Chloe`s Story

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CHAIR’S LETTER
Again – another AMAZING quarter for us. If you have just started hanging out with us at
our baby and toddler groups or on our 1000+ local FB group – then WELCOME.
And if you know any pregnant mums – then pass this newsletter or Facebook group details
on – as they will need us when they come out of the new baby fog!! It has everything on.
We won £5k from the Mi Community (Braintree council) in May and spent it on new toys
and mats and tables and fencing for the Black Notley group on Tuesdays and Fridays and I
am sure if you have been, you will agree it looks amazing.
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We have opened our 4 NCT local group now – so now we have one on every day of the
week. We now cover the breadth of Little Dunmow to Black Notley to Rayne and we have
said goodbye to Marks Farm, wanting something more central to Braintree so the museum
is housing us now.
We have the second largest NCT FB site in the UK and our baby and toddler groups are
bursting – it is an absolute pleasure for all of us at committee level to get to know so many
new faces and at every group we meet that anxious new mum who had never dared to
come to a group and meet new people and by the end of it they have new friends and
cannot wait to come back. If this is you – please come, you won’t regret it – our very
friendly and open groups are a godsend for new mums and for just £2 a family you get
amazing toys for them to play with, tasters of local activities (Jo Jingles, Baby Sensory,
Tiny Talk etc..) and fresh fruit, donated by local retailers (thank you Quadrant, Braintree,
Tescos Dunmow for feeding our little ones fresh fruit).
Our Cheeky Monkey Tea Party is happening for the 4th year now in July; see more details
and buy your £8 tickets (adults free) on our website NOW, as they always sell out, for an
afternoon of outdoor entertainment and a free lunch for the children.
Our 2 hr First Aid courses are brilliant, relaxed and informative and teach you and family
how to deal with emergency situations with your babies and toddlers.
So you see, we do loads, all voluntarily and look forwards to seeing you at events, if we
haven't already. It is a brilliant way to make friends.
Mel and Victoria
The information in this newsletter is for the benefit of NCT (National Childbirth Trust) members
and beneficiaries. It may be used only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for
any commercial purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of NCT. The information contained in this newsletter should not be
reproduced without the editor's consent in writing. The appearance of an advertisement in this
newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by NCT, nor does it
constitute a recommendation. However, it is always worth mentioning when replying to an
advertisement that you saw it in an NCT newsletter. NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage
or injury arising out of goods sold through any advertisements in this newsletter. Any discount
offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the
advertiser
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Employment Law Changes that affect your business – Daryon Eldridge
1.
Collective redundancy consultation period decreases
The Government has confirmed that, on 6 April 2013, the minimum period for collective
redundancy consultation is reduced where 100 or more employees are in scope. Where
an employer makes proposals on or after 6 April to dismiss as redundant 100 or more
employees within a period of 90 days or less, the consultation period is reduced from at
least 90 days before the first dismissal takes effect to at least 45 days before the first
dismissal takes effect. The minimum consultation period where the employer is proposing
to dismiss between 20 and 99 employees remains at 30 days.
Fixed Term Contracts are now excluded from the requirement to consult collectively.
2. Real time information introduced
From 6 April, employers are required to report PAYE deductions to HM Revenue and
Customs (HMRC) prior to, or at the time of, paying employees rather than at the end of the
year, under the new real time information (RTI) scheme (although some employers of a
specified size have amended start dates). Employers need to use payroll software to send
this information to HMRC electronically.
Once an employer is using RTI, it will no longer need to submit forms P14 and P35, as
HMRC will have gathered the necessary information throughout the year each time the
employer pays its employees.
3. Statutory sick pay increases
The weekly rate of statutory sick pay increases from £85.85 to £86.70 on 6 April.
4. Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay increase
On 7 April, the weekly rate of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay
increases from £135.45 to £136.78.
5. National Minimum Wage rates increase
Year
21 and over
18 to 20
Under 18
Apprentice*
2013 (from 1 October)
£6.31
£5.03
£3.72
£2.68
Changes to the Employment Tribunal System are due in the summer of 2013. Find out
more by subscribing to our free EPS newsletter.
Daryon Eldridge runs Eldridge People Solutions which provides a range of human
resources, business consultancy, training and coaching solutions to businesses
and individuals. She can be contacted on daryon@eldridgepeoplesolutions.co.uk or
call her on 07876 214020.
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When formula milk is in limited supply
Recent months have seen formula milk rationed by stores. This article
offers suggestions on what you can do to find a supply for your baby.
