If your baby is reluctant to eat solids, or if your older child is a picky eater, the first thing you should do is stop worrying.  The important thing to remember is that no baby ever starved itself to death, and if you keep offering food, your little one will eat enough to satisfy his or her requirements.  But struggling to get your baby or toddler to eat is enough to have you tearing your hair out by day and lying awake by night (sometimes literally if he or she wakes up hungry!) so while you should never force the food issue, there are some things you can try to make mealtimes less of a battleground.

The blueprint for your child’s eating habits is sketched by those very first spoonfeeds so it’s important to make them a positive, stress free experience for both of you.  Regardless of whether you start weaning early, or wait until the recommended six months, it is crucial that you wait until your baby shows signs of being ready.  These include:

Demanding milk feeds more frequently than usual.
Seeming unsatisfied after a milk feed.
Waking in the night after a period of sleeping through.

Babies that are ready for weaning will also be able to hold their own heads up strongly and sit well with support, they will show interest at mealtimes and may even grab for a piece of what you are eating.  The natural ‘tongue thrust’ reflex that protects them against choking will also have diminished – if your baby repeatedly pushes the spoon out of his mouth then he may not be ready for solids.  In these early days remember that the amount your baby eats is not important – weaning should be a relaxed and fun learning experience.  If you or your baby gets stressed during a meal, just leave it and try again another time.

Encouraging your baby to eat

If you’re sure that your little one is ready for solid food, but they don’t seem keen on eating, there are a few things you can try to pique their interest.

1.  Start with sweet tastes.  Babies – especially breastfed ones – have a natural preference for sweet tastes so things like stewed apple or pear, carrot and sweet potato are ideal first foods.  If you have started weaning your baby with baby rice, you could try adding a little fruit puree to it as a gentle introduction.  You can also sweeten savoury purees by adding these ingredients – try combining sweet potato with broccoli or cauliflower, or butternut squash with pear.  As your baby becomes accustomed to these flavours, introduce new ones gradually – and don’t assume that all baby food should be bland.  Many babies enjoy stronger flavours such as garlic (houmous is often a favourite) and even mild curry!  Allowing your baby to explore a broad spectrum of tastes will make him or her less likely to be a fussy eater in future.

2.  Involve your baby in mealtimes.  Babies learn by watching adults and older children so sitting at the table for mealtimes is an important chance for them to observe and mimic you eating.  Your baby’s routine may differ from your own but wherever possible you should try to sit down together at mealtimes, even if it’s just once a day – this is a great opportunity for family time as well!

3. Offer finger foods.  From six months, most babies are capable of self feeding with chunky pieces of easy to manage foods and for babies that don’t like to be spoon fed, baby led weaning can be a great (albeit very messy!) option.  Because babies at this age haven’t yet developed a pincer grip, it’s best to offer foods that they can hold in their fist so things like broccoli florets, well cooked sticks of carrot, pieces of banana, unsalted bread sticks, mini rice cakes etc. are ideal.  You should supervise your baby closely, especially in the early days, while they are still learning how to move food around their mouth.  It’s best to offer large pieces of food that your baby can nibble small bits off, rather than giving tiny pieces that they may cram into their mouth whole.  You can also buy mesh feeders which allow your baby to chew or suck on soft fruits and vegetables without being able to bite pieces off, and these can be helpful as an introduction to baby led weaning.  If your baby enjoys finger foods, you could try encouraging him to dip vegetable sticks etc. into a small pot of another pureé you have prepared as a way of getting more variety into his diet.

4.  Don’t wait til your baby is starving.  You should try to offer solids before a breast or bottle feed but if your baby is ravenous she is likely to refuse a spoon feed in favour of the ‘instant gratification’ a milk feed offers.  Time spoon feeds so they happen when baby is just beginning to get hungry, and then follow up with a milk feed if necessary.  Also, remember that teething can have a major impact on your baby’s willingness to eat – if her mouth is hurting she won’t want you shoving a spoon in there!  Offering baby paracetamol shortly before a meal might help but if not, let the solid foods slide for a day or two until she’s feeling better.

