Bye bye latte hello espresso for me

A large dose of caffeine may be the way many of us start the day, but researchers say little and often would do more to help us stay awake and stimulate our cognitive mind. Although large cups of coffee boosts caffeine levels, but these fall away during the day and therefore low doses of caffeine would give more active hours during the day. Very mainland European don’t you think!! Love it!!! At work or at home I always struggle between 12 and 3 pm. Apparently must of us use caffeine the wrong way by drinking a few mugs of coffee or tea in the morning. "This means that caffeine levels in the brain will be falling as the day goes on. The same research says that if you are feeling sleepy during the day, a 20-minute nap beats three cups of coffee any day. That's what our body needs but who has 20 minute to nap!!!! 

For pregnant women no coffee please!! Caffeine can raise blood pressure, and drinking too much of it can affect pregnancy.

Enjoy Mamissima

TRYING FOR BABY AGAIN

I was in my shop and a friend stopped by with her 6 months old baby. She said her and her partner thinking of trying for another baby and I became a bit worried for them and started advising against trying so early. I told her to wait longer until baby was at least a year or two, using some scientific evidence of two year gap in order to recover her strength; I even mentioned to give as much time as possible to her first child; but the worst thing was I just got my friend back after she stopped breastfeeding and I am actually looking forward to nights out in town and few glasses of Prosecco.

But then after she left I felt really uncomfortable about my advice and thought about it a lot. So this is a bit strange to write about such personal thing but it’s on my mind and I will just go ahead and do it.

I have two happy and healthy children and It is so important for me to say how blessed and privilege I feel to be their mother. Our youngest is four and it is no secret to say that we have thought and spoke about having more but we kind of know that why try our luck when we so happy with two, and there are so many women that can’t have one.

I am so quite simply terrified of trying.  For me trying after my first has meant so many months of anxiety, loss and sadness and I think of all the things that might happen and all the things that could go wrong on the road to a healthy pregnancy.  But then I am calmed thinking that there are millions of women getting pregnant everyday and it may not take months and months of anxious waiting. 

Its becoming normal to have smaller gap between children simply because we have children later and later in our life’s, in my shop majority of first time pregnancies are over 34. “No wonder” it’s only take’s us Forever to get our career on track and in many cases to find the man with whom to have children.

So I suppose the answer is complex and I still feel bad for advising my friend against it. If you worried and thinking when is the good time, that is probably anytime and if “That Is What’s On Your Mind” as soon as you find strength to deal with what ever difficulties may or may not be ahead.

At last, I would like to mention how happy I am to know that NHS IVF treatment will be extended to women up to 42 years of age. What a smart thing to do…..

Enjoy Mamissima

 20 % Off Maternity Wear, Baby Wear, Toys and Accessories 

Thursday 31 May and all through Jubilee Weekend

Web and Shop

BYE BYE NAP, HELLO DOUBLE SHOT

If you are a parent of a toddler you should have by now cut the blessed two naps a day down to one and trust me, I know you are dreading the day that the one becomes none. The general rule of thumb is this should happen somewhere between the ages of two and three but each toddler is quite their own person (I know you already know that!) and some end up still needing the nap as they head closer to their third and fourth birthdays. Hell, I’m 41 and I still need mine!

I get asked a lot in the shop how one will know when the last nap should go and there are two quite opposite but obvious signs: either your toddler will start sleeping longer and longer during the day and therefore shifting his/her night time sleep hours into the day which means they’ll probably not be falling asleep till very late at night, OR they won’t want to nap at all during the day and the process of putting them down will become more and more difficult.

Bizarrely, most toddlers I meet, fall into the first category and seemingly love that middle of the day nap more and more just as they resist night time bedtime more and more. So I asked a friend and a customer, who just had her second child two months ago, to explain what she does with her toddler, and this is what she written:

‘As my newborn approached three weeks, my toddler’s long day nap really seemed like a miracle as I could finally catch up with the piling amounts of work around me, but of course I was paying for this as his bedtime was slipping later and later. So I did it: crazy me decided to cut out the nap (again, this is a personal choice but it worked for us).

The report so far is:

I am insane for doing this with a newborn.

I have taken up drinking double shot lattes to make it through the day.

Most importantly my toddler is much happier and he is going to bed almost two hours earlier.

Now, I’m not going to deny that there are about 20 minutes each afternoon that he tries to curl up into a ball while resisting “I don’t have to take a nap because I’m a big boy”, as his eyes flit into the back of his head. It is at this point that my double shot latte comes in handy as I need the energy to do jazz hands, turn up Lady GaGa for some unknown reason litters my iPod and we dance. So if your toddler needs to drop that nap, even if you have to take up therapy to get through it, you can do it. I know you can!’

Thank you Sam!!!

