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The National Childbirth Trust East Cheshire Branch Winter 2013 Inside: Cord Clamping Ideas on Ditching the Dummy Breakfast tips Please don’t throw me away - Pass me on to someone else
The National Childbirth Trust East Cheshire Branch
Winter 2013
Inside: Cord Clamping · Ideas on Ditching the Dummy · Breakfast tips
Please don’t throw me away - Pass me on to someone else
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Contents
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Disclaimer Any views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) or the Editor. The information in this newsletter is intended for the use of NCT members only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purposes. The conditions of the Data Protection Act 1998 may apply. The appearance of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the advertiser or its products and services by the NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. The NCT does not accept liability for any loss, injury or damage arising out of goods or services sold through any advertisement in this newsletter. Any discount offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the advertiser. NCT will not compensate any member who is refused a discount from a third party. The National Childbirth Trust (HQ), Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, Acton, London W36NH. Enquiry Line Tel: 0300 00770 Website: www.nct.org.uk Registered Charity Number
801395
Winter 2013
Regulars
Welcome from the Chair & Editor ............................ 4
Branch contacts ...................................................... 5
Branch news ........................................................... 6
Seasonal recipe .................................................... 20
NCT East Cheshire diary ....................................... 21
Breastfeeding support ........................................... 25
Birth story................................................................26
Seasonal activities..................................................36
National NCT news ............................................... 39
National NCT contacts .......................................... 41
Advertising rates ................................................... 42
Features
Ditch the Dummy................................................... 8
How I survived – sleepless nights........................ 10
Get involved......................................................... 14
Time for Breakfast ................................................ 18
When do you cut the cord?................................... 32
Multi-sensory learning .......................................... 34
Cover photo
Tina’s son gets into the festive spirit.
If you would like to send a photo for the cover of our
next edition (Spring) please e-mail
© NCT Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, London W3 6NH, Reg. Charity No. 801395
Welcome
4
Letter from the Chair
Well autumn
is coming to
a close and
winter will
soon be upon
us. I for one
am very
excited about Christmas and our
Cheeky Monkeys Christmas Tea Party,
but even more excited about our
special visit from Father Christmas
himself.
May I take this opportunity to wish you
all a very merry Christmas, full of love
and mayhem with your little ones, from
all of us here at East Cheshire Branch.
Kirstie x
From
the Editors
It has been a busy few months for our newsletter editorial team. Maria has braved major house renovations while
looking after her toddler, Ben. They are just about there now! At the same time I have been seriously considering a move to a country where the clocks don’t change having endured some long dark nights with my son whose body clock is taking a long time to adjust.
We have a packed and varied issue for you so hopefully there is something for everyone. Thanks to everyone who has helped by contributing content. Inside you will find tips and ideas to support you in separating your little one from their dummy, an article to help us all start the new year with a fresh and healthy approach to breakfast, and up to date information around cord clamping after birth.
The local branch is also keen to get more people involved. There is lots of information inside on the current committee and opportunities to join us.
I hope you all enjoy the newsletter, have a wonderful time over the festive season, and keep warm! See you in 2014.
Natalie
NCT East Cheshire Committee & Contacts
5
The persons listed below are all volunteers who currently run the East Cheshire branch committee. They will do their best to help you and answer any questions you may have.
Branch chair Kirstie Lee
Advertising coordinator Suzi Sanyang [email protected]
Breast Pump agent Dipika Morgan [email protected]
Breastfeeding Counsellors
Sarah Braide, [email protected], 01625 874796 Katharine Newman, 01625 618 706
Bumps and Babies coordinator Sarah Ensor [email protected]
Events coordinator
Maternity sales [email protected]
Membership coordinator Stacey Davies [email protected]
Nearly New Sales team [email protected]
Newsletter editor Maria Gray / Natalie Lane [email protected]
Parent support Sarah Ensor [email protected]
Postnatal leader Liz Fickling [email protected]
Publicity officer Liz Thomas [email protected]
Treasurer Amanda Watmough [email protected]
Website coordinator Ellen Brown
Valley cushion agent, homebirth support, antenatal teacher
Holly Platt Wells
Branch telephone 0844 243 6115
Option1: Local events and general enquiries Option2: Nearly New Sales Option3: Branch newsletter enquiries and advertising Option4: Membership secretary Option5: Bra / breast pump
Antenatal and Postnatal class bookings: Amanda 0844 243 6971 / [email protected]
Web: www.nct.org.uk/branches/east-cheshire
Friends of East Cheshire NCT (Facebook)
@eastcheshirenct (Twitter)
NCT East Cheshire News
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Discount Storage If you're like us and need more space, help is at hand. Our friends at Big Yellow rent secure storage rooms from as small as 10 sq ft to as large as 500 sq ft, from as little as 7 days, to as long as you need. Quote the code “NCT” in store or at bigyellow.co.uk and get 10% off your storage costs and above any current new customer offer.
NCT Early Days Postnatal Courses Our Early Days course for mums of young babies (usually up to 6-months old) will be running in January and March. This is a 10-hour course of four Wednesday morning sessions. All mums are very welcome, whether it’s your first or subsequent baby. Dates: 22nd January – 12th February or 19th March – 9th April Venue: Dean Row Village Hall, Wilmslow For further details and to book a place, please contact Amanda on 0844 243 6971 or e-mail [email protected]
Book Club Book: Jojo Moyes – Me Before You Book Club is a friendly group and a great way to discover new authors and read genres you may not normally pick up. The group meet about every 6 weeks on Thursdays. If you would like to join us, please email either Amanda on [email protected] or Lynn on [email protected]. Date: 17th December Time: 8 pm Venue: Amanda’s House, Macclesfield (The following book will be Ben Goldacre’s ‘Bad Science’ in late January or early February 2014)
Committee Recruitment Come along to our committee meeting on 7th January, where we hope to showcase our various fundraising activities and discuss the various ways in which you can help support your local NCT branch.
7
Bring your little monkeys to our Cheeky Monkeys Tea Party on Saturday 30
th November, from 11am to 2pm, at the Silklife
Centre in Macclesfield.
A big thanks to Baby Sensory East Cheshire, who will be providing baby and toddler sensory sessions, and also to the wonderful Marvellous Craft Club who will be running crafts. There will also be face painting and lots to play with. A party lunch will be provided for the children, there will be a raffle and a visit from Father Christmas himself!
Admission costs £2.50 per child over 1 year old, with a maximum charge of £5 per family (i.e. if you have three or more children over 1-year, you will only be charged for two of them). Under 1's and adults are free of charge. The admission price includes all activities, children's lunch and a gift from Father Christmas.
Raffle Prizes have been kindly donated by,
· £20 Voucher from Baba and Boo
· 4 tickets to Legoland Discovery Centre
· A box of six cupcakes from Cherry Blossom bakery
· 2 Haircut vouchers for Little Bigheads in Wilmslow
· Tiny Talk baby signing classes (half a term)
· Trio of preserves from Monocle Deli
· 4-week Mamababybliss baby massage course
· Peanuts clothing voucher
Ditch the Dummy
8
People have very mixed and often
strong feelings about the use of
dummies – as with most things child
related!
However, what does seem to be common
place is that if your little one does have a
dummy, they are not keen to let it go.
Below are some ideas on how to ‘Ditch
the Dummy’ shared with us by a
professional speech and language
therapist. A number of local NCT
members also share their experiences.
Top Tips - Encourage your child to leave
their dummy out for the Dummy Fairy,
Santa or Easter Bunny.
Exchange the dummy for a small gift or an
activity you and your child enjoy.
Books about giving up dummies may
help, e.g. ‘The Last Noo Noo’ by Jill
Murphy.
