Something New - Issue 1

THE PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR DORSET FAMILIES

NEW

WINTER 2015

Biting Child?

Read how to manage inside!

W HAT’S IN A NAME? NAMING IS TRICKY BUSINESS

REAL LIFE

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Tabitha by Shaun Keefe Photography

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WIN!

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Hello!

W

ell, this is exciting!

This is the first issue of Something New, the parenting magazine for families in Dorset. We’re here to share tips, real life stories, debates, advice, ideas and competitions, as well as being a place to find out about great local businesses and events.

When it came to naming my daughter I realised just how daunting the task really is. It’s for life, it’s going to shape who she is and it’s got to be playground nickname proof. The name I thought I wanted, the one I championed throughout my pregnancy was not the one I chose in the end - and that’s pretty common I hear! We discuss name trends, name origins and name ideas - if

4

NEW

you’re still thinking about what names you like, get to page 11!

Autumn is fast upon us and those lovely days of just picnicking in the park are coming to an end - we’re here to help you plan for those rainy days ahead with games, plans and activities that will keep your little ones occupied.

We also hear about Sian’s birth story, yummy recipe ideas, a competition to win a pass for 4 people to the Sealife Adventure Park in Weymouth, plus how you can get your child on the cover of issue 3!

Let us know what you think: facebook.com/ somethingnewmagazine

Eleanor

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Isobel’s Pregnancy Diary

It feels like I’ve been pregnant forever. I don’t mind it, aside from a couple of dramas (more on those in a sec), I’ve had a fairly easygoing first and second trimester. I’m due at the end of August, so by the time you’ve read this, I should have had my little girl!

My first big thing was telling my son. I split from his dad a couple of years back, and this baby is with my new partner, so we needed to handle it carefully. Luckily, I’m on great terms with my son’s dad, so we were able to make sure it was all really lovely and easy for him to understand the new family dynamic.

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We booked a 4D scan, and took him with us.

He had no idea what we had booked - so imagine his little face when he saw a baby in mummy’s tummy!

He’s incredibly excited about being a big brother.

My biggest scare came when I was on holiday in Spain. We’d flown out for a week; we were scattering my partner’s mum’s ashes, so it was a bittersweet time away. It’d been a crazy week, with the emotion and what with Richard proposing!

In that time, I’d noticed some reduced movement from the baby, but wasn’t sure what to do when away.

After some frantic calls home, I went to

a Spanish hospital, where they found the heartbeat, which was a huge relief. The baby, however, was still not moving, but they couldn’t book me in for a scan before my flight home, so I had to leave. That was the most terrifying few hours of my life.

Thankfully, she started kicking as soon as I arrived at A&E in Poole - the nurses said that the extra heat in Spain had made her a little lazier!

Since then its been plain sailing, I’m working as much as I can, as I want to spend as long as I can off after she’s born, so here’s to a busy few weeks!

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T he

Name Game

Picking the name for your impending arrival is hard. It’s really hard in fact. Even if you think you’re sure, we bet there’s a time where you question yourself.

The thing is, names can define a person, you want to give your child a moniker that they’ll love. So how do you choose?

The baby name book A baby name book is a good place to start - you can get a long list started, which you can whittle down as D-day approaches.

Long or short Do you want a name that can be shortened? Long names will inevitably be shortened, so think about all the possibilities. For a unique name, hyphenating two short names is effective.

Nick-names Some people love the sound of a shortened version of a longer name, such as Teddy, rather than Theodore, but consider using the formal version on a birth certificate to give your child more options as they grow.

Family names Traditional names are having a resurgence, with lots of parents paying homage to grand and greatgrand parents. Names from by-gone eras can have an elegant sound, and has a lovely meaning to it. It’s not for everyone, however, and you may not like the names your family have - but

you can always look for alternatives or even consider using surnames.

Names that aren’t names There’s a trend for using everyday words as forenames. Bear, Coast and Cloud are becoming popular choices.

If you do go for something a little offthe-wall, expect your more traditional friends and family to have an opinion - but if you love it, stick with it, soon enough they’ll get used to it!

Celebrity names Films and TV have a big influence on day-to-day life, especially those that are a bit more epic. There’s a surge in ‘Khaleesi’ and ‘Elsa’ and ‘Logan’, thanks to Game of Thrones, Frozen and the X-Men. Some are timeless, whilst others will likely become dated very quickly, so be thoughtful about what you choose.

DOs and DON’Ts DO remember to check the initials. No one wants an unfortunate acronym.

DO look at what the name means - it might make a difference to your choice.

DON’T tell everyone, unless you want to hear ‘Oh, my cousin’s, aunty’s dog was called that’ DON’T worry if you don’t pick a name for a few days. Better to be sure than to have to change it!

Sian’s

Birth Story I

was woken up at midnight with a burning in my lower back that got increasingly intense and spread out into my hips. It had just become the 21st of August, I was now 40+3, and I was having my first contraction.

The previous evening I had been given a sweep and told I was 1-2cm dilated. After I got home I had spent the next 2 hours on my feet making peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies hoping that gravity would help the sweep do its work. As I’d only got into bed 2 hours before I tried to get some more sleep, but when the next contraction came I was too uncomfortable to stay in bed. I got up, took a paracetamol and ran a bath, as I’d been advised to do by my midwife and the antenatal class. I can honestly say I don’t think either did much to help!