Fussy toddlers

Babies who have been encouraged to try lots of different flavours are less likely to grow into fussy eaters, but even the best eaters go through fussy phases when they hit toddlerhood – this often has as much to do with asserting their independence as it does with appetites and preferences!  Every parent has days when they feel like their toddler has barely eaten anything but at this age it’s better to look at the bigger picture of what your toddler eats over a couple of days.  Some days they will be ravenous and eat everything in sight, other days they’ll pick and fuss over their food, but if you average this out you’ll probably find that they’re getting plenty!  Again, they key is to try and relax – if you force the issue you’re more likely to create a lasting problem with mealtimes.

To make mealtimes easier for you AND your toddler:

1.  Keep portions small.  A typical toddler portion will be around a quarter to half the size of an adult portion.  If you put too much food on the plate, your child is more likely to feel overwhelmed and less likely to finish the meal, but if you serve a smaller amount and they finish it, they will benefit from lots of praise – and they can always ask for more!

2.  Make food manageable.  Cut it into bite sized pieces or chunks that are easy to pick up, and choose utensils carefully too – wide, shallow spoons and deep-sided bowls make it easier for toddlers to feed themselves, which they generally love to do!

3.  Presentation, presentation, presentation!  You can make food more appealing to your fussy child with just a little attention to detail – home made pizzas can be made into funny faces, for example – I know one clever mummy who cuts sausages into octopus shapes and lets them ’swim’ in a sea of baked beans!  Even something simple like using a pastry cutter to make sandwiches more interesting can work wonders.

4.  Offer healthy snacks.  Toddlers cannot consume large quantities of food at a single sitting so snacks are an important part of their diet and energy intake.  Snacks should be offered roughly midway between meals and you should try to choose foodstuffs that are healthy and release energy slowly – raisins, fruit crisps, breadsticks with houmous, a banana, crackers and cheese or a small pot of berries all make great, nutritious snacks.  Sweets, crisps etc. are fine as an occasional treat but try to offer them after meals rather than between, and always encourage good oral hygiene.

5.  Introduce new foods one at a time.  Serving them alongside foods your child likes will also help.  Encourage your child to taste the food but don’t force them and don’t lose your temper if they won’t try, just leave it til another day.  And if your child doesn’t like a food first time, don’t give up!  Sometimes it can take up to 10 attempts before a child will accept a new food and their likes and dislikes change over time.

6.  Don’t hurry your child and never force them to eat.  Up to the age of three most toddlers will need some help with feeding but don’t shovel food into your child’s mouth if she doesn’t want it.  If nothing is eaten after a reasonable amount of time, take the food away without comment and try again with a healthy snack later.

7.  Sing their praises!  Never underestimate the power of praise in motivating little people – whether it’s a round of applause for clearing their plate, a sticker for behaving nicely at the table or a special pudding as a reward, ‘carrot’ usually works better than ’stick’ when it comes to persuading toddlers to eat well.

The advice in this article is intended only as a guide – if you have concerns about your child’s diet and nutrition you should raise them with your GP or health visitor.  For further information click here.  And if you’ve survived a picky eater, why not post your tips in the comments section below so that other mums can benefit from your wisdom?

Bubs and I recently had the chance to try out some rather funky-looking bath toys from Brother Max.  As you would expect from this forward-thinking brand, the toys are well thought out and designed in conjunction with cognitive therapists to cater for a child’s natural play instincts as well as giving them an early introduction to the things we use to wash ourselves.

We tested the five toy set which includes a flexi brush, sprinkler cup, ring rattle, sponge stamper and twister flannel – a three toy set including the sprinkler cup, ring rattle and twister flannel is also available.  Because children respond to interesting shapes and colours, the toys are designed to look a bit different with their turquoise, orange and white colour palette.  Some of the toys also feature transparent compartments with beads inside that are designed to fill up with water for added interest.  All the toys are washable – the twister flannel comes apart and can be machine washed while the sponge stamper and ring rattle can be hand washed. They are also BPA, phthalate and PVC free.