The recommended milk for a non-breastfed baby under 12 months is infant formula. There
are other milks such as follow-on formula but they are not recommended.
If your baby is under six months the only safe milks are breastmilk and infant formula
(unless something has been prescribed).
There are a few specialist formulas that may be prescribed or taken on the advice of a
healthcare professional. If you are having trouble getting these then please talk to your
health visitor or GP.
Many parents move onto 'follow-on formula' once their baby is six months old. This is
unnecessary and the recommended milk to use is infant formula. Some parents use
'follow-on formula', however, if this is proving difficult to get hold of then you can safely
replace it with 'infant formula'.
In addition, at this age babies can have full-fat cow’s milk as part of a mixer for food like
porridge. This will also help conserve your supplies of formula milk.
If you cannot get formula then increasing the proportion of breastmilk your baby has is
another option that is the healthiest choice.
If your baby is over 12 months then you are free of the need for formula. None of the
follow-on or growing-up milks are recommended and they are not necessary. At this age it
is recommended that babies who are not breastfed are given full-fat cow’s milk. If your
baby has been used to the sweetened vanilla flavour of some formulas then they may find
cow’s milk a new taste.
If you cannot get the formula you usually use here are some suggestions on what you can
do.
Searching for formula
Sometimes the small high street chemist will have formula even when the big
chains are sold out. They are worth checking if the larger stores are sold out.
NCT branch Facebook pages are a good place to ask for help as other parents
may be able to provide you with local tips and suggestions.
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Swap formulas
In accordance with European Union law, all infant formula has to have the same or very
similar nutritional content so they are virtually identical. However, they are made in slightly
different ways, so some babies may appear to prefer one brand over another.
How to introduce a different formula
You can tail off one formula by making up formula from your regular brand
(making sure to use their scoop and method) and formula from the new brand
(making sure to use their scoop and method) and then mixing the milk. There is
no need to do this unless you want to.
You can also simply swap to another formula by changing at the next feed.
It is important you follow the instructions on the new tin exactly and use the scoop
that comes with that tin as the different manufacturing processes affect how much
milk powder to put in.
NCT volunteers are aware that parents may be struggling to get their usual brand and have
asked people with spare tins to come forward. Contact your local NCT and they may be
able to help you.
Make sure that you only receive and give tins that are in-date and unopened.
Use your own breastmilk
If you are still breastfeeding even occasionally or have very recently stopped it is possible
to increase or restart your supply of breast milk. You can do this by offering your baby your
breast more often (which may be every hour or two) and only giving formula after the
breastfeed if she is still wanting milk. For a while she will want to feed more frequently but
this is what your breasts need to stimulate your supply.
You can also spend some relaxed time in bed or a bath, with your baby naked on your own
skin, as this also helps stimulate your body into making more milk. Carrying your baby in a
sling also helps you know when your baby is ready to have some milk and before she
becomes really hungry.
Source: www.nct.org.uk
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Disneyland Paris – Chris Walsh
I often thought about how great it would be to go to Disneyland but always imagined doing
so when the children were a bit older. Unbeknownst to me however, my wife Valerie
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planned a surprise trip with our two children to celebrate (!) my 40 Birthday. Emily was a
month short of her third birthday and Sam had not long turned one.
So, on the chilly morning in early February, I was instructed to drive us out of Braintree and
towards Chelmsford, still with no idea on where we were going. It was only after crossing
the Dartford Bridge and turning onto the A2 towards Ebbsfleet that my suspicions turned to
France. Valerie asked Emily to announce where we were going and Emily’s reply was
“We're going to see Micky Mouse in Micky Mouse Land!”
At Ebbsfleet Station, we dumped the car. My Uncle happens to work there so free parking
had been arranged! From here on, and for the next four days, we were traveling on foot or
on public transport. So, with our little ones, a pushchair, an Ergo sling, one large suitcase,
our SLR camera, changing bag and lunch and our ubiquitous “technology bag” (chargers,
netbook, books etc.) we went through the quiet terminal and for the first of many toilet
stops for Emily. Suffice to say, it was all very exciting! We had plenty of time to get
through passport control, security and have breakfast in the waiting area before the train
arrived – much easier than Stansted. Valerie was a bit anxious about how we were going
to board the train with all our stuff and two children in the allotted three minute window, but
as it was, it was fine.
The train journey from Ebbsfleet to Disneyland Paris is 2¾ hours. Emily was quite happy
with a sticker magazine and crayons; Sam was less easy to distract but he did sleep
towards the end of the journey. The packed lunch that we brought also helped kill some
time.
