Studies have shown that 40% of pregnant women develop varicose veins. 

They can be caused by the increase in blood pressure in the veins of the legs, family history, weight gain and pregnancy hormones which relax the smooth muscle fibres in the wall of your blood vessels. There is a vein on the right hand side of your body called the inferior cava which can have added pressure put on it by your growing uterus and can be another cause. 

There are however, some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting them. 

• Relax and put your feet up, (now you have a great excuse for a rest, as if being pregnant wasn’t enough!) Rest them whenever you get the chance by propping them up on cushions or a chair.
• Try not to cross your legs, it may be a habit but try to stop yourself.
• Avoid standing up for long periods. If your day normally involves lots of standing try to find periods when you can sit and give your legs a rest.
• Sleep on your left hand side and put a pillow behind you to stop you turning over in the night.

The good news is that if you do develop them, they could disappear by around six months after giving birth. If however you find that they don’t and they are causing you pain your G.P will be able to advise you on how you can get them removed.

Special Poems

Go ahead and mention my child,
The one who died you know.
Don’t worry about hurting me further.
The depth of my pain doesn’t show.
Don’t worry about making me cry.
I’m already crying inside.
Help me to heal by releasing.
The tears that I try to hide.
I’m hurt when you just keep silent,
Pretending she didn’t exist.
I’d rather you mention my child,
Knowing that she has been missed.
You asked me how I was doing.
I say “pretty good” or “fine.”
But healing is something ongoing.
I feel it will take a lifetime.

“I’ve lost my twins recently, only a few weeks old.  Hope this helps other people to. x” J.

Choosing the correct material, size and getting the right support for your breast is so important when buying a maternity bra. You will be amazed by how much heavier your breasts will become, sometimes they increase by as much as 500g each! This is why it is important to get the correct support for them so they don’t loose their pre pregnancy perky shape! 

What should you choose? 

• Don’t wear your normal underwired bras, not only can they become uncomfortable, they will cause restriction and may even cut into you as your rib cage expands during pregnancy. If you really can’t bear the thought of giving them up, there are some special underwired bras which have been especially designed for pregnancy with soft wires which will accommodate your changing shape.
• Choose bras with wider straps, this will ease any strain on your back or neck.
• Choose the right fabric, an elastane bra in will add support, while a cotton one will be cool.
• Buy a nursing bra that has simple fastening, remember you will probably have to open and close it with one hand! Some mums prefer zips, hook and eye or clips……try before you buy to see what’s easiest for you.
• Last of all but by no means least, make sure you find a bra that still makes you feel feminine and makes you feel good about yourself. Sporty, fun and trendy or sexy, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look good in your undies!

Joycellyn Akuffo of www.MothersWhoWork.co.uk gives her take on telling your employer that you\’re pregnant.

In short – no. At least not until the end of the 15th week before your baby is due.

BUT, it is important that you do – the laws protecting expectant mothers don’t actually kick in until your employer knows you are pregnant.Even if you tell your boss verbally, you still need to do this in writing as your employer is not obliged to take any action other than normal risk assessments that they would perform for other employees. Some employers will ask for a certificate (form MATB1) certificate from your doctor or midwife confirming that you are pregnant.Besides kick-starting preparations for your maternity leave, it’s also important to tell your employer you are pregnant for the following reasons:

• So a risk assessment can be done: It’s also important you tell your employer to help protect you and your baby’s health and safety during your pregnancy, and so that preparations can be made for your maternity leave.
• To get time off to go for check: You are entitled to paid time off to go to antenatal appointments and classes recommended by your doctor or midwife. Your employer can ask for proof of this from your second appointment onwards.
• To protect you from unfair treatment: You are protected by law for any unfair treatment, e.g. unfair dismissal, which is connected to your pregnancy. If, for example, you take time off for a pregnancy related illness, your employer must pay you in the same way they would if it was any other illness.

Hi there,

My name is Louise

I’m the Researcher for a show for Living TV called Extreme: Skinny Celebrity Mums 2.

We are looking for new real mums to take part and talk to us about the pressures of being a new mum.

Our main focus will be the pressure women feel from celebrities to lose their post-pregnancy weight in an unnatural time.

If this sounds like something you are interested in then please e-mail me.

louise.sammon@target-tv.com

ThanksLouise

It’s a good idea to start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as they come through. It can be a little tricky when they are young and you may not be able to get much brushing done but at least they will be getting used to having their teeth brushed. 

How to attempt to brush your baby’s teeth! 