Set yourself a time limit so you have a
target to work towards.
Be prepared for some tears and tantrums.
Plan how you will distract your child, e.g.
a story, songs/rhymes or a cuddle.
Choose a time when you have support,
are regularly with your child, and feel able
to take it on.
Make a clean break, throw them all away.
Talk to your child about giving it up –
when and how it will happen, being a big
girl/boy, etc.
Get support from family,
preschool/nursery, childrens’ centres.
Members Stories -
My eldest had a dummy and was
obsessed. I tried to stop him using it when
he was very small but he got so much
comfort from it that I gave it back after a
few tear filled hours! Once he got to about
3 I asked him when he would stop using
at, and he said "when I'm 4" and true to
his word on his 4th birthday he put his
dummies in an envelope to take to the
hospital for the "poorly babies" and never
bothered again. (Stace)
My daughter sent her dummies to the
dummy fairy when I was pregnant so that
the fairy could turn them into new
dummies for the baby. We left then out
overnight & when she woke up we left a
note from the fairy thanking her and a
pack of newborn dummies. She was
thrilled.
I decided I wanted Omar off the dummy
by 18 months as the dentist had advised
it. We stopped it in the day at 15 months
just by putting it out of sight and he didn't
seem to think about it if he couldn't see it.
Then stopped it at night at 17 months we
had about 3 nights of waking lots then he
slept through again. (Suzi)
First we reduced so only gave dummies
for naps and bedtime. Then when he was
15 months we made a tiny hole in all the
dummies . Then over 1 -2 weeks we
snipped the end off the dummy. So it
wouldn't be as satisfying. Then by end of
two weeks we just removed them.
Seemed a very easy method taken off an
online getting rid of dummy site. (Shobey)
First we reduced so only gave dummies
for naps and bedtime. Then when he was
15 months we made a tiny hole in all the
dummies . Then over 1 -2 weeks we
snipped the end off the dummy. So it
wouldn't be as satisfying. Then by end of
two weeks we just removed them.
Seemed a very easy method taken off an
online getting rid of dummy site. (Shobey)
My daughter sent her dummies to the
dummy fairy when I was pregnant so that
the fairy could turn them into new
dummies for the baby. We left then out
overnight & when she woke up we left a
note from the fairy thanking her and a
pack of newborn dummies. She was
thrilled.
My eldest had a dummy and was
obsessed. I tried to stop him using it when
he was very small but he got so much
comfort from it that I gave it back after a
few tear filled hours! Once he got to about
3 I asked him when he would stop using
at, and he said "when I'm 4" and true to
his word on his 4th birthday he put his
dummies in an envelope to take to the
hospital for the "poorly babies" and never
bothered again. (Stace)
I decided I wanted Omar off the dummy
by 18 months as the dentist had advised
it. We stopped it in the day at 15 months
just by putting it out of sight and he didn't
seem to think about it if he couldn't see it.
Then stopped it at night at 17 months we
had about 3 nights of waking lots then he
slept through again. (Suzi)
How I survived....sleepless nights
10
All parents experience them, some
more than others...sleepless nights.
Everyone has their own responses to
them and ways of coping. There are no
‘answers’ but it is often reassuring to
know that others have been in the
same position as yourself and come
out the other side. In the article below
Lynn relays her experiences and
approaches to nights awake with her
children.
Your baby’s sleep is one of those topics that everyone wants to ask you about and on which everyone has a view and a little piece of advice to give. Before I had my first baby I remember people talking to me about 12 weeks, as a sort of pre-programmed date at which I might be able to expect my baby to sleep through the night. Heavily pregnant at the time, all I was really thinking about was labour and birth – but a few weeks of broken sleep didn’t seem too bad a thought. I soon realised once I had my baby that they don’t run to a schedule – some nights were good, some bad – and that this idea of 12 weeks was completely arbitrary. In the first few weeks and months after having my son, Teddy, my antenatal group would meet up regularly and one of the most talked-about topics was sleep: how many times a night does your baby wake up?; how many night feeds do you do?; what time do they wake up in the morning?; do they want to feed all evening?, etc. Most of the new mums, like me, were feeling sleep deprived.
When Teddy woke up I would usually get out of bed and sit up in a chair to feed him – I was terrified of falling back asleep. It was a really chilly January so it was cold and dark, and I desperately wanted to go back to my bed, snuggle up and fall back asleep. Anyone who has battled to stay awake when their body is telling them they need sleep - NOW!! - knows how difficult it is to keep your eyes open! No one I knew at that stage talked about co-sleeping so it wasn't something that was on my radar. I just thought sleeping with your baby was something you weren't supposed to do. I got used to feeding a couple of times a night, but at around six months, Teddy starting waking a lot more during the night. Weaning, teething, a really hot summer, trips away – I'm not sure why, but he was awake a lot in the night, and was really unsettled. I was given lots of “advice” on how to handle it, which largely involved leaving him to cry it out. I wasn’t comfortable with doing this, so a large part of the summer was spent with very little sleep for both of us, and a lot of angst and frustration on my part, just not understanding why he wasn't sleeping. Eventually things settled down and he did start to sleep better, but the following year when I found out I was pregnant with baby #2 I decided I wanted to do “sleep” differently second time round. I knew a few people who co-slept with their babies by this stage, so talked to them about it and basically read up a lot around the subject. I wanted evidence-based research, not scaremongering and advice from “sleep-trainers”.
How I survived....sleepless nights
11
From the start, Ellie was a lighter sleeper than Teddy and woke more frequently during the night, but one thing I noticed straight away was that I felt more energetic during the day because we co-slept. It was often hard to remember how many feeds she had during the night because it disturbed me so little – having her sleep so near me meant that I was aware when she started stirring and fed her before either of us were fully awake and it was easy for us both to drift back to sleep afterwards. My husband slept through it all. I loved having her sleeping so close to me. It made it so easy to breastfeed during the night, and sometimes all she needed was a little rub on the back and she'd go back off to sleep – it was quick and easy to settle her before she had a chance to get really upset. I'm not saying I never had a bad night's sleep. When Ellie was about 9 months old and started to crawl, she became really restless at night and would get up on her hands and knees in bed – like she couldn’t switch off from the new skill she had learnt. I moved into another bed for a few weeks with her so it didn’t start to keep my husband awake as well as me. I realised that with every new developmental phase her sleep was a bit disturbed, and also she wanted more milk. This happened again when she started talking, teething, and whenever she was ill. She would wake more and want more milk. This could be really frustrating, but talking to friends who were still co-sleeping with slightly older children and still feeding at night helped me to realise that all of these phases are short lived in the grand scheme of things. A couple of Facebook groups I followed such as
Analytical Armadillo and Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths (DBM) were also a great source of information and a support network - it was reassuring to read about other people going through the same and coming out the other side! One other thing that really kept me going was the thought that this is totally normal behaviour for a baby, and that whilst it is not the cultural norm in our society it is the biological norm for humans as a species. Once I understood this I found it much easier to cope with night wakings, and to accept this as normal (in fact, desirable, from the baby's perspective!). Inevitably as time went on, people started asking when I was going to get Ellie into her own bed and stop feeding her at night. It was usually well-meaning comments from family, but this could be quite hurtful (not to mention annoying!) at times: you’ve got her into a bad habit; you’ll never get her out of your bed; she’ll never learn to “self-soothe”; you're not getting any time to yourselves; etc. I think people saw it as a constraint and couldn’t understand it, especially if their own baby had been used to sleeping on their own from early on and not waking much in the night, but to us it was the most straightforward way of us all getting the most sleep possible, and the best scenario for Ellie whilst she was still really young. When Ellie was about 15 months I started thinking about trying to night wean. Again, I spoke to friends and read up on different ways to approach this. I didn’t want to go “cold turkey” as I knew that wouldn’t work for either of us. At 18 months I started offering her a drink of water in the night rather than milk. Cue humongous
How I survived....sleepless nights
12
meltdowns. I decided she was too young and put it off for a few more months. We tried again when she was coming up to 2. By this point she was talking quite a lot, and the difference was really noticeable this time. No, she wasn’t happy with the alternative being offered – a glass of water and a cuddle rather than snuggling up with her top-favourite milk and drifting back off to sleep – but after a few nights, to my amazement, she accepted it. I still fed her during the day whenever she wanted, but night time was now for sleep. I was so pleased. My husband and I went away for a night for our fifth wedding anniversary the weekend after Ellie turned 2 and she spent the night at her grandparents for the first time, with her big brother. There were still times when she would wake up in the night wanting milk, and if she was ill or really unsettled I would let her have a quick feed, but overall she accepted the deal – milk during the day, sleep at night. Ellie is 3 now. It’s been quite hard writing this piece in some ways, because although at the time you feel like sleepless nights are never going to end, they do. And then it’s really difficult to remember exactly what it was like at the time. However, looking back now it really does seem like a short phase in the grand scheme of things. Some things to remember: You will meet at least one person who tells you their baby slept through from 12 weeks. Maybe they did. But this is not the biological norm.