We arrived mid-afternoon and within the hour we were checked into the huge Dream
Castle hotel. The train station is right by the park but free busses provided a regular
service to the hotels. We were staying for three nights with Disneyland tickets booked for
the second and third day so this left us the rest of the day to settle in, take the children to
the swimming pool and let them play on the rides in the reception hall.
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The next day started off quite stressful. I don’t think I realised how long it would take
between getting up and walking into the park. We had to pick up our day tickets from a
restaurant at the far end of The Village which we first had to find (Valerie’s sister works in
travel and arranged discounted tickets for us). Then we had to work out which park we
were going to (there are two, but after trying to go into Walt Disney Studios, an attendant
(thank goodness) advised us to go over to Disneyland Park instead as it is much more
suitable for younger children.
Finally we were in and the stress quickly vanished. We were all taken in by the magic of it
all. After meeting Winnie the Pooh, we headed down the Main Street towards the magic
castle meeting lots of familiar Disney characters on the way. Luckily, the weather was
bright and clear although it was pretty cold. We had great fun walking around the Alice in
Wonderland maze and Emily and Sam loved meeting Micky Mouse (twice) and Sleeping
Beauty (Emily was memorized by her!).
One of the highlights for all of us was the end of day parade. It was magical watching
children's faces as they took it all in, Sam clapping away, as they sat on our shoulders. We
often sing the repetitive song that accompanied it. On the second day, we even managed
to hang around for the firework display, spending the hour or two between the two events
doing repeat trips on the Buzz Lightyear ride which everyone loved!
Going to Disneyland in School Term Time in February has great advantages as we rarely
had to queue for anything and the park wasn’t too busy. We got to go on loads of rides.
Two days at Disneyland involved a hell of a lot of walking which with hindsight would have
been easier if we had brought the double buggy. Often we found both Sam and Emily
competing for the buggy and we even ended up with Emily in the sling at one point. It
rained on and off on the second day which didn’t help either and the children’s moods were
up and down all day.
We were expecting hiked up prices at the restaurants but as it happened we found the
huge range of restaurants that made up The Village to be reasonably priced. This did
involve yet more walking however, especially as we were usually at the far end of the park
when lunchtime came around. Apart from the odd ice cream, we didn’t eat inside the park,
instead, constantly dipping into the large stash of snacks that Valerie had brought over with
us!
Our return journey involved a changeover at Lille. We stopped for lunch in a nearby
shopping mall and strangely, for the first time felt like we were actually in France. Although
we were sorry to leave, we were absolutely exhausted from the four days away but the
memories take we’ve brought back with us will last a long time. Was going with such
young children worth it? Certainly, although it wasn’t always easy. Will we go back again?
Definitely. I am sure that in a few more years, both children rediscover Disneyland a whole
new way. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday present to which I have my lovely wife to
thank.
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Editor’s Note: Following the article on vaccinations in the Spring Newsletter, David
Woodhouse has written a response.
ProVaccination – David Woodhouse
I was invited to write an article to give my opposing view to the anti vaccination article. As I
write this, clinics around the country are stockpiling the MMR vaccine to cope with demand
after the measles outbreak in Wales. One man has died after contracting measles, and
experts expect the disease to spread across the country. The death rate for measles in
developed countries is about 1 in 1000 cases. If you have babies or older children who
have not received the vaccine, you might want to speak to your doctor as soon as possible.
You may have decided not to give your child the vaccine because of the autism scare —
but you should be aware by now that there is no known link between the MMR vaccine and
autism. The man who published those claims, ex-doctor Andrew Wakefield, was being paid
by lawyers assembling a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of the MMR
vaccine, and had also applied for a patent on a measles-only vaccine before publishing his
bogus claims. He was performing intrusive and distressing tests on the children, which
were not approved by his hospital's ethics committee. And there was a clear mismatch
between what he published, and the actual clinical records taken at the time of the study.
He has since been struck off by the GMC for behaving “dishonestly and irresponsibly”, and
is barred from practising medicine in the UK.
But once the idea was planted, it became pervasive. The human brain is programmed to
look for patterns in coincidences. If one thing happens after another, we're hard-wired to
assume that one caused the other. We also feel a need to assign blame when something
goes wrong. So because autism is generally diagnosed at about the same age as a round
of vaccinations, our brains automatically try to make us think there's some link between the
two — and it's almost inevitable that the parents of some autistic children manage to
convince themselves that that it was caused by some vaccine or other, despite the fact that
there's absolutely no evidence to support that belief.
