We may know lots of friends or family members who managed to conceive after only having intercourse once or after only trying to get pregnant for one or two months. If it is taking you longer then don’t feel despondent as the facts prove that there is only a few days each month when it is possible for the sperm to fertilise the egg.  

Once every month an egg will be released by the ovary and it will start its journey down the fallopian tube towards the uterus. The egg will only live for about 24 hours and if it isn’t fertilised by a sperm then you will have to wait until the next month when the whole process starts again. The good news is that although the egg only lives for 24 hours, it doesn’t mean that you must have intercourse on the exact day to get pregnant as sperm can actually live in the reproductive tract of a woman for around 72 hours. This means if you have intercourse 3 days before you ovulate, you still have a chance that the sperm can fertilise the egg. 

As there are only a few days each month when conception can occur, it’s a good idea to get to know your monthly menstrual cycle. 

• Get a calendar and write down the exact date of when you get your period. You may need to keep track of it for at least a couple of months so you know the length of your cycle.
• Around 14 days after the first day of your period ovulation should occur.
• After ovulation you will find that your body at rest temperature (BBT) will rise by one half or one full degree and will remain like this until the end of the cycle. Keeping track of your BBT by taking your temperature every morning before any activity will also aid you in getting to know exactly when you are ovulating
• You may also notice that at your time of ovulation your cervical mucus becomes thicker and a little ‘jelly’ like. It actually changes in consistency at this time to allow the sperm to enter the fallopian tubes.

If you have been trying to conceive for a year or longer and nothing has happened it really is worth consulting your G.P who can investigate any infertility issues.

Picking a name for your baby can be a challenge. Everyone wants the perfect name for their baby. Some people have names picked out long before they are even expecting, others don’t make a final decision till they are holding their newborn in their arms.

We have put together a few things to consider when picking out a name for your new baby.

·         Even if you think you know the sex of the baby it is a good idea to have boy and girl names picked out. Occasionally people get fooled.

·         Kids can be mean, make sure your baby will not have initials that could cause hurt feelings at a later date.

·         Pay attention to nicknames, even though you don’t plan on calling the child by a nickname other people, especially when they start school, will. Don’t pick a name that has a nickname that you despise. For example, if you cannot stand Timmy you may not want to name your baby Timothy.

·         How does it sound when you put it all together? Do you trip over the names, or does it flow?

·         When choosing the spelling for the name you pick out keep in mind you don’t want your child to have to correct everyone’s pronunciation.

·         Go to a crowded playground where there are lots of children and yell it out loud a few times. How many children answer, do people look at you funny, does the name feel right? Don’t tell anyone what you have chosen until after the baby is born. That way you cannot be pressured into a name you don’t like or out of one you do. Also it may keep someone else who has their baby first from using your perfect name.

Author: Dionna Sanchez 

A mother has a lot of responsibility. We want to do our jobs right and take care of our families right. But somehow we lost our sense of laughter along the way. 

I realized this a few weeks ago.  Let’s take a little quiz…. see how you rate. 

1) Do you get upset with your children when they’ve had a massive pillow fight in their bedroom and left a huge mess?  Or do you jump in and join them? 

2) Do you send your children outside on the quest to “find someone to play with?” — or do you go in the backyard and swing with them? 

3) Do you sigh in exasperation as you find your child has not done something you’ve asked them to do for the umpteenth time instead of telling them you will tickle the stuffing’s out of them if they don’t take care of it within 5 minutes?? 

Children love when we find the time to abandon our agenda and spend time laughing and enjoying life with them. It shows that we value them above our projects and “to-do’s.” Finding the fun in life is also very good for us, it reminds us to “lighten up.” And face it - we need to do that sometimes!. 

Valuable lessons can be taught in the fun moments as well as the serious moments in life. Remind your self to look at the positive side of life.  

We need to have more fun.  Let that be your challenge for this week.

Part-2 which furniture do I need?

Many mums-to-be want to have a lovely nursery for their baby and this can involve getting it kitted out with various items of furniture.

Try to remember in all the excitement that your baby will soon outgrow it and if you are on a tight budget it’s not the end of the world. You may spend a small fortune on the gorgeous brown bear wall paper, matching bedding and all the matching baby furniture but in a few short years they may be begging for dinosaurs, ballerinas or whatever cartoon character is in fashion.

Some pieces you can buy will prove to be really handy and make your life so much easier.

Changing mat versus the changing station

·         You don’t need to spend a fortune on an expensive changing station a changing mat will do the job at a fraction of the price.

·         A changing mat is simple to wipe clean.

·         They are foam filled so it will be light to move around from room to room and has a raised edge to stop your baby rolling off.

·         As you use them on the floor you will not have the same worry of your baby rolling off.

However many mums find a changing station easier and more comfortable.

·         They are designed to bring your baby up to waist height so you won’t need to bend over or kneel on the floor. A great aid if you suffer from a bad back as a newborn can have over 10 nappy changes a day!( you may need to check out a few different tables to find the correct height for you).