There are no rules – find a way that suits you and your family and that you feel comfortable with. Try to sleep during the day if you’re not getting much at night – take a nap when your baby does rather than racing round with the hoover. Take "advice" with a pinch of salt and seek out people with a similar outlook to you. This will pass and you will get through it. Believe it or not, you might even look back on some of those nights - with your baby close by and everyone else in the house asleep - with something like nostalgia! Read up as much as you can on infant sleep and feeding at night (I wish I’d done this before I had my children instead of obsessing about labour and birth!). I found the following books really interesting: Deborah Jackson - Three in a Bed: The Benefits of Sleeping with Your Baby Jean Liedloff – The Continuum Concept Meredith Small – Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent If you are interested in finding out more about co-sleeping, you can find information on sleeping safely with your baby on the NCT and UNICEF websites (amongst others).
Get Involved
14
All local NCT branches are run solely by
volunteers. There are lots of great
reasons to get involved and also current
opportunities within the East Cheshire
Branch.
The NCT exist to support parents. We work
hard not to tell people what to do or think.
Instead, through our courses, branches,
and helplines, our volunteers and qualified
representatives, give parents accurate,
impartial information so that they can
decide what’s best for their family. Through
us, they can join a support network of other
parents nearby, which can be a lifeline in
the early years. We are the UK’s largest
charity for parents and being independent
we have an influential voice in campaigning
and lobbying on the issues that parents
care about.
As a volunteer you can use your skills (and
learn new ones), creativity, enthusiasm,
commitment, experience from working life
and as a parent, make friends and have
FUN!
We are always looking for people keen to
help through giving a few hours of their time
to their branch, whether taking a particular
role or being part of the teams that offer
parent support (getting involved with bumps
and babies sessions or bumps in the pub,
hosting a coffee morning), or running social
and fundraising events (for example, nearly
new sales or cheeky monkey tea parties) or
helping with our communications
(newsletter editor, web manager,
membership secretary).
If you would like to know more about the opportunities available please contact
Kirstie (the local Chair) or any other member of the current committee. The branch contact details are on page 5. You can join as a general committee member, shadow an existing role, or dive straight into a committee position! Profile of Stacey (current Membership Secretary) Have you held any other roles? Yes! Publicity Officer and Chair
What do you like about the role? I enjoy that I get to talk to new members and let them know how our branch can support them, as people are often unaware of how active the branch is.
What drove you to join the committee? I first joined when the branch was in danger of closing. An EGM was held at the house of the then chair and a new committee was formed. I had an ulterior motive though. I had just found out I was expecting my second child and as I had tried and failed to breastfeed my first, I thought that it would be a good idea to meet some people who might be able to help me second time around.
What do you get out of being part of the committee? As a stay at home mum I sometimes find that I can feel a little out of the loop. Life revolves around my 4 boys and my day is filled with meeting their needs. I feel that being part of the committee keeps my brain oiled and gives me a break from changing nappies and cleaning high chairs. I have made some fantastic friends, I love how I get the chance to meet new people. If I return to work outside the home I know that my time on the committee will be an asset to my CV.
How long have you been on the committee? I joined the committee in September 2009.
Get Involved
15
Local Branch Roles
Chair
· Ensures that the branch plans, publicises and provides activities for parents-to-be and
new parents
· Runs regular committee meetings to provide guidance, support, and motivation to the
committee
· Link with the regional team and UK office to ensure good two-way communication
· Promote the NCT in the local community
Treasurer
· Record keeping – files, receipts, cheque books, etc.
· Signatory to the bank account
· Recording and processing of expenses claims
· Maintaining the branch accounts using a fully managed web-based branch accounting
system
· Approval of branch orders
· Working with the nearly new sale coordinators to manage the financial aspects of
events (provision of floats, banking of cash etc.)
Membership Coordinator
· The first point of contact within the branch for new and renewing members
· Promotes membership as a way for individuals to support the NCT charity.
Nearly New Sale Coordinator – work as part of a team to ensure that all planning,
preparation and delivery of the branch nearly new sales runs smoothly. Support and engage
volunteers in the running of the events.
Website Coordinator – keep the branch web pages up to date to publicise activity to local
parents.
Newsletter Editor – coordinate content, edit and produce branch newsletters.
Bumps and Babies Coordinator – ensures that the groups run as advertised, and have a
positive and rewarding environment. Need not attend on every occasion as they groups can
be run by a rota of volunteers.
Parent Services Administrator (PSA) link – make the link for those attending local classes
to the other activities delivered by the local branch.
Advertising Coordinator – makes sure that the branch gets the most support from
companies and that activities pay for themselves through advertising and sponsorship.
Publicity Officer – get as much free publicity for the branch and NCT as possible.
And also...
Breast Pump Agent, Fundraising Coordinator, Homebirth Support, Postnatal Leader,
First Aid Course Coordinator, General Branch Supporter
Get Involved
16
Reasons why other people have been involved -
· To be more involved in a good cause
· I wanted to help other mums as I’ve been in the situation of not having any support as a first timer
· To help others and ensure new mums don’t feel alone
· To get to know other people and hopefully improve services available in our locality
· It was the stimulation I needed so I never felt like “just a mum”. I really want services to be available to future families
· To maintain some skills and involvement in work-like activities - providing me with a sense of achievement
· I like the NCT Nearly New Sales
· To get me ready for returning to work and helping a charity that’s close to my heart
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Time for Breakfast?
18
Maria Gray
If you’re looking for a New Year
resolution, why not start with
breakfast?
A survey conducted by HGCA (which
is the cereals and oilseeds division of
the Agriculture and Horticulture
Development Board (AHDB)), found
that half of people skip breakfast at
some point during the week, with 15%
not eating a morning meal at all.
Apparently, mums get up at 6.29am on
average, which is about half an hour
before the rest of the nation. So there
should be plenty of time for breakfast,
right? Well, of the mums who skip
breakfast, getting other family
members ready (30%) and housework
(13%) take priority. Interestingly,
mums are also more likely to prioritise
social networking and emails over
eating breakfast, suggesting that this is
the only window in their day they have
to catch up on correspondence.