Obviously, this situation also led to bona fide scientists doing more genuine analysis of the
question. One of the strongest refutations of Wakefield's claims comes from Japan —
where MMR was replaced by single vaccines in 1993, yet autism rates continued to rise. In
fact, recent work on early diagnosis of autism has showed that it can be reliably detected
even within the first year – before the MMR vaccine is given!
The article in the Spring newsletter pointed out, quite correctly, that more vaccinated
children contract diseases than unvaccinated children. But that's kind of obvious really,
since there are so many more people who are vaccinated than not. Vaccines aren't magic,
and just like immunity through natural infection they only give a limited protection. Neither
type of immunity will necessarily last for a lifetime — we don't routinely vaccinate against
chickenpox in this country, and most of us know of someone who's had it more than once.
The important thing to note is that those who are vaccinated, in the rare case that they do
still contract the disease, will suffer much less severely and will recover more quickly, with
fewer side-effects. It was whooping cough which was mentioned in the article, but it failed
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to point out that the most severe complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (brain
inflammation) occur almost exclusively in the unvaccinated.
The article also talked about herd immunity, and tried to make the claim that it only applies
in the case of naturally-acquired immunity. That's completely wrong, which should be
obvious to you if you understand what it means. The basic principle is very simple: even if
you are personally vulnerable to a given disease, if nobody around you can get it then they
obviously aren't going to pass it on to you, and you're protected that way instead. It doesn't
matter why they don't get it — as long as they don't get it, they can't pass it on to you.
The current outbreak in Wales highlights the reality of herd immunity quite clearly too — by
showing what happens when enough people fail in their duty to protect their children and
the society they live in, and herd immunity breaks down. Experts have been saying that it
was only a matter of time before this happened, after the fraudulent MMR scare caused
uptake of the vaccine to reach dangerously low levels.
There's so much in that article to refute, but it would take too long to address it all so I'm
going to limit myself to one more: the talk about “toxins” in vaccines. Remember, the
important thing about a poison is the dose. Even water will kill you in sufficient quantities!
There's about 600 times more formaldehyde in a pear than in a vaccine. The levels of
formaldehyde in a vaccine are so low that they aren't even measurable in the child's body
in amongst all the naturally-occurring formaldehyde. And all the other scaremongering
about the ingredients of vaccines is just that — scaremongering.
The medical and scientific establishment has spent years collecting evidence and
performing studies into the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, and the current NHS
vaccination schedule represents the outcome of all that work. It's very clear: vaccines save
lives, and the risks are negligible in comparison with the deaths and trauma caused by the
diseases that they prevent.
Note: I'd like to thank Rachael Dunlop, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Technology,
Sydney, for kindly giving me permission to plagiarise from her excellent article, “Six myths
about vaccination and why they're wrong”. I strongly recommend reading it, since the parts
I've used here don't come close to doing it justice and it also has links for references for the
facts it cites:
https://theconversation.com/six-myths-about-vaccination-and-why-theyre-wrong-13556
David Woodhouse
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Choosing Childcare by Sarah Downing (April 2013)
Choosing someone to look after your child if you return to work is one of the most
important & hardest decisions you will make. There are a number of different options and
what you choose depends on your personal needs.
Registered childminders are self-employed, who work in
their own homes. They care for small numbers of children &
are regulated/inspected by Ofsted.
Nannies are employed by parents to care for their children
in their own home. They care for small numbers of children
(usually siblings) and can take care of all aspects of looking
after your child including washing and cooking their food.
Nurseries look after & educate children from 3 months to 5
years and tend to open from 8.00am to 6.00pm all year round,
usually with the exception of bank holidays. Most offer the free
hours that are available to all 3 and 4 year olds. Nurseries will
often be split into rooms for different aged children. Within each
room the nursery is required to work within certain ratios of
carers to children as laid out in law, room sizes are similarly
governed. A key worker is assigned to each child - their role is
to help ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to
meet their individual needs. The Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS) is the statutory framework that sets the standards that
all providers must meet to ensure that children learn and
develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
Pre-schools provide play and education in sessions of
about three hours for children between 2 and 5. Most
pre-schools will be open five mornings a week, some
provide afternoon sessions. Some pre-schools have
flexibility on the sessions your child can attend, others
are more structured with children attending five full
mornings or five full afternoons. Pre-schools and
playgroups tend to run term time only, from around
9am to lunchtime or from lunchtime to around 3 or
4pm.
