well-earned rest between feeds. You’ll also be able to attend our postnatal classes.

What does the package include?

Our delivery packages start from £7,330, and you don’t need private medical insurance. You can join the service at 12, 20 or 30 weeks of pregnancy.

Our midwife-led care package includes:

• all antenatal appointments with the midwife team • two consultations with a named consultant obstetrician • all routine ultrasound scans • all blood tests as routinely required • one-to-one midwife care during delivery • 24-hour consultant anaesthetist epidural services on site • 24-hour stay in hospital in an en suite room with the option to stay longer • facilities for your partner to stay overnight in your en suite room • consultation with a physiotherapist • a six-week postnatal check with a midwife.

Where can I find out more?

The next step for most couples is to come and see our facilities for themselves. Located in central London, we are open for tours on Sundays, and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

To book your tour, call us now on

020 7390 8202 Or visit www.theportlandhospital.com to book your tour online.

Christmas MAGGIE & ROSE... with

WE LOVE ALL things winter here at Maggie & Rose; all that snuggling up in pyjamas and drinking mugs of hot chocolate. After a while, however, this can get a bit, well, boring, especially for little ones. Time to get off the sofa and get creative with our Christmas-inspired activities

Festive Family Scrapbook This is a great family tradition that we started a few years ago, along with the Gingerbread House featured on page 117.

Beware – this is a lot of fun to collate and always turns out to be a great success, so you will have to keep up the tradition every year from this point forward! A scrapbook is a lovely way to record memories of not just your immediate

family, but for all the guests that visit you over the Christmas period. Get the kids to take ownership of the project – let them design the pages for the guests to fill out and be in charge of the Polaroid camera on the day. It's a great thing to be able to look back on once you have a few years worth of memories, and it makes a fantastic family heirloom.

CREATE

TABLE SETTINGS Create a fabulously stylish table setting for your Christmas dinner with these colourful place mats and napkin rings.

Place Mats Get as many silver cake boards as you need for your table. Cover the top of the board in glue, and cut lengths of ribbons to cover the cake board, making sure each strip is long enough to wrap over the edge.

Place each ribbon over the board in a criss-cross pattern.

Once the board is covered, leave to dry. ✽ Napkin Rings Grab a few old toilet rolls and cut into 10cm wide rings. Cover inside and out in glue and wrap in strips of ribbon, as per the place mats. Once dry, tie a piece of raffia or string around each ring and attach a small Christmas tree decoration to each. ✽

Voilà! Christmas Day table settings sorted.

CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS

PHOTOGRAPHY: MAGGIE & ROSE

Create some keepsake decorations with reindeers made from your hands. Take some brown paper and trace one of each family member’s hands. Cut out the hands, and then using a hole punch place a hole at the top of the palm, and tie a bow with red or green ribbon – this will be used for hanging the reindeer on the tree. Glue sparkly pipe cleaners for antlers, place a bobbly eye on each reindeer at the base of the thumb and then a sparkly pom pom for the nose at the top of the thumb. Decorate the Reindeer's body (the palm) with any other sparkly bits.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 115

CREATE

MRS CLAUS’ SECRET RECIPE

CREATE THIS TASTY SIDE DISH TO DEVOUR ALONG WITH YOUR ROAST TURKEY AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash with Five-Spice Marshmallows Serves 12-15 What’s in it?

• 2.3kg sweet potatoes • 1 medium butternut squash • 3/4 cup almond milk • 2 tbsp butter, softened • 1/2 cup light brown sugar • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows • 3/4 tbsp chinese five-spice powder

How to make it...

1 Preheat your oven to 245°C. Prick the sweet potatoes all over and put on a baking sheet. Cut your butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place it on a second baking sheet cut side up.

Put both baking sheets in the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

2 Halve the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Scoop out the butternut squash flesh and scoop into the same bowl. Add the milk, butter, brown sugar and mash until mixed through.

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Spread into a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Lower the oven to 175°C. 3 In a medium bowl, toss the marshmallows and the five-spice powder until coated. Scatter the marshmallows over the sweet potatoes and bake for some 45 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are warm and the marshmallows have turned golden brown.

MAGGIE & ROSE LOVE…

PHOTOGRAPHY: MAGGIE&ROSE

Build your own Gingerbread Village We love these Gingerbread kits and set aside a whole day with friends and family to get messy. It has become a tradition that each year the children invite their friends over to decorate our tree and we make these sweet mini houses; they are very simple and perfect for a larger group and tiny hands.

POLAROID 300 Classic Instant Camera These days, we’re still taking as many pictures as ever – maybe even more so, due to the smartphone revolution. Yet in this age of digital photography, family photo albums have disappeared. This is where a Polaroid camera comes in handy – instant hard copies of your pics straight in your hands. Particularly useful for our Festive Family Scrapbook activity.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 117

Tripp Trapp® design: Peter Opsvik.

Tripp Trapp®

Now available in chic Storm Grey!

The chair that grows with the child®.

Stokke® introduces the latest addition to the Tripp Trapp® palette with versatile Storm Grey. This cool, sleek colour is an elegant neutral that complements a variety of interiors. www.stokke.com

Tripp Trapp® Storm Grey with Baby Set and new Soft Stripe cushion.

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REVIEWS

BABY LON DON GOE S ALL-TER R AIN FOR TH E COMING WINTER TO SEE WHAT PUSH CHAIR S AR E U P TO TH E CHALLENGE

Phil & Teds, Navigator

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Our resident dad Steffan Meyric Hughes, test drives the Navigator by New Zealand brand Phil & Teds with his fellow test team Lara, Adam (three) and Theo (two months)…

Kiwi manufacturer Phil & Teds has gathered a good following in Britain for its inline tandem strollers, capable of carrying two toddlers, or a toddler and a newborn in a lie-flat position. People love them (because they’re brilliant) or they hate them (because they’re hard to fold). The Navigator – the benchmark model – embodies the Phil & Teds qualities: it’s a solid, off-road threewheeler with pneumatic rubber tyres, lockable front wheel for jogging and a dizzying array of seating options.

Good looking?

To our eyes it’s the most attractive pram out there, with its clean lines, big wheels and clarity of function. If it were a car, it would be a Land Rover Discovery – a good look for a pram that is designed to go anywhere. In

Doubling up with Adam and Theo in the Navigator, a stroller that could ‘change your life’

neutral black, as ours is, it won’t clash with what you are wearing, either.

Practicality In terms of usability and flexibility (there are so many seating arrangements possible that I doubt anyone fully understands their P&T), it’s surely unrivalled. The potential fly in the ointment is the folding and hefting of this pram. The former is quickly mastered, but this is still a heavy beast to lift into the back of the car. It folds into quite a square shape however, so should fit into most boots, especially given that the wheels pop easily off and on.

Driveability The ride is so good that you barely have to push. The real wheels glide over anything, making one of its new features – the auto brake, like you get in airport trolleys – a really important feature. This pram will go up kerbs, over rutted tracks, seemingly anywhere, without the vibration caused by solid wheels, so baby won’t wake up.

It swivels on the spot, making shop aisles seemingly easy to pilot. And the real joy is that it’s easy to do this all one-handed, leaving the other free to get on with important tasks, like phoning parents to ask for childcare favours.

How does it feel?

Comfort in the lie-flat position is good, but not as good as a dedicated lie-flat pram, as you would expect. The main news is that two-month-old Theo stays asleep. The optional lift-in, lift-out ‘cocoon’ is a great addition. Comfort in the smaller, upright seat that our three-year-old occupies at the moment (I did say this was complicated!) is pretty good too. It felt exposed with our old P&T E3, but the young emperor is

now content (as is ‘the help’ – that is to say mum and dad). In other seating permutations (big child in big seat for instance), it would fare even better.

What’s the verdict?

This is the cutting edge of prams, in terms of capability, build quality (excellent) and innovation. One of these ought to see you through two children, and have enough life left to pass it on. It really is all things to all children and parents and, if you are willing to come to terms with what is quite a bulky and complex item, it will probably change your life. It has changed ours: tracks and greens that were previously off limits with a ‘normal’ pram are now available to us. We feel like the city and its parks are now open to us for the first time.

Cost: from £449 for a single and £568 for a double kit (as tested).

Philandteds.com/uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 119

REVIEWS

Joolz Day Quadro

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Winter wonders for your buggy

When Dutch brand Joolz release a new pushchair, one thing is a given… it will be beautiful. The latest is the Joolz Day Quadro, a mixture of pure functionality with Italian style. The all-terrain wheels ensure a great ride, offering stability and driving comfort under tough winter conditions. The Quadro can be folded and stored with the chunky wheels still attached, which avoids unnecessary faffing. £799 | my-joolz.co.uk

We’ve pulled together some pushchair essentials to glide you through winter Reversible Multi-colour Silhouette Blanket £23 | pigeonorganics.com

Fantastic Mr Fox Footmuff £68 | bettybramble.co.uk

BOB Revolution Pro

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BOB from wider known brand BRITAX, has recently unveiled its new all-terrain power pushchair, the BOB Revolution PRO. It’s the first pushchair on the market that has a swivel wheel which is safe and approved for running and skating (if that’s your thing!) in the UK and Europe. Whether you’re wanting a pushchair for about town, or something a little heartier for off-roading, this pushchair fits the bill. £455 | bobgear.co.uk

Hamster Bag £24.99 | hamsterbags.co.uk

iCandy Peach All-Terrain

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Due to launch in spring, the new action-packed Peach All-Terrain is as sporty as a pushchair comes.

With three action air-filled tyres, this buggy provides incredible terrain versatility.

For swift collapsing the compact one-hand fold is a parent’s dream, once folded you’re greeted with one of the smallest folds on the market and it can be freestanding to carry. While the funky colourways provide a splash of neon, with the option of a vibrant yellow or muted coral, why not go all out and match it to your trainers? £640 | iCandyworld.com

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7 A.M. Enfant Warmmuffs £35 | johnlewis.com

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the

review OU R R EVIEWER L AU R A MASON PUTS TH E BE ST BABY BOU N CER S TO TH E TE ST

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

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Nuna

BabyBjörn

Bloom

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LEAF Inspired by the gentle float of a leaf on a breeze, this rocker treats baby to a mesmerising ride. Whether it’s a motor-free journey to newborn dreamland (the LEAF sways unassisted for up to two minutes) or a crash pad for older children as it holds 60kgs.

Priced £160 | shopnuna.co.uk

Soft Bouncer This rocker allows your baby’s own movements to make the bouncer rock while enhancing balance and motor skills. With proper head and back support, it is ideal for very young babies, but is also suited to older children up to two years.

Priced £119.99 | From John Lewis

Coco Go Bouncer This bouncer is a 3-in-1 lounger, rocker and stationary seat that adjusts to three positions: relaxing, sleeping and playing. It also vibrates at two speeds. I really liked the space-saver element with flat-fold design and bag.

Priced £140 | from independent nursery retailers

MAGIC Astro Stokke® Steps™

Babyplay Stripe A fandangled bouncer that is definitely one for the dads to explore and enjoy. It is all about the ‘MAGIC’ technology, MP3 compatibility and multiple functions that will provide endless fun for baby, but also a haven of relaxation.

Priced £129 | mamasandpapas.com

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Bouncer With a cradling movement that mimics a mother’s arms, this chair comes with a newborn insert that provides ergonomics and helps promote healthy spine development.

Adjustable seating positions take the baby’s growing weight, a five-point safety harness.

Priced £149 | stokke.com

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Mum to the

resQ

WE ALL HOPE TO BE SH OWER ED WITH GIF TS THIS CH RISTMAS. OU R R E SIDENT MUMS HAVE COM E TOGE TH ER TO OFFER PAR ENTS A PINCH OF PR AC TICALIT Y THIS FE STIVE SE ASON s the winter months come in, and we start wracking our brains for what to buy our little loved ones, rarely for a moment do we get to think: “What would I like for Christmas?”. And of course we want perfume, and we’d love a new handbag but actually, although we may not want to admit it, many of us

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actually want presents to help us in our everyday lives. Our 10 mumpreneurs have been busy putting together their ideas for some cracking practical presents that will put a smile on every mother’s face. And you can save a little too, all of the products listed are giving 10% off just for you.

Turn over for our READER OFFER

Totseat

What better present than enjoying a meal out as a family.

The Totseat travel highchair makes eating out a hassle-free experience. Wherever you go, the ingenious, pocket-sized Totseat adjusts to fit chairs of all shapes and sizes, anchoring your little one in safety and style. Wherever Christmas dinner may be, don’t forget the Totseat – it’s for babies who like to lunch in style.