When we first opened the box, Bubs was really interested in these toys and wasted no time exploring each one and what it was designed to do.  At two he got bored quite quickly with the ring rattle which I think is aimed at younger children, but he enjoyed playing with the others – in particular the sprinkler cup and the flexi brush.

As a parent I was impressed with the quality of the toys, which are really sturdy and designed specifically for little hands.  I also loved the fact that the rubbery spots on each toy change colour from orange to yellow if the bath water is too hot – a great safety feature.  The twister flannel is a really handy toy because it floats in the bath, making it easy to grab when I needed to wipe Bubs’ eyes during the dreaded hair washing!  I would, however, say that the actual flannel could have been a bit larger as it was slightly too small for practical use unless I removed the plastic ‘twister’ portion.  The fact that the toys are washable is a real plus and I noticed that the toys which fill with water are easy to drain which is important for hygiene and also makes them easy to store, unlike our flock of mildewed rubber ducks!  The only other thing I would say is that while the toys look great, I think they would have been even more eye-catching if each toy had been a different colour and this would present another opportunity for learning through play.

Overall though I think these toys are great – the idea behind them is a clever one and they are practical as well as being fun for little ones which is always a winner in our house!  The set retails at around £16 which might seem a little expensive at first but I think is good value for money, especially as the toys are so robust – they’ll last a lot of bathtimes and they cater for babies through to toddlers so we will hopefully get good use from them for a long time to come.  They are available from Mothercare, Kiddicare, Amazon and leading independent retailers.

I didn’t really do much reading around the subject and decided on our approach to potty training pretty much just from talking to my mummy friends about their experiences.  I would, however, recommend Gina Ford’s ‘Potty Training In One Week‘ book as a starting point if you’re completely clueless.  As with most things Gina, it’s a bit rigid in its approach but used as a guide with a healthy dose of common sense thrown in and I think it could be helpful.  In particular I liked the section on signs to watch out for when deciding if your child is ready to start training.

Indications that your child may be ready for potty training are:

• He/she is over 18 months of age.
• The nappy is frequently dry when you get him/her up from their lunchtime nap – this indicates some bladder control.
• He/she is aware when doing a poo (going very quiet, or telling you etc.)
• He/she can understand simple instructions.
• He/she is keen to help with taking off clothes such as shoes, socks and trousers.
• He/she can point to various body parts when asked.
• He/she can concentrate for 5-10 minutes on a single activity; a book, toy or DVD for example.

The day before I took Bubs out of nappies for the first time I went to my local art shop and bought a big piece of coloured card, some craft foam and some velcro to make a star chart – I used a jigsaw piece as a template for the stars and they can be attached and removed easily by putting a small piece of velcro on the back of each.  Bubs and I had a good talk about his new chart and I explained that whenever he did a pee or a poo in his potty he would get a star, and whenever he had a full row of stars (six in our case) he would get a sweetie as a special treat.

The next day we got him up and fed as normal and then instead of changing his nappy, I took it off and put him in his lovely new pants!  I didn’t bother with trousers for the first few days to cut down on laundry.  The first two days I kept asking/reminding him at about half hourly intervals that if he needed a wee he should tell me and then do it in the potty.  When he did go, he got lots and lots of praise and of course a star on the chart! I put a nappy on him at naptime.  The first day he had just two accidents, one whilst playing and the other whilst watching TV.  The second day was the same, two accidents.

After those first two days I felt like Bubs really started to ‘get’ it and he began to tell me when he needed a wee – sometimes he would change his mind when I tried to put him on the potty but mostly he actually peed when he said he needed to.  And that’s been pretty much it ever since!  About four days in I decided to try putting him down for his daytime nap without a nappy and he has been fine, no accidents.  Around this time I felt confident enough to go for short trips out because I knew he could control his bladder for up to two hours at a time.  I also started putting him on the big loo at home so that he would be confident using a toilet instead of a potty when we are out and about.  Thankfully we have had no accidents out in public and since the first two days he has only had two accidents at home.  I’m waiting to see if the novelty of potty training will wear off and he will start getting a bit lazy with it but so far I feel like we’ve got off really lightly!