However, there is a wealth of evidence
that breakfast improves concentration,
mood and energy levels and many
breakfast foods provide important
nutrients which you may not get
elsewhere. On top of this, the idea that
skipping breakfast to promote
weight loss is a myth. Missing
breakfast was found to contribute to
increased snacking or larger portion
sizes later in the day, and without
breakfast to kick start your metabolism
in the morning, it is ultimately more
difficult for the body to burn calories.
Therefore it’s not only important that
parents enjoy a good breakfast for
their own benefit, but that they set an
example for their children. This will
increase the likelihood of children
continuing the habit into later life.
Top excuses for skipping
breakfast include:
• Not feeling hungry in the morning
•Preferring to spend more time in bed
• A belief that it will help weight loss
• Getting family ready
• Housework
• Social networking/emails
Time for Breakfast?
19
Why not try...
Weetabix, grated apple and sultanas
Take Weetabix to a new level by
grating in some apple (a whole apple
may be too much, but any leftover can
be stored in the fridge for tomorrow’s
breakfast) and sprinkling on some
dried fruit. Hot or cold milk can be
used depending on your preference.
Just not hungry?
Try these tips to boost your
morning appetite:
•Get into the habit of having something
and build on this as your body adjusts
-E.g. Glass of milk
-Glass of smoothie (or juice at
the very least)
-Milky coffee
-Half a slice of toast
-Small bowl of cereal, e.g. rice
crispies
•Look at the portion sizes of your other
meals and snacks, have you replaced
breakfast with calories later in the day?
•Drink plenty of water before bed
•Avoid late evening snacks
•Avoid too much caffeine or nicotine in
the morning, both of which inhibit
appetite.
If you’re not used to having breakfast,
don’t enter into it with big ideas of
freshly prepared smoothies and
cooking something different every day
of the week. In fact, cooking need only
stretch to toasting bread or warming
porridge in the microwave. The
important thing is that your children
see you making an effort.
So, next time you’re feeding the family
at the start of the day, make sure you
include yourself!
More recipe ideas, information, support
and advice can be found at
www.shakeupyourwakeup.com.
Seasonal Recipe - Winter
20
Baby Baked Apples
This is such a simple little pudding, and quite delicious. It takes a while to cook,
but the preparation time is minimal.
For babies: You can leave out the syrup (don’t give a baby honey). Mash or roughly
chop the soft apple and sultanas for spooning, or just break the apple into pieces, let it
cool and encourage your baby to dig in. Avoid giving sultanas or pieces of apple with
skin to a young baby.
Ingredients:
1 dessert apple
A pinch of sultanas or raisins
A small knob of unsalted butter
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Serves 1 adult portion
Preheat the oven to 180oC/gas 4.
Cut a thin slice off the base of each apple so they will stand up easily. Score a line
through the skin around the equator of the apples to stop the skin bursting. Use an
apple corer to remove the cores, making sure you take out every bit of the fibrous
centre – you might have to push the corer through 2 or 3 times to do this.
Stand each apple on a piece of foil in a baking dish. Pack a good pinch of sultanas or
raisins into the cavity of each. Press the knob of butter on top, pushing it down with
your finger, then carefully pour in the honey (not for under-ones) or syrup. Bring the foil
loosely up around each apple to enclose it.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the apple flesh feels soft when pierced with a knife; the
time will vary depending on the size and variety of apple. Transfer to serving dishes,
making sure you add the caramelised juices too.
To eat, use a spoon and fork to break open the apple and mash the flesh together with
the sultanas and sweet juices. A little cold cream is a wonderful accompaniment.
[Recipe extract from River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Nikki Duffy. Published by
Bloomsbury, ©2011, Nikki Duffy]
Diary
21
Regular Events
Bumps & Babies
Come and join us at one of our
Bumps, Babies & Toddlers groups.
No need to be a member! Fun4All Queens Avenue, Macclesfield, SK10 2DG
Wednesdays during term time
10am – 12 noon
There is a new pricing policy. All
adults and under 1’s are free, children
aged 1 and 2 are £1 each, and
children aged 3 and over are charged
the normal Fun4All admission price.
Coffee Lounge Wilmslow Methodist Church
Kings Close, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AR
Alternate Thursdays,term time only
10.30am – 12 noon
There is no charge to come along and
chat and there is a play area for
restless toddlers too. The church
serve drinks and biscuits at a small
charge.
Unfortunately we are still struggling to
get enough volunteers for the
Wilmslow group so we strongly
recommend checking it is running via
our Facebook page before turning up.
Coffee Mornings
Coffee mornings or
afternoons are organised
at members’ houses most
weeks (usually on a Monday). If you’d
like to join us please give the host a
call to check details and to find out the
address. If you’d like to host a coffee
morning please let us know.
Antenatal & Postnatal Classes
NCT antenatal classes help parents-
to-be prepare for birth and early
parenthood. Sessions for first-time
parents are held in Macclesfield,
Tytherington and Wilmslow.
The contact details for anybody
wishing to book courses are:
0844 243 6971
Bumps in the Pub
Flower Pot Pub, Macclesfield
Second Tuesday of every month
8 pm – 10 pm
A great chance to meet other mums-
and Dads-to-be, whether it’s your first
or subsequent pregnancy.
Diary
December 2013
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
2nd
Kim’s coffee
Morning
10-12
Macclesfield
07766410004
3rd
4th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
5th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Wilmslow
Methodist Church
10:30am – 12pm
6th
9th
Amanda’s coffee
morning
9:30-11:30
Macclesfield
07713629752
10th
Bumps in the pub.
The Flowerpot
Macclesfield
From 8pm
11th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
12th
13th
16th
Sarah’s coffee
morning
9.30am - 12pm
Macclesfield
07773415992 CHRISTMAS CRAFTS
17th
Book club
Amanda’s house
from 8pm
07713629752
18th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
19th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Wilmslow
Methodist Church
10:30am – 12pm
20th
23rd
24th 25th
26th 27th
30th
31st
Information correct at the time of printing. Up to date information will be posted on the ‘Friends of East
Cheshire NCT’ facebook page
Diary
January 2014
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1st 2nd 3rd
6th
Kim’s coffee
Morning
10-12
Macclesfield
07766410004
7th 8th
Bumps, babies and
toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
9th
10th
13th
Amanda’s coffee
morning
9:30-11:30
Macclesfield
07713629752
14th 15th
Bumps, babies and
toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
16th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Wilmslow
Methodist Church
10:30am – 12pm
17th
20th
Sarah’s coffee
morning
9.30am - 12pm
Macclesfield
07773415992
21st 22nd
Bumps, babies and
toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
23rd 24th
27th
Maria’s Coffee
morning
9.30 – 11.30
Bollington
07773443242
28th 29th
Bumps, babies and
toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
30th 31st
Information correct at the time of printing. Up to date information will be posted on the ‘Friends of East
Cheshire NCT’ facebook page
Diary
February 2014
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
3rd
4th
5th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
6th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Wilmslow
Methodist Church
10:30am – 12pm
7th
10th
Sarah’s coffee
morning
9.30am - 12pm
Macclesfield
07773415992
11th
12th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
13th 14th
17th
Kim’s coffee
Morning
10-12
Macclesfield
07766410004
18th
19th
20th 21st
24th
Amanda’s coffee
morning
9:30-11:30
Macclesfield
07713629752
25th
26th
Bumps, babies
and toddlers
Fun4All
Macclesfield
10am – 12pm
27th
28th
1st
March, Nearly New Sale @ Macclesfield Academy
Information correct at the time of printing. Up to date information will be posted on the ‘Friends of East
Cheshire NCT’ facebook page
Breastfeeding Support
25
Wilmslow Bosom Buddies Oakenclough Children‘s Centre, Colshaw Drive, Wilmslow Tel. Rosie Gay 07961 614882 Weekly group run by peer supporters and a volunteer health visitor. Ring Rosie for current dates and times. Bollington Bosom Buddies [email protected] Tel. Sara 01625 576517, Francesca 01625 261253 Unfortunately, due to venue issues this weekly support group is not currently running. However, breastfeeding counsellors Sara and Francesca continue to offer telephone support and a monthly La Leche League coffee meeting is held in Bollington. Please call Francesca for details. Macclesfield Cherubs Breastfeeding Support Group
Thursdays 10 – 11.30am Ash Grove Children’s Centre, Ash Grove, Macclesfield, SK11 7TD Tel. 01625 374484
Cherubs Breastfeeding Support Group Wednesdays 12 noon – 1.30pm Hurdsfield Children's Centre, Hulley Road, Macclesfield, SK10 2LW Tel. 01625 378 081
Weekly support groups run by health visitors, midwives and breastfeeding peer supporters.