I downloaded an app to time my contractions as I wallowed in the bath (although at this point I was just calling them ‘pains’ as I didn’t want to jinx it!) and found I felt much more comfortable on all fours when a contraction came.

How I never ended up drowning myself during the early hours I’ll never know – trying to heave my heavily pregnant body out of the water, round onto my hands and knees, and start my app timer all at the same time was no mean feat. Luckily both my phone and I survived, although the bathroom suffered a small flood!

Eventually though it became far too much effort so I got out, dried myself off and took up residence in the living room with last night’s cookies.

I pulled the sofa bed out and turned the TV on and tried to get comfortable enough to get some sleep. At

about 4am my partner woke up, he was meant to be working in London that day and was leaving early.

He asked what I was doing, and I explained mainly I was having contractions. His response was “Ok. I’ll see you later” and off he went!! I tried to stay calm and in control – our plan had always been that he went in to work and I laboured at home with friends for support until I needed him.

He’s self-employed and doesn’t get paid for time off and we were both aware that it could be a couple of days before our baby arrived. But now it was 4 o’clock in the morning and I was all alone! I texted a couple of friends, who promised they would be along later but after an hour I had to text him and ask him to come home. He’d got halfway there but turned around and came straight back. The next few hours passed with no change. I was still

getting contractions.

When I was having a contraction every 5 minutes, I called the labour ward; they told me to have some breakfast, get dressed and to come in if I wanted to be checked.

At the hospital they examined me and told me I was 4 cms dilated and that I could either wander around the hospital waiting for it to get worse or I could go home. We went home, having been given strict instructions to try and eat and try to rest. I dozed between contractions,but only lasted about an hour, as by this time the contractions were much more intense and coming much more frequently.

Once on the ward I was examined again

and told I was 7cm and in established labour. Hooray!! They wheeled out the gas and air as I was really struggling with the contractions. I gave it a try but found that every time I tried to breathe it in I felt like I was being suffocated. The midwife offered me the choice of either the birth pool or pethidine, reminding me that if I had the pethidine I wouldn’t be able to get in the pool for 4 hours. I was in a midwife-led unit so I had no option for anything stronger.

My birth plan was to try the pool so that’s what I went with.

While I waited for the pool to be filled I mainly lay on the floor on all fours. From this point on things got a little hazy. I remember being examined, and I remember being helped off the bed and walking into another room with a sheet round me.

Jamie helped me out of my clothes and into the pool. Another midwife introduced herself to me in a whisper. I remember thinking she was weird for whispering.

However as soon as my next contraction came she started

stroking my back in just the right place to take the edge off the pain. Then I didn’t care about how weird she was, she was amazing! I stayed in the pool for the rest of my labour.

I managed to have a completely drug-free birth, even though my original approach to birth was ‘give me all the drugs and get me through it!!’

Jamie was a brilliant support throughout, sitting at the side of the pool and holding my hands, even though I was turning his fingers purple. At some point I started to feel a pressure, and a feeling like I needed to ‘go’. The midwife kept telling me just to do what my body wanted so I just went with it. After a few

more contractions I felt something burst through my legs. It honestly felt (having not felt it before) like a head. In my mind, I was telling myself it can’t have been the head or they would have told me, and not to ask because I’d look stupid, but somehow I heard myself saying ‘was that the head?!’ Jamie just laughed – it was only my waters!!

With the next contraction I really felt the need to push – I suddenly understood when everyone says that you just can’t help but push when you’re in labour. My body was doing it without my help! At this point I suddenly lost that hazy feeling and got a second wind. Suddenly the midwife I had seen all through my pregnancy walked in the room.

I’ve never been so

happy to see someone I don’t even know!!

Jamie tried to sneak off for a last cigarette and a wee but I wasn’t letting him. We were arguing over whether or not he’d have time when I got another contraction. After that he forgot about the cigarette! When I felt around I could feel my baby’s head and my midwife said we were very close, and to push with my chin on my chest and without wasting energy on groaning – haha!

don’t care what happens downstairs, I just want her OUT!’ With the next push I managed it! My baby’s head was out! And with the next push so was the rest of her! My midwife passed her to me under the water and I brought her up to my chest. She cried straight away. She had brown hair, long legs and arms and massive feet and hands! The first thing I said (after ‘hello baby!’) was how big her hands and feet were. I asked Jamie to take a photo, and he dropped his phone!

It took a few goes, I could feel where to push and was pushing as hard as I can but the contractions just felt that little bit too short. Just as I felt like I had it and was about to get her head out the contraction would go.

My midwife told me she kept going back up, and eventually I just thought ‘I

Later she lay on his chest snoring as we debated her name. I wanted India, he wanted Isla. I won!

We took photos, waited for the cord to finish pulsing, and then daddy cut the umbilical cord and got his first hold.

India was born on the 21st August, at 17:10 weighing 7lbs and 15oz – and she hasn’t stopped making us smile since.

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Toddler

What to do with a

Biting Child If you’ve ever been in a situation where your little darling has wrapped her gnashers around another child, then you know how mortifying it can be.

If you’re lucky, the other parent will recognise that you’re not at home teaching your son or daughter to make like a vampire, and will deal with the situation with compassion.

However, not all parents can contain their emotions, “When Noah bit a child at playgroup I was shocked, as he’d never done it before.

I approached the mother of his victim to apologise and she was so aggressive I felt like crying. It was as if I’d bit her son!”

So, as the parent of a biter, you have to manage your child plus the bitten child - it’s a lot to think about in a moment.