The night time nappy is still a fixture for now; sometimes when we get him up in the morning it is dry but this is very inconsistent at the minute.  I’m delighted not to be changing stinky nappies any more though and the cost of using just one per day is negligible so I’m very glad to have reached this stage and I’m happy to wait until Bubs shows clear signs of being dry at night before I start leaving his nappy off at bedtime.  In the meantime we are planning to take the sides off his cot very soon and hoping his transition to a big biy bed is as trouble-free!  My baby is definitely not a baby any more!

Funny Farm Adventures, Castlewellan

Opens July 5
Famous for its annual ‘Maize Maze’, Funny Farm Adventures offers masses of family attractions each summer including trampolines, climbing walls, a small animal paddock, giant outdoor games, a toddler play area, the fab barrel train and much, much more!

Teddy Bears Picnic at Castle Espie

July 11, 1-3pm
Kids are invited to bring a picnic and their favourite fluffy friend to Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s Castle Espie for an enjoyable afternoon in the reserve’s glorious woods.

Barren Carrousels @ Belfast Festival of Fools

July 11, 2&4pm
Rarely seen in this part of Europe, the last remaining members of this 27th generation circus family will dazzle you with back cracking contortions and death defying aerial feats! Ravishing Ruby Barren has devoted her life to perfecting her art form and setting impossibly high standards that only she can achieve. Her daughter Tulip, a child prodigy, desperately attempts to live up to her mother’s expectations only to be upstaged by her two left feet. Prepare to be amazed at their bandwagon of circus antics. High expectations will be rewarded with a high level performance – maybe as much as 6 metres high!

Pirates Picnic at Castle Ward

July 12, 12noon-5pm
Ahoy, me hearties! A fun day out for all the family, come in pirate costume and prepare to seek and find the buried treasure and the pirates roaming around Castle Ward!

Summer Concert & Fireworks, Portrush

July 17

Children’s entertainment, live music and a fantastic fireworks display to conclude the evening at the Recreation Grounds, Ramore Head, Portrush.

Rockets at W5, Belfast

July 19 & 25, 2-4pm.

Get ready for a week long alien invasion. Make your own air powered paper rocket and help repel the alien overlord’s mothership. Can you score direct hits on both it and the alien home planet?  When you’ve finished you can take your rocket home – because you never know when those pesky aliens will return! Tel: 028 9046 7700 for more details.

Birds of Prey @ Belfast Zoo

July 24 & 25, 10.30am-4.30pm

Discover the natural skills of the zoo’s birds of prey during this special event.   Meet birds such as falcons, hawks, buzzards, vultures, kestrels and barn owls in our education centre from 10.30am to 4.30pm.   For more information, call 028 9077 6277 or email events@belfastzoo.co.uk

So, I’m back and I promise not to neglect the blog like that again; keep your eye out this coming week for another fab competition and also some updates on Bubs’ latest adventure – potty training!

For some breastfeeding mums though, those early weeks and months with a newborn are made even more difficult by post-natal depression – and sadly for many, a diagnosis of PND spells the end of their breastfeeding journey.  If you’re suffering from PND, you might feel like breastfeeding is putting you under even more pressure – maybe you dread feeds, maybe everyone is telling you you ‘can’t’ do it, maybe you’re worried about taking medication in case it harms your baby – and the resulting guilt about this makes you feel even worse!  In these situations the health and happiness of mother and baby are absolutely paramount – no mum with PND or otherwise should be pressurised to continue breastfeeding if she doesn’t feel comfortable with it.  But many mums with PND don’t want to give up breastfeeding – they just can’t see how to continue when they feel so low.  Tracey was one of those mums – desperately wanting to breastfeed her first baby but struggling to cope with depression and unsure how to do both.  Here she tells her story about those early weeks; how she overcame her PND and carried on breastfeeding until 6 months.

