Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2020 i Your Pregnancy & Baby

This issue is a real treat! Apart from our 40-week memento calendar and stickers, there is a generous Bio-Oil sample and Your Essential Newborn Guide 2020 in the bag. We also hope you notice that our mag is thicker! We’ve decided to combine our two sister titles to bring you pregnancy and parenting advice in one big read. We believe that you simply can’t have enough information and advice during this amazing time in your life. We’ve also done aspring clean of our design. Charné Casey, our art director (left on the picture), has been working on Media24’s parenting magazines for donkey’s years. I won’t give away her age, but she really looks like my younger sister, right? That’s what happens when you work together for 13 years. Charné is…

WIN A CARRIWELL SEAMLESS MATERNITY BRA IN WHITE Your breasts are very sensitive while they undergo vast changes during pregnancy. The Carriwell Seamless Maternity Bra will help you feel relaxed and comfortable with your changing body. This bra has been especially designed for the needs of moms to be: it is comfortable, flexible, supportive and functional. The soft, flexible material expands and supports your breasts during your pregnancy. Just one bra will expand to fit you in all three trimesters. The extra-smooth breathable material is soft to the touch and ideal for sensitive breasts. Extra-wide shoulder straps and back panel both support and reduce any pressure on the breasts. Soft cup style seamless bras are highly recommended by lactation consultants for use during pregnancy. Send a good-quality photo to us…

PREGNANCY LIFESAVERS Relax and enjoy your pregnancy with these handy helpers. NAPPY CHANGING Sort wet and dirty bums out chop-chop with these products!…

During pregnancy you need at least 1 000mg of calcium a day to stay healthy. If you get less, the body will take care of your baby’s calcium needs first, leaving you with weakened bones and teeth. This is why cheese is good news during pregnancy. It’s a great source of calcium. Many varieties are perfectly safe to eat during pregnancy, in particular the hard cheeses, such as the ones used in these recipes. Avoid the following though: soft, mould-ripened cheese such as brie, camembert and chevre; soft, blue-veined cheese and any other cheese made from unpasteurised milk. These all come with a listeria risk that you don’t want to expose yourself to, as it could harm your baby. If you really have to have soft cheese, make sure it…

WHAT IS THE BIRTHING TEAM, IN A NUTSHELL? The Birthing Team is a network of maternity-care teams that offer pregnant women a complete antenatal-care package at an affordable, fixed rate, where all the costs of your normal pregnancy, labour and delivery as well as post-delivery care are included, whether you end up with an uncomplicated delivery or whether you need an emergency c-section. Each team is multidisciplinary and is made up of doctors, nurses and midwives. IS IT AIMED AT WOMEN WHO DO NOT BELONG TO MEDICAL AID SCHEMES AND SOCIETIES? Yes, we launched The Birthing Team in 2017 in the uninsured market. A unique feature is that we agree to a guaranteed fee upfront, and you know that you will not get unexpected additional bills. In the current system,…

Q I’ve heard delayed cord clamping is better for my baby. If I delay cord clamping, is it still possible to collect stem cells? Each case varies, as each birthing situation is unique, and the final decision must be made by the obstetrician or midwife at the time of delivery. “Delayed cord clamping can be beneficial to your baby, but delaying for too long – for the cord to stop pulsating – carries the risk of there not being enough blood for collection,” says Shelley Bredin from Netcells. ”Provided you are not iron deficient and your baby is at term, delaying cord clamping by 30 to 60 seconds should ensure a safe outcome and allow for adequate cord blood collection.” Q What are the benefits of delayed cord clamping? “For…