From £21 | totseat.com

Messy Me A fantastic gift for every parent who owns a wooden high chair such as the Stokke Tripp Trapp, the brand new Messy Me cushions are a must. The two-part set simply clips into place, making mealtimes more comfortable for little ones. Made in the brand’s signature oilcloth, any mess created at mealtimes can simply be wiped clean. Available in six gorgeous designs, this stylish gift will be loved by both mums and babies. £25 | messy-me.com

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Hamster Buggy Bags

We all know Christmas shopping can be a nightmare, especially with a little one. Hamster Buggy Bags is a perfect solution and will be a gift that keeps giving all year round. The bags attach securely to each side of the buggy and provide great storage. And best of all, they balance the buggy, so you don’t need to worry about it tipping over when you’re trying to beat the festive rush. £24.99 | hamsterbags.co.uk

Quack Quack Moo The Christmas weeks certainly allow a few more hot chocolates and the Snuggle Suit from Quack Quack Moo is the perfect combination. The soft organic onesie will ensure tots feel warm and snuggly all day long. The non-slip feet, absorbent bottom patch and knee protectors makes the Snuggle Suit a FUNctional gift too! £28 | quackquackmoo.co.uk

SweetDreamers For every toddler with a puppy on their Christmas wish list, the launch of Russell the dream sheep dog has come to save the day. It is a gift parents will appreciate too. Thanks to his softly changing ‘colour therapy’ light show and ‘personalised’ recording facility, Russell is sure to banish bedtime struggles for toddlers just like his sibling, Ewan the dream sheep has done for babies. £34.99 | sweetdreamers.co.uk

Lights Out Blinds

Christmas time is a lot for little ones to take in, so daytime napping is essential, but it can be impossible when it is light outside. Lights Out Blinds go up in seconds, don’t need adjusting and even work on open windows. Perfect for maintaining baby’s sleep routine at home or on holiday. Lights Out, portable, pop-up, blackout blinds – keep bedrooms dark and your children asleep. £34.99 | lightsoutblinds.com

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 125

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Breastvest It’s the time of year for parties and events, which can mean lots of new outfits. Thanks to breastvest, breastfeeding mums need not worry, as their ingenious vest makes any top a breastfeeding top. It also keeps the postnatal tummy all wrapped up, so mums can lift up their favourite tops to feed, safe in the knowledge that breastvest has them covered. It provides an extra layer of warmth in the winter too. £15 | breastvest.co.uk

Skibz

The perfect practical gift for a friend or your own little one, Snoodz n Mitz will keep tots warm all winter long and will mean that mum and dad will never have to worry about missing hats and gloves again. The Snoodz is a tube of soft, stretchy fabric which can be worn up as a hat or down as a scarf, while Mitz are a clever twist on wrist warmers. £12.50 | skibz.co.uk

Blooming Baby Showers

SnoozeShade

SnoozeShade, the UK’s bestselling sleep and shade solution, is the perfect gift for those travelling this festive season. Whether it’s driving to see relatives, staying in spare rooms or taking winter walks, SnoozeShade has a solution to make any time nap time. The ingenious SnoozeShade creates a dark haven which allows babies to maintain their sleep patterns wherever they are.

From £19.99 | snoozeshade.com

Christmas is a time for extra special celebrations so if you are hosting a baby shower, it’s important your mum-to-be is made to feel extra special too.

Blooming Baby Showers is the unique brand offering a beautiful range of stationery and partyware, perfect for that special celebration. With everything from invitations and balloons, to bunting and games, Blooming Baby Showers has covered every corner.

From £2.99 | bloomingbabyshowers.co.uk

READER OFFER

Claim 10% off any of our Mum to the ResQ products by visiting the above websites and quoting the DISCOUNT CODE: BLWINTER

126 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Clever little things that keep baby socks on!

...try our award winning range of innovative products!

Bandana bibs keeping babies dribble free!

Clever little crawling pads that protect babies knees!

Slipper socks that keep little toes warm!

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Bringing up baby EMMA OLIVER ASKS DR CAROL COOPER H OW FAR PAR ENTS CAN AFFEC T DEVELOPM ENTAL MILE STON E S n a former life I was a nursery nurse; so when I had my first daughter, I thought I knew all there was to know about baby milestones and child development. How wrong I was.

As a newborn, Esme was able to hold her head up immediately. That threw me. Then my second daughter Fia came along, and chose not to smile until she was 12 weeks old. And yes, that threw me too.

Fact is, although milestones are in existence, there will always be exceptions to the rule. It is important to realise that each baby develops at their own pace and that developmental charts are designed to give a general idea only.

But what of parents that push their babies to reach milestones early?

Media medic Dr Carol Cooper, author of several baby and child development books says, “Parents shouldn’t try to speed up a child’s development. There isn’t a useful way of accelerating progress – by putting pressure on a child you can do more harm than good and may even put them off learning in the long run. You can’t teach them to walk sooner than nature intended nor to do anything else until they are ready.

“When it comes to encouraging your baby, new parents ought to be introducing them to the richness of life.” She continues, “It is vital that developing babies find their place in the world and gain independence.”

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“From the moment babies start to use their hands, they should be encouraged to use their imagination through play. If we want our children to grow into fully functioning adults, they need to develop emotionally, socially, physically and cognitively. They will do so through play.”

Dr Cooper explains, “Play is not just fun, it stimulates a child’s senses, especially vision,

“Babies ought to be encouraged to explore the world around them according to the stage of development they’re at.

“Say you have a fancy toy that winds up and makes baby laugh. That’s great, but you are winding the toy. To baby, the packaging the toy arrives in will be far more exciting.

He can sit and play with the box. That’s because learning is always more about

THE MOMENT BABIES START TO USE THEIR HANDS, THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO USE THEIR IMAGINATION THROUGH PLAY touch and hearing. It hones powers of observation and helps baby develop and practise coordination and other skills.

Some toys encourage babies to use their imagination more than others, but everything can be experimented with.

doing. Babies drop things repeatedly, not just because it appears to be funny at first, but they are learning cause and effect.

DEVELOPMENT

“Babies acquire so much more when they are active rather than passive. The developing brain makes connections constantly.

Connections are reinforced every time the baby does something, and the strongest connections use all the senses; it’s how babies remember things and therefore learn.” Dr Cooper continues, “This is one reason why they like repetition so much.

And why they use their mouths to explore.

“As the infant learns they try to manipulate their world, and by around 18 months should be allowed to let his imagination run free. Building blocks are a great example of a toy that allows this.”

Of course babies should always be able to relate to their family, and the people that are around them. Social interaction and communication is vital. It is never too early to read to your baby. Dr Cooper agrees.

“He’ll enjoy the closeness of sitting on your lap, listening to your voice and looking at the pictures.”

She continues, “Parents ought to be encouraged to be positive around babies and small children. Save ‘No!’ for the right scenario – when your two year old has undone his seat belt, and not because he isn’t using his toy as you believe he should.”

And what about the baby that can whizz the smartphone screen into action?

Dr Cooper believes, “The one thing we ought to discourage is too much reliance on technology. There is a time and a place for a child to be introduced to technology. And when that time comes, they’ll pick it up amazingly quickly.”

MILESTONES BETWEEN BIRTH AND TWO YEARS Your Newborn

By Three Months Old

He can see, especially in the range 20-25cm. And he can hear and smell. He has several reflexes: ✽ SUCKING REFLEX He has a sucking reflex: this is when your finger touches the roof of his mouth, he will respond with a strong sucking action ✽ ROOTING REFLEX If you stroke his cheek, he will turn towards your finger and open his mouth. This reflex helps her to feed ✽ STEPPING REFLEX If you hold him upright, with his feet touching a firm surface, he will mimic a stepping action, even though he cannot walk yet ✽ GRASP REFLEX Stroking his palm with one of your fingers will result in him gripping your finger tightly ✽ STARTLE (or MORO) REFLEX If you let baby’s head drop back, he will throw out his arms and legs as if he’s falling

✽

By Six Weeks Old

Your baby will hold an object placed in his hand ✽ He recognises people and things ✽ He giggles when he is happy

By Six Months Old Your baby can roll from his front onto his back ✽ He can sit propped up ✽ He can hold a beaker or a bottle, usually with both hands ✽

By Nine Months Old Your baby can sit unaided He uses a pincer like grasp ✽ Responds to his name ✽ He combines syllables into word-like sounds ✽ May crawl or shuffle around ✽ He may wave ‘bye bye’ ✽ ✽

By One Year Old Your baby may walk if you hold onto one of his hands ✽ He may say his first real word ✽ He can hold a pencil in his fist ✽

✽

By 18 Months Old

✽

✽

Your baby can smile He can focus ✽ He can hold his head in line with his body momentarily, if you hold him on his front

He can ‘read’ board books on his own Your tot can pedal a trike ✽ He scribbles well ✽

By Two Years Old Your toddler can run, climb and tackle the stairs ✽ He can use two-word sentences ✽ And he can obey complex orders ✽

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK XXXXX

&

Dr Carol Cooper’s book Baby & Child Your Questions Answered is published by Dorling Kindersley, priced £10.

TEAR OUT GUIDE

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RELATIONSHIPS

My true love gave to me…

MATCH .COM’S R EL ATION SHIP E XPERT, K ATE TAYLOR GIVE S YOU H ER TIPS FOR TH E 12 DAYS (AN D NIGHTS) OF CHRISTMAS

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Research shows that a successful long-term relationship depends on the happiness of the woman. So, the good news, ladies, is you get to prioritise your own happiness regularly. It’s not selfish, it’s for your relationship. Want to escape alone to sip a gingerbread latte? Fob off that kid and go.

Want to book a babysitter just to have a four-hour bubble bath? Book!

Remember that the little romantic, quality moments doing simple things together, such as the above, totally constitutes as foreplay in the lead-up to the naughtier stuff. So, it’s just as important to make time for those coffees, gallery visits, walks by the river à deux too.

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By contrast, scheduling works brilliantly for sex.

Scheduled seduction is thrilling – remember, like when you were dating. Agree together on a night that’s going to be The Night, set it up as an event on your phone’s calendar, and add him as an Invitee. Or mark it on the family calendar in the kitchen with a discrete smiley face.

Experts always advise setting a regular Date Night with your partner to help you connect. But personally – nah. If you feel fat, frumpy and fatigued (and who doesn’t after kids?), a formal date will be a washout. You’ll feel bad about yourself and probably take it out on him. Instead, set offbeat times to catch up – can you make a pact to chat every morning over coffee before you head out?

If you need to have a talk with your partner, don’t do it across the dinner table. Studies show that men find face-to-face communication hard, because they see it as confrontational. Men find it easier to open up when they’re side-by-side with someone, doing a shared activity. So, chat to him when you’re in the car together or walking the dog.

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Don’t leave sex till bedtime. Scientifically it’s the worst time of day, because testosterone is at its lowest. Afternoon Delight is what it’s all about. (Fact: 3pm is when women feel most aroused.) Drop the kids off at their grandparents so you can do some “Christmas shopping”, then race back home and romp. Afterwards, while you’re still basking in the afterglow, buy everything on Amazon.

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Socialise together. Got a work Christmas party? Take him. Neighbours having drinks?

Take him! Not only will it give you things to talk (and gossip) about, but it’ll remind you why you chose him above all other men.

Because you can have fun together.

Talking of shopping… Put together a stocking that’s strictly for his eyes only.

Add saucy undies (for both of you), massage oils, handcuffs and a toy or two.

Yes, that kind. No idea where to start?

Head to coco-de-mer.com for a peek at their stylishly saucy wares.

Resentment is the deadliest of passionkillers, so don’t suffer in silence. Tell him what you want him to do. Don’t mime it, by making a performance of dragging the bin out to the garden when he’s forgotten to, just say it. In as few words as possible.

“You. Bin. Now.”

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That goes for carnal commands too. He’ll be happy when you’re happy. So tell him what you need – whether that’s a snog, a neck massage, or something a little bit raunchier. Any sentence that begins with, “It’d really turn me on if you’d…” will be listened to by a man.

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Location, location, location. Don’t save passionate clinches for the bedroom, keep things exciting by switching the venue occasionally. Romping somewhere new boosts the dopamine in your brain, which increases your attraction for each other.

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Stuck for the perfect present? Hotel room.

While you can enjoy crazy sex at home, there’s something just so HOT about a hotel. Even if you just grab a lusty lunchhour together while your mum takes your offspring to Santa’s Grotto. bl Domestic Sex Goddess by Kate Taylor is published by Quadrille, £14.99

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

RELATIONSHIPS

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STAYING IN

1 THE MENU Indulge in these treats that will put you firmly on Santa’s naughty list. Joe and Seph’s Popcorn Jars (£24.99 | joeandsephs. co.uk) are the perfect addition to a movie night at home, and why not order yourself a gift box of Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes too? (£26.90 | hummingbirdbakery.com).

You could redeem yourself with a cup of Tea Pigs Assam Tea (£3.99 | teapigs.co.uk) except that it has genuine chocolate chunks in it.

Sorry about that.

PHOTOS: THE WHITE COMPANY

2 COLD OUTSIDE… Brighten up your garden with vintage lanterns (£40 | thewhitecompany.com).

6

ultimate de-stress with Aromatherapy Associates’ award-winning Nourishing Massage Oil (£38 | aromatherapy associates.com).