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I visited a number of nurseries when pregnant but realised I hadn't asked many of the right
questions until after I actually had a child so even if you're on a waiting list always go back
for another visit before you finally commit. It is also best to go without child at least once
so you can ask lots of questions & take it all in. Write a list of things you want to know –
some ideas of questions are below. Be warned – good childcare is often in short supply
and many providers have waiting lists of up to a year or more, registering your bump is not
unusual.
Things to Find Out / Questions To Ask: (not all of these will apply to your choice of
childcare provider)
Basics
Opening times, options to extend, policy on being late.
Fees, what is included/not, payment frequency, when fees are reviewed & likely rises.
Details of any fee or deposit to secure your child’s place.
What happens about payment if your child or the childcare provider is sick/unable to
provide (usually only an issue for childminders/nannies).
Check what pets they have (an allergic child will not tolerate a house pet even if not in the
room).
What happens during time off for holidays and bank holidays & the notice period you need
to give for holidays (usually only an issue for childminders/nannies).
Are they all first aid trained & DBS/CRB checked.
Are all meals included (breakfast sometimes is not).
What nappies, creams etc are provided.
Settling in process - how long, what happens.
The notice period to change or terminate the contract.
Check they have a no smoking & no mobile phones policy in all child areas.
Get a copy of their last Ofsted Report and ask about any issues raised in it.
What They Do
Activities offered & when (e.g. art/crafts how many times a week).
How often children go outside in the garden or for walks.
What clothes & spare clothes are needed/preferred/not liked e.g. coat,
shoes, wellies, shirts with buttons, all-in-ones. Do they provide outside
clothes (some provide waterproof all-in-ones).
How the staff contribute to the care, learning, development & individual
needs of the child (at this point expect a good explanation of the role of a
keyworker).
How the staff look after the physical health and wellbeing of the child (they should have an
understanding of good health, nutrition and encourage physical activity).
What qualifications the staff have, and have they undertaken any training or continuous
professional development in the past two years. As a minimum the
childminder/nanny/nursery leader should have a relevant Level 3 qualification, and over
half the staff should have a Level 2 qualification.
What is the age range of the staff (if you feel that children benefit from both an older and
younger approach to life).
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Feeding
Feeding times - can be a very long break from tea at 4pm to pickup/home/bath/milk.
How they handle milk requirements.
Food/menus (for you to check in case there are any they would not eat,
you would not want them to eat).
Any foods they must have tried at home first if being weaned.
What they drink e.g. water, squash.
Can you provide your own if you don’t agree with something.
Size of food provided e.g. mash/lumps & how much help they get to eat.
What they can wear whilst eating e.g. type of bib/coverall etc.
What they use to eat/drink with - this is important at the beginning as they may want to use
familiar items (esp. cups/bottles) when settling in.
What they use to sit at to eat e.g. table & seat, highchair, small chair with tray.
How they handle known allergies.
Comforting & Sleep
How they would comfort when upset e.g. dummy, cuddle, distract, pick up, sing.
Can they have their own toy, comforter, blanket, photo of
parents.
How they get them to sleep.
Where they sleep & is bedding provided & how often it is
cleaned (usually each child has their own set).
How long they are allowed to sleep & how they wake them
(many will not touch a child to wake them).
Policy on using soothers/dummies.
Policy on teething necklaces, dummy clips etc.
If they would support any special requests for a young
baby e.g. baby wearing, bouncing chair, cradle, nest etc
Medicines, Creams, Accidents & Illness
What specific brand of nappies, creams etc are provided & if you can provide something
different.
Policy on using nappy creams, suncreams (some nurseries count Sudocrem as a medicine
and it has to be signed in).
Policy on using medication e.g. prescription.
Policy on giving Calpol/Nurofen (many will only give 1 dose of paracetamol based medicine
after phone confirmation and ask you to collect if a 2nd would be required & many will not
use ibuprofen based medicines).
How they help teething e.g. will they apply a gel, offer a cold teething ring etc.
Policy on illness - when would they be excluded and for how long e.g. 48 hours after
sickness/diarrhoea, head lice, chicken pox, hand/foot/mouth, colds, conjunctivitis.
How they handle accidents (they should all hold a valid paediatric first-aid certificate).
Misc
How they handle transition to different age rooms.
Do they mix with older children.
How they handle biting.
Policy on including special needs children.
Do they have a feedback process & how problems are handled.