Marida Fitzpatrick (41) from Emmarentia in Johannesburg is 25 weeks pregnant with her firstborn, a boy. She says: “What awonderful pampering session! Now that I’m in my second trimester, I’m unsure of how to dress and mostly just opt for plain, loose-fitting clothes. But the incredible YPB makeover team proved to me that I can dress up the bump and feel confident and sexy, even as an expecting mom.” Ashleigh says: ”Show some skin... a V-neckline is ultra-flattering and will elongate and balance your silhouette. Give your maternity style a boost with bold colours, statement prints, and luxe textures.” Maria says: “To complement Marida’s glowing skin, Ibrought out her beautiful brown eyes with a subtle flush of plum, which is great for brown eyes, and a wash of colour on…

MONTH 1 (1 TO 4 WEEKS) Your foetus is smaller than a blueberry, in fact, it’s the size of a drop of blueberry jelly. MONTH 2 (5 TO 9 WEEKS), and your foetus is first a gooseberry and then a biggish mulberry. By MONTH 3 (10 TO 13 WEEKS), things speed up and Baby goes from a loquat to a litchi to a guava. MONTH 4 (14 TO 18 WEEKS), and Baby is the size of a mango. Your baby grows at a phenomenal pace and by MONTH 5 (19 TO 22 WEEKS), he or she is already the size of a big grapefruit. By MONTH 6 (23 TO 26 WEEKS) the grapefruit has become a large melon and by MONTH 7 (27 TO 31 WEEKS) your belly bulges to…

AMAZING ULTRASOUND The use of ultrasound has increased greatly since your own mother was expecting you. The most important scans are performed at 12 weeks and 20 weeks. The 12-week scan proves the most accurate in determining the due date of the baby. The 20-week scan is important as it can detect the presence of any foetal abnormalities. The ultrasound uses sound waves, is non-invasive and is used extensively in diagnosing particular abnormalities of the baby, placenta and cord. In private health care, many practitioners scan at every visit. The visit to your caregiver is your opportunity to discuss any issues relating to the pregnancy, and your obstetrician or midwife will generally reassure you that everything is well or indicate a need for further observation. Don’t feel that you can’t…

Your belly’s just started showing and then the stories start: your hips are too narrow to birth naturally, labour pains are the most excruciating ever… and everyone shares the absolute worst birthing stories. Labour scenes in movies also don’t help much to put you at ease… You often see wide-legged women with their feet in stirrups screaming and shouting in pain and doctors, gogos, anties and dads anxiously running around. It’s enough to give anyone nightmares. But how true is all of this? We separate fact from fiction… 1 LABOUR ALWAYS STARTS WITH WATERS BREAKING In the movies, the birthing process often starts with the woman standing somewhere in the shopping aisle or dealing with a crisis when her waters break, and she suddenly finds herself in a pool. But…

The medications you’re given to use during your recovery shouldn’t affect your ability to breastfeed, but you may need to get experimental with your feeding position. Painkillers and related medication could make your baby extra sleepy though, but the medicines given to you won’t have a harmful effect on your child. Try to feed as regularly as possible, to establish a good milk supply – it’s recommended that you breastfeed every two to three hours while establishing breastfeeding. The more traditional cradle hold could be difficult and painful for you as you recover, but many moms find that lying on their side while feeding helps for the first few days.…

FOR BABY • Anail clipper • Disposable nappies • Vaseline or bum cream • Wipes • Baby soap and cream • Cotton wool • In general, hospitals no longer provide baby clothes and blankets. Over and above the first hospital bag, your baby needs a few sets of clothes that could include vests, comfy onesies and beanies, as well as thick baby socks in winter. • Three baby blankets, including at least one swaddling blanket • Car seat FOR THE BIRTH ITSELF Are you planning to go natural? Then your list of essentials might be longer. A few hours of labour might await, and it’s worth making them as comfortable and pleasant as possible for yourself. Ask what your maternity ward allows. Birthing clinics and some private hospitals encourage a…