5 HAPPY FEET Perfect for appeasing cold and wet winter feet; playful, festive Cash CA Pom Pom Slippers (£95 | liberty.co.uk) are seasonally appropriate and can you resist The White Company’s Cashmere Bed Socks? (£35 | thewhitecompany. com). Taking your tired toes to heaven and back.

3 COSY TIME Set up camp on the sofa with a Karamai Cashmere Merino Blanket (£398 | thewoolcompany.co.uk) and dress up your cushions with these bold Nantes Cushion Covers (£95 | conranshop.co.uk).

You’ll never want to leave.

6 COFFEE TABLE READING When you don’t have time for big reads, enjoy these coffee table gems instead.

Cecil Beaton: Portraits and Profiles (£30 | Frances Lincoln); Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, Volume 4 (£295 | Phaidon); The Glow: An Inspiring Guide to Stylish Motherhood (£18 | Stewart, Tabori & Chang).

4 THE DE-STRESS Set the timer and take turns for an indulgent massage à deux, the

7 FIRESIDE CHIC Dress up your winter nest with accessories (£30 | thewhitecompany.com).

7

The Watchlist Five classic family-favourites for Christmas…

It’s a Wonderful Life Because every time a bell rings, somebody watches this film at Christmas…

Meet Me in St Louis We defy you not to cry when Judy Garland sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Miracle on 34th Street Never fails to keep the magic of Christmas alive and well.

Love Actually A prime example of Richard Curtis’ distinctly British optimism. Perfect festive viewing.

Home Alone This much-loved family comedy will have you all in stiches on Christmas day.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 135

Detail from Leo’s bathroom at home

LIGHTER

shade of pale BABY BOUTIQUE OWNER LEO HAYNES TELLS SUMMER LITCHFIELD HOW HER LOVE FOR FRENCH AND SWEDISH ANTIQUES HAVE INFLUENCED BOTH HER HOME AND BUSINESS s co-founder of chic baby heirloom and monogramming shop Piccoli & Co in Clapham, it’s no surprise Leopoldina (or Leo) Haynes’ home is a shrine to well-scrubbed good taste.

Leo opened the Abbeville Road one-stop baby and nursery shop – with its pretty pistachio green front

A

136 | NOV/DEC 2014 | balondon.co.uk

and olive trees at the entrance – with friend Aine D’Souza in September 2013.

“It was actually the birth of Aine’s daughter, my goddaughter, Aoife, that prompted us to start talking about how the children’s market was missing high quality furniture and bedding,” says Leo. “We shared a vision of the baby’s

room reinvented and wanted to fill this gap.”

Leo has lived with her husband in her five bedroom Victorian house, conveniently just minutes from the shop, for seven years and you can see how her home style has influenced the feel and décor of her business.

“When we were first shown

AT HOME

Below and right, Piccoli & Co

around the house I loved the fact the rooms were big and square,” she says. “The garden was small, but also a good square shape – symmetry appeals to me – so we transformed it into a lovely courtyard.”

Rather than enlist an interior designer, Leo took the look of her home into her own hands: “I used to own a shop selling Swedish

and French antiques so I had sourced all the furniture during my trips across Europe over the years. All the pieces have a story and are special in their own way, but I’m not sentimental; if I change the layout of a room and a piece needs to go, I will replace it. This means that I only have what looks right and nothing more.”

Leo’s Gustavian influences and love of 18th-century Swedish and French country-house style are strongly reflected in the interior choices for her home. For her spacious kitchen she went for more of a New England look, which she continued out into the garden with the use of clapboard cladding. “One of my favourite pieces is a large 18th-century Swedish

PHOTOGRAPHY: LEOPOLDINA HAYNES

There is no room for sentimentality: “If I change the layout of a room and a piece needs to go, I will replace it”

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 137

AT HOME

chest of drawers that is in the kitchen; it’s so huge and heavy, but also delicate with its curvy front. And I love my secretaire bookcase where I sit and work.”

She agrees that her style preferences have also come into play as far as the look of the shop is concerned. “Our speciality is our own brand of nursery and children’s furniture, based on 19thcentury French and Swedish designs,” says Leo, “and the

monogramming we offer goes back to my Italian heritage. In Italy every family have sets of monogrammed linen and they are often given as christening gifts. I do have a soft spot for that vintage touch when it comes to my own home and for Piccoli & Co we wanted to create pieces to be treasured and, we hope, passed on down the generations.” piccoliandco.com

Leo agrees that her style preferences (shown in her home below and top left) have also come into play for Piccoli & Co (top right).

Three monogrammed gifts from Piccoli & Co

1 2 3

Linen Stocking, £35 An extra chic alternative to the knitted version.

Suitable for grown-ups too.

Pyjamas, from £25 Embroidered with your little love’s name. What could be sweeter?

Party Dress, from £55 With that extra special touch for the festive season.

138 | NOV/DEC 2014 | balondon.co.uk

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Native American Play Tent £75.33 | smallable.com

Check Wool Blanket in Black and White £95 | hedgehogshop.co.uk

Oeuf Sparrow Chest of Drawers £695 | shop.bobokids.co.uk Silver Rabbit Lamp £52.65 | smallable.com

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 141

What’s the

Hook?

KER RY LOR D BUILT A LUXU RY YAR N EM PIR E THAT ON LY GOT BIGGER AN D BE T TER WH EN SH E HAD A BABY. MARIE- CL AIR E CHAPPE T M EE TS TH E WOMAN MAKING CROCH E T COOL f Kerry Lord is one thing it’s a hard worker. She found it so hard to stop working during pregnancy that she had to take up crocheting as a distraction.

Little did she know it would spawn a whole new work project.

Kerry is the head, heart and soul behind the Toft Alpaca Shop – a luxury yarn brand she created from scratch straight after university.

Handily, she grew up on an alpaca farm – long before anyone even knew what an alpaca was.

“You search for high quality and organic in your food… why not your apparel?” she reasons. “That’s what we make and I think people love it.

It’s natural, it’s British and a high quality product to a new generation that are thirsty for it. There’s a real appetite for this.”

She’s right about that. Thanks to The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee, skills that were previously dismissed as ‘housewife’ activities are suddenly cool. There is a discernible craft revolution occurring and it’s being brought to life by a whole new younger generation.

Kerry agrees wholeheartedly and couldn’t be happier: “I think there’s a growing trend for people wanting to make their own things – be that learning to bake or making their own

I

142 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

scarf – and it’s not just the reserve of an older generation anymore”.

She learned to knit herself when she started the brand in order to understand the product, but it was crocheting that became her passion.

“I needed it as a distraction as I gave up working on my due date and my son Edward arrived 14 days later. I needed something to stop me working, to help me switch off.

Crocheting is far better than knitting in that respect as it’s very rhythmic.”

She made Bridget the Elephant – the first animal in what is now a 53-strong menagerie of crocheted creatures called, fittingly, Edward’s Menagerie. It is now a hugely successful book with accompanying crochet starter packs and currently the most successful product at the Toft Alpaca Shop by a mile.

Kerry designs all the animals herself and has written witty and adult descriptions for each. There’s

CREATE

Edward's Menagerie started with Bridget the Elephant and now features 53 animals

Samuel the Koala, a “self-proclaimed artist... but he keeps losing track of his sketchbook” and Boris the Red Squirrel who “refuses to play Jerusalem due to bad memories of boarding school”. The original, Bridget, was created, much like her company: to fill a gap in the market.

“It was great making something for my baby that I liked too. I hadn’t seen anything quite right so I made my own”, she explains. “Crocheting, unlike so many things in my busy life, gives me a very real sense of accomplishment. In my job so many things are ongoing. It feels good to make something permanent.”

Meanwhile the business is growing faster than ever. Kerry's just had her best-selling book about the project translated into six European languages and the alpaca farm now boasts a teaching studio and a café, making it a great destination for families who want to learn to crochet or just see how it all works.

The menagerie expands every six months and there are already more animals than in the book ranging from a kangaroo to a giant anteater Kerry has just completed.

So does working from home make life easier as a working mother?

“There is less flexibility working from home than you would think.

Especially if you’re a very driven person like I am – you always feel like you want to be doing more at work but there’s the constant guilt.

I feel very responsible for the brand.

It’s hard to stop working.”

So why should people take up crocheting, I ask her: “It’s portable, it’s soothing and you can do it on your commute,” she tells me. Oh and in case you hadn’t heard, it’s very trendy now.

To get crocheting visit thetoftalpacashop.co.uk

BABY LONDON CROCHETS

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

DID WE GET ‘HOOKED?’

Kerry Lord learned to crochet in 14 days while pregnant. Inspired, the Baby London office decided to pick up a hook and try our hands at crocheting some of Toft’s marvellous menagerie.

After all, how hard could it be? It turns out we weren’t quite dab hands, but with a bit of determination and hard graft, we got there... or at least some of us did.

Senior Editorial Assistant Marie-Claire Chappet was the brains behind the operation – bullying her colleagues into crocheting and ordering in enough Toft yarn to clothe a small alpaca. Bridget the Elephant now sits in pride of place on Marie-Claire’s desk.

Commercial Director Vicki Gavin attempted to make Alexandre the Blue

Russian Cat. As a nifty knitter we have every hope in Alexandre’s imminent arrival. Sub Editor Natalie Milner has yet to pick up her crochet hook. Due to Natalie’s meticulous attention to detail she’s still analysing the codes.

But the winner has to be our Managing Editor Rebecca Moore, not for being a top crochetter, oh no, but for being a dazzling delegator. Rebecca just so happens to commute with Britain’s next top crochetter, Kirsty Nicholls, who was more than up for the challenge.

Beginning the day in the banking world, Kirsty crochetted a few hours in the evenings. Taking roughly eight hours to complete, we couldn’t be more impressed with the outcome of Piotr the Polar Bear. Top job.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 143

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MY WIFE HAS NO INTEREST IN SPORT SPORT. None at all. Which is one of the reasons I love her. No one wants to come home after a day of talking about the offside rule to strike up a conversation about the offside rule. I like to think she’s secretly proud of what I do, its just that she hides it very well - recently I overheard her telling someone that ‘all he does is talk about hairy men playing catch.’ But her disinterest in the back pages perhaps also explains her lack of timing, an inability to sense the 'moment.'

Let me quickly wind it back to our start point, to the time I first asked her how many children she wanted. It was also the night I tried to propose - a glorious evening in Franschhoek and a perfect dinner at Reubens. With the ring burning a hole in my pocket, we opted for the taster menu; six gourmet courses with accompanying wines.

Four courses (and glasses) in and she’d lost all basic communication skills. Using the ’timing is everything’ rule, I aborted the knee drop and performed a disillusioned flyby. It is never the right moment if your fiancé-tobe has slumped to her knees before you.

She has form, too, when it comes to delivering news, such as the phone call to tell me that I was going to be a father for the first time. One minute before I went live on air on Sky Sports News. I will agree that it helped create extraordinary emotion to the opening of the show - elation, fear, exhilaration and relief all combined with Jose Mourinho’s transfer dealings. I’m not sure football updates have ever been delivered with such manic facial expressions.

Whatever it is that makes my wife tick (excuse the pun), the genes are present in our daughter. How else can you explain her arrival at 29 weeks weighing just under 2lbs?

The doctors didn’t have a better answer. I remember I was looking in the fridge for

ALE X PAYN E GIVE S A FATH ER' S ACCOU NT OF COPING WITH AN E AR LY AR RIVAL something to eat when the wife rang saying that things weren’t right. At all. For all the times I’m told my job is an inconvenience apparently I’m at home too much during the week and away for too much of the weekend - I’ll always be grateful that the only thing in my diary for that day was a morning watching Bargain Hunt. I like to think of it as being in the right place at the right time.

So the wife went from a legal breakfast meeting at the Wolsey to having our little one in the prem unit by lunchtime. And for a while time stood still.

It is funny the things that stand out now - the regular ‘bings' of the machines, sobbing uncontrollably on the phone to the boss as I explained I wouldn’t be in for a while, the constant hand washing, kangaroo care. The pride when her oxygen level

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reached the perfect 100, the fear when changing her first few nappies, the wrench when we were sent home at 9pm every night. And in the first few weeks, the drive into the hospital in the early hours to place our test tubes of precious milk in the fridge next to the beer barrels of breast milk the other mothers were producing.

Although she was the newborn, I’m not sure I’ve ever grown up so quickly. It was the perspective shift that was most noticeable, as all the irrelevant aims and desires that I wanted for her in the run up to her arrival disappeared in a flash.

Suddenly prodigious talent and endless career opportunities seemed rather less important than keeping her breathing and eating. But time was the proverbial healer, and having been enveloped by the quite brilliant protective bubble of Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, we came home after two months with Little M, a bulky 5lbs.