Tracey says: “I had read about breastfeeding a lot before I gave birth and spoke to a friend who had breastfed.  I was nervous about it but thought I was pretty well prepared for what lay ahead!  I heard a few people saying that they hadn’t been able to feed their babies so was a bit worried that it wouldn’t work out for me. My husband hadn’t encountered anyone before who had breastfed so I had to get him to do some reading as well! He was very supportive of me wanting to do it. He had had eczema and asthma as a child, so that was a big reason for my wanting to breastfeed, as it can help protect against them. Generally though I was pretty naive about it and didn’t pay much attention to the fact that most babies feed every two hours etc!

“The birth itself was tough and quite long; I was induced on Saturday night, and my contractions started straight away.  I had an epidural the following morning and apart from some concerns about Ethan’s heart rate things went pretty smoothly until it was time to push, around 9.30pm.  After an hour of pushing Ethan’s heartrate started to go a bit haywire and they wanted to get him out so we had a forceps delivery. I ended up with a 3^rd degree tear and lost a lot of blood, but the main thing was Ethan was delivered safely.

“My first experience of breastfeeding was about half an hour after Ethan was born. I remember trying to latch him on myself, then the midwife came over and she kept pushing his head up to my breast really roughly and I actually felt really uncomfortable with her approach.  The experience really didn’t live up to my expectations – I had some romantic idea of feeding him straight away; me enjoying it; and feeling completely comfortable and happy! Over the next couple of days I had several midwives give me conflicting advice on how to get Ethan latched properly, so I left the hospital feeling a bit lost and very confused.

“Following the labour, like any other mum I was completely exhausted, and very emotional. I can’t really pinpoint one moment where I thought things weren’t right; I do remember after feeding Ethan I would hand him to my husband and not really want to (or feel that I could) do anything else with him until the next feed. It sounds awful but I felt completely disconnected from this tiny little thing that everyone else seemed completely in love and at ease with.  I had known to expect the baby blues but it didn’t feel like a case of the blues, it felt much worse.  I found it really hard to concentrate even on a magazine, was so moody, shouting at my husband for no reason, in floods of tears the next moment, and then becoming completely withdrawn (I knew something was up but didn’t want to admit it, so spent a lot of time ‘in my own head’).  I would look at Ethan and feel  numb – it didn’t seem like how I should feel when I looked at my own baby.  I also felt like I just wasn’t good enough for him, that I was incapable of looking after him, and never let my husband leave the house unless Ethan was asleep. It was actually very frightening at times, I didn’t know how I was meant to cope for the rest of this little man’s life.

“During that time, breastfeeding became like torture to me; I dreaded every feed (and there were a lot!). In the early days there was the obvious obstacle of it being painful because we didn’t have the latch right.  However, even when that was sorted, I still dreaded every feed so it became more of an emotional thing for me.  I still don’t really understand why I focused so much on breastfeeding; maybe it was being depended on for something so important, when I didn’t feel like I even deserved or could cope with a baby.

“To add to the stress, when Ethan was a few weeks old feeding became a struggle again – he just would not feed on my right side and I couldn’t figure out why. I had to start feeding him in the ‘rugby hold’, but even then he would fuss and pull away. We then discovered a large lump on the left side of his neck.  He was admitted to the paediatric unit in the hospital and had a lot of tests done. Thankfully it ended up being a benign tumour, stemming from a tear in the neck muscle, probably caused by trauma during his birth. After some physiotherapy it started to go down, and Ethan got full movement back in his neck; so eventually we could go back to our normal position for feeding. Even then though things just weren’t right – I still dreaded feeding time and felt disconnected from Ethan.

“There were times I really wanted to give up breastfeeding. When I was having a particularly bad day, during growth spurts and especially when Ethan had his neck problem, I was so close – I even went out and bought formula, but by the time I got home I had changed my mind! I thought that if I stopped, I would magically start to feel better, and I would bond properly with my son. Every time I was close to quitting, I would think about my sister-in-law – she had breastfed for a year and had been devastated to stop – I wanted to give myself the chance to start enjoying it that much, and knew that if I didn’t give myself that chance I would always regret it. As well as that, Ethan’s daddy had asthma and eczema as a child; I was determined to breastfeed him and give him the best chance of avoiding these!