If you are aware of any changes that have been made to these groups please let us know so we can update our information ([email protected])
Cheshire East Breastfeeding Counsellors Sarah Braide, 01625 874796, [email protected] NCT Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 330 0771 8am–10pm, seven days a week Call our Breastfeeding Line to talk to a qualified breastfeeding counsellor for information and support to help you breastfeed successfully. We can also help if you are using formula or want to switch from formula to breastfeeding or breastfeeding to formula. Other support networks National Breastfeeding Helpline 0300 100 0212 La Leche League 0845 120 2918
Birth Story
26
Congratulations to Kim and Alex on the latest addition to their family. Baby Oran joined them and his brother Rowan earlier this year. Below Kim retells her birth experience. This feels exactly the same as the first time! I can't do this again. I want an epidural. No, REALLY I want an epidural. At 5cm dilated, and having just been hooked up to a Syntocin drip to speed up labour I was ready to give up on my plans for a natural birth. The contractions were so strong I could only think of surviving through them. My husband, Alex, reminded me calmly that I had done it before with only Gas and Air and a TENS machine despite being fully induced with Syntocin. This was the encouragement and support I needed and wanted. I had given birth to our first baby, Rowan, 18 months earlier and been adamant I didn't want anything other than my TENS machine and Gas and Air and had found it difficult when the midwife and my husband had encouraged me to have an epidural. Afterwards I had been so glad I had managed to do it as naturally as I could. So, in preparation for the birth of my second baby I discussed, in detail, how I wanted my husband to support me through the birth...and talking me out of pain relief was one of the things that was important to me. In preparation for the birth, Alex and I attended a Hypnobirthing course. It was brilliant. It gave us some time to focus on this pregnancy, away from the bustle of life with a toddler. I felt calm, positive and excited about going into labour, despite the labour of my first
child being quite different to what I had hoped for. This time, we planned to have a home birth and had borrowed a birthing pool from the hospital. I bought candles and turned our dining room into the perfect quiet, dark, tranquil place to give birth. Neither of us could really relax with the official music that was used in the Hypnobirthing course so Alex compiled a playlist of calming music by my favourite musicians. We practised the Hypnobirthing scripts nearly every evening in the weeks leading up to the birth. At my 34 week antenatal appointment the midwife strongly suspected that my baby was in the breech position but I felt optimistic about him or her turning and decided to try anything and everything (as long as it was regarded as safe) to encourage him or her to turn. I tried raboozo sifting, various yoga like positions, reflexology, aromatherapy, acupuncture, moxibustion, handstands in a swimming pool, lots of walking and, of course ,the hypnobirthing breech turn script. Something worked! A scan at 36 weeks showed that my baby had turned and was now in the perfect position for birth. I was elated as this meant that I could continue with my plan for a homebirth. At my 38 week antenatal appointment the midwife suspected that the baby was in the breech position again. I didn't really believe her as a scan had already shown the baby to be head down and I thought that perhaps she was just being over cautious as I was planning a homebirth. I was happy
Birth Story
27
to go for a scan that afternoon to check. The scan showed my baby was in the frank breech position. I had done some research about vaginal breech births and knew that it may still be possible to give birth naturally but after a discussion with a consultant at the hospital I decided not to pursue this an option mainly because the consultant stood very firm with his blanket advice of “a C-Section is safest for the baby.” I felt that I would be uncomfortable going against medical advice and that if that is the advice given by the hospital then it is unlikely that many of the doctors and midwives there would be particularly experienced in natural births of breech babies and that because of that inexperience and caution I would end up having an emergency C-Section, which would probably be a less safe and more frenzied option than a planned C-Section. However, I wasn't quite ready yet to succumb to the seemingly inevitability of a C-Section as I had read that occasionally babies can turn as late as during labour and having an ECV performed by one of the consultants was an option too. I had an ECV appointment when I was 39 and a half weeks pregnant. I prepared for the ECV with a comical amount of rigor: I had my hospital bag packed, a birthing bag packed, a baby bag packed and enough snacks, drinks and equipment to survive a zombie holocaust. None of this was advised though, but I had read that a small percentage of ECVs lead to an emergency C-Section or even bring on labour almost immediately after the baby being turned and I wanted to be ready for all scenarios. Feeling prepared made
me feel calm - possibly because in the two weeks before my first baby was born we had moved house to Macclesfield from Hertfordshire (unplanned!) and I'd stopped work earlier than I had planned, my husband had started a new job, I'd developed Bells Palsy and my waters broke 2 weeks before the due date so we were pretty unprepared! The consultant scanned my bump. Then asked if I would like him to just magically turn the baby for me without even touching me. I answered that that would be amazing and yes, I would like him to do that. He replied “Ok, it's done” and waved his hands out to the side with a flourish as though he had just said “Ta-da!” I thought he was joking, but he was only half-joking: the baby had already turned itself. I was surprised and was initially relieved but then felt compelled to ask him to check the scanner was working (as it was the same one which had been used for my first scan but a different one to that used for the second scan which showed my baby to be breech.) At first, the consultant looked a little worried and actually started to leave the room, then seemed to change his mind and he double checked the screen. He then felt my bump and confirmed that the baby was definitely head down. As I was planning a home birth and my baby was still changing position so late in the pregnancy, which is unusual, the consultant suggested that at the earliest sign of labour starting I should come to the hospital and have a quick scan to check that the baby is still head down. I felt quite happy with this plan.