·         Many also have plenty of storage space so you can keep everything you need for changing their nappy in one place.

·         You can buy them with wheels, which makes it great for moving around and they are normally fixable for safety.

·         They have a harness for safety as you will be changing your baby at waist height.

A nursing chair

A nursing chair is a great piece of furniture to put in your nursery (if you have the space). You could even check out second hand shops for a comfy chair which you can paint, varnish or cover to match your baby’s nursery theme. A rocking chair is a fabulous option for you both to sit, relax, feed and rock them to sleep. You may even get a few extra naps yourself!

Are cruise ships as child-friendly as they claim to be?

With her 13 years old daughter’s help, Jane Archer pits a casual three-star line against a five -star one.

Here, they sail with family-friendly Ocean Village.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/family/1901756/Child-friendly-cruises-Ocean-Village.html

 Author: Lisa Smith 

How many times do you grab a good book, pull your child or children into your lap or snuggle on the couch and read to them?  So many of us are guilty of never finding the time, when reading is such an important skill for children to learn. As a parent we have the greatest influence over whether or not they begin to learn or choose to learn to read.  We can encourage them to learn to read by making books and reading an important part of their life from day one.   

·        

When you think of re-usable nappies images of the good old fashioned towelling nappies may spring to mind where you need hours of tuition to just get them folded into a nappy sized shape before you secure them with the biggest safety pin imaginable! Thank goodness those days are over and in their place are easier to use, more modern nappies that are eco- friendly! There are more pro’s too

• Your baby’s poo is now collected in bio-degradle liners which you can simply flush away and then store the nappy in a nappy bucket until you have enough washing to put on a whole load! Easy! Unfortunately it still doesn’t alter the fact that if you haven’t got the convenience of a tumble drier it could mean you house will turn into Madame twanky’s wash room, with lots of nappies drying all over the place!
• It can save you money, you will need around 20 nappies if you are using them full time and half this if you use them part-time with disposables. Give them a few washes before hand and this will help with absorbency. They are actually best after their 3^rd wash.
• There are lots of different types of eco-friendly nappies to chose from, all with funky designs and different shapes and all around the same price. Check them all out as you can find the one that suits you and your baby best.

If you’re still not convinced, there are a few other points to mull over 

• Disposable nappies can take hundreds of years to decompose and most of the nappies we throw away end up in a landfill.
• Some councils are finding it a huge problem and many are so desperate they are offering incentives for parents to use reusable nappies. Get in touch with your local council, as some offer money back if you buy reusable and some even have starter packs.
• If it’s the thought of washing the nappies or having them left drying all over the house or you simply can’t imagine coping with a baby and all the extra time washing then check out  nappy laundering services and let them do the hard work.

You could always use disposables for holidays or times when you need the added convenience and re-useable the rest of the time It’s worth a thought and may make you feel virtuous that you’re doing your bit for the environment?

Ok, so that didn’t make me feel better - I doubt anything will…

I missed my son’s debut on stage - he doesn’t cope well with huge crowds, but he made his stage debut and had a blast. Reindeer antlers, painted on red nose, brown top and trousers…great effort from the nursery by all accounts (that’s my husband, my mum, and a mum whose son goes to the same nursery as Josh…who actually made it to the BIG matinee performance).

It amazes when people trivialise parents attending their child’s school plays, nativity performances, barn sales… and maybe I used to be one of those people before I had my son, but the way I feel now, those thoughts are forever perished from my mind.Yes, he’s only two years old and won’t be scarred for life, but the fact is I wanted to be there. I wanted to see him on that stage with the rest of his peers, having a good old sing-song (well…), and because of work commitments, that choice was taken away from me.

A lot of people who don’t have children knock working mothers - they see us as forever skiving off by leaving work on time, or taking a day off because our child has a high temperature, and the rest. But what these people don’t appreciate is what goes on behind closed doors. Like being up at all hours of the night to tend to that same child when they are poorly, but still showing up at work - with a smile where it has no place - and the fact that, actually, us leaving work on time to catch the last train so we can get to the nursery on time is often not successful and we have to pay for that late privilege.

But today, what I feel is resentment at being in a position where I have to choose between my child and work. Obviously there is no contest - he will always come first. But how can I say that and mean it when I just missed his first stage debut?

www.MothersWhoWork.co.uk

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

Recording your baby’s first smile, laugh, wave and teeth is something that I think many of us forget to do.  

We think we will remember, how could we ever forget……but 5 years later if someone asked me how old my daughter was when she said her first word I doubt if I could answer accurately. Some moments are etched forever in my memory, like her first steps and her first smile and I know roughly when she finally used the potty and no longer needed nappies, the rest is a memory but one I probably couldn’t answer to a specific time or date. 

So if someone buys you one of those lovely books to write down all your baby’s precious moments, take time to fill in the blanks. 

A few years later you will be thankful you did. It will be a great book for your child to keep and read about themselves. Pop in plenty of photos along will all the time and dates so that when your little one has grown up you can look back and remember with clarity and not the foggy haze that those of us have, who never took the time to fill in the blanks!