RSSCategory: Motherhood

Pregnancy Diet

| October 25, 2012

As a mum-to-be you’ll probably have many questions about your pregnancy diet.

  • What do I eat during pregnancy?
  • What shouldn’t I eat during pregnancy?
  • How many extra calories do I need when I’m pregnant?

Pregnancy affects every woman differently.

I had bad morning sickness for the first 16 weeks of my pregnancy and then miraculously it disappeared, only to come back during the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy.

It’s important to eat foods that will give you and your baby as many nutrients as possible when you’re pregnant, and always remember your baby eats what you eat.

As a Nutritional Advisor and Mum I always make the following recommendations for pregnant women.
 

Waitrose Organic Apples

What to Eat During Pregnancy

  • Eat a variety of wholefoods everyday – choose from wholegrain rice, quinoa, wholemeal pasta, pulses, rye and wholemeal breads.
  • Eat five plus servings of fruit and vegetables everyday, if fresh wash them well – go for brightly coloured fruits and vegetables as these contain more nutrients and antioxidants. Go organic if you can here’s why.
  • Eat two portions of fish a week, one being oily fish such as mackerel or sardines.
  • Eat cooked rather than raw shellfish.
  • Eat organic produce as often as you can – you’ll be avoiding the pesticides that are sprayed on fruit and veg, and the antibiotics and hormones that are given to animals.
  • Make sure any egg, cheese, milk, yoghurt and fruit juice products you eat are pasteurised.
  • Make sure all meat and poultry is cooked thoroughly.

 
What Not to Eat During Pregnancy

  • Cut down your intake of caffeine with no more than two cups of coffee per day.
  • Avoid eating Shark, Marlin, King Mackerel, Tilefish and Swordfish. Limit Tuna Steaks to one a week (about 140g cooked or 170g raw each) and limit canned Tuna to no more than four portions of medium-sized cans (140g drained weight) per week. This is due to the higher than average levels of mercury found in these fish which can damage a baby’s developing nervous system.
  • Make sure all eggs are thoroughly cooked until the whites and yolks are solid – to prevent the risk of food poisoning by salmonella bacteria.
  • Avoid eating any type of pate, including vegetable pate, as these can contain listeria.
  • Avoid eating liver or liver products as these contain high levels of Vitamin A which could harm your baby.
  • Avoid eating mould ripened soft cheese, such as brie and Camembert as well as blue-veined varieties, such as Stilton and Danish Blue – this is due to the risk of listeria infection.
  • Try to avoid junk food, it provides you and your baby with no nutrients and is likely to add to your pregnancy weight gain.

 
How many extra calories do I need to eat when pregnant?

It’s probably not until the last 3 months of pregnancy that you’ll need to up your intake of calories.

During months 6 to 9 of pregnancy your baby will be getting larger and growing faster as they put on layers of fat in preparation for their arrival. At this time you’ll probably need to increase your calorie intake per day by up to 200 calories, which is roughly equivalent to two slices of wholemeal toast with butter.

That said, I know when I was pregnant that two extra slices of toast and butter a day were not enough to ward off those hunger pangs in the final months of pregnancy.

Listen to your body and be sensible. Eat healthy snacks if you’re hungry between meals and if you suffer from morning sickness it may help to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than three larger meals.

You can find out more about a healthy Pregnancy Diet with NHS Pregnancy and Baby.

Big Questions From Little People

| October 10, 2012

Big Questions from Little People

Little People ask some very Big Questions!

Here’s a wonderful new book, in aid of the NSPCC. For each book sold a minimum of 67% of net royalty income is donated to the NSPCC.

It’s a delightful compilation of over 100 Big Questions from children aged 5 to 12 years old with answers to these challenging questions by some very Big People. Brilliant!

Compiled by Gemma Elwin Harris this excellent book provides answers to some of life’s big questions.

The answers come from renowned experts such as Sir David Attenborough, Bear Grylls, Dr Richard Dawkins, Kate Humble and Dame Jacqueline Wilson to name a few.

Every parent should have a copy of this book.

These questions are going to pop up and if you didn’t already know the answer to your child’s inquisitive question, you now can!

Every answer to every question is written simply and concisely, making it a joy to explain to your children.

Some of my favourite Big Questions from the book –

  • Can a bee sting a bee?
  • How are dreams made?
  • Why is the sky blue?
  • Why is the sea salty?
  • How do you fall in love?

Big Questions Infographic

Created by Faber and Faber for the book Big Questions From Little People. INFOGRAPHIC: What Big Questions are on Your Child’s Mind?

Big Questions From Little People can be purchased online from Amazonand you can find out more about this book published by Faber at Big Questions From Little People.

Follow Big Questions From Little People on Twitter and join them on Facebook.

The Best Nursing Chair

| August 30, 2012

It’s important for breastfeeding and bottle feeding that both you and baby are comfortable and relaxed so your baby stays latched on to the breast or bottle for the desired feeding time.

Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you will spend hours sitting with your baby each day and night for many months as you nurse your baby. This is a really precious and memorable time.

Haywood Glider Nursing Chairs provide you and baby with a comfortable, cosy and relaxing place to nurse.

If you’re looking for the best nursing chair the Haywood Glider Nursing Chair will meet your expectations in luxury, comfort and style. It’s wide, plush and perfect for breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Made from solid wood it comes with a matching footstool so you can put your feet up and relax in comfort whilst nursing your baby.

Kub Haywood Glider Nursing Chair and Footstool

The Haywood Glider Nursing Chair can also be used by others to relax in and read to baby.

Features of the Haywood Glider Nursing Chair and Footstool:

  • Roomy 55.5cm wide seat
  • Comes complete with matching footstool
  • Soft upholstery for maximum comfort
  • Convenient pockets on arm cushions for handy storage
  • Ergonomic cushions and bow-back design help promote correct posture
  • Smooth rocking movement to both glider and footstool
  • Natural wood finish

The Haywood Glider Nursing Chair dimensions are Height 96cm x Width 69cm x Depth 71cm and the Footstool dimensions are Height 36cm x Width 49cm x Depth 41cm.