And aside from reflux and haemangiomas and dairy allergies, and a bent foot and an impacted gut and other bits and bobs, it all became fairly normal fairly quickly. We just started racing from the pit lane rather than the start line. The clock started again, we picked up speed and left all the stresses and concerns behind. To the point we decided to double the fun.

Getting going with number two was understandably a fairly fraught experience.

With no explanation for Little M’s early kick off, we trod fairly carefully. Time rather

ALTHOUGH SHE WAS THE NEWBORN, I'M NOT SURE I'VE EVER GROWN UP SO QUICKLY

}

86 | SEPT/OCT 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

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slowed down again, as the wife was ordered to bed from four months onwards and we just quietly hibernated during the summer. I watched every minute of the London Olympics, pausing only to run cups of tea upstairs (attempting to break the world record with every effort). Inevitably, there was the odd drama, including the occasion I rushed out of studio before a match and raced the familiar route to the hospital. The wife feared she was having a miscarriage, and I just remember how grey everything went. And the familiarity of the wires and beeps. And how an 18 month old is completely unaware of the anxiety that

surrounds her. After about three hours the doctor’s prodding and pushing deflated the situation, quite literally. Trapped wind. And it was the game of the season.

The boy was much more simple (he’s like his father), arriving with perfect timing and in the process fuelling my hopes of an opening batsman. Perhaps the perspective hasn’t shifted that far after all. And now we’re motoring along again, though with this rather inverted home life of a family week and a working weekend. But through this lifestyle I’ve eavesdropped on more coffee mornings, watched more swimming lessons and attended more ballet classes than most

fathers. And it’s only just begun. I’m a Daddy first and a nanny second, a Danny or a Naddy if you will. I have seen the other side, and now it is time to reveal all for the benefit of those men who have proper jobs.

Having said that, not for a minute would I change being a Naddy. Given where we’ve been and where we're going, and to tweak that old sporting cliche, everything is about this time.

During the week Alex Payne is a Dad of two. At the weekends he dons make up and a suit and transforms into a presenter for Sky Sports.

babylondon.co.uk | SEPT/OCT 2014 | 87

Winter collection Call us on 0871 423 5656 or visit us at www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk Visit one of our London stores: Balham, Battersea, Blackheath, Chelsea Green, Chiswick, Crouch End, Dulwich, Muswell Hill, Putney, Stoke Newington, Westbourne Grove, West Hampstead and Wimbledon.

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A month in

Manhattan CH RISTMAS ABROAD IS DEFIANT FOR TH E YOU NG FR EE AN D SINGLE, SO N EW YOR K WITH A TODDLER IN TOW COU LD BE A CHALLENGE TOO FAR , PEN NY WATSON SHAR E S H ER TR AVEL TRUTH S

146 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

TRAVEL

ith my husband on sabbatical and our home mid-renovation and inhabitable, we decided that a month in New York would be a pretty fun way to spend an extended Christmas break.

We’d been before as carefree 20 and 30-somethings but this was our first big trip with our son Kit as a toddler (20 months) and the opportunity we’d always craved – to really get under the skin of the city.

We took the plunge and cashed in all of our air miles and flew business class to JFK Airport, much to the delight of our fellow travellers of course; the looks on faces as we boarded our red-eye flight were wholly entertaining, almost worth the trip alone.

Needless to say, Kit held it together and flight dramas were avoided with the help of kind air stewards, a sticker book and a dozen new episodes of Peppa Pig. It would be showing off to add that I might even have watched a movie once Kit eventually slept.

We decided to continue the luxe theme for the first couple of days and spent two nights being a bit spoilt at Soho House NY. Having previously stayed at the hotel when we were childless young(er)sters, it was a very different experience – for starters, we had never before been up and waiting for breakfast to happen by 7am – but adjusting to the new time zone and leaving London life behind was made really easy with all that the hotel and Meatpacking District had to offer. And so we mooched, ate and drank our way into our New York adventure.

We hotfooted it to Park Slope, Brooklyn, for a super fun and relaxed no-family-drama style Christmas with some of our loveliest friends and their four-year-old twin girls.

At this point, New York got really, really cold. Polar Vortex cold. We’d been expecting it and had packed accordingly, but we still weren’t prepared. Seeing the

W

distressing effects of Kit getting cold, we were forced to spend a small fortune on getting him Arctic-ready – all brilliantly useless things as soon as we landed back in Stoke Newington a month later – before hiring a giant US-sized wagon and heading Upstate for a week over New Year.

If we had any London hangover remaining, a week in the Catskill Mountains marked the end of it. We explored, played games, built fires, opened new cookbooks and learned to live without our phones. The Brooklyn gang joined us for New Year frolics and with their arrival came the snow. Forced indoors for a couple of days when a light dusting turned into a ‘state emergency’, we ate what we had and drank what we could.

It couldn’t have worked out better.

Then it was back to NY and Carroll Gardens where, thanks to some brilliant advice from New York-savvy friends and a little luck with airbnb, we holed up in a brownstone for the rest of our stay and pretended we were locals. Aside from us being the only quiet couple in a park full of loudly praising and openly competitive parents, we like to think we made the transition quite nicely.

I guess it’s at this point I confess that our idyllic-sounding New York trip didn’t come without its problems. Our first night in the brownstone required a swift retreat to our lovely friends’ home in Park Slope while the owners removed all traces of its previous, messy inhabitants. And Kit just didn’t want to sleep – at night time at least.

So, back in the thick of it, we decided to turn our son’s huge daytime naps into eating opportunities. My husband and I are a greedy pair – he owns restaurants, I PR them, and we like to eat. A lot. By chance, we also discovered that lunchtime cocktails really helped to ease our own tiredness.

BITES OF THE APPLE

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

TAKING YOU ON THE TOP TODDLER TRAIL...

FOR COFFEE PITSTOPS Jack’s Stir Brew | jacksstirbrew.com Smith Canteen | smithcanteen.com FOR BABY-FRIENDLY EATS Lafayette | lafayetteny.com Locanda Verde | locandaverdenyc.com Marlow & Sons | marlowandsons.com

FOR FAMILY DAYS OUT MoMA | moma.org Prospect Park | prospectpark.org The High Line | thehighline.org FOR A NIGHT’S STAY Soho House | sohohouseny.com Ace Hotel | acehotel.com/newyork

Penny and Kit, bundled up to combat the New York winter, set off to explore the city toddler-style.

While evenings out were an odd treat thanks to having local playmates and occasional access to one of their babysitters, long lunches (a thing of our pre-parent past) suddenly became possible again. Having already got the low-down on our new locale before settling in, we quickly found our favourite coffee shop and became regulars at Frankies Spuntino 457, Franny’s and Seersucker – and Kit got used to waking up in restaurants and joining us mid-feast. Lunch with a cool, bachelor pal at Marlow & Son’s in Williamsburg was even a triumph, thanks to being preceded by a particularly wakeful night.

We’d been warned that Manhattan’s restaurants weren’t that child-friendly but that really wasn’t the case. From chilled local spots in Lower East Side to Lafayette and Locanda Verde, we ate our way round the island. And when it got too cold for wrapped-up walks between restaurants, we explored the city’s galleries. MoMA and its child-wary security guards were brilliant.

We approached the trip with an open mind, as well as a great deal of excitement.

We took a slightly maverick approach and the worst really never happened, in fact it pulled us out of our comfort zone, something we were grateful for once home. Our New York with toddler-in-tow mission was complete, and this Christmas certainly won’t be as much of an adventure.

For more travel stories go to babylondon.co.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 147

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E V E RY I S SU E W E H I G H L I G H T T H E B E S T T R AV E L O P T I O N S FO R CH I L D - F R I E N D LY H O L I DAYS WO R L DWI D E

WONDERLAND

travel news

An Alpine

With the peak ski season looming, it’s time to head to the hills… well mountains. And with the launch of one of this year’s most lavish destinations, luxury company Consensio has grabbed our attention. Enhancing its impressive portfolio with the introduction of what is being heralded as this season’s most opulent new chalet, Chalet Mont Blanc is located in the quintessentially French resort of Megève in the French Alps and the Consensio Little Concierge is on hand to ensure your little one will enjoy every minute on the mountains, too. consensioholidays.co.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 149

TRAVEL NEWS

A Beautiful

BOLTHOLE Set within the grounds of the Blenheim Palace Estate, Water Meadow Cottage is an exquisite spot for a small family to enjoy a luxurious rural retreat. This traditional 18th century cottage boasts an ultra luxe boutique hotel suite and mini guests will be royally treated too, with a generous stock of high-quality toys, books and games, as well as useful nursery gear. babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk

The World at Your Fingertips Our friends over at Smith Hotels love to keep booking holidays simple, so it was music to our ears to hear they’ve launched a free app for iPad and iPhone. The app features all the hotels in their Mr & Mrs Smith and Smith & Family collection. Use the search function on the app to sort by collections of hotels, one of which (and our favourite) is Child-Friendly.

Browse, book or simply daydream about some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. mrandmrssmith.com

150 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

WIN A FIVE-STAR CORNISH BREAK Konfidence, the baby and child swimwear company, has teamed up with Helsbury Park in Cornwall, to offer one lucky family a seven-day holiday in a five-star luxury farmhouse or converted barn.

Located in the heart of north Cornwall, Helsbury Park is the ideal base for families to explore all that Cornwall has to offer. All of their holiday cottages are family and dog-friendly, and privately situated in 100 acres of unspoilt woodland and open pasture. Don’t forget to dip into their stunning 15m pool while you’re there.

Plus, to make sure the holiday goes swimmingly, the lucky winner will also receive a £100 Konfidence voucher.

From baby swimwear to swim jackets and floatsuits, sun protection gear to funky wetsuits, Konfidence has covered every corner. This way you will have all you’ll need for your little ones to enjoy the gorgeous pool or the plentiful nearby sandy beaches.

The fabulous prize is for a family of up to six and can be taken at any time in 2015, subject to availability. konfidence.co.uk | helsburypark.co.uk To enter, visit babylondon.co.uk/competitions Competition closes 22 December at 11.59pm

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babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 151

Mountain

HIGH

AIN ’ T N O MOU NTAIN TOO HIGH – IN TH E SPANISH PYR EN EE S – PROVED MUM- OF-T WO LISA CARTER WH EN FACED WITH CLIM BING PICO AN E TO FOR H ER CHARIT Y OF CH OICE

Posing for the obligatory selfie high up on the Portillon Ridge

152 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

aving supported the Kids Company charity for a year or so, I always keep a keen eye on their newsletters. Back in May I spotted an invitation to join them on a fundraising challenge to conquer the highest mountain in the Spanish Pyrenees, Pico Aneto. The two-day autumn ascent promised glorious weather and a sprinkling of snow on the glacier – meaning ice axes, crampons and ropes would be necessary. The second day’s climb would begin by torchlight as we headed for the gullies and then onto the eventual steep traverse to the peak.

The last time I’d done any serious hiking was five years ago in Nepal, but I had never actually climbed a mountain. In the brief it said: ‘Intermediate fitness levels required’.

I play regular tennis and attend fitness classes, so that sounded fine to me, and before I knew it I had signed up. Suddenly the summer holidays, usually a time reserved for lounging around in the sun, involved vigorous tennis, brisk walks, horse riding, jogging and the odd spinning class. I did my best to take it all in my stride, however, and as the climb approached, I felt fairly confident about my fitness levels.

Even more suddenly the day of the trip, 26 September, was upon me. At 5am we departed Gatwick on an EasyJet flight to Toulouse where we were met by a representative from Warthog travel

H

company. A four-hour minibus ride followed, stopping to pick up our guide John Howie, and we were eventually dropped off at around 4pm in, what I would describe as, a beautiful car park at the foot of the mountains in Benasque. With little hesitation we heaved our weighty rucksacks onto our backs (we had been advised to travel in our walking boots) and embarked on a fast but fairly flat 20-minute march, setting the pace for the trip. After stopping briefly for a coffee – on the advice of John who clearly thought we needed a kick-start – we set off again, buzzing with caffeine, for the ‘gentle, two hour part of the walk’ heading to the Refugio Renclusa, 2,140m up.

The aim was to arrive in time for supper at 7pm, so off we went, following John at a race of knots. This ‘gentle walk’ would have been better described as an intense, up-hill, rock scramble that lasted for about three hours.

When we finally reached the refuge, I felt the first tingle of achievement. The walk we’d just done was harder than any I’d done for years. The air was fresh and clear and the sun was just starting to sink behind the miles of beautiful Pyrenean mountains. Any pain or strain was forgotten; I felt amazing and was ready to face the big challenge.

After a quick supper of sausage stew and a couple of glasses of red wine, we retired to our dorms where we unpacked, got organised for the next day and crashed out,

TRAVEL

PHOTOGRAPHY: LISA CARTER & PROMETHEUS72 SHUTTERSTOCK

ready for another early wake-up call. At 5am the next morning we strapped on our head-torches, slung on our rucksacks and headed into the icy cold darkness. The stars were still twinkling above us and the air smelt of rivers and vegetation as we marched quietly up a steep, rocky path for an hour or so, watching the morning light slowly started to glow from behind the mountain-tops.

