LivingwithKids

All mums could do with a bit of pampering from time to time (hint hint, MotH) and one of the best gift ideas for Mother’s Day has to be a spa treatment – either gift vouchers or a visit arranged as a surprise.

And because mums-to-be need lots of TLC I thought I’d surprise the lovely Amy – a mum of four with one on the way - with a visit to the Sienna Spa at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel  in Manchester. Here’s what she thought of her experience:

‘My first impression of the spa was the fabulous smell, the lighting was soft and relaxing and the assistants were very friendly and informative. I turned up a bit early but I'm glad that I did because I was given a complimentary drink and guided into the relaxation room to start my spa experience.

There were nice deep chairs, soft lighting and relaxing music being played through the speakers at just the right level. The room overlooked the swimming pool and Jacuzzi, which looked gorgeous. Don’t forget your swimming costume!

After relaxing for a few minutes I was greeted by my therapist and lead to the treatment room. The room was lovely. Candles were lit, the lighting was dim and once again relaxing music flowed calmly through the air. I had the New Life treatment (£55) which is specially designed for pregnant women. My therapist ran through the treatment with me which started with a back, shoulder and neck massage before progressing onto the rest of my body. It was so relaxing and I felt completely at ease throughout. The final step was a lovely facial.

'The whole experience was great, I felt so good afterwards and I smelt wonderful from the amazing cream that was used on me. I would recommend this treatment to anyone who wants a hour of total carefree relaxation. The team at the Sienna spa were very helpful and caring which made me feel at ease from the moment I walked through the door. This is the perfect gift to give to someone you know who is pregnant or just to book yourself for a last minute bit of pampering before your baby arrives.’

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, including Global Patron Sarah Brown and WRA Ambassador Naomi Campbell, are asking people around the world to wear white and hold a dinner party in March to celebrate the 100th year of International Women’s Day, which is on the 8th.

Now as I can’t invite all of you round to my house unless you’re happy for it to be standing room only, I thought I would hold a virtual dinner party  - with a little help from some of my talented friends.  I hope it inspires you to host your own.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

Starter Carrot and Coriander soup served with crusty granary bread (created by Sandy from Baby Baby)

Main course
Pan Fried Sea Bass fillets with new potatoes crushed with spinach watercress and rocket (courtesy of Nick from My Daddy Cooks)
or

Tender Sweet Chicken Satay (from My Daddy Cooks) served with Persian Jewelled Rice (made by Carly at Wives and Daughters) or Butternut Squash Risotto from English Mum

Dessert Cheesecake courtesy of Lorraine from Ramblings of a Mum on the Run or Divine Chocolate’s Little Hot Chocolate Mousse. Served with cream.

Mmmmmm. Enjoy!

Despite Government guidelines urging new mums to breastfeed for the first six months*, a new KidStart survey has found that just 44% of you believe breastfeeding is always best.

Over 1000 of you took part in the survey, which revealed 19% feel it’s important to put their own wellbeing first. 16% believe mums should always put their baby’s needs first, while 13% feel it’s important to research all the arguments in favour of breastfeeding and bottle feeding before making a decision. A further 8% argued that no one had the right to tell them how to feed their babies.

As my recent post on breastfeeding v bottlefeeding showed, many of you feel very strongly about being told how to feed your babies - and quite right too. But a friend of mine who gave birth recently said she was astonished to find she was the only one on the ward of 10 women who was breastfeeding her baby. Perhaps some mums still aren't getting the support and encouragement they need to breastfeed.

‘Breastfeeding is the method that has been proven to be the most beneficial time and time again,’ says LivingwithKids' GP Dr Clare Heggie. ‘Unfortunately it does not suit everyone and lots of women who try breastfeeding and had to give up for one reason or another are left feeling guilty and that they have failed. Ultimately, the decision of whether to breast or bottle feed has to be made by the mum and there is no point trying to breast feed when mum just doesn't want to do it or when breast feeding is intolerable either to Mum or baby. It is vital that mums make their own decision about feeding using all the information provided.’