So what can you do? Firstly, you

need to understand why your child is biting. It’s often not bad behaviour, but something else entirely. Very young children have no sense of causing pain, and their biting may be just an over-excited expression of love.

Toddlers often use their mouths to learn, and closing teeth on something fleshy is a new sensation.

Then you get the children that bite out of fear, anxiety or frustration.

Practically speaking, you need to learn the triggers for your child and watch out

for them. A child may clench their teeth before they bite, and at that stage a parent needs to remove their child from the situation. Tell them what they’re doing wrong, but keep your tone even and low. If fear is a motivation, then give your child the tools to manage the situation differently, such as using a hand held up. For those kids who are using it for attention, the best way to react is to position yourself between the biter and the victim and turn your back.

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When to move to

Baby’s Room

Moving your baby to their own room can be more of an emotional wrench for you than it is for your baby.

It’s a sign of their ever-growing independence and that distance, even if it’s just a few feet, can feel like miles in the middle of the night.

“We moved Isobel into her own room at three months old. Early I know, but she was such a noisy baby! Every night at 2/3am she would start making farmyard noises...grunting, snorting, squeaking. It was the best thing we did and Isobel settled in no problem.”

Current research suggests that your baby should stay in your room until they’re six months old, but for many parents this doesn’t suit their family. “Sidney went in his own room at eight weeks. He had bad wind in the night, which he slept through, but his constant wriggling was keeping us awake. I discussed it with the Health Visitor and she said as long as we followed the other safe sleeping practices like no teddies or toys, no bumpers, keeping him the right temperature etc, then it should be fine. He didn’t seem bothered by it at all, at that age the transition was very easy for him”

“We moved Noah at four months as he was getting disturbed by us. Our nasty colds pushed us to do it then, and he suddenly slept magically all night!”

Many wait for the six-month mark before making the move; “We moved Georgia at six months, mainly because if I didn’t move her then she would probably still be in our room until she was 15!! Transition was daunting and it was testing some nights, but she soon settled and with the video monitor I could check on her without going into her room! I think what maybe helped was I would put her in her cot every day to have a play with toys & then when

she moved to the cot permanently it wasn’t totally alien to her” “I moved Finlay a week ago at just over 10 months, well, my oh just put his cot in his room so didn’t have much choice! I’m so glad I did as he as slept through every night apart from once, so we must have been waking him. I love walking in his room to see his big smile in the morning” Some parents prefer to keep their little ones in with them as long as they can; “Eliza is still in our room. We couldn’t bear to move her when she turned six months as we had got used to having her in with us. In fact we went as far as to buy an extra space-saver cot to keep her in with us because she outgrew her snuzpod crib at six months. Ironically, I put loads of effort in before she was born doing her nursery up, and she literally only gets changed in it!! We have been lucky though, as she rarely wakes up when we come to bed, and she sleeps from 10 till 8 most nights unless teething or something. In fact, we even manage to read and talk in bed without disturbing her! We will probably keep her in with us for a while yet, I’m really not ready to move her.

We have had a couple of comments about her still being in with us (my mum), so it goes to show people will comment no matter what you do...”

Whilst others have no plans to move at all! “We’re co-sleeping at 11 months with no plans to move her into her own room” As you have probably heard a hundred times, do what works for you - as long as you’re keeping your baby safe then there’s no reason that you shouldn’t follow your instincts.

We’ve got some safe sleeping tips so you can be extra sure that your baby is safe and sound.

• Use a firm mattress, and if

it’s not new, ensure that it’s free from tears and sagging.

• Keep your baby’s bed free from toys and teddies.

• Use a sleeping bag where possible, rather than blankets or duvets.

• Don’t give baby a pillow until at least two years old.

• Avoid using a traditional cot

bumper. There are breathable options available.

• Make sure the cot is on the right

height. The distance recommended

by NCT is at least 50cm from the top of the mattress to the top of the cot sides.

• The ideal temperature for your

baby’s room is between 16˚C and 20˚C.

• For more information, look at The Lullaby Trust’s website. www.lullabytrust.org.uk

Holly Sillwood

The Good Play Cafe - Southbourne Treehouse Family Play - Bournemouth hollys@tinytalk.co.uk 07519 352697 www.facebook.com/TinyTalkBournemouth

Angela, Maz & Hamish Two mums, one shock diagnosis, three lives...

I

always wanted children and up to my 30’s always assumed it would be me to have one, unfortunately cancer hit my family and I could be at a higher risk of getting it if I got pregnant. At this point, my wife said that she’d rather have me than children.

Just as I accepted that I wouldn’t be having children, my wife suggested that she would be the one to carry a baby. This was incredible, as she was not a maternal type, but really wanted to do this to give me the child I so badly wanted.

Things moved quite fast from there, and we were selecting donors within a month! We went through a private clinic and used a clinic in Denmark for the vital ingredient we needed.

We fell pregnant after the 4th attempt which

was going to be our last attempt, as we’d spent every last bit of savings trying. The feeling when we found out can be compared to no other - elation, relief, terror - our lives were going to change!

We had our first scan at 7 weeks to confirm the pregnancy. Maz sailed through the pregnancy and didn’t get any morning sickness.

Our next scan was the three month one, it was at this one they found out that (yep, we were having a boy!) was at a higher chance of having Down Syndrome.

