Tag: parents

Only Best For Baby

| May 3, 2013

It’s exciting to experiment with new foods when weaning your baby. Whilst most foods are safe there are some foods that should only be introduced when your baby is of a certain age to allow for the development of your baby’s digestive system and immune system.

When weaning my baby I found it helpful to follow these simple guidelines for the safe introduction of different foods to ensure my baby was getting the right nutrition at the right time and to minimise the risk of food poisoning.

mummy and me only best for baby

When can my baby eat …?

Gluten
Gluten is found in grains such as rye, wheat, barley and oats. It can be hard for young babies to digest and should not be introduced before your baby is six months old.

Cow’s Milk
From the age of six months full-fat cow’s milk can be used in cooking and with baby’s breakfast cereals. Cow’s milk can be introduced as a main drink from the age of 12 months.

Cheese
From the age of six months you can offer cheese to your baby but avoid giving blue cheese or soft unpasteurised cheese, such as Camembert and Brie, until your baby is at least one year old. Blue cheese and unpasteurised cheese contain live bacteria which carries the risk of food poisoning.

Eggs
Your baby can eat well cooked eggs with the white and yolk of the egg being solid from the age of six months. Do not give raw or undercooked eggs to babies under the age of 12 months old.

Fish
From six months you can give your baby white fish and oily fish, such as tuna and salmon. No more than two portions of oily fish should be eaten per week. Shark, swordfish and marlin should not be eaten by babies as these may contain traces of mercury.

Shellfish should not be given to babies under the age of nine months and must always be well cooked to minimise the risk of food poisoning.

Nuts
If there is no peanut allergy in your immediate family you can give your baby peanut products from the age of six months. Due to the risk of choking whole peanuts and other nuts must not be given before your child is five years old.

Honey
The bacteria in honey can cause infant botulism and although rare, to be on the safe side honey should not be given to babies under 12 months as their digestive system is too immature to cope.

I always advise parents to stay clear of food additives such as salt and sugar which hold no nutritional value for babies. Salt can cause dehydration and strain a baby’s immature kidneys and sugar can increase the risk of tooth decay.

Enjoy introducing foods and create a happy and healthy weaning experience for your baby.

mummy and me magazineLydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby

This article was published in the May 2013 edition of Mummy and Me Magazine

I offer one to one nutrition programmes for breastfeeding, post pregnancy weight loss, weaning, weight management and health. Contact me.

3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter Review

| April 20, 2013

I’ve been an admirer of Micro Scooters for a long time, having seen my friends with their toddlers and children racing around the park on scooters. I thought I’d need to wait until my toddler was at least 3 years old before trying a Micro Scooter, until I found out about the ingenious 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter which is designed for children aged 1 to 5.

A few weeks ago we were very lucky to receive a 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter for review with my 2 year old toddler from the lovely team at Micro Scooter. We chose the scooter in a vibrant neon yellow colour, which Imogen loves.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

The 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter comes with the Scooter, Seat, O-Bar handle and T-Bar handle so you can adjust it accordingly for your child’s age giving your child the flexibility to grow with the scooter. It starts out as a ride on scooter with O-Bar handle and seat, then transforming into a small scooter when the seat is removed and eventually it becomes a Mini Micro Scooter when you add the T-Bar handle.

The black O-Bar and Seat is easily attached and we find it’s perfect for use when toddlers are gaining confidence in their agility and skills in balance and coordination.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

Imogen loved trying her new 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter. For the first couple of weeks she rode the scooter using the O-Bar and Seat, which is suitable for children aged 1 to 3 years old. We find the scooter is perfect as an indoor toy and it glides smoothly on our wooden floors, adding variety to Imogen’s playtime at home.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

Imogen soon got the hang of it and was scooting around at increasing speed, using her feet to push her along. The 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter provides toddlers with a skillful challenge in balance and coordination of movement. I’ve been impressed with the stability of the scooter and the very gentle turn of the wheels, making it safe and sturdy.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

When Imogen was ready we transformed the 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter into a small scooter by removing the seat and leaving the O-Bar handle attached to the scooter so she could scoot around on it standing up.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

Imogen enjoyed stepping on and off the scooter and soon learned the basics of riding a scooter while she practised steering with the O-Bar, which is very easy for little ones to hold on to.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

Finally we transformed the 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter into a Mini Micro Scooter by replacing the O-Bar handle with the T-Bar handle. We simply couldn’t resist taking Imogen out to the park on her Mini Micro Scooter and she thought it was wonderful!

Micro Scooter

Imogen rode the Mini Micro Scooter with Mummy and Daddy holding the scooter whilst she got a feel for being on it outside. The Mini Micro Scooter T-Bar provides a good grip for young children to hold whilst moving along with the scooter.

After a few minutes Imogen was putting one foot on the ground to push the scooter along herself. It was great to watch and shows how she’s progressed from using the scooter with the O-Bar. The Mini Micro Scooter is suitable for children up the age of 5.

Mini Micro Scooter Review

Imogen adores her 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter and it’s rarely out of her hands.

As parents we think it’s one of the best activity toys around. The scooter is well designed, safe, durable, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, flexible, light to carry and most importantly it encourages Imogen to discover and master the skills of balance and coordination whilst giving her a new found freedom.

The Mini Micro Scooter won Best Toddler Toy in the 2012 Nuremburg Toy fair. You can find out more about the incredible range of Micro Scooters at www.micro-scooters.co.uk.

Disclaimer: I was sent a 3 in 1 Mini Micro Scooter for the purposes of this review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Photo Gallery: Red

| March 20, 2013

This week’s Photo Gallery theme on Tara Cain’s blog Sticky Fingers is Red. Friday 15 March was Red Nose Day and so far over an amazing £75 million has been raised in aid of transforming lives across the UK and Africa. Well done everyone who took part!

I’m a big fan of the colour Red. Here are some of my favourite photos taken this year.

Imogen playing in her Grandparent’s garden in New Zealand.

Imogen and cousin Amber with their red table and chairs.

Native Pohutukawa growing in my parent’s garden in New Zealand.

pohutukawa

The Cable Car in Wellington City takes you up to the beautiful Botanical Garden.

Wellington Cable Car