Birth Story
28
Eight days past my due date, I was beginning to worry I would need to be induced again. Alex, Rowan and I went for a long walk along a canal and then for a pub meal. At bedtime, I asked Alex to read the Hypnobirthing script for inducing labour to me. Alex went to sleep in the other bedroom with Rowan whilst I lay in bed hoping to go into labour. Within minutes of finishing the inducing script I started having mild stomach cramps. I had been having these off and on throughout the third trimester so I didn't think it was labour...particularly as my Braxton Hicks, and then my early contractions, for my first pregnancy had been a lot stronger and more painful and had regularly stopped me being able to walk for a minute or two. These cramps, much like the Braxton Hicks I had had throughout this pregnancy were mild and tolerable, but this time they were persistent. After a couple of hours I still hadn't been able to fall asleep and the contractions were becoming more painful. I started wondering whether or not I should wake Alex up. It was about 3am and I knew it would take my sister about an hour to get here to mind Rowanr. I didn't want to get her up in the middle of the night unnecessarily but I also thought that since I was now 9 days overdue it could well be labour and the baby might be breech so I decided to wake Alex. I then got into the bath. I felt uncomfortable in the bath and the contractions were getting a bit stronger so I got dressed, sat on a birthing ball and listened to the music we were using for Hypnobirthing. I felt very calm and relaxed, and a bit excited about giving
birth. By the time my sister arrived I was having to stop talking mid-sentence to squat down and concentrate on contractions. We arrived at the hospital at about 4.30am and were taken through to the maternity ward. I was scanned and had the usual checks. I was 4cm dilated which was more than I had expected.The baby was still head down however my blood pressure was a bit high and the midwife advised that I stay on the ward. I didn't feel disappointed about not going home and I think this was because I had only been committed to having a homebirth for as long as I felt it was a safe option and now I didn't feel it was safe. I was shown to a labour room and had a blood sample taken. I was allowed to use the birthing pool whilst we waited for the blood test to come back. I felt very strange being at hospital wearing a swimming costume and squatting in a big bath whilst midwives and other medical staff popped in and out. An hour later the blood test came back as normal and my blood pressure had returned to normal. By that time I was quite happy in the hospital birthing pool, the midwives were being respectful of my birth plan which asked them to be as quiet as possible as I was using Hypnobirthing techniques. Alex kept nodding off in the chair next to me. It was all very calm. After about 4 hours the midwife wanted to check how I was progressing. I was only 6cm dilated which seemed ok to me, however, she explained that for second babies they expect a woman to
Birth Story
29
dilate about 1cm an hour so my labour was a bit slower than expected. I consented to her breaking my waters to help speed labour up. There was very light meconium in my waters, which isn't unusual for overdue babies. I had mixed emotions about this. I was worried about the risk this posed to my baby, was disappointed that I would not be allowed to continue with the water birth and was relieved that I was already in hospital as if I was having a home birth then I would have been transferred. My contractions became much stronger after having my waters broken and I stopped actively using my Hypnobirthing techniques. I feel that the Hypnobirthing was a great tool for me to use up until this point and I had planned on continuing to use it throughout labour but as surviving the contractions became my main focus everything else just disappeared. Unfortunately, despite the increased strength of the contractions, it seemed I wasn't making much progress and when a doctor checked me a couple of hours later he told me I was only 5cm dilated. I felt quite irritated by this. The midwife had said 6cm earlier and I was 4cm six or seven hours ago. I was then told I needed to be given a Syntocin drip. I was quite reluctant to have this. I had been induced with a Syntocin drip for my first baby and really thought that because I had gone into labour naturally this time that I wouldn't need it. I told the midwife that I wouldn't be consenting to it until I had a discussion with a doctor about the risks and benefits of it. The discussion with the doctor was a bit disappointing really as he just said that
in his opinion I needed it otherwise I risk me or the baby getting too tired to continue and a C-Section being necessary. The drip was attached to my arm and my bump was hooked up to a monitor to keep an eye on the baby's heart rate (which is routine when you are given Syntocin) The Syntocin really increased the strength of the contractions. And I couldn't stay still enough to keep the monitor in place so instead the midwife attached a wire to the baby's head to monitor his heartbeat. In addition to the drip and the monitor, I had the TENS machine wires stuck to my back with the actual machine on a cord hanging around my neck, and the Gas and Air tube firmly in my hand. There were so many wires and tubes attached to me that I needed the midwife and Alex to help move wires and tubes each time I wanted to change position. It was now that I suddenly felt I couldn't do this again and that this time I needed real pain relief. I needed an epidural. Needed it more than I needed air to breathe. The drip had really cranked up the contractions, I felt trapped by the tangle of wires and tubes and hated the doctor for refusing to engage properly with me in a discussion about the pros and cons of Syntocin and for not believing I could do this without artificial hormones. I had briefed Alex on what to do if I requested an epidural or other pain relief drugs and he did exactly as I had asked and he talked me out of it, which I am very pleased about. The next few hours were a bit of a blur where surviving through each contraction was my only concern.
Birth Story
30
At 8cm the urge to push was unbearable. I kept asking if I could push yet and was so focused on not allowing my body to push too early that I didn't even hear the midwife say that I could push if I wanted to. I decided, or rather my body decided, to start pushing anyway. I felt slightly more cautious about pushing this time compared with when I had my first baby, partly because I knew I wasn't fully dilated yet and secondly, because I was worried about tearing again. The Chief of Midwifes came in towards the end of my labour. I had been in contact with her during my pregnancy and she had helped me to write my birth plan as I had been unhappy with how I was treated when I gave birth to Rowan in September 2011. I remember her being in the room but Alex tells me she kissed me on my forehead whilst I was either having a contraction or recovering from one. There were a lot of people in the room: a midwife, a doctor for the baby because of the presence of meconium in my waters, another midwife or assistant whose primary job was to hold the baby's heart rate monitor in place, and at least another person as well as Alex but I didn't really notice any of them as I was on all fours facing away from them. At 3.43pm on 15
th April 2013, my
baby boy, Oran, arrived, weighing 9 pounds 10 ounces! I gave birth to him on the hospital bed on all fours. He was passed up to me and I held him for the first time still kneeling up on the bed. Alex said I made a sound of wonderment when I first held him. He was (and still is!) absolutely perfect. The
meconium in the waters hadn't caused any problems so he had no special care for that. I fed him and had a little bit of skin to skin time with him before handing him to Alex for some skin to skin time whilst I had some tearing repaired. I still felt quite wobbly from the Syntocin and Gas and Air for quite a while after giving birth and felt afraid I would drop my baby so it was great that Alex had worn a shirt he could open and pop Oran inside against his skin. I decided to stay in hospital overnight to partly get help with breastfeeding, but mainly because my stomach muscles were so stretched I was struggling to stand upright for more than a few seconds without holding onto something – this was a shock as it hadn't been like this when I gave birth to my first baby, but then he was nearly two pounds smaller. One of the most precious memories I have of my two children is from when Oran was about 3 days old. The Hypnobirthing instructor came to my house to meet Oran. When I handed him to her for a cuddle, my then 18 month old Rowan got very distressed and tried to take Oran off her and return him to me! He too had already fallen in love with his little brother and wasn't risking anyone taking him away from us.
When do you cut the cord?
32
At what point after birth the cord
should be cut has been in the news
on a number of occasions recently.
Holly Platt Wells (a branch member
and qualified antenatal teacher) has
kindly written this article on the
issue.
The umbilical cord has three blood
vessels that circulate your baby’s blood
between her heart and the placenta.
The placenta is where substances your
baby needs to get rid of are exchanged
for things she needs, like oxygen. This
has been going on since the placenta
formed in the early weeks of
pregnancy and continues for a while
after birth. When to cut the cord is one
of the decisions that can be included in
your birth plan.
Why is there a decision needed?
After your baby is born there is one last
part of labour to complete, the birth of
the placenta or afterbirth. This is
known as the Third Stage of labour or
the Placental Phase and how you
choose to do it can impact on when
your baby’s cord can be cut.
What are the options?
NICE guidelines for the placental
phase recommend ‘Actively managed
third stage of labour’. This is where an
oxytocic drug is injected into the
mother straight after a baby’s birth, the
cord is clamped and cut immediately
and the cord is gently pulled to deliver
the placenta. It is a fast way to get the
placenta out, there is less immediate
blood loss and it is thought to prevent
serious blood loss.
However, at this stage there is
normally still blood circulating through
the umbilical cord. It is thought that up
to a third of a baby’s blood is in the
placenta at birth and it is becoming
increasingly clear that this blood has a
role in helping a baby when they first
start to breathe and provides a long
term source of iron during a baby’s first
year.