We were taken to a room and explained what they had found, the nuchal fold was marginally bigger than average. We were offered further tests, but we turned down an amnio test due to the higher risk of miscarriage. Instead, we paid privately to have a Harmony test done. This involves a

scan and a blood test, so is much safer for the baby. Two weeks later we were told that it was 99% certain that our little man had Down Syndrome.

We both agreed that it wouldn’t change a thing and it never crossed our minds to end the pregnancy.

However, it wasn’t plain sailing. The rest of the pregnancy was a roller coaster of emotions and we spent a lot of time educating ourselves on what to expect. We were upset, but we kept positive.

He was scanned regularly for heart defects and growth development, and thankfully, all went well.

Maz continued to sail through the pregnancy and worked right up to two days before he came into the world.

We had a c-section, planned for a Monday morning with a full count of medical staff and specialists at

Photo credit: Vicky Bright Photography

hand ready to bring our little man into the world. However, he had other plans!

As we went to bed on the Thursday night, Maz told me she’d been having stomach tightenings and that they were now every 5 minutes, but didn’t think they were contractions as they didn’t hurt.

We called the hospital and they told us to come in. By the time we reached the hospital they were every two minutes and getting more uncomfortable.

The midwives still didn’t think she was in labour and only when they examined her and found she was 5cm dilated did things move very fast.

We were given two minutes to decide whether we wanted to go for a natural labour or continue with a c-section, so we decided to stick to our plan. Two minutes later I was changing into scrubs and Maz was taken off for a spinal. A very good anaesthetist fitted in the spinal in-between 1 minute contractions.

At 1.13am on 24th July 2015 our little man was born. We’d decided on the name

Hamish very early on in the pregnancy and finally we were meeting the boy in the bump. He weighed 6lb 4oz and was a strong thriving boy. As I went across to meet him I said his name and he turned his head to look at me. He didn’t need to go to NICU and instead went to the transitional care unit. On delivery, you could see that he had Down syndrome, but fortunately he needed no additional care.

in hospital for 5 days before we could take him home.

The emotions I went through initially were changing regularly.

I was in awe of the gorgeous baby and amazed that my wife had created him. Seeing her go through major surgery and then recovering was hard, but she did really well and was such a natural mother. They stayed

He’s now 10 weeks old and we found out two weeks ago that he needs open heart surgery to repair holes and valves, so we’re just waiting for a date.

Suddenly it felt very daunting that we were now Mums to this little baby and now had to love, care and protect him. He did brilliantly. He ate, he slept (sometimes!) and he pooped. We ate when we could, slept at some point and survived. Family and friends came and visited, it all went by in a blur and very fast.

This is our first baby and it’s hard to know what a ‘normal’ pregnancy and baby is. I’m unsure whether everyone has a roller-

Down syndrome T he Facts Down’s syndrome is caused by the presence of an additional copy of chromosome 21 in a baby’s cells. There is no reason for this, and it can happen to anyone. It occurs in all races, in all societies and in all parts of the world.

There are common physical characteristics that are used to initially identify Down syndrome in babies. Infants with Down syndrome tend to be quieter, less responsive, with weaker muscles. There are a number of other attributes that are also present.

Two babies with Down syndrome are born every day in the UK.

coaster of emotions but the more I talk to people I find out the more I feel ‘normal’.

We have found an amazing support group called Downright Perfect, which are not only a font of knowledge, but also a group of parents that have all been through the same as us.

No one knows what their child’s future holds, we just have a heads up that ours has been made with one extra chromosome which makes him even more special.

All people with Down syndrome will have some form of learning difficulty. This doesn’t mean they can’t learn, but impedes their aptitude of learning. However, the majority will lead happy lives, able to walk, talk, read and write, go to regular schools and lead a fulfilled and semi-independent life.

It’s a common misconception that people with Down’s syndrome will have short life spans. Nowadays, people with Down’s syndrome are living into their 50s and 60s with a small number living into their 70s and beyond.

If you would like more information on Down’s syndrome, visit www.downs-syndrome.org.uk

W

e all know that salt is bad for us, right? Which means it’s really bad for our kids. In 1999, a three month old baby died from a salt overdose after his parents fed him adult foods. Now, that’s an extreme case, which thankfully doesn’t happen often, but salt is an unseen enemy – and it’s often forgotten about when preparing meals.

Avoiding it entirely, while possible, is pretty tricky, given that it is in most food but we can be,

at least, aware of the guidelines for salt consumption in children. That way, we can feed our kids the food we want to but also know that we’re not doing potential harm.

But what is the ‘safe’ amount of salt?

Babies under six months old need no

AGE

other sustenance than that provided by their milk, be that breast or formula. If you are considering weaning your baby before this age, speak to your health visitor for guidance as the World Health Organisation don’t recommend food before six months.

MAXIMUM SALT INTAKE

0-6 months

Less than 1g a day

6-12 months

Up to 1g a day

1-3 years

Up to 2g a day

4-6 years

Up to 3g a day

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE A firm family favourite, spaghetti bolognese is a filling meal that has heaps of nutrition hidden away. Rich in iron, vitamins and fibre this is a great way to get that goodness in to kids. Remember, we’re avoiding adding salt to food for children under one (ideally, avoid it for as long as you can) so fresh, chopped tomatoes are better than tinned and DON’T use a normal stock cube - either use the Boots Baby organic ones we suggest or make your own.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 chopped onion 1 crushed garlic clove 1 grated carrot 100 grams of lean minced beef 3 chopped & peeled tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon tomato puree Boots Baby Organic stock cube (150ml) Pasta or spaghetti

Method

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan, add the chopped onion and crushed garlic

and cover with water. Add in the lean beef mince and cook until beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Next, mix in the chopped tomatoes, a splash of Boots Baby Organic stock, the tomato puree and the carrot and bring to the boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pasta or spaghetti according to the cooking instructions.

