News — baby

(First published on The Contented Calf website on Wednesday 20th May 2015.) Why are dates such a great top 10 lactogenic food for breastfeeding mums? Tryptophan Dates contain Tryptophan. Tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids that the body uses to create the proteins it needs. In particular, tryptophan serves as a precursor for serotonin (our feel-good neurotransmitter). Seratonin supports the chemistry of lactation. Serotonin counter-acts Dopamine, which suppresses Prolactin (needed for milk production). So anything that keeps Dopamine levels low, in turn keeps Prolactin levels high; thus making them lactogenic and helping to combat low milk supply. High tryptophan...

(First published on The Contented Calf website on Tuesday 1st March 2011.) Something happens to you when you become a parent and you lose all sense of time. Never (ever ever) sleeping in past 7am gives you a whole new perspective on when days start and end. (For me 6am and 10pm; for one of my best friends (sans bébé) 8am and midnight.) I clearly remember not long into motherhood standing in the kitchen one time when my mother-in-law was visiting, distraught that I was still in my dressing gown and I was ‘wasting the day’! Then outside reality hit me....

(First published on The Contented Calf website on Wednesday 22nd September 2010.) I had yet another truly glamourous moment one evening last week. I’m not going to say much about it because I think a picture (read: giphy below) says a thousand words. I’ll just set the scene though... I picked the babe up from nursery as usual where the head of the “Inbetweenies” Room (LOVE it – she is a big fan, hence the name!!) said that their tea had been a bit light, and a fair amount had been thrown on the floor, so she may want a little...

(First published on The Contented Calf website on Tuesday 7th September 2010.) Before I had my daughter, friends with babies extolled the virtues of joining the NCT.  They were right – through my NCT classes I met a wonderful group of friends.  We’ve supported each other through our ups and downs and general experiences of Mummydom.  However, most of what we talked about in our classes themselves has long drifted out of my mind (along with a worrying amount of other stuff!)…   But two things our teacher said stuck firmly in my mind: “Cascade of medical intervention” – this phrase...

(First published on The Contented Calf Website on Monday 23rd August 2010.) They say it takes around nine months after giving birth for your body to return to how it was before – nine months to grow the baby, and nine months to return to how you were before you were pregnant. But to be honest, with sleepless nights, breast feeding, long walks with the pram and general rushing around, I was very lucky, the weight just dropped off – after 6 weeks I was back in my non-maternity jeans (although a fair bit tighter than before! ;-) ) However, for...