So there is a second option for the
placental phase, ‘Physiological
management’. This is where the
placenta is left to separate and be born
without interference and the cord can
be left intact as long as parents want. It
takes longer, up to an hour is
considered normal, and even longer is
possible, and immediate blood loss
can be heavier. However, it does not
seem to be associated with an
increase in serious blood loss.
The circulating blood in the umbilical
cord is seen as pulsation in the cord
and this slowly ceases in the minutes
after birth with the vessels to the
placenta closing first and then the
When do you cut the cord?
33
vessel from the placenta, ensuring that
a baby receives most of the blood from
the placenta. The cord turns slowly
whiter and thinner as this occurs.
A third option for the placental phase is
to wait for the cord to stop pulsating
and become thin and white before
having an actively managed third
stage. Active management can also be
used if there is any concern about
blood loss or if the mother wants to
speed up the delivery of the placenta
at any point.
When is immediate cord cutting
necessary?
There are a few circumstances where
the cord will normally be cut
immediately. If there is any concern
about a baby’s health they with
normally be moved to a resusitaire,
where there are lights, heat, oxygen
and other equipment and the cord will
need to be cut to be able to do this.
If labour has been induced or
augmented with synthetic oxytocin
(Syntocinon drip) then an actively
managed third stage will be
recommended and may involve
immediate cutting of the cord.
Immediate cord cutting may be
necessary to collect cord blood for cord
blood banking.
When to cut the cord as with
everything in birth is always the
parents’ decision, even during a
caesarean. There is plenty of
information available to help you make
the decision and a birth plan is an
excellent place to record it.
Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping
of term infants on maternal and neonatal
outcomes (2013) McDonald SJ, Middleton
P, Dowswell T, et al. Cochrane Database
of Systematic Reviews Issue 7. Art. No.:
CD004074. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD004074.pub3.
Following publication of the systematic
review published in The Cochrane
Library, NCT's Chief Executive Belinda
Phipps says:
“NCT is thrilled to see yet another report
that supports the practice of late cord
clamping. This is not the first wave of
evidence that highlights the benefits of
delaying cord clamping for a few minutes
to allow transfer of blood from the
placenta to the baby.
NCT is calling on NICE to update their
guidelines and communicate this
evidence to health professionals. We want
to see babies being given the healthiest
start in life, which can begin by
implementing this simple practice.”
Multi-Sensory Learning, Development and Play
34
At birth your baby's brain contains 100 billion neurons (brain nerve cells) - almost all the neurons the brain will ever have.
During your baby's first 3 years, these neurons mature, making trillions of connections between each other. At birth, the number of connections per neuron is about
2,500, but by age 3, it has increased to approximately 15,000 connections per neuron. Also by the age of 3, a baby's brain has reached almost 90 percent of its adult size – can you understand the truth behind the slogan ‘Birth to three
matters’ now? The growth in each region of the brain largely depends on receiving stimulation, which spurs activity in that region therefore forming and reinforcing connections. This stimulation provides the foundation for learning. It is a baby’s senses which report to the brain about their environment and experiences. This is the way that they learn naturally; by looking, listening, hearing, touching and smelling the world around them. This is what we call multi-sensory learning. In addition to the five most familiar senses, there are two less well-known senses; vestibular and proprioception. Sensory development generally refers to the maturing of these senses. Babies then have to learn what to do with all the sensory information they receive and how to respond to it. This is
known as sensory processing or sensory integration. Most parents are constantly giving their baby sensory input without even realising it. Therefore babies and toddlers are continually learning about their environment through multi-sensory exploration and in doing so gaining knowledge important for cognitive development. The vestibular sense is concerned with movement e.g. rocking your baby in your arms, lifting them in the air or pushing them on a ride on car. Proprioception is about body awareness and the ability to co-ordinate movements, being able to pass an object from one hand to another, using both sides of the body together e.g. to crawl or walk. Baby Yoga is a great way to provide vestibular and proprioception stimulation. Regularly listening to music or talking to your baby about what is happening at the present time, or about the world around them and using new and familiar traditional rhymes and songs is stimulating their sense of hearing and assisting with language development. Providing high contrast toys (particularly for newborn babies) to focus on and track at different distances around the room stimulates their vision in different ways. Communicating with your baby using smiling eyes and a happy face can also promote emotional awareness whilst stimulating their sight and helping to build a strong bond. Taste and smell are closely related. A newborn baby can distinguish his mothers scent from birth (and prefers it
Multi-Sensory Learning, Development and Play
35
to any other scent). Lavender baby baths and the smell of food cooking all provide sensory input. Good smells and tastes are often associated with good feelings. As well as taste e.g. sweet and sour, the mouth can also receive tactile input e.g. hot and cold - you will know what your baby prefers! Touch is essential for your baby, we all enjoy giving lots of cuddles and kisses. Action rhymes like ‘round and round the garden’ are great ways of physically involving our babies. Baby massage is a lovely course to take part in as a new Mum and gives lots of other ideas for positive touch as well as increasing that all important attachment bond. Different textures provide excitement to babies, rough, smooth, wet, dry, soft, hard, hot and cold all provide new sensory information for your baby. Whilst some multi-sensory experiences are easy to offer day to day, babies love to learn and explore on their own terms. Using their drum stick to bang on the TV screen or even draw in their dinner may not be what we want them to do, but they need to learn in their own way. Multi-sensory baby classes that incorporate messy play can provide great ideas for you to use at home and offers many different opportunities to stimulate baby’s (even newborns) seven senses – without the mess in your own home! Water, for example, is a great sensory stimulator, a favourite amongst babies of all ages and so very versatile. Washing, drinking, bathing and splashing are the most common uses of water for babies, but what about all the other multi-sensory play opportunities water can provide? Has your baby experienced adding water to sand? How about freezing it?
Freezing it then adding it to sand? Using a water spray bottle (with food colouring if outdoors). Mixing it to make jelly – then playing in the jelly? What about putting shredded paper into water? Mixing water with flour or even better, cornflour? The possibilities are endless! Thank-you to Aymi Jackson of Jolly Jacks for writing us this informative article.
Seasonal Activities - Winter
36
The nights have well and truly drawn in and the temperatures certainly seem to be on their way down. Hopefully you will find something below to entertain you and your little ones this Winter.
Make a pine cone garland and pine
cone baubles
Paint them bright colours, roll them in
glitter, spray them with fake snow or
stick on cotton wool. Tie ribbon on them
to hang up as a decoration.
Go for a walk and find some tree faces!
Once trees have lost their leaves their faces are easier to see. Some only have one but some might have many. Some may be winking and others might have lots of eyes. Can you tell how they are feeling? Can you draw the tree face when you get home?
Make a jigsaw
Let your little one pick a photo or picture
and stick it on some card. Cut it into
shapes like a jigsaw (templates are
available online if you want one) and
then let them put it back together. My
son loves doing this with a picture of
Granny and Grandad!
Make an ice castle
Materials - Plastic containers Food colouring Natural materials
How to make it -
1. Fill containers (buckets, cake moulds, plastic storage containers, cups) with water. Then add food colouring (about 20 drops of colour per cup of water) and freeze outside overnight.
2. Before building, bring the ice to room temperature. When you see a bit of water on top, or when the ice turns in its container, the ice is ready to slip out.
3. Build away. Decorate the completed castles with sticks and pine cones, and anything else you have to hand.
Seasonal Activities - Winter
37
Make a sticky web
Make a web of sticky tape/masking tape across a doorway. Get toddlers to throw scrunched up newspaper or cotton wool balls at and watch as they stick.
Other uses for masking tape
Use it to make some roads on the floor for all the cars, and other wheeled toys, to drive around. Make a hopscotch pattern and use some rolled up socks to play hopscotch.