Written by Mamissima

MY SURVIVAL GUIDE - BIRTHDAY PARTIES

It is natural as parents to want our children to enjoy themselves as much as possible. And when more than at their birthday party?! All this stress and pressure to have a good time can often lead to tears and frustration, and I don't just mean for your kids (I think I've cried for one reason or another at just about every party I've had)! So I decided to push my anxiety a side and plan a birthday party for my 6 and 3 year old that I thought they'd truly enjoy. If you too are embarking on the planning of one of these much anticipated events I have compiled a few lists of things I think will help so that your little one has the time of his or her life, so that your nerves stay intact and you might actually enjoy the experience! But let me preface this by saying, even if you do everything right there still might be tears. The important thing is to stay positive and remember this is a celebration however bizarre it might turn out!

Guide to Planning the Party:

Theme of the moment. Think about a theme or themes that makes your child happy right now. I say right now because we all know that our children's interests seem to change on almost a weekly basis. So try not to plan the party too far in advance, a month is a good amount of time. Whether it is Thomas the tank engine or Barbie go with whatever makes them happy and try not to get caught up in how much you like the theme. The theme can be incorporated into games, decorations, costumes, party bags, food, cake, invitations and activities. For example if you have a super hero theme one of the activities can be decorating a cape with stickers and glitter. This will not only help on the decision making for all these areas but also help you stick to a consistent color theme (example: red and blue for Spiderman). I may be all for making the kids happy but nothing wrong with a party that's aesthetically pleasing too!

Planning the food. No matter what time of day you have your party, children always need to eat! The first rule of planning food for a party though is getting rid of any guilt you may have if you decided not to bake all your own food! I promise you its okay! If you do decide to cook, try not to kill yourself because it is unlikely you'll be able to keep the party goers attention long enough for them to really eat a meal and what is most important is that you have energy to play with your toddler throughout his or her special day. Whether making at home our buying in go for two types of dishes: Intensely nutritious foods combined with intensely naughty!

Even better if you can combine the nutritious with the delicious (see the cupcake recipe below). Some other ideas are chocolate covered fruit, chocolate covered pretzels, pineapple chunks w/ cheddar cubes on a toothpick, mini anything from sliders to mini-pizzas to catch the toddler's attention. If you can make the display enticing by placing the carrot sticks in a happy face shape for example, all the better to grab the children's interest. Anything to get a bit of food in before their blood sugar dips too low and crankiness sets in. Also, be sure to have enough sensible beverages around but definitely stay away from sparkling drinks. But while it is important to try and pack those vitamins in I do also think there are a few days a year (at least) when we should literally let our wee ones eat cake and don't fall victim to people giving you a hard time about this....as my Mother in Low would say cake is an essential food group!

Timing. Make sure the party isn't too long so that the kids don't get over tired. I would say anymore than 2 hours is too long. I also advise having the parties earlier in the day so that the anticipation of the day doesn't get the best of your toddler (or you). Early parties also leave time for a necessary nap in the afternoon even if your wee one has dropped their usual nap.

Don't over or under schedule the party. Let free play first while all the children arrive and then the activities. I suggest planning a certain amount of time doing each thing - 15 to 30 minutes; an activity is usually long enough with singing and cake/cupcakes as the grand finale.

Presents. if you can manage it I suggest waiting till after all the children have left to open the presents. It is hard for the other toddlers to not want to play with the new toys and this can be doubly hard on the birthday girl or boy. Sharing is always tough but with new presents even tougher. I've learned from experience that it’s a bit much to ask and no one wants to spend a birthday disciplining. Why not have a table out of the way at the party where guests can leave presents and only bring them to your wee one's attention after everyone has left. It will be a nice activity for the second half of the day.

Gift Bags. gift bags are a nice touch at the end of a party but you don't have to go crazy with spending a lot of money. Stickers, crayons, coloring books go along way and can be themes just like the party. Be sure not to fill the bag with anything that could be a choking hazard as toddlers often have younger siblings. Do make sure you make a few extra gift bags though in case people bring brothers and sisters.

Keeping track of the gifts. Do try and keep track of who gave your toddler what. However, don’t let perfection get in the way of good intention and if you don’t manage to do so just make sure to send a thank you note to everyone even if you aren’t exactly sure what they gave as a gift. When you are writing the thank you cards it is my policy that if you are writing to the parents then it should be from you (with perhaps a nice wee scribble or masterpiece depending on how you are looking at it, from your toddler), and if it is to the children then it should be from the child even if you are writing it.

Rules to Surviving the Party:

Make sure to give your wee one a large healthy breakfast. I’m a big fan of oatmeal because it is likely their next meal will be icing based!

Don't force your toddler to take part in party activities. It will make them anxious and they will join in when they feel ready and with the right amount of positive encouragement. Sometimes it can all be overwhelming so give them time to adjust to all the people and all the hype.