The stretch ahead was to prove more difficult than I could have imagined, requiring

stopped for another snack. I looked down at what we’d scaled so far: a huge expanse of blinding white rock, steeper than I could ever have imagined I could climb, and there was just the one peak looming above us, Pico Aneto. We moved off again quickly so as not to stiffen up, but my heart sank when I looked around the corner and saw another boulder field leading to the Aneto Glacier.

Focus and stamina were what was needed to continue. John expertly coaxed us on for

MY BODY STARTED TO TENSE AS IT WENT AGAINST ALL INSTINCT TO STAND ON BLACK ICE. IF I WAS TO FALL I WOULD TUMBLE FOR MILES a great deal of strength and balance as we had to stride between bigger rocks up an incredibly steep slope. Three hours in, I started feeling very tired, weak and daunted by the never-ending boulders ahead of me.

But there was no stopping until we’d reached the Portillon Ridge 2,900m above us.

Eventually, most of us short of breath and light-headed, we reached the ridge where we

another hour until we crossed the next ridge, and were met with a change of terrain.

We were now on the side of a very steep, icy glacier. John helped us to attach crampons to our walking boots. I felt desperately tired but motivated by the change of ground and glimmering peak of the mountain ahead of us. John started to walk across the 60 degree angle of snow and

ice, but my body started to tense up as it went against all instinct to stand on black ice at that angle. If I was to fall, I would tumble miles, with only my ice axe to dig in and hang onto. John coerced me into trying to relax and trust the crampons, but my legs were so tired it was hard not to stumble. Having traversed the ice, we headed straight up hill, to rope-up at the top, and walk across an icy ridge, using every last bit of energy to climb up the steep summit ridge.

We ploughed on over more rocks and boulders finally reaching the highest point in the Pyrenees, Pico Aneto at 3,404m. I was on top of the world. I’d achieved my goal. And raised £4,000 for Kids Company. Mission very much accomplished. bl For more on Kids Company, the charity that supports vulnerable inner-city children in London and Bristol, go to kidsco.org.uk.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 153

DEVELOPMENT

mum'sTHE WORD

WE GE T BY WITH A LIT TLE H ELP FROM OU R MUM PR EN EU R S

W

KENSINGTON MUMS

Launching in November, this clever new website brings everything pregnancy, birth and baby-related conveniently under one umbrella. From the best spas for pregnancy massage to where to find the right doula or fitness class for you – as well as all manner of baby activities, of course – Bump & Bliss have it covered. Founded by Tara Idiegbe Lajumoke, Harvard graduate and mother of three boys under three (including twins), the site is foolproof: find a service, refine your results, view all the useful information such as reviews, price, location – and book in a few clicks.

“I went through two pregnancies while juggling a career in the City, with little knowledge of vital services that could have helped me,” says Tara, “I know how much of a difference it can make to have help at your fingertips.” bumpandbliss.com

154 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

MATCH UP MUMS Spreading the net a little further than your nearest antenatal class or NCT group is this recently-launched site which uses personality-profiling to introduce like-minded mums across the capital. Founded by Londoner Megan Butler, Match Up Mums finds out where you live, the age of your children, your likes and dislikes and lots more. You then receive an email inviting you to a group gathering where, hopefully, you’ll hit it off with one or more members. Choose a joining fee – Gold (from £25) puts you in touch with six other members or the free Bronze option allows you to benefit from the profiling without matching you up with other mums initially. matchupmums.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: CAPTURED BY JULIANA

BUMP & BLISS

Set up by Dina Maktabi three years ago, this Royal Borough collective has established itself as one of the most supportive online networks for mothers in London.

With regular events, from chocolate tastings at Hotel Chocolat to a presence at Ascot this year, its members have become quite the fixture on the mother and baby social circuit. Dina and her mums, who include Tamara Beckwith, also organised an exhibition about motherhood which opened last year, and is now touring. Props include emergency numbers, like a 24 hour pharmacy, on the listings page. Testimonials to Dina on the site praise her passion and commitment to running the virtual club.

Register online to receive e-newsletters and invitations. kensingtonmums.co.uk

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FEATURE

Bosom buddies?

IN AN E X TR AC T FROM H ER N EW BOOK , FOU N DER OF COOL COLLEC TIVE MOTH ER S M EE TING JEN NY SCOT T SHAR E S H OW SH E CAM E TO DISCOVER THAT BR E AST ISN ’ T ALWAYS BE ST

hen I gave birth to Sonny, I thought breastfeeding would be a walk in the park. I mean, women had been doing it since the dawn of time, right? How hard could it be? At the very least it was going to give me a guilt-free few hours everyday while slobbing out in front of the TV. What an absolutely amazing mother I’d be, feeding a brand-new little person with my very own bazookas.

Wow, was I in for a shock. The latching on, the pumping, the constant thirst, the fear of whipping your puppies out in public (my first experience involved me sobbing under a blanket in a National Trust café, with two lovely OAPs egging me on), the constant cycle of waking up every couple of hours, the excruciating pain of cracked nipples and feeling as though your boobs (aka udders) are about to combust at any point. The leaking, the bloody breast pump, the feeling of ecstasy when you have managed to pump two millilitres of liquid gold. Put it this way, breastfeeding was not quite what I had expected it would be.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I started to look online for some friendly advice on the subject – now that was a big mistake. I don’t think I have ever Googled a topic with so many opinionated and aggressive women up in arms. I was totally gob-smacked; not only about the huge amount of pressure and guilt that was

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being heaped upon new mums, but I couldn’t believe how many mums felt terrible shame that either they could not breastfeed due to medical reasons, or simply through choice.

This was a debate with vastly varied opinions, as well as medical and cultural

differences. By the time I had started researching this topic online I was absolutely exhausted from trying to do ‘the best’ for my son by breastfeeding, and the sheer volume of negative comments made me feel even more depressed and useless. After a few hours I randomly saw the light at the

I REALISED THAT I WAS REALLY UNHAPPY BREASTFEEDING, I ACTUALLY DIDN’T LIKE ANY SINGLE PART OF IT babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 157

FEATURE

BREASTFEEDING SURVIVAL GUIDE 1 DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP Just after giving birth you will be extremely emotional and tired, so go easy on yourself.

2 DO WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU At the end of the day, you can trawl a billion helpful breastfeeding blogs, read hundreds of textbooks, but you have to do what makes you happy.

3 WINNING FORMULA Feeding your baby formula is not a crime, and it is no one else’s business.

4 THERE’S MUCH MORE TO COME Motherhood is laden with guilt and every month there’s a new obstacle, it just so happens breastfeeding is one of the first!

PHOTOGRAPHY: OLIVIA HOWITT

5 MOTHERS UNITED Keep your head up and never judge another mama for their choice of feeding. We are all in the same boat and we all have to stick together.

end of the tunnel. I realised that I was really unhappy breastfeeding, I actually didn’t like any single part of it. I really wanted to, and I really did try my hardest for two months, but it was making me miserable. So that weekend I went out for the first time since becoming a mum. I went to a rave in a Peckham warehouse and I’m ashamed for saying so, but I got really drunk. I think I showed photos of my new baby boy to every single person I encountered. The day after that night out was the day I decided to pack in breastfeeding and yep, I used the alcohol as my excuse. Now I look back and realise how silly I was for thinking that I needed an excuse to give it up, I should have just done so because it didn’t feel right. Not because I felt like I was letting the millions of angry mums on forums get the better of me. bl How to be a Hip Mama Without Losing Your Cool, £12.99, Hardie Grant

158 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

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babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 159

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

THE SEDUCTIVE

Strawberry 2 THIS ISSUE ICANDY’S STR AWBERRY 2 HAS TICKLED OUR TASTE BUDS ow in its second generation we welcome the oh-so-palatable Strawberry 2 to the market… and this news has really excited our senses.

British brand iCandy have taken the widely acclaimed Strawberry and added further improved modifications. Boasting innovation, those pioneering designers at iCandy have been busy adding all the ingredients to make the perfect pushchair.

One of the features that’s made us go weak at the knees is their truly state-ofthe-art seat frame. As music to parents’ ears, the improved seat frame can be used for both the seat unit and carrycot, by simply popping-in and out the carrycot and seat unit fabrics when required. And even better, by removing the patented carrycot which folds flat, the storage of the pushchair and accessories is

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The Strawberry 2 is available in six flavour packs.

Each comes with a hood, carrycot apron, seat liner and harness pads

160 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

made even more compact.

Suitable from birth and overnight sleeping, the lie-flat carrycot is positioned higher and closer to the parent to promote interaction in those special early months, while also relieving any back niggles when lifting your little one out of this dream machine.

This award-winning pushchair continues to offer unique iCandy patents such as the incredibly intelligent Memory™ auto alignment, which amazingly remembers the recline position – so even after it has been folded the pushchair will automatically open in the same position.

With user-friendly handling, the unique one-hand Step & Stand Fold™ system provides swift collapsing, a miracle for any parent. Once compactly folded, the versatile Strawberry is freestanding to carry and store in the tightest of spaces. The folded Strawberry can also be wheeled around, for maximum manoeuvrability when not in use.

And just in time for Christmas shopping, the under basket storage has been increased from 23l to an impressive 31l, holding up to 5kg. Their trusty four wheel suspension with lockable front swivel wheels now means you can whizz around any terrain from city corners to Christmas walks

in the country. A first for iCandy, the lightweight chassis is available in super sleek matt black or chrome, weighing just 8kg.

Pushing the boundaries even further, the seat unit can now hold a maximum weight of 25kg.

All you need to decide is what flavour steals your heart and there’s a whole host of flavour packs to choose from: Anthracite (sleek black), Dune (sand dune), Smoothie (pastel pink), Lush (scarlet red), Pacific (sea blue) or Prism (deep purple)?

Leaving no stone unturned, iCandy’s Strawberry 2 is a captivating choice.

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The Strawberry 2 is available this winter and costs £550. The Strawberry bundle includes chassis, seat unit (frame and fabrics), carrycot fabrics, car seat adaptors, universal raincover and bumper bar to fit both carrycot and seat unit. The flavour pack comes with an interchangeable hood, carrycot apron, seat liner and harness chest pads.

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The PRESTO study – a research study for babies with cow’s milk allergy (CMA) Infants and young children with Cow’s Milk Allergy (CMA) need to take a special diet free from cow’s milk and take a special milk-free infant formula to provide all the nutrients needed for healthy growth.

Nutricia Research are conducting a research study across several Paediatric Allergy Clinics globally which will compare a special milk-free infant formula to a new version of the same formula to see if it can strengthen the infant’s immune system.

Your baby may be suitable to take part in this study if he/she has (or is likely to have) CMA, is 12 months of age or younger and weighed more than 2.5 kg at birth. If your baby is breast fed you may be able to take part in this study if your baby can take the required amount of study formula.

If you choose to take part, your baby will receive one of the study formulas for one year and your baby will need to attend the clinic after 6 and 12 months for some assessments by the doctor and study nurse. The study also includes follow-up visits to the clinic once a year for 2 years.

If you are interested in finding out more about the study and whether your baby may be suitable, please contact the research team (details below) who will be very happy to talk to you about the study.

Dr. Adam Fox, St. Thomas Hospital London Study coordinator: 0207 188 9783 Prof. John Warner, Imperial College London Study coordinator: 020 33121 449 or 079 66 200 403 Dr. Lee Noimark, The Royal London Hospital Study coordinator: 0203 594 1455

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FEATURE

SMALL FIONA BAR RY TAKE S N EW PAR ENTS TH ROUGH TH EIR CHILD’S FIR ST WOR DS AN D H OW TO AID L ANGUAGE DEVELOPM ENT

talk

t’s always an exciting milestone when your baby starts using their first real words. Where once you had a babbling buddy, gradually your child becomes an apprentice conversationalist and there’s never a dull moment! This tends to happen when they’re one but can happen anywhere between 10-18 months.

I

✽

In order for these words to come, a baby has to babble first. In the early months baby will vocalise using mainly vowel sounds. ✽

Between five to seven months this will turn into babble when consonant sounds start emerging like ‘p’, ‘b’, ‘m’ and ‘w’ and are combined with vowels, for example “ba ba” or “muh muh”.

✽

By eight to nine months this becomes more complex when different consonant sounds are used strung-together like “da ba’ or “wuh guh” – this is know as variegated babble.

✽

By 10 months babies really get going with this and sound like they are chatting away in their own language. Another adorable stage.

What to expect Every child is different and will develop language skills at their own pace, but children tend to have around four to six words at 15 months and this rises to about 20 words at 18 months. These are usually simple but functional words such as “mummy”, “dog” and “juice”. They will not be pronounced correctly and may be understood only by mum and dad initially. Alongside these words a child aged 12 to 18 months will also typically: ✽

✽

Follow very simple instructions when accompanied by lots of visual cues. Try “Give me the book” when you’re looking at the book and holding out your hand.