Depending on the way you have decided to feed your child, you can either puree to a consistency suitable for your baby, or if you are using baby-led weaning, cool and serve.

Cheeky Faces! chap in a flat cap!

Teddy is one cheeky

Buddy & Alabama are a couple of cheeky cherubs!

Don’t be fooled by Tabitha’s cute exterior, she’s a cheeky monster really!

Send in your cheeky grins, each issue there’s a gift for one bambino!

Send your photos to pics@somethingnewmagazine.co.uk

Layla-Mae & Austin: like butter wouldn’t melt!

India is too cool for school!

Oliver gets a cheeky kiss from mummy!

Millie’s cheekiness has started young!

Win!

Win!! A family ticket to Weymouth SEA

LIFE Adventure Park and Jurassic Skyline for up to four people worth over £100!

Explore an amazing underwater world! Take a fascinating journey from the Jurassic Coast to the ocean depths at Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park.

Get up close to over 1,000 creatures including a playful family of otters, comical penguins, jawsome sharks and magnificent rescued sea turtles.

Find out how it feels to touch a starfish, crab and other creatures in our interactive rockpool. With fun talks, animal feeds, special events and a Dive Adventure Quiz Trail, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy. Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park offers a whole day of feeds, presentations and magical experiences for all the family. VIP Feeds and Animal Adoptions are available to make your day extra special. New for 2015…“Castaway Bay” featuring Ray Lagoon with Cownose Rays! Explore the Rainforest with new creatures!

Take on a new voyage on our new adventure play set, unwind in our sensory garden; or cool off in our Splash Zone and Pool!

Just email comp@somethingnewmagazine.co.uk with the answer to this question; What’s the name of the new attraction at Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park? (hint: see above!).

Don’t forget to include your name, address and where you picked up your copy of Something New.

www.sealifeweymouth.com Terms: Valid for 2 adults and 2 children to Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park and Jurassic Skyline for 1 year at the time of issue.

Visit www.visitwsealife.co.uk/terms for full terms and conditions.

NEW

The parenting magazine for Dorset families

THE PARENTING MAGA FOR DORSET FAMIL ZINE IES

NEW

W HAT’S IN A NAME?

NAMING IS TRICKY BUSINESS

Biting Child?

Read how to manage inside!

REAL LIF E

SHOPPIN

G

ADVICE

RECIPES

COMPETI

TIONS

Issue 2 out January 2016

Bunting By Chris Bunting Hire for Baby Showers Bespoke Bunting for Baby’s Room

christinebridle71@hotmail.com Tel: 07721 738005/01202 383694 www.facebook.com/BuntingbyChris

Talking Childcare

W

hen the time comes to return to work there are a lot of options to consider. Childminders, nursery schools, nannies... the benefits to each make each one worth looking in to.

Child-minders typically cost less, offer a home setting and can more closely mirror family life.

Hiring a nanny means that your child has exclusive care, stays in their own environment, and if you have more than one child, can work out more financially sound. Nursery schools follow the Early Years Foundation Stage; which provide children with a safe and nurturing place for a child to develop in, there’s the reassurance that even if the care provider is off sick, you’re unaffected, and the social aspects of a classroom environment can offer a greater degree of socialisation.

Tamsin Ledger and Sebrina Hayward are the Managing Directors of Little Beans. We chat to Sebrina about her

This was the day we acquired our second site in Garland Road. Opening our second nursery so soon after the first was tiring, exhilarating and amazing!

decision to open a nursery school and what makes them different.

“I manage both sites with high expectations and a very strong drive to always achieve better.

You can never reach perfection! Everything is always changing and so are our Little Beans.

I’m mummy to two girlies; Sapphire and Acacia. Both girls are now at school, but in my past I have obviously been on the other side of the fence of which I am now.

Both my daughters have been in childcare and attended school, so I’ve been in the position of trying to make the best choices for the most important people in your life… your own children.

From this experience I know how important it is to get it right, to make sure the family as a whole is happy.

We live in a diverse society, and every family is unique and each has different perspectives on lifestyle, parenting,

beliefs and what they feel is best for their child. At Little Beans we want to learn!

From baby-wearing, to baby-led weaning, to vegetarianism, to religious beliefs; We encourage families to bring their own different experiences into Little Beans and share with everyone; we’re an inclusive practise. We love how diverse Dorset is, it brings a wealth of knowledge to our Little Beans and plays a big part in ‘understanding the world’.

I’m a working parent too – I balance the needs of running Little Beans with being at home with my little beans and I get that it can be tricky. My experience gives me insight in to the lives of our families, and I use that to tailor the care we provide to suit the needs of a modern family. Basically, what I’m saying is; I know how hard being a parent can be, and if we can help you, let us know. It’s what we’re here for!

We have two Little Beans nurseries, both with very contrasting settings but similarly both with the same ethos. We believe that the underpinning values we have are what make our Little Beans strive in their development, reaching new levels

of attainment and fulfilling their potential. First and foremost, our job is to make sure that our little beans feel safe and secure. This includes providing them with strong roots (see what we did there!) which enable them to flourish, grow and develop. We know that if a child doesn’t have their individual needs met, as well as feeling safe and secure, then that child can’t reach their full potential in all areas of their development.