Q I am 30 weeks pregnant and have severe lower back pain. What causes this, and what can Ido to manage the pain? How can Istrengthen my back? A DR MICHELLE BRITS ANSWERS: Low back pain is extremely common and typically affects more than two-thirds of women during pregnancy. There are many contributing factors, which predominantly include hormonal and postural changes. It is important to note that every woman is unique, and any one, or a combination of these factors, should be considered when searching for the cause. During the first trimester, levels of progesterone increase expeditiously. Higher levels of this hormone help the muscles and ligaments located near the pelvis relax, and this can affect the stability and alignment of the joints in this area. Relaxin is another hormone…

METAMORPHOSIS Pregnancy is a time of dramatic changes for each and every woman. We become larger and rounder, and extra curves appear before you can say Special K. It’s all fair enough, because your body has to make space for another small being inside of you. Your ribs expand to make space for her growing body, and your hips become larger for you to be able to give birth. Your breasts become fuller to make milk, and extra fat is stored to give you energy. The scale and the mirror don’t really know what to do with these physical changes. Looking in the mirror, you might feel like the princess who changed into a frog… and it all started with a kiss. Know this: you’re not alone! PREVENTION IS BETTER…

You’re burning around 500 calories a day simply by breastfeeding. That equals about an hour of sweating in the Zumba class! We live in pretty hectic times, where society tends to measure our worth in terms of our productivity – the tangible results we can show for our time and efforts. Even as parents, we judge ourselves according to this unyielding yardstick. As a result, motherhood can feel a bit unproductive. Even after an exhausting day, you may wonder what exactly it is that you have accomplished. Yes, you’re constantly busy – feeding, cleaning, playing with baby or trying to get him to settle – but you have nothing to “show” for it. In fact, when your partner returns from work, you may greet them in your pyjamas, with the…

HOW AND WHEN? 4 13 BREASTFEEDING SESSIONS IN A DAY. 12-67 minutes is the average duration of a breastfeeding session. Night feeding is normal. The majority (64%) of infants nurse day and night. They spread their milk intake evenly throughout 24 hours. Only 36% of infants don’t feed at night. These babies have a large feed in the morning. HOW MUCH IS NORMAL? Babies feed to appetite and stop feeding when they have had enough or want to change to the other breast. From a single breast, the average volume an infant drinks ranges from 30 to 135ml. The average amount of milk of a breastfeeding session ranges from 54 to 234ml. It is normal for one breast to produce more milk than the other. Boys drink on average 76ml…

Those mispronunciations and dropped letters are all too cute on a teeny tot, but what will happen if your child is still talking in misnomers when it’s time to go to school? The cute sayings that your child develops like ”sgabetti” instead of ”spaghetti” or ”blankie” instead of ”blanket” often become part of your family’s vocabulary. However, research into baby talk has suggested that this should be stopped by a certain age, as it may have an impact on your child’s long-term language development. WHAT IS BABY TALK? ”Baby talk” is simply the shortening and simplifying of words, sometimes combined with the addition of slurred words or non-verbal utterances. Often, this creates a vocabulary of its own to particular families or is even passed down from generation to generation. This…

Q My baby is four months old. How will I know that my baby is ready for solids? With which solids can I start? A INGE VAN NIEKERK ANSWERS: Like walking and talking, introducing solids is an important milestone in your baby’s development. Complementary food can be given in addition to breast milk or infant formula from four months. It is recommended that solids are not started earlier than 17 weeks and not later than 26 weeks. From six months, complementary food should be increased gradually, as milk cannot meet all the baby’s energy needs, and your baby will need more nutrients, for example iron. From six months, about 90 percent of iron requirements must be obtained from complementary foods. Your baby has to be developmentally and physically ready to…

THE BRIGHT STUFF Vitamins are vital to keep developing immune systems primed to do their job. Instead of trying to memorise which vitamins to get through which food groups, you will do well to simply focus on trying to eat bright colours every day. In fact, try and include colour in every meal. When you go shopping, aim for the rainbow. Make sure you put something yellow (sweet peppers or mealies), something orange (butternut or citrus fruit), something red (berries or beetroot), something purple (eggplant or cabbage) and of course lots and lots of green in your trolley. SPICE IT UP You don’t have to go full-on Durban curry on your tot for him to enjoy the benefits of a bit of spice. Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and garlic aren’t burny…