“I remember one morning my midwife came round; she weighed Ethan and praised me because he had put on a good bit of weight – I just burst into tears!! She simply asked me how I was and the floodgates opened- I told her exactly how I had been feeling. She arranged an appointment with the doctor straight away. I was put on anti-depressants and sent for sessions with a counsellor. I remember one of the things she told me to do while feeding was to read a magazine or watch something on the TV, just to take my mind off what I was doing. I found this really helpful; it seemed to help me think of feeding as less of a chore.

“I think realising that I wasn’t well made me want to keep breastfeeding until I felt better, so I could see how I felt about it then. The main thing that helped me continue feeding was the support of my husband – he always listened when I moaned about wanting to quit, he simply reminded me of how much I wanted to do it in my good moments, and told me that he’d support me  no matter what. I found expressing  milk an absolute saviour – it meant Daddy could feed him while I had a bath, a nap, or just had a bit of ‘me’ time.

“I soon came to enjoy breastfeeding – that feeling of him being completely dependent on me for food soon felt like a joy rather than a burden; when he put on weight, that feeling of knowing it was all because of me was unbelievable, and having that closeness, just me and him – nothing can beat it!  After having trouble bonding with him at the start, I believe breastfeeding really helped us bond in the end. I remember one day when we had been out in town, and Ethan was due a feed. I was actually chomping at the bit to get home and feed him! I said as much to my husband and he couldn’t believe the change in my feelings towards it.

“I stopped feeding Ethan when he was nearly 6 months old and although it felt like the right time for me, I was sad to stop. Every now and again even now I miss it- my boisterous 9 month old doesn’t like too many cuddles! I am really glad I stuck with breastfeeding through the dark times. With the support of my family – especially my husband, I ended up feeding for nearly 6 months and I’m proud of that achievement.  I ended up really enjoying it and actually looking forward to each feed and know that if I had stopped sooner I would have regretted it.  I would definitely feed any other babies I might be blessed with in the future.

“To other mums who find themselves in a similar position I would say don’t force yourself to continue breastfeeding if you think it is adding too much stress to the situation. Definitely speak to someone about how you are feeling- it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and the more you talk about what you are going through the easier it is to cope with the pressures of breastfeeding. If you can express milk, do – I found it such a help to have a bit of time to myself between feeds, where my husband would feed Ethan with the expressed milk. I also got very nervous about feeding in public for the first few months; so having a bottle expressed that someone else could give him when we were out really helped – although in the end as my confidence grew I felt comfortable feeding him in public places. I also found concentrating on something else during feeds (a magazine, a book or television programme), helped me think of it as less of a chore and more of an enjoyable experience.

“My main bit of advice would be not to be ashamed of how you are feeling – post natal depression is extremely common. It can seem like there is no way out, but trust me there is light at the end of the tunnel! Talk to someone as soon as you feel something is wrong, don’t leave it for months, or years, because the sooner it is tackled, the sooner you will get better and start enjoying your baby.”

This post is part of a series of ‘real’ breastfeeding stories from NI mums and I’m really keen to hear from a mum who breastfed twins – so if you think your story might be of benefit to others then please get in touch – mumunplugged@googlemail.com.

Chicco have recently launched US bestselling breastfeeding cushion, ‘Boppy‘ in the UK and when they offered me the opportunity to review the product I jumped at the chance to find out why it’s become such a firm favourite with our breastfeeding counterparts across the pond!

The Boppy pillow was designed by a mum in America 20 years ago and in that time it has gone on to become the undisputed market leader. Over a million are sold each year and are used in over a quarter of all US homes. It has won numerous awards including being voted ‘Best Product of the Year’ by American Baby.