With this in mind, we

have created a unique ‘settling in’ procedure, which includes collaborating with a parent/ carer to get detailed information on a child prior to their start date. This includes, but is not limited to, things like daily routines, food preferences, special members of the family, and items that are special or comforting to that child.

Right from the get-go we involve parents/ carers in this, and their input is a continued necessity throughout our Little Beans’ attendance.

It’s the people at home that are closest to our Little Beans, they hold the magic key in helping us to build a picture of

how best to ensure our Little Beans settle into their new environment.

We firmly believe that a strong homesetting link promotes the security each of our Little Beans feel when going through such a big change, like starting a new nursery. That’s why you’ll find us asking lots of questions about home life, your routines, the way you like to do things, we’re not nosey, we just like to adapt what we do to suit your child.

Consistency is key to allowing a child to feel like a nursery is a home away from home.

Did you know there are seven areas of development in the Early years foundation stage? Personal

social and emotional development, physical development, communication and language, Mathematics, expressive arts and design, understanding the world and literacy.

Once your little bean has become accustomed to coming to our nursery, we then begin to explore each area through fun and play. It’s a gentle and interactive way to aid and support your child’s development, ready for a school setting. There’s real theory behind this, and as practitioners, we’re great believers of Maslow’s hierarchy theory, which helps guide us through situations that come up day to day.

What do we do?

We start with getting to know your child, through your eyes. Our prospectus is jampacked with all the information you would want to know about us – staff, opening hours, fees – but also it asks a lot of questions about your child. You can never tell us too much!

Little Timmy needs a dummy to sleep?

Tell us. Sophie hates baked beans? Tell us.

Honestly, no detail is too trivial – the more we know, the more we will make your little one feel happy, safe and settled.

To help make our environment feel like a home, every Little Bean has a ‘key’ person. We like your child’s key

person to pop by your home to interact with your child in his/her own surroundings, that way they feel like the key person is a trusted adult. (Don’t feel like to you need to put on your airs and graces we’re working parents too and know that the cleaning is last thing to get done!). Your child’s key person will be who you talk to daily about your child, who tracks your child’s development and who provides that vital link between your child, us and you.”

BESPOKE INVITATIONS FOR KIDS PARTIES, CHRISTENINGS AND NAMING DAYS, BABY SHOWERS AND WEDDINGS.

83

media eleanor@83media.co.uk

My name is Anya and I am the SENCo at Little Beans day care - Fernside.

SENCo stands for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, and it is my role to make sure that children with special educational needs and disabilities are given equal opportunities to develop to their full potential.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (often shortened to SEND) can seem a bit of an unknown area to many parents, and have stigma attached to it because of that, but it basically means that a child has some delays in their development, and so service providers and their SENCo teams work with the families and the child to close the gaps in development, to catch up with the general expectations for their age group and help, support, enable the child to live a full life.

Every child is different and working with the variety of personalities develop is a great privilege – that’s why we love working with your children in the Early Years.

My name is Shannon and I am training as an apprentice at Poole and Bournemouth College.

I work at Little Beans - Fernside four days a week and go to college one day a week. I enjoy having an apprenticeship at Little Beans Day Care. I have developed great relationships with all the staff and children and the atmosphere is always warm, welcoming and friendly.

I have my own key group and key children. My group is called the ‘Magic Beans’ I’m enjoying completing my apprenticeship because it gives me the ability to learn whilst getting firsthand experience and watching all the children in my care develop and grow.

Little Beans Day Care 80 Fernside Road, Poole, BH15 2JL 59 Garland Road, Poole, BH15 2LD www.littlebeansdaycare.com thehub@littlebeansdaycare.com 01202 668439

Free Nursery Sessions for Every 3 and 4 Year Old! Contact us to arrange a visit:

www.headstartsltd.co.uk 01202 280430 info@headstartsltd.co.uk 5 Harcourt Road Bournemouth BH5 2JG Open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, 51 weeks per year

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On your marks, get set, gro

The Original Soft Playgym Programme for 0-5’s

Mini Monkey Gym structured developmental classes offer an interactive, physical play and musical sensory experience that benefits your child’s all round development. With 4 stages from Newborn to 5 yrs old there is a perfect class for you and your ‘Mini Monkey’!

K BOO REE RF YOU CLASS L TRIA DAY! TO Mini Monkey Gym provide soft play parties and hire for 0–5’s.

Our fun DBS checked party leaders ensure the smooth running of your soft play area, engage the children in fun parachute games, provide lots of sensory props to explore, as well as supplying fun upbeat party music and a bubble machine for zillions of bubbles!

Classes for 0-5 in the Poole area contact us for details

Discover the wonderful playgym world of Mini Monkey Gym T: 07749 457142 W: www.minimonkeygym.co.uk E: poole@minimonkeygym.co.uk

“Where words fail, music speaks...”

How can a music class help your baby who can’t even ‘talk’ yet?

Children who grow up hearing music, singing songs and moving to the beat develop an awareness of speech patterns and sense of rhyme - skills fundamental to learning to read and write. At Musical Steps, whilst having lots of fun, we provide opportunities for babies and children to learn through music, giving them the tools they need to develop speech and language.