Try these sneaky yet practical tricks to keep the peace 1. SET GROUND RULES Insist that fights will not be physical, or that certain toys need not be shared, or that both sides will be heard when children want to tattle tales. 2. ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIGHTING Even if this means buying items all of the same colour so they are identical. And when dividing treats, one child dishes up, the other one chooses. 3. SECRETLY ENCOURAGE COOPERATION Let your children take turns choosing an activity/TV programme, but let them know that they either all agree to it or the activity is cancelled for everyone. 4. REWARD POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR Especially unexpectedly. “Wow, you guys shared that water slide so well. That’s put me in such a good mood, I think…

MAGICAL MOBILE Create this simple mobile to hang above your baby’s changing table or in your toddler’s room. All you need is two thin wooden hangers, some elastic bands, fishing line and enough leaves in different colours. Attach the hangers with some fishing line, so they form a cross. Then cut about nine lengths of fishing line and gently thread on the leaves. Hang them from the hangers – one in the middle and two on each leg of the cross. INDOOR TREE Be inspired by what you saw outdoors, and show your little one how to create a tree on a large sheet of paper. Use crayons, glue and leaves to copy what you saw on your walk. SPRAY IT Soon all the leaves will be gone. Just like…

1 YOU KNOW YOU’RE DEFINITELY IN LABOUR WHEN… a Your plug is out, your water has broken, or you have a few contractions. b Your contractions are stronger, longer and closer and closer together. c You wake up in the morning, and it’s your baby’s expected due date. 2 WHEN SHOULD YOU GRAB THE HOSPITAL BAG AND WASTE NO TIME GETTING THERE? a As soon as you feel those first contractions – you never know how bad the traffic will be. b As soon as the contractions are about five minutes apart and last about a minute – it’s better to relax at home during the first stage of labour. c A day before your baby’s expected birth date – you don’t want to be caught unawares at home. 3…

NO SUCH THING AS STEPKIDS They are my kids. When I married my husband, I married him with two kids. Many people judged me, asked me how things would change when I had my own kids and how I would share the love equally. To be honest, it wasn’t easy to juggle in the beginning. I was used to caring for others’ kids. But being an overnight mom – this was hard work. We worked hard to make it work: Ineeded to provide his kids with love, care and stability and in turn manage my own emotions and cope with the change too. I was grateful that mothering came naturally, but not without its trials. We tried having our own child, but this didn’t come easily. After two miscarriages, I…

WIN A BABY CITY VOUCHER VALUED AT R380 Send us a clear good-quality photo to sharing@ypbmagazine.com Each photo published receives a R380 Baby City Voucher Send a clear good-quality photo to sharing@ypbmagazine.com. Remember to include your child’s name, surname, age and where you are from. We love to hear from you.…

Growing babies have greater calcium and protein needs relative to adults. Here, cheese ticks the boxes, as it is a great source of both these building blocks, as well as of vitamins. Those 18 and younger need a whopping 1 300 mg of calcium every day, so cheese can most certainly be a part of your child’s diet. Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, mild Cheddar, cottage cheese and cream cheese. Avoid mould-ripened soft cheeses. Dentists in particular are fans of cheese for the little ones, as the calcium in cheese helps form teeth and a strong jaw bone. There is also a lesser-known benefit for children. Cheese lowers the acid level in the mouth, which helps to fight plaque. Having some…

“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” All the hip and happening organisers of 2020 have a version of this quote in their books and shows, but it was first said by William Morris, a19th century English textile designer, artist, writer, socialist and Marxist. Even the sentence itself is rather sparse, but at the same time profound. Look up from this magazine for a minute, and scan the room around you. Is everything you see useful or beautiful? Minimalists do this often, and if the answer is no, the item gets passed on, sold or thrown away. Ex-hoarders that have converted to minimalism give testimony of how adopting this new attitude toward stuff can bring great joy. The rest…