The Boppy is designed to create an ergonomic ‘nest’ shape and its ‘Miracle Middle’ adapts to the contours of each individual mum’s body for a snug, comfy fit whilst feeding. The exclusive fibre padding used in each pillow means it keeps it shape and for practicality, the pillow and slipcover are machine washable at 30˚and can also be tumble dried.

The first thing I noticed about Boppy was that the product is quite heavy and the filling quite dense, which I initially thought might be a negative point.  However when it came to actually using the product I soon realised that this is exactly the thing that makes it so great!  The pillow really does ‘hug’ around you and feels very secure, while the fact that the filling is so firm means your baby is positioned at exactly the right height for feeding – no need to support pillow or baby with your arm.  I gave the product a ‘dummy run’ with my two-year-old even though we are no longer feeding and I can confidently say it would support even his weight easily.  I used a much floppier breastfeeding pillow when he was small and although it did help with positioning, it didn’t give me the level of hands free support that Boppy does – this product would have been a godsend in those early days when we were struggling to perfect the latch.

Despite its weight/density, the pillow itself is quite compact and the packaging doubles up as a handy waterproof carry case that would be handy for travel.  The slipcover is well made and pleasantly soft; it fastens with a concealed zip for comfort and safety and is available in five cute designs to suit all tastes.  I really liked the fact that the entire pillow can be machine washed and dried without losing its shape because as we all know newborns can be messy little creatures!

The Boppy is also extremely versatile for growing babies and as well as being used as a feeding pillow it can be used as a nest for small babies to lie in, a support for use during ‘tummy time’ and a safety net for little ones who are just learning to sit up!  Again I thought this was a major plus as the product isn’t cheap and the multiple functions mean it offers better value for money – although I would still buy it even if it had no alternative uses.  I would definitely recommend this product to anybody who is planning to breastfeed their baby.

Sold exclusively through Mothercare in the UK, Boppy prices start at £39.99 for the ‘Bare Naked’ pillow without slipcover, through to £49.99 for the pillow plus one of five cute cotton slipcovers or £59.99 for the pillow plus a velour slipcover.  Extra slipcovers are also available.  For further information visit the Boppy website or tel: 028 2587 8300.

Breastfeeding is a subject that often sparks heated debate; those that have done it are usually passionate supporters of the ‘breast is best’ ideal, sometimes leaving those who chose not to, or were unable to, breastfeed their babies feeling inferior.  Breastfeeding mums tell their stories of mastitis, cracked nipples and round-the-clock feeds with pride, wearing them as a badge of honour that proves what they have overcome to give their babies the very best start in life – but those very same stories can leave mums-to-be feeling daunted and fearful about what breastfeeding might be like.

NBAW aims to strip away the myths and the fears, the pressures and the competition that often surrounds breastfeeding, leaving mums with just the bare, undisputed facts about this most natural way to feed your baby.  It’s true that sometimes breastfeeding is difficult, painful, tiring and demanding.  It’s also true that it protects your baby from infection, safeguards against allergies and is hugely convenient.  The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby have been widely publicized and NBAW aims to make more women aware of them – you can read more about them here.  For now though, I just wanted to write about the things I loved most about breastfeeding.  I fed Bubs until he was one and during that time there were lots of ups and downs, from those difficult early days through months of enjoyment to sadness when we eventually stopped.

Things I loved were:

It helped me lose weight.  When Bubs was 8 weeks old I was already back to my pre-pregnancy weight and wearing my normal jeans.  The weight stayed off even though I was eating like a total pig, until Bubs dropped to around two feeds a day; then the pounds started creeping back on and I had to start calorie counting again!

I could literally do it in my sleep.  I know some people frown upon co-sleeping but latest guidelines say it is safe for a breastfeeding mother to sleep with her baby provided neither she nor her partner smoke, drink or take drugs.  Post caesarean, co-sleeping was pretty much necessary for us and further down the line it saved my sanity.  While my bottle feeding counterparts were downstairs boiling the kettle, I could pop Bubs from his Moses basket into our bed and doze while he fed, then pop him straight back in again without even getting out of bed.