In class we enjoy music by listening and moving to classical and jazz music - Saint-Saens’s ‘Carnival of the Animals’ is a favourite, or Donald Byrd’s

‘Black Jack’ has a fantastic train theme – great for fractious babies and producing endorphins for the exhausted parent! Learning through music develops memory, it’s an amazing moment when your baby recognises the song you’re singing and further on, develops their own ‘songs’, experimenting with sound and language.

Joining a music class is a great way to socialise and learn with your child and ‘Musical Steps’ have popular classes for babies from 6 weeks, toddlers and pre-schoolers in Dorset.

Contact me today for more information - Heather Smith – Musical Steps, Dorset 0845 643 5025

Mummy PHILIPS AVENT BATH AND ROOM BABY THERMOMETER Price: £13 John Lewis

Getting the right amount of blankets/ right tog sleeping bag is an important part of keeping baby comfortable and safe.

Mother’s Help By editor, Eleanor

As a first time mum, I really struggled with my daughter’s sleeping. She was (in fact, still is) a light sleeper who fought dropping off to the bitter end.

Queue much searching for products that I could use to help guide her to the land of nod.

Here are my top tips and products that made my life a little easier.

1. Hold a newborn for about 20 minutes before putting her down to sleep - it takes that long for them to reach a deep slumber and transferring to a crib or cot should be easier.

2. Use a hot water bottle to warm the crib or cot, so the cold sheets don’t startle baby.

3. Gentle stroking down the nose makes your baby close his eyes, and if he’s sleepy enough, this can settle him.

4. To settle a crying baby, make shushing noises loudly near their ear. You create your own ‘white noise’ which can help calm her down.

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A real help in the summer, when it’s still light at bed time.

This blind expands to fit most windows and suctions directly to the glass, giving thorough coverage.

O

ne of the biggest changes you have to deal with after you’ve had your baby is the change in yourself. Some women spring back in to shape, others take a little time. There is no rush to get back in to your pre-pregnancy jeans, but when you decide you want to start a fitness regime, it’s important that you do it under advice from your GP.

could do irreparable damage.

Personal Training Poole is run by Tim Martin, a master personal trainer. What he doesn’t know about fitness isn’t worth knowing. We asked him to devise a fitness programme that’s suitable for postpartum women. Please check with your midwife, health visitor or GP before starting any exercise. Working out too early can cause long-term damage.

In Your First Week

There are three main points to take on board; one: Your body is still is still fragile and no matter how much you want to get your bikini-bod back, ease back into it, or you

two: Your muscles are more supple for up to approximately 3-5 months after pregnancy due to hormonal changes that took place during pregnancy. three: Don’t worry, there’s still plenty you can do and the weight will come off!

Your Pelvic Floor

It’s a broad sling of muscles, ligaments and sheet-like tissues that stretch from your pubic bone at the front of your body, to the base of your spine at the back. This is stretched out during your pregnancy and is frequently the culprit when it comes to leaks! Fear not though, it strengthens back quickly, as long as you follow some basic pelvic floor exercises.

Only one exercise is essential during your first week after giving both;

Pelvic floor exercises

to wait until their immunisations at two months.

Birthday Candles: Whilst breathing, try to squeeze your vaginal muscles like you are trying to stop the flow of your urine midflow. It will be difficult so try for a couple of seconds at a time and build up to 30 seconds to a minute.

Once your midwife or GP gives you the ok that your abdomen has rejoined, you can start to strengthen it again.

You need to do this regularly, and for the rest of your life, so try to make a routine of it do it while cooking, watching TV, or queueing in the supermarket!

leg raises; you could do some serious long lasting damage.

Weeks 1 - 6 Aim to get out in the fresh air and walk with the pram every day, even if it’s just for a little while. Make sure you walk quick enough to elevate your heart rate as this will make sure you are burning calories.

You might dread it, but actually it helps to release feel good endorphins and lift your mood too.

Also keep working on the pelvic floor exercises. It’s best to get advice from a specialist post-natal Personal Trainer, even if you are only going once or twice to broaden your knowledge of exercises and make sure you are doing them correctly.

However...

DON’T Do crunches, sit-ups, plank or DO Core contraction. In a seated

position, place both hands on abdominal muscles. Take small controlled breaths.

Slowly contract the abdominal muscles, pulling them straight back towards the spine. Hold the contraction for 30 seconds, while maintaining the controlled breathing.

Complete 10 repetitions.

Seated squeeze - Again in a seated position, place one hand above the belly button, and the other below the belly button. With controlled breaths, with a mid-way starting point, pull the abdominals back toward the spine, hold for 2 seconds and return to the mid-way point. Complete 100 repetitions.

Head lift - In a lying down position, knees bent at 90° angle, feet flat, slowly lift the head, chin toward your chest, (concentrate on isolation of the abdominals to prevent hip-flexors from being engaged), slowly It’s important to patient, be happy and contract abdominals toward floor, hold enjoy your time with your baby, there’s not for two seconds, lower head to starting much you can do at this point since your position for 2 seconds. Complete 10 body is still in a fragile state. repetitions.

From week 6

Upright push-up - A standup pushup against the wall, with feet together arms length away from wall, place hands flat When you have your post-natal check at against the wall, contract abdominal six weeks, be sure that you are checked for muscles toward spine, lean body towards diastasis (the divide in tummy muscles). wall, with elbows bent downward close to You can go swimming again (there’s a risk body, pull abdominal muscles in further, of infection before six weeks). with controlled breathing. Release muscles Many pools offer post-natal and baby as you push back to starting position. swimming classes and you don’t need Complete 20 repetitions.