Sparkly Cloud Dough
http://handsonaswegrow.com/christmas-
sparkle-cloud-dough/
Snow Painting
Fill squeeze bottles and spray bottles with water and a few drops of food colouring. Make pictures in the snow. Name the different colours and try creating colour mixes. Write your names in the snow.
Freeze water balloons Fill water balloons with coloured water, let them freeze, break balloons off and use them for outdoor bowling.
Puffy snowflake painting
In a bowl, mix equal parts of salt and self-raising flour. Add a few drops of food colouring (optional.) Next, add enough water to make it the consistency of pancake batter. Pour the mix into empty dishwashing soap bottles (or something similar).
Invite your child to join in some puffy painting fun! Squeeze the paint out on to card in a pattern. Now... place your child’s painting in the microwave for 30 seconds on high (microwave times will vary, of course.) and *poof* — paint is dry and super-puffy!
Build a Newspaper Snowman
We have to face the fact that snow is far from reliable here in the North West and we certainly don’t necessarily have enough, when we want it, to make a great snowman. Why not make one out of scrunched and rolled up newspaper? It won’t have melted in the morning and you can have a great time dressing them up with silly accessories. You can draw on them too.
Pregnancy Yoga Dru Prenatal Yoga classes are different to any other type of yoga class. By
preparing your body and mind for the changes that it will go through
during pregnancy, labour and forwards to becoming a mother.
Mondays 6-7:30pm Antenatal Clinic at the Hospital
Tuesdays 7-8:30pm Macclesfield Library
Baby Yoga
Baby Yoga helps your baby to; improve digestion, settle babies and
improve their sleep, strengthen the physical body, improve blood flow,
tone muscles, enhance flexibility, stimulate senses and is also a lot of fun!
Tuesdays 10-11am and 11:30-12:30pm Macclesfield Library
Fridays 1-2pm Macclesfield Library
Contact Saffron for booking. Limited spaces
01625 432997
NCT National News
39
NCT and Bounty: What we are doing
NCT has been receiving complaints about Bounty and has been concerned about their activities in maternity wards for over a decade.
A survey we conducted in 2010 revealed the unhappiness was widespread: 86% of parents said that they were unaware that commercial companies could pay maternity units to gain access to women giving birth in hospital. Parents were also asked whether or not they would like the NCT to take action with regard to three main commercial activities taking place in hospital. The majority of those who responded to this question wanted NCT to take action to prevent sales representatives from accessing them in hospital and prevent commercial companies asking for contact details at 72% and 87% respectively.
None of the NCT approaches to Bounty have achieved any significant action or lasting change with the possible exception that they now claim to have stopped selling data to the formula industry.
What we’re doing currently:
· NCT has started a more concerted effort to get change by stimulating press coverage of this issue and a mum who felt strongly about this issue was supported to start an online petition: http://www.change.org/bountymutiny
· We’ve been encouraging MPs to ask questions about the issue in Parliament. As a result, Health Minister Dan Poulter has so far written to all NHS trusts to ask them their practices for allowing sales representatives from private companies on maternity wards and to consider how they maintain women's dignity and respect shortly after the birth of a baby.
· NCT user reps are raising hospitals contracts at MSLC meetings and some are re running the NCT survey on a local basis.
· We’ve written to HMRC, who pay Bounty £90k per year to distribute the child benefit forms, to highlight our concerns and encourage them to explore other ways to make these forms available.
What you can do to help:
· If you feel strongly about this then write to your local MPs or NHS Maternity unit to highlight the issues, tell your own story and ask that sales people be excluded from the postnatal ward. You can find out who your MP is by entering your postcode into this website www.TheyWorkForYou.org.uk.
· Please feel free to email [email protected] for any advice on how to write the letter or who it should be sent to.
NCT National News
40
Opportunity to get involved in a
research study on children’s first
words and gestures
(Parents of children under 19
months wanted to participate)
Researchers at the Universities of
Liverpool, Lancaster and Lincoln are
conducting the biggest research
project in the UK on gesture and
language development in children
aged under 19 months. The research
seeks parents of babies under 19
months all across the UK to fill in
questionnaires on their baby’s words
and gestures and their baby and
family.
The researchers are using the
information parents provide to build a
picture of UK early language
development. This may help
professionals to pick up on problems
more easily in the future by comparing
a child’s progress against national
averages.
To be eligible to participate,
respondents must have a child under
19 months who is resident in the UK
and hears English as the main
language at home.
The 2 questionnaires are anonymous and it takes roughly 20-30 minutes to complete both. Parents can complete
on paper and send off by freepost or do it online. Parents who take part will receive a unique personalised memento of their child’s reported words or gestures to keep as a lasting memory of their early development and free access to the anonymised national database once it is ready. If you, or any parents you are in contact with, may be interested in participating in the study, please sign up for further information http://uk-cdi.ac.uk/take-part http://uk-cdi.ac.uk/take-part or contact the UK CDI Research Team by email [email protected] or telephone 0151 7941109 The research has been approved by the University of Liverpool’s, Lancaster University’s and University of Lincoln’s research ethics committee and the NCT Research and Information Team. It has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
About the NCT
41
Founded in 1956, we are a UK-wide
membership charity, which means that
every postcode 'belongs' to one of our 314
branches, where the volunteers who
organise branch activities are the backbone
of the NCT. There are about 4,000
volunteers who hold positions such as
branch chair, secretary, treasurer,
membership secretary, postnatal co-
ordinator, newsletter editor, fundraising co-
ordinator and so on.
The NCT is at the forefront of influencing
and devising policy relating to pregnancy,
childbirth and early parenthood and
undertakes campaigning and lobbying for
better maternity care and other support for
parents-to-be and new parents. We provide
evidence-based information about
pregnancy and birth, for example through
the Bumps and Babies magazine which is
freely available from maternity units, GPs’
surgeries, Sure Start/Children's Centres etc.
Individual parents may order a copy via our
website www.nct.org.uk
We provide antenatal classes, Early Days
postnatal courses and drop-ins and
breastfeeding support through branch
activities such as open houses, bumps and
babies groups, branch newsletters and so
on. All these things together offer
opportunities for people to make friends,
build confidence and enjoy their new role as
parents.
National Contacts
NCT Website www.nct.org.uk NCT Switchboard 0844 243 6000 (tel) 0844 243 6001 (fax) NCT Membership 0844 243 7000 NCT Enquiry Line 0300 33 00 770 NCT Breastfeeding Line 0300 33 00 771 (8am-10pm 7 days a week)
NCT Pregnancy & Birth Line 0300 33 00 772 (9am-8pm Mon-Fri) NCT Early Days Line 0300 33 00 773 (9am-1pm Mon-Fri) National Experience Register Line 0300 33 00 774 NCT E-groups www.nct.org.uk/info-centre/getting-help/egroups NCT Shop www.nctshop.co.uk
Information for Advertisers
42
NCT East Cheshire Newsletter Advertising Rates
The NCT East Cheshire branch covers the Wilmslow, Poynton and Macclesfield area. Our newsletter is published four times a year and currently has a print run of 400. The newsletter is distributed to our members, pregnant women in the area via local midwives, local health professionals, and other interested parties such as prospective members, antenatal and postnatal groups. If you are interested in advertising with us please get in touch to discuss your requirements: [email protected]
One issue Yearly (four issues) 10% discount
Full Page Back Cover (colour) £60 £216
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Prices exclude VAT at 20% If you would like to include advertorial in the newsletter, please contact [email protected] for rates and guidelines.
NEXT ISSUE: Spring 2014 (due out start of March) COPY DEADLINE: 14th February 2014
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