I travelled light.  I honestly never even bought a nappy bag because I didn’t need to carry a load of crap around with me everywhere I went – all I needed was a clean nappy, a pack of wipes and my boobs.

I met like-minded mums.  I loved meeting other breastfeeding mums and when you’re breastfeeding yourself you suddenly become more aware of others who are doing it too.  Whether it was a knowing smile across a crowded café or a chance to compare notes in a mother and baby room, breastfeeding made me feel like part of a ‘club’ made up of mums who were all in on the secret of how wonderful and rewarding it could be.

I felt rewarded when Bubs gained weight.  He lost 11oz postnatally and I will never forget the time the health visitor weighed him and told me he’d gained some of it back.  Two weeks after he was born he had regained his birthweight and for me, that made all the difficulties worthwhile – it was working!  As he got older I took great delight in those squishy thighs and multiple chins, knowing my body had nourished him from the moment of conception and was continuing to do so.  I also loved that my breast milk was ‘just right’ for him – he was always pleasantly chubby but never plump or beefed up like some babies and I think that’s because my breast milk was supplying him with exactly the right amount of calories.

I loved feeling close to him.  Once we’d mastered the art of breastfeeding, it was so easy and peaceful.  A mere instant after Bubs indicated he was hungry he would be feeding contentedly – as a newborn dozing while he did so and as he grew, patting at my skin and staring into my face.  During those times the emotional and physical connection I felt to my child was indescribably profound.

I loved inspiring other mums.  I’ve written before about how lucky I was to have numerous breastfeeding role models and I like to think I have passed the torch on to a couple of friends who’ve had babies since.  In particular my sister-in-law Tracey (who, incidentally, has agreed to let me share her breastfeeding story on the blog later this week) didn’t know anyone else who had breastfed and I was thrilled to be able to offer some support to her when she gave birth to my gorgeous nephew last year.  I feel quite strongly that breastfeeding mums shouldn’t hide away in bathrooms; by breastfeeding discreetly but proudly in public I like to think I did my bit to ‘normalise’ breastfeeding.  If seeing me doing it gave even one other mum the confidence to do the same then I would be completely delighted.

If you’re breastfeeding or thinking about breastfeeding, there are loads of great online resources where you can find out more about what it’s really like and also all the benefits for you and your baby.  The NBAW website has loads of great information and also details about how you can get involved in the event itself, Kellymom has tons of great advice and the La Leche League site is hugely informative.  Here in Northern Ireland there are also a few must-visits; Mid Ulster Mums is a fab online resource but also offers face-to-face support for breastfeeding mums, www.breastfedbabies.org has some brilliant info, especially for dads, plus details of breastfeeding friendly places across the province and also breastfeeding support groups in your area.  The National Childbirth Trust has a Belfast branch which holds regular events in and around the city and the La Leche League also has a branch based in Carrickfergus, which holds monthly meetings - tel: 028 9336 2387 for more information. Finally a mention must go to my blogger pal, Sinead Hoben, whose blog is fab and whose e-book, ‘Mama Milk‘ is essential reading for any breastfeeding mum!

Snacks that you can carry with you on the go are a must have when you’ve got little ones but when it comes to ready-made baby foods, they are often the number one culprits in terms of sugar, fat and added nasties – so Plum’s new additions are sure to be welcomed by mums who want to offer their children something delicious AND nutritious to keep those tummy rumbles at bay.

The new range includes:  Hand rolled Tuscan bread sticks made using spelt and extra virgin olive oil to a traditional recipe and available in authentic Italian flavours; tomato and herb or mild Pecorino cheese.

Savoury bakes -  a chunky, crunchy snack made with spelt and available in delicious Parmesan or slightly sweeter carrot flavours – all without any added salt.

Multi-grain rings – easy for little fingers to grasp and packed full of corn, rice, quinoa and new heritage grain, Teff, these fab snacks come in tomato or gouda and cheddar cheese flavours.

Plum have also launched some brilliant new flavours in their ‘wet’ baby food range – check out their website for more information.