Squat against the wall - Also known as a seated squat, stand with back against the wall, feet out in front of body, slowly lower body to a seated position, so knees are bent at a 90° angle, contracting abs toward spine as you raise body back to standing position.

Optionally, this exercise can also be done using an exercise ball placed against the wall and your lower back. Complete 20 repetitions.

From week 12 You can do a bit more now, although if you’re not used to exercise, take it slowly and carefully. Your joints and ligaments will still be loose and prone to damage for up to five months after birth.

Moderate cardio exercise is fine now, though save the high impact classes for another few months.

You can also start resistance training and weights in the gym (always tell the instructor/personal trainer that you’ve just had a baby). This is the best option and you can start light, and week by week increase the weights to rebuild your strength.

Full body resistance training is by far the quickest way to strengthen, tone and rid your body of fat by increasing your base metabolic rate.

!

Really strenuous work-outs can alter the taste of your milk, so keep it gentle if you’re breastfeeding, and get a really supportive bra.

If you were a keen runner or sportswoman before your pregnancy, and also kept fit all the way through pregnancy, it’s safe to go back to your sports around 12 weeks but be careful to ease yourself back in.

I hope this has helped you, remember be patient, do what you can, but your body needs to repair and your baby is only a baby once.

Timothy Martin Master Trainer, ACSM FIT COACH Personal Training Poole (article references Bird -1981, Abramson-1931, Brewer and Hinson-1978, EIF Master Trainer Manuel)

Personal Training Poole Personal Training and Boot Camps for people who want results Join our daily Boot Camp classes in Parkstone for effective weight loss with a PT that has what it takes to keep you going when it gets hard, advise you on your diet and give you confidence in yourself again.

07789 931404 facebook.com/personaltrainingpoole

Use this voucher to claim your FREE one week trial. one per customer, t&cs apply.

Baby powder... mostly used to dry off tiny bottoms, however, if you find yourself with greasy hair (and in the first few weeks of new parenthood, who has time for washing hair?!) then a light dusting on to a hairbrush, then a quick comb through your locks will have it looking better in no time.

This time of year wreaks havoc with dry skin. A dash of baby oil in the bath or shower will help to lock in moisture.

Got a pimple? A dot of Sudocrem will sort it out.

Sunburned? Swipe on this miracle cream for soothing comfort!

From Baby Bag...

To Beauty Bag Many products that are made for babies can be put to use on mummy too. Better for your purse, good for your skin and they smell lovely too!

Pink Lining make gorgeous baby bags in all shapes and sizes.

With many pockets and so much space,it’s easy to fit all you need for a day with baby in...and when you don’t need a baby bag anymore you have a stylish bag for a laptop, overnight stay or just for the huge amounts of things you now carry about!

Notting Hill Tote - £69 www.pinklining.com

The gentleness of baby shampoo is ideal for washing your make-up brushes in. Just sud a little up, run your brushes under warm water, rub with the shampoo, rinse off and dry by placing on a towel.

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“Amazing! Katie is fantastic and the results are unbelievable” “Amazing stuff only had one wrap so far and you can already see a small difference, Katie is friendly and very helpful with any questions about the product too.”

07595 999268!

NEW

COV ER CONT EST We’re on the lookout for a cover star!

If you would like your tiny on the cover of issue 3, just send us a photo that can be used on social media, we’ll add it to an album and the photo that has the most likes is our winner!

The winner will receive a photoshoot with a professinal photographer and will feature on the cover of issue 3, as well as a £25 gift voucher for Toys R Us. Send your photo to comp@somethingnewmagazine.co.uk

by January 31st 2016. The competition album will be uploaded on February 1st 2016 and voting will run until midday on 1st March 2016.

THE PARENTING MAGAZINE FOR DORSET FAMILIES

NEW

W HAT’S IN A NAME?

NAMING IS TRICKY BUSINESS

Biting Child?

Read how to manage inside!

REAL LIFE

SHOPPING

ADVICE

RECIPES

COMPETITIONS

Terms and Conditions The photo with the most likes will be the winner. No discussion will be entered in to, the decision is final. All submitted photos must have the permission of the parent/guardian of the child, as well as the photographer. Any photos that breech copyright will be removed. Prize is non transferable. By entering the competition you give Something New the right to use your child’s image on the cover of issue 3.

POLE CRAZY pole dancing for fitness

Getting fit and toned can be FUN! Thought of the gym fill you with dread? Running in the cold about as appealing as a kiss from a fish? Have you considered taking up pole dancing? Proven to improve core strength, overall tone and confidence; with consistent classes you won’t recognise yourself (mostly because you’ll be hanging upsidedown...)

Worried that you’re too weak, fat, unfit, scared? Honestly, it’s the thing we hear most often. Our beginner classes are full of people who feel the same, and we’ll take good care of you. Promise.

Come along to class in a glittery g-string.

Just kidding. We wear gym clothes.

Classes in

Parkstone

Bournemouth

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Kidzone

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email. shop@farmerpalmers.co.uk

www.farmerpalmers.co.uk Wareham Road, Organford, Poole, Dorset BH16 6EU

80 Fernside Road, Poole BH15 2JL 01202 259412 59 Garland Road, Poole, BH15 2LD 01202 668439 thehub@littlebeansdaycare.com

breakfast & after school clubs

www.littlebeansdaycare.com Ofsted registered: EY481492