Wellbeing: The new mum survival kit
Catkins are nodding, lambs are skipping and – apparently in tune with natural rhythms – babies are popping out all around me. As I don’t have children, I asked my young-mum colleagues to name their top lifesavers.
1 Cuskiboo/£17.99 at cuskishop.co.uk. An award-winning, soft, suckable comforter made of organic bamboo yarn; also Miniboo for premature babies, £24.98 for two. For free p&p, enter the code SMILES at the checkout (valid until 15 April 2018).
2 La Maze Play & Go Freddie the Firefly/£15 at jojomamanbebe.co.uk. A soft, bendy, textured toy made of velour, polyester and plastic (but safe to chew), designed to stimulate a baby’s senses from birth to crawling.
3 Hello World: Baby Feeding Journal/£10 at kikki-k.com. This log is useful for new mothers with the inevitable ‘baby brain’ for recording feeding times and length.
4 Cuddledry Hands-free Baby Bath Towel/£29.99 at cuddledry.com. An apron-style towel design with a hooded sling made of soft, absorbent unbleached cotton and bamboo. It was voted a ‘bathtime lifesaver’ by one mum.
5 Green People Organic Babies Soothing Nipple Balm/£10 for 50ml. With healing herbs plus shea butter and beeswax, this 100 per cent natural, scent-free balm can be applied before, during and after breastfeeding. The brand’s Organic Babies Soothing Baby Salve, £10.50 for 100 ml, cares for babies’ hands, faces, bodies and bottoms.
6 Kit & Kin nappy subscription/from £29.99 a month at kitandkin.com. Eco-nappy company, launched by former Spice Girl Emma Bunton, which was unanimously applauded by the mums; it also offers wipes and skincare, including certified-natural Stretch Mark Oil/£9.99 for 100 ml.
7 At-home massage gift voucher Ask friends for local recommendations or, if the mother lives in London or Manchester, consider soothe.com, which offers gift vouchers from £60 for 60 minutes.
8 Poppy Convertible Backpack Changing Bag/£89 at storksak.com. This great-looking, capacious satchel-style backpack/shoulder bag in black or inky blue is great for babies and useful for toddlers, too.
9 Cook frozen meals Voucher/from £10 at cookfood.net. The most thoughtful gift, said one mother: ‘I didn’t have time to even think about what to eat.’ Vouchers can be redeemed at Cook shops nationwide, or online for home delivery.
Many readers ask for recommendations for natural deodorants. Top of the bunch trialled by the YOU team are two low-alcohol, roll-on versions by Dr. Hauschka, an impeccably natural German brand. Sage Mint Deodorant (£13) promises long-lasting control and is great if you’re rushing about and wearing synthetic fabrics – which tend to be more whiff-producing. The Rose version (£13, both drhauschka.com), which really does smell of the flower, is more gentle but effective for lower temperatures and less activity. Both avoid using pore-constricting aluminium salts. But remember, these are deodorants not antiperspirants.
Among the many homeopathy supporters who wrote in about my recent article The Case For Homeopathy (5 February) was Devon farmer Steve Day who chooses to treat his cows, horses and dogs with natural medicine. Some vets prescribe homeopathy, although the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons advises that it must not be used as first-line therapy as it does not have ‘a recognised body of evidence for its use…and is not based on sound scientific principles’. Steve, who often consults a homeopathic vet, responds: ‘You have to keep an open mind. I’ve had great success with these remedies.’
BOOK OF THE WEEK: Dyslexia Is My Superpower (Most of the Time) by Margaret Rooke/Jessica Kingsley Books, £12.99
By the mother of a teenager with dyslexia, this collection of interviews with eight- to 18-year-olds reflects her determination to convince readers that dyslexic brains are different but not less intelligent or creative. The poignant stories testify to the importance of early diagnosis followed up by knowledgeable and sensitive teaching, which sweep aside the limitations too often put on children with dyslexia.