*What do you think - are you surprised by the survey results?

One of my friends is the proud mum of a little girl who was born with a rare genetic disorder, and without wishing to embarrass her, I'm in total awe of them both. The way she and her daughter interact is absolutely magical and it does my soul good to see them together.

I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to carry and give birth to a much-longed for and apparently healthy child only to discover something is wrong, so my heart goes out to anyone who has had to cope with this. Last Tuesday's incredibly moving BBC1 documentary Having a Baby to Save My Child revealed the plight of two families affected by rare genetic disorders and their extraordinary courage and dignity was utterly humbling. Sadly there are thousands more families across the UK who are also in this situation.

Sunday is Rare Disease Day - a chance to show your suppport for those children and their parents coping with rare genetic disorders. If you're able to raise funds by a bake sale or anything else I know they'll be very gratefully received. You can also donate your KidStart savings to GIG, the Genetic Interest Group charity  by clicking here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I’m a huge fan of supermarket clubs - it’s a super savvy way to get great deals for your family’s weekly shop. Now Sainsbury's have launched their fab Little Ones baby & toddler club for pregnant women and parents with children aged up to four years.

It’s completely free to join and you get a welcome pack, heaps of recipe ideas, plus a free glossy magazine, money-off coupons, parenting tips and much more.  And they’ve even got a blog, The Secret Life of a Supermum, written by mum of four (and one of my absolutely favourite TV presenters) Sarah Beeny.

To sign up to Sainsbury's Little Ones baby and toddler club and receive your FREE welcome pack just click here.

Recently mummy blogger Crafty Creative asked if there is a civil war among mums when it comes to the breast v bottle debate. The responses proved she's probably right.

Personally I've never understood why some women feel they have the right to tell others how to feed their babies. Some (not all) mums who breastfeed successfully seem to be under the impression that those who don't have failed in some way because they didn't have the right support or information (how patronising) while those that bottlefeed become defensive about their decision.

My feeling is that as long as a child isn't at risk in any way, no one has the right to tell another mum how to feed their baby. And actually that goes for every other decision they make, too. Help, support, offer advice but for goodness' sake don't preach, belittle, condemn or make the mum feel inadequate in some way. Breast is (probably) best for baby but ONLY if it's right for you. If you find it difficult, either physically or emotionally, your baby will sense it and that won't be good for either of you.

I'd love to hear your views - does becoming a mum give you the right to tell other mums (even strangers!) how to feed their babies? And meanwhile, to read some personal experiences of breast and bottle feeding, click here.

Now before you think my parenting skills leave a lot to be desired, I always intended for either Man of the House or myself to have 'The Talk' with our offspring. You know, the one about the birds and the bees, and where little bees/birds come from, and that some birds prefer birds to bees, etc.

But for some reason we've never really needed to do it. We're past the stage of laughing at the obvious differences between girls and boys and through a combination of watching Friends, playground talk and of course sex ed classes at school our offspring's fully clued up, thank you very much. So - we've never really needed to do The Talk.

I realise though that not everyone relies on Ross, Rachel, friends and the Biology teacher to tell their children the truth about where babies come from, how to avoid having babies until you're ready, and so on. Next year PHSE lessons are being brought in for children as young as five. But meanwhile, will you be having The Talk? Will you let them find out from someone else? Or do you find it all too embarrassing for words?

According to a new survey by the Organic Milk Cooperative, 37% of pregnant women are worrying about money.

In the current climate, this is totally understandable - because having a baby is expensive, and raising children is expensive. But it's awful that at a time when they should be concentrating on themselves, some women are having to worry about how they're going to feed, clothe and buy equipment for their babies.

If you know someone who is having a baby or has recently had a child, make sure they're claiming everything they're entitled to. And tell them that if they shop for their nursery equipment and baby clothes through KidStart retailers, including Mothercare, JoJoMamanBebe, Kiddicare  and Blooming Marvellous, they'll get money back for their children's future.