Sit them on your knee is probably best so they can rest their head against your chest. Gently brush in small circles with a small amount of paste. You could even try wrapping some damp gauze on your finger with a small amount of paste and give them a gentle rub. 

Older children may want to do it themselves which is great but maybe you could just finish off their brushing for them just to ensure they have had a good clean. 

Try not to turn teeth brushing into a battle, if it is becoming difficult then try to make up games to make it more enjoyable. 

·         Little songs or rhymes can make it fun. ·         You can even buy tooth brushes that flash to let you know how long you should be brushing, a novel way of brightening up teeth cleaning!

When will our children lose their milk teeth?

We all have two sets of teeth, our milk teeth and our permanent teeth.

Our first set are always much whiter than our second set which is why they have the name ‘milk’ teeth as they are the colour of milk.

We normally have all our milk teeth by the age of three but at around six these teeth will start to fall out and continue to fall out up until around the age of ten years. Children aged between six and nine will have both their milk teeth and some of their permanent teeth. This stage is called the mixed dentition period, however, by twelve they will probably have all their permanent teeth.

Why do the milk teeth fall out?

As your child’s permanent teeth start coming through they wear down the roots of the milk teeth making them loose as their support in the bone is worn away.

The tooth fairy

The legend of the tooth fairy is a great way for children to get excited about their teeth falling out rather than feeling nervous or afraid. Each family tends to have a slightly different version of the tooth fairy, usually adapted throughout the generations. There are plenty of books, some even containing a little tooth bag and plenty of information on the internet regarding the ‘tooth fairy’. All you need to decide on is how much is a tooth worth?

The latest press releases are claiming that research has been proven that diet can affect the gender of your child.

Studies have shown that women who have a lower calorie intake at the time of conception are more likely to have a girl. Experts claim that this could explain why the birth rate of males is falling in developed countries.

A boy or a girl

They state that not only does a higher energy intake link to giving birth to a boy but the women were shown to have eaten more nutrients containing potassium, calcium, and vitamins B12, C and E.

Apparently ladies who like to tuck into a nice healthy, hearty bowl of cereal in the mornings were also more likely to produce a son.

The study that has been analysed for over forty years indicates that women who have a lower calorie intake are much more likely to have a girl. If this is the case, then my only question is….why is it that Victoria Beckham has three boys? Surely if anyone should have given birth to a girl, it would have to be her?

When your children start getting their milk teeth it is a good idea to get them into a regime of caring for them. 

·         Brushing their teeth can be a fun exercise that they enjoy and make part of their daily routine. Buy some tooth paste especially formulated for children which come in all sorts of yummy flavours. Let them see you brushing your teeth and make it fun rather than a chore. 

Avoid sugar! Sometimes this is easier to start from an early age but even then sugar is hidden in lots of foods that perhaps you may not realise. 

·         Risks, baby drinks and even some tinned baby food can contain too much sugar. ·         Avoid giving your child juice or sugary drinks in a bottle. The teeth end up being bathed in sugar for a long time and can rot your child’s teeth.

·         Don’t give sweets as a treat or as a reward, it gives sweets a high importance. Why not give other things like stickers, bubbles or agree to go on family bike ride!

·         Avoid having lolly pops, fizzy drinks and squash as part of their normal diet and just give them occasionally, maybe at children’s parties. You may even find that they’re not really that bothered by them.

·         Get them to help you make smoothies with lots of different fruits; they will enjoy making them and tasting them. 

Children who eat sweets every day have almost double the decay than those children who eat sweets occasionally.

The age that babies get their milk teeth varies. Some babies are born with a few a teeth while others don’t get a single

tooth until after their first birthday!  Most babies will generally get their first tooth around six months old. They normally appear at the bottom in the front first and you may find that their first tooth may appear without you even realising. Although for others not so fortunate, you may be aware of it coming for a long time before it actually makes an appearance. 

What are the signs of teething? 

·         Dribbling, you may find you will need to pop on a bib to avoid their clothes getting wet!

·         Gnawing on anything and everything they can get near their mouths

·         You may find they are fretful and hard to settle. How to ease their discomfort?  ·         Try giving your baby something to chew on such as a cold teething ring, a bread stick or peeled carrot (stay with them though to avoid choking!)

·         Sugar free teething gel may help if you rub it on their gums.

·         Sugar free paracetamol can also offer relief for them. Avoid giving them anything sugary to gnaw on as this can cause tooth decay even with only one or two teeth. Many parents put all sorts of upsets down to teething such as diahorrea, nappy rash, crying more than usual, coughs and colds. Be careful not to put all the blame onto teething as it could be something else!