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Be careful of the hard sell, looking clean, lots of new stuff, staff all in uniform, flash website,
lots of brochures etc as there is so much more to the experience than that - it is the quality
of the staff and what they actually do that matters most. I learnt a huge lesson to trust my
instincts after the first one I chose didn’t work out for us – if you have any doubts keep
looking. Once you have made a decision you need to get ready yourself for the settling in
& actual start:
Things To Do Yourself To Get Ready
Label EVERYTHING if they are going to childcare outside your own
home including any creams/medicines & provide in a plastic bag with
the instructions. You will need at least 2 changes of clothes (spare
footwear & socks too & older children will need spare underwear,
shoes & socks in case of accidents). A good waterproof & warm
coat, welly boots, hat & gloves are essential in winter and a hat &
lightweight coat in summer. If sunscreen isn't provided you'll need
that too.
If they don't give you a bag get one & check everything fits inside.
If they need a comforter, try to have a spare one so it doesn't get forgotten. Likewise if
you're providing any bottles/cups.
If you were given a list of foods they must have tried work your way through it in plenty of
time.
Decide who your emergency contacts will be, ensure they know where the
nursery/childminder is & how to contact, any policies/passwords to get them out and what
you expect of them if they are contacted and you can't be.
Practice your get ready & out of the house routine, the route there & any alternatives.
Arrange automatic payment of any fees & childcare vouchers (standing orders, direct
debits).
Put the phone number(s) into your phone.
Return any forms you were given to complete. Some ask for family & pet photos they can
be shown & include in their book or photos of who you have listed as being able to collect
your child.
Things To Tell A Keyworker/Childminder/Nanny
Current routine when they wake, eat, drink, sleep etc.
What milk they have, how often, what temperature, what bottle,
what size teat etc.
What size food to give.
Favourite foods.
Food dislikes e.g. specific foods or the way given (likes bread/cheese/ham but won't eat as
a sandwich).
List of foods tried (if weaning) & any you do not want them to have (they may have a policy
of you must try x number of times at home first).
How to spot they're tired e.g. pull ears, rub eyes, get fidgety, get grumpy.
How they like to get to sleep e.g. being cuddled, laid down, with noise, in dark, with
comforter.
How they like to sleep e.g. on back, on front, in sleeping bag, with blanket.
How to handle teething e.g. gel, teethers.
What type & size nappy.
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How to change nappy e.g. any routine/distraction you use, use of creams.
Any medical issues, allergies (these should also all be included on forms given).
Favourite songs & actions they know.
Favourite books/stories.
Favourite activities e.g. balls, noisy, fiddly, pushing/walking, Mega Bloks, opening/closing
doors, peekaboo, ball bit, TV screens, banging things, splashing water, bubbles, balloons,
foil, swings, climbing, slides, velcro, patting things, rocking when eating, chatting.
Dislikes e.g. feathers on face, nose/face cleaned, massage, sun in eyes, hats, gloves.
Specific things such as limiting your child’s TV watching.
When you expect to be contacted.
Finally & most importantly how you parent your child and how you expect that to be
continued by them. If you have chosen the right childcare setting your objectives &
methods will be broadly the same but a conversation now on the individual needs of your
child will help prevent any conflicts arising later.
If you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s care within the childcare setting,
speak to the provider about your concerns in most cases they are willing to help & this
often solves most problems. If you are still not satisfied you need to ask them about their
complaints procedure. If you have made a formal complaint and feel it is unresolved you
can contact Ofsted.
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GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE – MAKING A START by Susan Wilkinson
It’s not easy to find the time and energy to get back into shape after a baby. If you’re not
ready for a diet and exercise program, here are a few things you can do to get you on the
right track:
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Keep doing your pelvic floor exercises!
Food logs really help with planning a diet. A proper food log includes everything you
eat and drink with quantities/weights, but for now just start getting into the habit maybe by logging one meal a day.
Following a few of the healthy eating rules we all know about will help your immune
and digestive systems, give you energy and help get you started with losing weight:
Get 5 a day
Avoid sugary snacks – they’re are quickly digested, raising your blood sugar.
This is then removed from your blood and stored as fat, leaving you hungry again.
Eat lots of wholegrains – they make you feel fuller and help to slow down the rate
at which sugars are absorbed, as well as providing fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Abdominal hollowing will begin to strengthen up the abs. Just pull your belly button in
towards your spine, hold and release. Can be done sitting, laying down or standing
up.
Walking: even restless babies are often happy to be taken out in the pram. Watch your
posture though, the shoulders should be back, tummy in and bum under.
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