Point and gesture to get their message across such as holding their arms up and vocalising when they want to be picked up, or pointing at a snack in the fridge.

As a baby experiments with sounds in this way it’s important that dummies are kept to sleep time only from eight months onwards and gone completely by 12 months, as the dummy can inhibit this important sound play.

What can you do?

Parents are the key to helping a child develop communication skills. Small changes in the way parents interact with their baby can have a huge impact on how language develops. Here are some simple tips:

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

✽

Start to understand some frequently used words such as “ball”, “mummy”, “drink” and be able to point to familiar people and objects when prompted, such as “daddy”, “car”, “cup”.

Engage in simple pretend play like pretending to drink from a toy cup.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 163

FEATURE

✽

Comment on your baby’s actions using single words. Repeat words often as children learn words with repetition.

Try using the same words for routines such as bathtime and nappy changing, that way baby hears the same words over and over again.

✽

Follow your child’s interests and talk about what they enjoy, event if this is turning the tap on and off at the sink or watching next door’s cat through the window.

✽

Use lots of fun words like animal noises like “moo” or “baa”, or transport sounds: “whee” or “brum”. These sounds are simple and easy for children to copy.

✽

Remember that we’re not expecting to hear perfectly pronounced words so your child may be attempting words but you are missing them. Try to interpret any vocalisations so if they say “ah” when looking at the car you say, “Yes it’s the car.

Clever you”. This gives baby the right model of the word but also praises their attempt which encourages them to try the word again – before you know it this becomes a real and consistently used word.

Anything else? [

Cut down on asking questions such as: “What’s that?”. It’s more helpful if you label the item yourself and baby will learn the word in this way.

✽

Create daily opportunities where your baby has to communicate with you, rather than pre-empting what you think they want. For example offer choices with snacks: “Do you want apple or banana?” hold up the two items and wait for baby to point or look at their choice, then give them the item saying, “Apple. You want apple”.

Your baby becomes a budding conversationalist and there’s never a dull moment

✽

✽

Use toys which need adult help to work them, for example wind-up toys or bubbles.

Set the toy going or blow the bubbles, then stop and wait for your child to ask for more in their own way.

This may be with eye contact or pointing, initially. Model useful words such as “more” or “again” each time and soon they will use the words too.

164 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

✽

Songs are great for helping first words.

Sing nursery and action rhymes with your child and leave the last word off the end of each line like this: “Twinkle twinkle little...”, wait for you child to join in either with babble or with an action, praise them and then carry on with the next part of the song. sing natural gesture or signing is also U helpful. When you point to what you are talking about, or use a hand gesture for the word as you say it, this makes your language more visual for baby and easier for them to pick up.

What if nothing works?

Remember that there is a wide range of what is considered typical development, but

if your child is not saying around 20 single words by 18 months then as well as the tips just described, also try the following: ✽

Speak to your health visitor or GP about getting you baby’s hearing checked as young children often get fluctuating hearing loss with ear infections and this can disrupt language learning.

✽

Get rid of the dummy and introduce open cup drinking, if you’ve not done so already, as this will help with the oromotor skills needed for speech. Limit bottles to bedtime only.

✽

Ask your local speech and language therapy team for advice.

Find out more: TalkingTipsForKids.com

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EDUCATION

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TH E L ATE ST N EWS IN TH E WOR LD OF EDUCATION

Well Read: Campaigning for a Head Start A report by Literacy Changes Lives found that low levels of reading ability are exacerbated by poverty – making individuals more vulnerable to social inequality and a lack of mobility. Read On. Get On. campaigners are taking action, arguing that if we don’t act now, over the next decade almost 1.5 million children will start secondary school unable to read well, with negative consequences for their futures.

The Read On. Get On. petition urges all political parties to support their aim of creating a nation of strong readers by 2025. To lend your voice to the cause go to: literacytrust.org.uk/read_on_get_on_petition

TOP SURVIVAL TIPS If your pre-schooler is playing havoc in their older sibling’s homework time…

1 READ TOGETHER Encourage your older child to read to their younger sibling. The responsibility gives your older one a sense of maturity, while their sibling enjoys the story and doesn’t feel left out.

2 ROUTINE RULES Create a special ‘homework hour’ where the school-aged child and parent sit at the kitchen table with mugs of hot-chocolate as they work. Younger siblings will recognise that this is a special time and usually want to join in.

3 GET CREATIVE Encourage this interest by getting sticker books or colouring sheets for the younger sibling, so they feel included in the ‘homework hour’ gang.

4 REWARD HARD WORK Create a system where older siblings feel rewarded for working hard, such as sending the younger sibling to their grandparents while you treat your older child to a special one-to-one activity.

From the experts at TheSchoolRun.com

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 167

EDUCATION

PREVENT COUGHS AND COLDS

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

A new clinical trial published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that Fit for School, a new chewable probiotic for children from ProVen Probiotics, can prevent coughs and colds in three to six year olds.

The study found that children who took Fit for School were less likely to experience a cold and took fewer days off from school, with a 47% reduction in school absenteeism due to coughs and colds. They also experienced milder symptoms when ill, being 40% less likely to be prescribed antibiotics by their doctor.

Available to buy from: provenprobiotics.co.uk

New research shows that children who sit down to eat dinner and talk with their family are far more confident communicators than those who don’t. The National Literacy Trust report also reveals that 26% children don’t have daily mealtime chat and almost 30% spend more time online or watching TV than talking to their family.

168 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

NEW RESEARCH BY THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST REVEALS THAT BOYS ARE 50% LESS LIKELY TO ENJOY WRITING THAN GIRLS AND ALMOST A THIRD NEVER, OR RARELY, WRITE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM A Matter of Mealtimes BACK TO BASICS Helping parents build sociable mealtimes, the latest book by takeanothermouthful.com is full of engaging stories directed towards encouraging children to

‘take another mouthful’.

The initiative aims to change the mealtime experience for all families, from an often nightmarish activity, to a time that parents and children can look forward to.

TV MAKES YOU FAT Up to 70% of households don’t eat dinner together at the table, instead eating in front of the television.

This is one of the primary factors in the increase of childhood obesity.

For For boys boys aged aged 33 to to 88 years years old old For boys aged 3 to 8 years old For boys aged 3Street to 8 years old 27 Edge 27 Edge Street Kensington, London 7PN 27 Edge StreetW8 Kensington, London W8 7PN Tel: 020London 7727 9090 Kensington, W8 7PN Tel: 7727 9090 27020 Edge Street Fax: 020 7727 9090 9988 Tel: 020 7727 Fax: 020London 7727 9988 Kensington, W8 7PN Fax: 020 7727 9988 Tel: 020 7727 9090 Fax: 020 7727 9988

Independent Day School for Girls from 4 -18 years Queen’s Gate School offers girls a friendly, supportive environment, where individuality is nurtured, academic standards are high and where a broad based curriculum ensures a well rounded education.

For a prospectus, or to make a private visit to the School, please contact the Registrar Miss Janette Micklewright, on 020 7594 4982 or email, registrar@queensgate.org.uk Queen’s Gate Junior School 125-126 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LJ

Queen’s Gate Senior School 131-133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE

www.queensgate.org.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 169

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A SELEC TION OF LOCAL AC TIVITIE S FOR YOU AN D YOU R LIT TLE ON E

classes Groups

Fun, Fitness and Music Classes for Babies and Toddlers

172 NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Weekly classes are held in Chiswick, Chelsea, Kew, Wandsworth, Parsons Green and Swiss Cottage Amanda’s Action Club offers unique and stimulating active music sessions for babies and toddlers. Using their own modern nursery rhymes and versatile props, they provide endless interactive activities.

At Amanda’s Action Club their motto is ‘We dance, we sing, we learn through the music and most importantly of all, we have fun!’. See their website for further information and to find a class near you. e: info@amandasactionclub.co.uk t: 01895 623999 amandasactionclub.co.uk

Kiddikicks – as Soon as You Can Walk, You Can Play Football!

The very best football coaching for toddlers and children aged from 18 months up to seven years. The classes are unique as they involve the whole family by encouraging parent participation. Join the fun and see your child score a hat-trick of football, fitness and fun with Kiddikicks Football Classes!

Birthday party, private and holiday classes, nursery and after school sessions also available. Kiddikicks is now available to franchise – contact us now to change your life. Sign up today to receive your player’s free kit (registration fees apply). e: info@kiddikicks.co.uk t: 020 7937 7965 kiddikicks.co.uk

The Best Children’s Sports Club in Town!

Classes in Battersea, Brook Green, Chiswick, Ealing, Fulham, Knightsbridge and Kensington Discover your toddlers’ sporting talent at The Little Foxes Club. Children from 18 months gain new skills and confidence through playing sports. Their fun, active sessions run all year round, both indoors and outdoors.

Classes are age-specific which encourages even the shyest child to make new friends. Parents can relax and watch their child’s motor skills develop amidst joy and laughter.

Come rain or shine, going to the park has never been so much fun! e: info@thelittlefoxesclub.com t: 020 7376 0006 thelittlefoxesclub.com

Birth and Parenthood MyHealthcare Clinic, Commodore House, Juniper Dr, London SW18 1TW Learn everything you need to know as you plan for your baby’s birth and the early days of parenthood. Taught by a team of experts who are also parents, their small inclusive teaching groups provide the best learning environment.

The course covers both natural and assisted deliveries, baby care demonstrations and baby first aid. Classes are run on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9.30pm and sessions are for couples only, taking place at MyHealthcare Clinic, Battersea Reach. Postnatal care is available with feeding specialist, physiotherapist and GP. t: 07940 589 021 theprenatalclassroom.com

GROUPS + CLASSES

Award-winning and Interactive Classes

Nurturing a Lifetime of Music

Gymboree’s commitment to quality is unsurpassed and every day thousands of parents and carers across the UK choose them because they want the best for themselves and their children. The team have a simple goal: to provide the best Play and Learn, Art and Music classes for newborn to five year olds in the world!

With over 33 years of experience, their classes and activities are based on a blend of early childhood development theories, complemented by years of hands-on experience.

Gymboree’s tried-and-tested formula with physical, social, sensory and imaginary elements make for 45 minutes of fun, challenging and age-appropriate activities – helping your little ones through crucial early stages. Themes, props and set-ups change frequently.

Members also get exclusive access to Open Gym free play sessions at their site.

Little ones can bring any adult along with them to play in a clean, colourful and safe environment with purpose-built equipment. Art classes start from 18 months and let children be the artist.

Self-expression and creativity are inspired by painting, drawing, printing and more.

Music classes run from six months, using a global mix of language and genres from ‘the classics’ to more modern sounds.

Sensory Baby Play classes start from newborn and feature sensory and physical stimulation from a varied mix of props and activities. Little ones become attentive and interested in their growing understanding of the world with songs, tactile play, physical games and more.

Free trial classes available at: Bayswater and Notting Hill, Bromley, Chiswick, Clapham, Docklands, Ealing, East Dulwich, Hampstead, Harrow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Putney, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. gymboree-uk.com

Award-winning pre-school music classes for children aged three months to four years. Monkey Music has 20 years’ experience of providing entertaining classes that captivate both children and adults with a combination of catchy songs, activities, percussion instruments and props. Monkey Music’s progressive curriculum encourages children to grow in confidence, improve listening, communication and concentration skills, and make new friends. Classes are offered in Putney, Barnes, Parsons Green, Fulham, Chelsea, Gloucester Road, Belgravia, Kensington, Notting Hill, Primrose Hill and Hampstead. Check their website for a full timetable and book your complimentary session. monkeymusic.co.uk

Water Babies This is the UK’s leading baby swimming company offering innovative baby swimming classes across London, taught by world-class instructors.

Babies love being in water – so they have fun learning life-saving skills. Swimming from birth is natural, after all, they’ve just spent nine months in the womb! Water Babies’ multi-award-winning programme is structured yet gentle, centred around the needs of each child. And their results speak for themselves. “Our classes have saved at least eight children from drowning”. t: NW London 020 8427 4012 t: NE London 020 8989 4821 t: N London 020 3617 8823 t: SE London 020 8858 5242 t: SW London 020 7585 1510 waterbabies.co.uk

Drama Sessions for Early Years Children and Children with Special Needs Theatre Tots work in schools, nurseries and children’s centres providing weekly sessions. Their shows tour three times a year and they provide trained drama support and BSL signers for classes and events. They publish their original stories and CDs. ‘The not-so-scary cactus’ and ‘The star that lost its twinkle’ are now available online and in selected book stores with another eight books to follow over the next two years.

Theatre Tots have a licence running in China through IBest education and two branches in the USA in Pennsylvania and New York.

Call Laura on: 07801 072776 e: info@theatretots.com theatretots.com

Maggie & Rose’s Wonderful Classes are Simply the Best!