Be sensitive to your guest’s allergies and ask people to notify you if there is one you should be aware of.

If you are inviting children from your toddler’s nursery either invite all in their class or less than half to avoid any feelings of being left out by other children.

Plan a relaxing afternoon post party activity and even if your toddler no longer takes a nap go for a stroller ride or car ride to get them to take a snooze and get their energy back.

Keep some of the snacks your toddler likes in your bag just in case they need an emergency dose. You never know when the all that icing might even be too much for them.

Most of all don’t’ worry if it doesn’t go according to plan, it almost certainly won’t. Just say positive and remember no matter what this is your toddler’s special day and quiet simply you are just happy to be able to spend it together.

Here’s a great recipe for delicious red velvet cupcakes that are also packed with goodness, but remember from one crazy busy mother to another, don’t feel guilty if you just decide to buy them instead. Enjoy!

RED VELVET BEET CUPCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients 3/4 cup beet purée 1/4 cup milk 1Tablespoon whole plain yogurt 1 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup melted butter or canola oil 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or you can use vanilla bean infused milk) 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup alkali free dark cocoa (60%+) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup crushed walnuts 1/4 cup crushed flax seeds To Make Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine dry ingredients and set aside

Combine wet ingredients and mix in mixer until smooth

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly and mix until incorporated

Place batter in ungreased cupcake pans with cupcake liners

Cook at 350 degrees 15-18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Top with cream cheese frosting

Makes 18 cupcakes

To Make Beet Purée

If you use fresh beetroot cook them in the water first and then trim ends, scrub the peel off the beet, dice and puree.

To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

Take 2 packages of cream cheese place in bowl and mix with a mixer until whipped

Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla and beat until smooth

Coats/Snowsuits on children in cars, is it safe?

As the cold winter approaches, we start to look for out child s next winter coat, be it that duffle from Boden or the snow suit from Petit Bateau. Never a thought did I give to the thickness of the coat or how that could affect my child’s safety in the car. Did you know that thick winter coats or snowsuits can compromise your child's car seat safety.

In order for a baby car seat or toddler booster seat to function properly, the straps need to remain tight against the child's chest. Winter coats and snowsuits make car seat safety difficult because they change the way a child fits into the car seat. When the car seat straps don't fit the child properly, there is a chance the child could be ejected from the car seat.

The car seat harness needs to stay close to the child's body at all times. All coats and clothing will compress in a crash, but thicker winter coats and snowsuits could compress enough to create a lot of slack in the harness, allowing the child to be ejected from the car seat.

Check All Winter Coats for Car Seat Safety

It's easy to check and see whether a baby's winter coat or infant snowsuit is too thick to be safe in a car seat. This test will show you how thick the coat is and how much the coat will compress during a crash.

Take the car seat into the house.

Put the winter coat or snowsuit on the child.

Put the child in the car seat and buckle the harnesses as you normally would before car travel. Adjust the straps to the appropriate fit for your child.

Put the child back in the car seat and buckle the harnesses again, but do not tighten the straps.

Take the child out of the car seat without loosening the straps at all.

Take the coat off your child.

If you can fit more than two fingers under the harness at the child's shoulder bone, the coat is too thick and is not safe for use with the car seat.

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Raspberry Leaf tea is one of those pregnancy topics which most people talk about but does anyone really know whether it’s for real or not?

Raspberry leaf tea, also known as red raspberry leaf, is a herbal remedy. It is not the same as raspberry fruit tea!

Red raspberry leaf tea is recommended during pregnancy because it contains vitamins (C, E, A, B complex) and minerals (magnesium, calcium and iron) which not only helps mother and baby get all the nourishing nutrients they need, but can also help replenish stores of the mother after birth.
Raspberry leaf also contains the alkaloid 'fragine' which is said to strengthen and tone the muscles of the uterus, helping them to contract more efficiently during labour. Research has found that taking raspberry leaf tea during the weeks prior to delivery helps to shorten the second stage of labour by making contractions more effective. Sipping raspberry leaf tea during and after the birth is also said to help the uterus contract back down to size, reduce after birth bleeding and help initiate the let down of breastmilk. While there hasn't been a huge amount of research into this area, the general consensus does seem to be that drinking raspberry leaf tea during the latter stages of pregnancy can help to make for a 'better' labour with few side effects.
However, because there is little research the certainty of these claims cannot be verified.
What we do know for sure is that raspberry leaf should, like other herbal teas, be drunk in moderation. Some midwives think it is not a good idea to take anything that might interfere with your labour, after all we are designed to give birth without any help, as hard as that may seem at the time!
If you do decide to try raspberry leaf tea, let your doctor or midwife know that you are planning to drink it. And really, whilst we’ve reached no real conclusion here, the best advice would seem to be like anything in life, moderation is the safest way to go. Oh, and I also think it should always be taken with a big slice of cake.