“We didn’t prepare Hugh’s three older children for the possibility of a new sibling because we weren’t sure we’d ever be able to have a child together,” says Wanita. “He had had a vasectomy and when we got together he had a reversal. Then we had a few attempts at IVF. We were together as afamily for some years before I fell pregnant.” When they told the children, then 6, 13 and 16, it was a shock. The response from the oldest was immediate and dramatic. She ran to her room and slammed the door shouting, “Now we’re going to be ‘the other children’”. “It was hard. We had this much-wanted pregnancy, and here was not much of a positive response,” says Wanita. “But you have to understand that the…

A STUNNING GIFT HAMPER FROM PIGEON TO THE VALUE OF R1 170! Get off to a good start with Pigeon’s Breastfeeding Kit. Express with the Pigeon Manual Breast Pump 2-Phase, which is easy to use, as the milk goes directly into the Pigeon Breastmilk Storage Bottle. It can then be stored in either the fridge or freezer – ready for your partner to take a feed. Pigeon Breast Pads keep you dry and comfortable, while Pigeon Nipple Cream will prevent sore, cracked nipples. Available from baby stores, Dis-Chem, selected pharmacies and retail outlets. Visit sp-africa.com for more.…

One of the first things you might wonder is what day your baby is likely to be born. It’s no exact science. A full-term pregnancy is anything from 38 to 42 weeks. So it’s understandable that only one out of every 20 babies is born on the day the doctors predict. But it’s still cool to keep a date in mind, even if your unique baby will decide when to be born. A nifty way to calculate the date is given in the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting (Simon & Schuster): subtract three months from the first day of your last period, and then add seven days. This is how it works: your last period started on 1 April. Count three months back, and you have 1 January.…

Vaseline did some research... South African women report some of the highest figures worldwide for instances of dry, very dry, cracked or itchy skin. So the brand has upped its dry-skin game and launched a new clinical cream range, specifically formulated to treat and soothe acute skin conditions including eczema, sensitive skin and extremely dry skin. There are five products in the Vaseline Clinical Care range, each developed to soothe and treat specific hard-to-heal skin conditions, from extreme dryness and dark spots to ageing, eczema and cracked heels. We particularly like the Cracked Heel Rescue and Dark Spot Rescue (R64.99 each, Clicks).…

There are five things that influence how you’ll labour on the day. Often referred to as the five P’s, they are: passage, passenger, powers, psyche and position. YOUR POSITION The way your baby is positioned in your body can affect labour and birth more than you realise. Towards the end of pregnancy, your internal structure, muscles, ligaments and joints in the abdomen and pelvis can affect how your baby lies. Your posture and your choices in movement could decide the course of labour. You can help yourself and your baby during labour by adopting appropriate positions that’ll facilitate the descent of your baby, open the pelvis and cause the cervix to dilate. One thing is for sure – lying down on a bed and not moving isn’t a position that…

■ Try and book the appointment for a time when your baby is not too hungry or tired by the time you arrive. This will ensure the doctor is calmer and more at ease than when Baby is crying and niggly. ■ Remember your baby’s immunisation chart – the paed you saw shortly after birth should have filled it in with all the details already. At the six-week visit, the paediatrician will clock your baby’s development and see if it corresponds with the hospital observation. ■ Dress her in something that’s easy to get on and off. You’ll be asked to undress her so that the doctor can conduct a thorough physical examination. You’ll also need to remove her nappy for a bit so that the doctor can get an…

While it may feel like all you’re doing day in and day out is nursing your baby, breastfeeding actually ends up saving you tonnes of time in the long run. After the first two weeks, breastfeeding moms are more rested. They get an average of 45 minutes extra sleep per night, fall asleep faster after feeds, and have better sleep quality. Once you master the art of nursing lying down, you can actually nap through feeds and won’t have to get up at all. Breastfeeding moms have no bottles to sterilise and prepare. Breastmilk is always available, always fresh and always the perfect temperature. Because you can feed baby immediately when he gets hungry, he is calmer and cries less. You will spend less time caring for a sick child:…