Clubs in Kensington and Chiswick Maggie & Rose classes are adapted so little ones from just three months old can take part. Join the ‘food fairies’ in their cookery schools, toddle into the Art Studios and sing at the top of your lungs! Enjoy their newly-renovated Kensington club or try out Maggie & Rose in Chiswick – it’s an amazing 12,500 square foot space, complete with café, soft play lounge, cinema snug, roof terrace, Boogie Bus for the big kids and even a Village Nursery. The adventures are endless, the skills learnt are invaluable.

Maggie & Rose is where childhood memories begin! t: 020 7371 2200 Kensington t: 020 8994 7211 Chiswick maggieandrose.com

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What is Little House of Science?

Age 3-8

Weekly science workshops in Central London for kids (3-8 years) where they learn about Life, Earth & Physical science. A place for children to learn, experiment, explore & play!

What is Little Maths, Rhythm & Shapes about?

Age 2-3 Age 3-4

Weekly classes present an exciting concept for kids aged 2-3 & 3-4 years to begin their journey with numbers, with a combination of music, shapes and colours to aid the learning process.

Locations in London: SW3, SW10, SW6, W8, W11, W4

To register and for more information:

www.littlehouseofscience.com info@littlehouseofscience.com 0800 092 1062 facebook/littlehouseofscience

The Little London Music School The Little London Music School Introducing your child to the joytoof Introducing your child themusic joy of music

Comprehensive, structured & stimulating classically based music classes tailored for children 6 months - 5 years Tel: 07530 459 468 Email: info@thelittlelondonmusicschool.com Comprehensive, structured & stimulating classically based music classes tailored for children 6 months - 5 years www.thelittlelondonmusicschool.com

Tel: 07530 459 468 Email: info@thelittlelondonmusicschool.com NOTTING HILL • KNIGHTSBRIDGE • CHISWICK www.thelittlelondonmusicschool.com NOTTING HILL • KNIGHTSBRIDGE • CHISWICK

174 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

GROUPS + CLASSES

Expert Parenting Coaching and Advice for New Parents Informative local workshops for parents and parents-to-be, come along and learn in an informal and friendly environment while meeting other new and expectant parents. Using emotional coaching solutions and consultancy on practical parenting issues, The Parent and Baby Coach offers workshops on Preparing to become a Parent, Daddyto-be Classes, Baby Routine and Sleep and the Psychology of Babies’ first year.

The classes are held at various locations throughout London, workshops are popular with first time parents looking for some expert advice and to meet other parents in similar situations. t: 033 0660 0204 theparentandbabycoach.com

A Revolutionary Foreign Language and Music Programme Spanish or French classes are throughout London Can you imagine a programme for children where they combine learning music and a foreign language? Bilingual Beats’ specialist programme is uniquely designed to ensure musical and language skills develop together in a fun and creative way. The classes use live music, and children (0 to five years) learn to move rhythmically, sing, and develop listening and improvisation skills. Alongside they’ll acquire vocabulary and structures in a second language through playful and developmentally appropriate activities. e: info@bilingualbeats.com t: 07561 393 932 or 07809 411 650 bilingualbeats.com

The Little London Music School

The Nest

Knightsbridge, Kensington, Notting Hill, Chiswick The Little London Music School introduces your child to the joy of music and builds a foundation for learning an instrument. Specialising in classically based music, they offer classes and instrumental tuition for children aged from six months to five years.

Little London classes feature a tailor-made curriculum for each stage of your child’s development. With professional musicians, teachers and live orchestral instruments, their comprehensive, structured, and stimulating curriculum is designed to foster enjoyment and understanding of the fundamentals of music.

Free trial class. e: info@thelittlelondonmusicschool.com t: 07530 459 468 thelittlelondonmusicschool.com

Are you a new mum or mum-to-be?

Newly opened in St John's Wood, The Nest is a holistic mother and baby centre, offering a host of exercise classes including Pregnancy Yoga, Mum & Baby Ballet, Pregnancy Ballet (which helps strengthen your body and improve flexibility in preparation for birth).

Alongside, The Nest have a fantastic choice of pre and post-natal educational workshops such as HypnoBirthing, nutrition, parenting, and social events such as coffee mornings for like-minded mums, and breastfeeding drop-ins.

Upcoming events include an insightful Introducing Solid workshop , a practical Baby First Aid and a fun and very useful Christmas Personal Style workshop. e: info@thenestmaternity.co.uk t: 07807 882 519 t: 07717 434 029 thenestmaternity.co.uk

Not Just a Walk in the Park!

Being the original and largest buggy workout network in the UK, Buggyfit find the greatest trainers in the industry to ensure you get the best results while having loads of fun with a bunch of like minded mums by your side. This power walking class, with a mix of cardio and strengthening exercises is proving to be the answer to shifting postnatal weight and re-toning your body after giving birth. Effective, safe postnatal workout that burns fat, improves posture and strengthens core muscles while also being a one-hour social class with time to chat to other mums. All levels of fitness welcomed, it’s fun and baby comes too! * Beckenham and Bromley, Jane Bradshaw 07941 698 141 bradshort@virginmedia.com * Bushy Park (Teddington, Hampton and Kingston), Kate Smart kate.j.smart@gmail.com 07966 251 852 Ealing and Chiswick, Jo Martin * jo@jomartinfitness.co.uk 07958 239 991 * Hackney and Leyton/Walthamstow, (Pre and postnatal personal training also available) Thelma Mensah Thelma@after9fitness.com after9fitness.com 07957 451 694 Richmond Park (Kingston & * Richmond gates), Surbiton & New Malden Anna Coe anna@mumsinshape.co.uk mumsinshape.co.uk South Wimbledon, Raynes Park and * Morden, Gayle Moore gayle.moore@hotmail.co.uk * Wandsworth and Tooting Common and Wandsworth Park, Eliza Stuart elizadoalot@hotmail.com elizadoalot.com t: 07779 271 655 buggyfit.co.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 175

GROUPS + CLASSES

Mermaid Retreat 234a King’s Road, London SW3 5UA Mermaid offer a wide range of educational sessions for antenatal and postnatal mothers in their bright and welcoming “Sun Room”, situated in the heart of their inviting Retreat on the King’s Road. The Mermaid philosophy is rooted in providing exemplary care and support for mothers at all stages along their journey, with workshops covering a whole host of topics: Natural Birth Preparation; Caesarean Birth, Hypnotherapy for Birth; Breastfeeding; Sleep Routines; Mother and Baby Nutrition, and Paediatric First Aid. From 1 September Mermaid are launching brand new weekend and midweek retreat packages which condense the whole maternity preparation process into a luxury break. These are as much about receiving expert advice as they are about networking with like-minded mothers-to-be, enjoying fine à la carte dining, experiencing treatments in their Wellness Spa and enjoying the beautiful surroundings of their boutique maternity hotel. These experiences make the ideal gift for a pregnant friend or partner, or simply the sensible choice for busy professionals who want a complete premium experience with an unrivalled service.

Every day Mermaid run fitness classes covering a wide variety of sessions suitable for pregnant women and new mothers.

These include Pregnancy Pilates, Activemum, Barrecorre, Postnatal Yoga, Postnatal Pilates, Mother and Baby and Yoga and Baby massage. At all times their members can also book their baby crèche facility and have a meal or snack at their onsite Bistro.

For full class schedules and workshop timetables, or to find out more details about Mermaid’s complimentary smoothie or discounted first class offer for new members, please contact below. e: hello@mermaid.co.uk t: 020 7199 3220 mermaid.co.uk

176 NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

Little Maths, Rhythm and Shapes

Baby Wednesday at The Pottery Café

Is your little one a budding Einstein?

Why not encourage their natural curiosity and enthusiasm about the world by introducing them to Little House of Science’s fun-filled Little Maths Toddler workshops for children aged two to three years. The classes are aimed at building your child’s confidence with quantities and numbers from one to 10, and with the support of exciting themes, such as Sea World, Arctic Animals and Planets, as well as a stimulating mix of rhythm, music, shapes and colours. The session will be held in Chelsea from nine September over 10 weeks, on Tuesdays, 10-10.50am at Coppers Arms, Flood Street, SW3 5TB. e. info@littlehouseofscience.com t. 0800 092 1062 littlehouseofscience.com

Every Wednesday you can capture your little one’s tiny hand or footprint in a stunning piece of Emma Bridgewater Pottery at The Pottery Café. Or why not make your baby’s first bowl, mug or simply a beautiful treasured keepsake?

Knowledgeable staff will be on hand on the day to help create your beautiful piece of pottery and parents can also enjoy free tea and coffee.

There's buggy access and changing facilities available. Booking is advisable.

Fulham: 020 7736 2157 Battersea: 020 7223 3388 Richmond: 020 8744 3000 Follow the Pottery Café on Facebook for more family fun and activities: facebook.com/ potterycafelondon pottery-cafe.com

1-2-1 Swimming Sessions

Pre-natal and Post-natal workshops

City Swim Academy was started by a former team GB swimmer through Grange Hotels in London. It’s a unique Swim Academy as lessons are all 1-2-1 ensuring each individual receives full attention in a private luxurious environment. Offering sessions for children as early as four months, their instructors are ASA level two, lifeguard qualified and CRB checked and are committed to seeing each child reach their full potential. With over 20 years’ teaching experience, their ethos is that technique is the key to teaching to swim effortlessly. Book your first five lessons and you’ll receive the first free. e: enquiries@cityswimacademy.co.uk t: 07500 696 866 cityswimacademy.co.uk

Peace of mind from the start The Baby Academy offers pre-natal and post-natal workshops to parents in the comfort of their own home. Their workshops are designed to help and support new parents. They want to make the transition from being pregnant to becoming parents easier.

How can they help?

• Sleep training • Twins specialist • Post-natal parent coaching • Home consultations For further information please visit their site or email: e: vickie@thebabyacademy.co.uk t: 07811 218686 thebabyacademy.co.uk

classes held... across London

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The Enchanted

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SANTA SPECIALS S E E S A N TA O N A STEAM TRAIN!

Advance booking only!

CHRISTMAS HOUSE

...a truly magical Christmas treat for all the family

A

n unforgettable journey of awe, wonder and sheer delight for you and your children in a stunning theatrical setting with present making, dressing up, gingerbread decorating, fabulous Christmas play, puppet play, an audience with Santa Claus, gifts, festive food for all and much, much more….

’S FABULOUS RE! LONDON TU S ADVEN HRISTMA FAMILY C Enjoy the magic of a one hour steam train ride as Santa visits you at your seat with a gift for every child.

SANTA SPECIALS 6, 7, 13, 14, 20-24 DECEMBER FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK CLICKETY CLICK TO WWW.WATERCRESSLINE.CO.UK

www.enchantedhouse.net Tel: 0203 227 3200 Email: info@enchantedhouse.net

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 177

London

SHOPPING

Boutiques

A FIN E SELEC TION OF HAN D -PICKED LON DON BOUTIQU E S. H ER E’S OU R SHOPPING GUIDE

ilovegorgeous

T. 020 7229 5855 (LEDBURY ROAD) T: 020 7586 1552 (PRIMROSE HILL) 52 LEDBURY ROAD, LONDON W11 2AJ, 73 REGENT'S PARK ROAD, LONDON NW1 8UY ILOVEGORGEOUS.CO.UK

ilovegorgeous was created by designer duo Lucy Enfield and Sophie Worthington, both mothers of three with a background in fashion design and journalism.

With two stores, parents can enjoy their boutiques in Primrose Hill and Notting Hill. The stores are like stepping in to Aladdin’s cave, decorated in soft colours with the most beautiful, sparkly wallpaper – this is every girls (big or small) dream boutiques.

Accessorised with tables, mirrors and various curiosities collected by Lucy and Sophie on their travels the shop compliments the brands evident ethos: fun and

feminine, with a little sprinkle of sparkle too.

With a fascination for fabric the designer duo use cotton voile, sheer viscose chiffon, nets and lace to produce their pretty delicate and feminine collections. There is also a delicate knitwear range of classic cardigans and fine jumpers.

Both boutiques boast an eclectic quirky theme inside, but you’ll get a feel for the style before you have entered as the shop windows continue to be dressed with the most eye-catching, magical and fantastic displays – sure to catch the attention of even the most determined shopper.

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 179

The UK’s largest family The UK’s largest family portrait photographer

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SHOPPING

Rachel Riley

Nature's Purest Mini Raxevsky

Fashion is an ever-changing cycle, when trends dip in and out. Rachel Riley’s focal is maintaining her signature, the ultimate traditionallyinspired look for girls, boys, infants and ladies. And we’re spoilt in London with two Rachel Riley boutiques to choose from, both beautifully charming and gorgeously stocked. These boutiques are the perfect shopping destination when looking for something that little bit special.

