News — newborn
#tbt One from the Archive: 3 Simple Steps to a Greener Bottom
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(First published on The Contented Calf website on 23rd January 2013.) Ever since I can remember, I’ve been aware of the environment, all things ‘Green’ and wanting to do my bit. One of my favourite childhood activities was taking the boxes of glass bottles to the bottle bank with my mum, throwing them in and hearing them smash – brilliant! When I was at school I was a fully fledged member of ‘Earth Action’. Our activity was painting cardboard boxes green and distributing them throughout the school to collect waste paper. And now I’m a mum, I’m also keen to...
#tbt One from the Archive: Top 10 Lactogenic Foods for Breastfeeding Mums: Almonds
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(First published on The Contented Calf website on 25th March 2014.) Helping support breastfeeding For a breastfeeding mum, Almonds are one of our Top 10 Lactogenic Foods, helping to support breast milk supply as well as our general health. So what is an Almond? Look up the definition of ‘almond’ and you will get something along the lines of the dictionary.com reference: A small widely cultivated rosaceous tree, Prunus amygdalus, that is native to West Asia and has pink flowers and a green fruit containing an edible nut-like seed. The oval-shaped nut-like edible seed of this plant, which has a yellowish-brown shell [ii]. And what makes Almonds lactogenic? The healthy fats, protein, calcium...
#tbt One from the Archive: Top 10 Lactogenic Foods for Breastfeeding Mums: Barley
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(First published on The Contented Calf website on 23rd October 2014.) As a child of the 70s & 80s, say the word Barley and I think ‘Water’ (Mallet’s Mallet style) – the image that pops into my head is that of Robinson’s Barley Water. And perhaps summer. And tennis. The other thing that comes to mind, as someone whose mum is a coeliac, is “wheat, rye, barley, oats”, as her major glutinous no-no list. However, until recently, I would not have thought ‘breastfeeding’ or ‘lactogenic food’. Yet it is one of the Top Ten lactogenic foods that can help with a...
#tbt One from the Archive: Top 10 Lactogenic Foods for Breastfeeding Mums: Dates
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(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...
#tbt One from the Archive: “Poo-st traumatic” stress
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(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...
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