WILL IT WORK AS A FINGER FOOD? Nine months is usually the time to give your baby finger foods because he’s developed the coordination, and if you want to explore your own ideas, go for it. Go through this checklist to make sure it’s suitable: • CAN IT BEGUMMED? Remember, Baby has little or no teeth, so food should be soft enough to chew with his gums. Cook hard foods to ensure this. • IS IT NATURALLY SOFT? Some cheese and fruits are perfect to be gummed because of their texture but are still solid enough to be held. • IS IT CRUMBLY? Go for crackers or breads that flake easily or melt in the mouth to avoid choking. • IS IT SMALL ENOUGH? Cut food into bite-sized pieces…

Sniffs, sneezes and coughs are the bane of the winter season, and with your little ones off to daycare, crèche or even the park, home come all sorts of nasty bugs. These nasty bugs don’t have to make a home with your family though, and here’s why. A STRONG SYSTEM If you want to survive cold and flu season, the best place to start is with a healthy immune system. There are several ways to do this. EXERCISE It might seem impossible to find time in your day to exercise, but it’s worth trying. Studies have shown that regular moderate exercise (like 30 minutes walking a day) can help your immune system fight off infection. EAT WELL A sound nutritional regime goes a long way to boosting your immune system,…

#1 Lower temperatures and being cooped up indoors can both lead to a tendency for the whole family to want to snack more. You can start to feel like the cookie police. Avoid this by simply not buying sugary snacks in the first place. If you don’t have them, no one can nag for them. Rather have an enticing fruit bowl with delicious naartjies and if you must snack, go for popcorn or a little biltong instead of crisps. #2 A variety of fruit is a very important part of a child’s diet, but fruit is often associated with summer, not winter. Get around this by incorporating fruit into your homemade desserts (apple pie, anyone?), and make fruit purees like you used to when your children were babies. A bowl…

HOW LION BECAME KING OF THE ANIMALS Instil alittle pride in our amazing continent by reading your children stories about the animals, people and breathtaking natural beauty of Africa. These interesting tales are sometimes called creation myths or origin stories. Michelle Cooper has compiled 14 of the most riveting ones, including the San people’s striking story of how the stars and the Milky Way were formed. If you’ve ever wondered why the hippo lives in the water or how the jackal got its saddle, this book will give you an amusing answer. Little ones who can’t follow words yet, will be equally engaged by award-winning illustrator Chris Venter’s work. R195, Tafelberg. A TRULY SOUTH AFRICAN TAKE ON ADHD All Of These Things Are Important To Me tells the story of…

I said Baby would never sleep in bed with us, and that she will sleep in her cot. Miané is eight months now and has been contact napping on me since birth. Tascha Brits, Meyerton, Gauteng I told myself that my baby girl, Zanokuhle (three months), will never use a dummy. She’d get cranky, and I decided to try it. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Nokubongwa Kekezi Buthelezi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal My child going to get dirty or wear dirty clothes. Kego Pico Thebe, Barkly West, Northen Cape Baby number 1: We are definitely doing sleep training... Ha! That was the worst hour of my life. All three girls slept in my bed from birth, and I don’t regret it. The eldest are six and three, and they…

Send a clear good-quality photo to us at sharing@ypbmagazine.com…

POTATO GRATIN BAKE INGREDIENTS • 2½ cups whipping cream • ¾cup finely chopped onions • 2teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary • 2teaspoons salt • ¾teaspoon ground black pepper • 1kg potatoes, peeled, cut into 5mm-thick rounds • 2cups grated white Cheddar PREPARATION Preheat oven to 190˚C. Grease a large glass baking dish with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk cream, and then blend in onions, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place half of the potatoes in a prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the cheese. Top with second layer of potatoes. Pour over cream mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Let gratin cool 10 minutes before serving. CREAMY POLENTA INGREDIENTS • 1cup cold…