82 MARYLEBONE HIGH STREET, W1U 4QW, 14 PONT STREET, SW1X 9EN

At Nature's Purest, which recently opened its doors in Balham, they pride themselves on ethical products. Their beautiful baby clothing, bedding, blankets, toys and gifts are made from organicallygrown, naturally-coloured cotton.

That means no harmful nasties on your baby’s precious skin. Baby will love to snuggle in their super-soft cotton and you will have peace of mind, knowing baby is safe, secure and looking beautiful.

78 BALHAM HIGH ROAD, SW12 9AG

Mini Raxevsky, today, has grown internationally, with an impressive 35 stores worldwide. The time has come to enjoy shopping Mini Raxevsky on London turf. Their beautiful Winter Collection of combines classic with chic, folk with modern, every day outfits with formal wear, all with a nod to International fashion. This beautiful fresh new store is so bright and airy, making your shopping experience a good one.

172 OLD BROMPTON ROAD, SW5 0AN

naturespurest.co.uk

mini-raxevsky.com

ASPACE

Chic Shack

Niddle Noddle

With eight stores in total, London’s lucky enough to home four of ASPACE’s boutiques (with shops in Westbourne Grove, Battersea, Chiswick and Fulham). For all of your interior needs, let us point you ASPACE’s direction. They have been furniture experts for over 20 years so are more than qualified when it comes to creating beautiful interiors.

We also love their fantastic selection bedding for boys and girls, alongside their amazing storage solutions.

STORES ACROSS LONDON

Inside this interior boutique, situated just five minutes away from Putney Bridge, you’ll find a wide range of beautiful painted furniture offering all the inspiration you could need for your baby’s nursery. Chic Shack offers innovative and exciting collections of furniture and accessories for the home, so when planning a child's nursery or bedroom it has to be a first port of call for London parents for ultra-chic interior inspiration.

77 LOWER RICHMOND ROAD, SW15 1ET | CHICSHACK.NET

Niddle Noddle began its life as an online shop four years ago, stocking unique labels that were hard to find in the UK. Now parents shouldn't face that problem as they launched their first shop just a year ago in Crouch End. In store you'll find an abundance of original handmade goodies from toys to knitwear. Let your childhood memories come alive with this adorable boutique. Not forgetting the favourite addition for mini-shoppers... their built-in slide.

5 TOPSFIELD PARADE, CROUCH END, N8 8PR | niddlenoddle.com

aspace.co.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 181

SHOPPING

CdeC

Blossom

Blue Almonds

Now, eight years on from the launch of CdeC by Cordelia de Castellane, the brand continues to impress us envious Brits craving continental fashion and yearning for our French fashion fix. A certain je ne sais quoi is more than apparent with their collections. With over 18 stores in total, London parents can enjoy their intimate and cosy Fulham store, and their more recent addition situated in the fruitfully fashionable location of Notting Hill.

0207 2294 910

The boutique for stylish new mums, mums-to-be and their little ones, Blossom Mother and Child describe themselves as your very own personal shopper and trusted girlfriend as you navigate the sartorial hurdles of pregnancy and new motherhood.

With a wide selection of the best maternity and bump-friendly clothes, Blossom does the hard work for you so all you have to do is relax and shop.

4TH FLOOR, HARRODS

Having recently moved into their brand new store at 164 Walton Street, the new Blue Almonds boutique is 60% bigger than the previous shop. Customers can still expect to find all their favourite fashion and interiors along with new-to-store labels including Spanish brand Paz Rodriguez, Olli Elli chairs and Italian cashmere from Masserano. Alongside their very first children’s collection with cashmere designer Madeleine Thompson.

164 WALTON STREET, SW3 2JL

cdec.fr/en/index.htm

blossommotherandchild.com

bluealmonds.co.uk

Just Williams

Huggle

Cashmirino

This family-run store recently opened its latest branch in Beckenham, which promises to deliver the same trove of treasures we have come to expect from this high quality toy shop. Packed with games, baby toys, arts and crafts, puzzles and pocket money toys, Just Williams is such an exciting destination for children to visit, with a play table, exciting displays and demonstration toys. Who doesn't love a trip to a toy shop?

STORES ACROSS LONDON

Huggle is a unique two-level shopping boutique, with an activity lounge, and a child friendly café – all under one roof! You will find some of the best, modern furniture, pushchairs and baby essentials in the market, along with feeding equipment, bathing products and toys, plus beautiful accessories and gifts from top brands. The activity lounge holds a wide variety of different classes for your little ones to learn and play.

8-10 WINCHESTER ROAD, NW3 3NT | huggle.co.uk

Founded by Maria Busquets in 2000, Maria has spent over a decade travelling the globe in search of the world’s finest materials for your little ones. Maria’s vision to combine luxurious fabrics with timeless classic design saw the launch of Cashmirino.

The Cashmirino boutiques are located in the most exclusive fashion streets of Milan and London.

The brand has grown to become renowned for fine fabrics for babies and children.

31 BURLINGTON ARCADE, W1J 0PY 020 7495 0708 | cashmirino.com

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SHOPPING

Little Bevan

Since 2004, Little Bevan has offered beautifully styled occasion clothes and accessories for weddings and special events. With dedicated charming children’s collections for all ages, you’ll adore the quality offering of silk occasion wear that is designed, made and sold in London. This boutique, just a stone’s throw from Pimlico Underground Station, relaxes customers; with an array of toys to distract the little ones and there’s a also a sofa and baby changing facilities, too.

53 MORETON STREET, SW1V 2NY 0207 821 9499 | littlebevan.co.uk

Petit Bateau

Bobo Kids

The Petit Bateau stripe is probably the most iconic badge of chic children’s ware and is undeniably the staple for any little person’s wardrobe, but this well-loved brand offers a lot more, recently extending its beautiful French designs to include adults clothing! After 120 years in the business, the brand continues to produce high quality designer children’s wear from from “petit culottes” and sweet envelope-neck babygrows to super cool, bright yellow fisherman jackets.

STORES ACROSS LONDON

bobo kids is a luxury boutique for designer kids’ furniture, with an eclectic mix of modern, vintage and designer homeware for the littlest members of your family.

You’ll find staple items from European and American designers that will give your child’s room or nursery a unique, funky feel. While you’re there, ensure to check out their superb range of storage solutions, art and accessories to complete the look. It’s a Baby London favourite.

29 ELYSTAN STREET, SW3 3NT 020 7838 1020 | bobokids.co.uk

petit-bateau.co.uk

JoJoMamanBébé Trotters

Their competitively priced yet superb range includes literally everything you could possibly need for young family life: maternity wear, baby and children’s wear, toys, home décor and all the pieces in between. Whether you’re hunting down some mini snow boots for a family skiing holiday or a practicle toy storage solution, you’ll find it at JoJo's. With 'drawing areas' to keep your little one's occupied, shopping at their child-friendly stores is enjoyable for all sorts of reasons!

STORES ACROSS LONDON

This iconic London based store offers a wide choice of children's wear and acessories, excellent in quality, value and design. Exclusive, yet affordable; stylish yet traditional, and you won't find their designs anywhere else. The family-run business first opened its doors in 1990 and has been delivering quality products for children aged 0 to 10 ever since, not forgetting their famous hairdressing service. With six stores across London, Trotters is never far away.

STORES ACROSS LONDON

jojomamanbebe.co.uk

trotters.co.uk

Merino Kids

Merino Kids’ showroom, located in Northcote Road, is a breath of fresh air, bedecked with all things cute and cosy. The team at Merino Kids know how important sleep is to little ones; check out their award-winning Go Go Bag and Cocooi swaddle baby wraps. From the fabric to the finish, their collection is internationally renowned for its quality. If you’re looking for silky soft, light, kind to delicate skin sleepwear Merino Kids’ is the perfect solution.

151 NORTHCOTE ROAD, BATTERSEA, SW11 6QB | merinokids.co.uk

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 185

Your Shopping

emporium £5 off full price Moccis Use your £5 voucher code MOCCBL5

www.moccis.co.uk Breastfeed with discretion & style.

Discover the stylish way to breastfeed in public with our smart, chic and effortless breastfeeding cover.

The Breastfeeding Butterfly is a great alternative to breastfeeding tops, it provides cover for your breast, post-pregnancy stomach, side and back. Feeding in a calm and cosy environment your baby can maintain eye contact with you.

Other products from Faye & Lou: Rainbow Muslins have an extraordinary range of uses and come in bright, eye-catching colours which are stimulating for babies. Where white muslins can become dull and grey with time, Rainbow Muslins stay bright and colourful.

Cozio extra large muslin squares are perfect for swaddling your baby.

They can also be used for the following: burp cloth, sheet, play mat, changing mat, towel, lightweight blanket and much more.

Faye & Lou are experienced mothers and expert nannies creating products dedicated to making a mother’s life easier.

Order all our products online. fayeandlou.co.uk Innovative products for parents & children.

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pregnancy & BABY Sweetbabycompany Handpicked Luxury Nursery Furniture & Beautiful Baby Accessories for your Little Ones

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To help you lidays plan your ho EE get your FR VITIES TI C A S ID TOP 10 K ve ar lg A & monthly : tp ht at s w ne //bit.ly/Kids ThingsToDo

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www.loveyush.co.uk babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 187

YES! You CAN have it all!

Thinking of returning to work?

Need flexible hours? Want to be your own boss?

Successful business mum is looking for enthusiastic, hard working people who are ready for a change and ready to get to work. I’ll help you develop your income working flexible/part time hours in and around your current commitments (Kids/Work/Life).

Incomes and roles vary, full training and support every step of the way AND we have a LOT of fun too.

Please call or text MORE INFO to Alison on 07932 717496.

Intelligent Maternity Wear Different shape, same style.

0845 0038301 BumpaliciousMaternity.co.uk 10% discount quote London14 at checkout

19 Sheen Road (opposite Waitrose car park), Richmond, TW9 1AD www.richmondpractice.co.uk mail@richmondpractice.co.uk

188 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

pregnancy & BABY

Horkesley Joinery Bespoke Wooden • Stair Gates • Fire Guards • Stair Refurbs 01206 271 509 horkesleyjoinery@hotmail.co.uk www.horkesleyjoinery.co.uk

THE FINE COTTON COMPANY Soft to the touch, kind on your conscience

Amanda’s Action Club is London’s premier party provider We offer dynamic, high energy

parties for children aged 1-12

Organic bedding & accessories for children & babies

www.thefinecottoncompany.com

years

www.amandasactionclub.co.uk info@amandasactionclub.co.uk 01895 623 999

Proudly introducing ourour Christmas collection Proudly introducing first collection of fine art made exclusively for children

of fine art made exclusively for children paintings • prints • collage • ceramics

www.littlecarouselgallery.com

babylondon.co.uk | NOV/DEC 2014 | 189

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INTERVIEW

The best thing about being a mother?

Seeing that your children are happy

How’s your day been so far?

It’s been a good day, I got up at 7am, did five minutes of yoga before getting my children ready for school. I did an early dance class for an hour then taught my pregnancy yoga class. I grabbed some spare time to work on my new pregnancy yoga DVD. At 4pm I went to teach a birth preparation class and spent the rest of the day with my children.

Where do you live and work?

I live in Notting Hill Gate, and love it; I’m very lucky to work at the Life Centre, which is a five minute walk from my house. I teach privately at clients’ houses in the area too. I also love Hyde Park and often take my children there.

What made you specialise in pregnancy and birth yoga?

I’ve always had a fascination with pregnancy and birth and after experiencing for

INSPIRE

Tara Lee

THIS ISSUE’S INSPIRATIONAL MAMA OF TWO IS YOGA BUFF TARA LEE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER TO FIND OUT HOW SHE JUGGLES YOGA POSITIONS WITH LIFE AS A LONDON MUM myself the benefits of yoga during pregnancy I knew it was something I wanted to share. It can help relieve backache and hip ache, sciatica, help with insomnia, reduce stress, balance your mood and give you more energy. It also really helps women prepare for labour; it’s quite magical really.

Apart from yoga, how else do you look after your personal wellbeing?

I love being active and enjoy dancing, running, swimming and cycling. I also pay attention to the foods I eat and having studied Shiatsu, I am conscious of trying to live life in balance when possible. I also make sure I get enough sleep where that is an option.

What’s the best thing about being a mother? And what’s the hardest?

The best thing is the fulfilment when you see

194 | NOV/DEC 2014 | babylondon.co.uk

your children happy, well behaved and kind and you think you have done something right. All the cuddles and return of love you get from them is rewarding. The hardest I suppose is you never get a break and the demands can be endless.

Who are your inspirations?

I do not have any famous role models but I am constantly inspired by people I meet every day. My children also inspire me as you see how pure they are.

What current projects are you excited about?

I’m about to release a brand new pregnancy yoga DVD, which launches very soon on Amazon. It has a special hypnobirthing section by Katharine Graves and includes different menu options to suit every pregnant woman’s needs, so I’m excited about that.

“I knew that the benefits of yoga during pregnancy was something I wanted to share”

The Emilia

www.icandyworld.com