The SA Cheese Festival runs from 25 to 27 April at Sandringham on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, from 10am to 6pm daily. From cheese tastings to food stalls to cooking demos and kiddie entertainment, there really is enough going on to keep you busy for the whole day. View the whole programme online at cheesefestival.co.za, and plan your day to take in the open air concert as well. Tickets cost R240 per person per day. Book for four, and pay just R860. Seniors enter for R100 and children under 13 for only R20. Buy tickets at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers, as no tickets are sold at the gate. Follow the festival on social media for more cheesy inspiration. Search for @SACheeseFest.…

Old computers, phones, DVD players, maybe even a fax machine… They take up a lot of space and can’t just be dumped in your black bin. Keep your eyes and ears open for messages from big retailers such as Makro, Woolworths and Pick n Pay, who from time to time run campaigns to collect and recycle e-waste. They advertise drop-off points around the country where you can take your old electronics. Some suppliers also let you take old items back to the shop where you bought it. Check on their websites.…

COMPLIMENTS GUARANTEED! This dress has gone viral. No jokes. Have a look on Insta –it has its own account. Make the look yours… BEAUTIFULLY EMBROIDERED Looking for a dress that is super comfortable, but still on trend? We found it for you. It’s a pleasure! SO CUTE IT’S A CLASSIC There was a time when only toddlers wore dungarees, but now they are highly fashionable again. So rock it with a spice-coloured top – this winter’s must-have hue. LAYER IT ON Yes, you can indeed mix different colours and textures of denim. More is more, just like there is more of you! DATE NIGHT SORTED Glam up your darkest comfy maternity denims with a sheer blouse that is a conversation starter (or might just leave them speechless). Add the tiniest…

Across cultures, acraving for items not typically desired is often considered a hallmark of pregnancy. Research has shown that pregnancy cravings arise from hormonal fluctuations that affect your sense of smell, taste, and appetite, causing you to yearn for strange flavours, textures and combinations. These hormonal changes can lower dopamine – a feel-good hormone – resulting in a craving for foods that subsequently raise the dopamine level again. Pregnant women are known for craving sweets, fruits, calorie-dense foods, odd combinations such as pickles and ice cream or – in rarer cases – pica, consuming non-food substances such as clay and chalk. Cravings that follow a period of nausea, vomiting and food aversions in the first trimester might function to replenish lost nutrients. The process of sustaining new life increases your…

Your child’s birth is a magical moment, so don’t let the idea of it also being a surgical procedure dissuade you from making it special. Here’s how you can make it a little more personal: ■ It’s possible for you to breastfeed immediately, or shortly after, you’ve given birth. Ask your doctor to help you organise this as part of the routine after the operation. ■ You could ask that a birth photographer be present, or ask your birth partner to snap a picture as your baby is lifted from your belly. ■ If possible, you can ask for low lighting or even to play music during the surgery. Just check with the hospital and your doctor to ensure this is okay. ■ Ask your doctor to hold off on…

Q I am 22 weeks pregnant and feel itchy and uncomfortable down there. Ihave never had vaginal thrush before, but I have a feeling this is it. What can I take to help, and what can I do to prevent it? A DR PETER KOLL ANSWERS: Thrush is extremely common in pregnancy. Changes occur in the vagina in pregnancy that make it more favourable for thrush to grow. Fortunately, it is confined to the vagina and does not endanger the baby in any way. It is also usually very easy to treat, but you may need to treat it more than once during your pregnancy. It is usually treated with a cream or pessary (a tablet that is inserted into the vagina). It can also be treated with an oral…

Have you heard an old wives’ tale about how to ensure you have a boy or a girl? For a girl, some say you need to have sex during full moon. What does science say? We’re born with 23 sets of chromosomes, one of these sets being the sex chromosomes. Women have two Xchromosomes and men an X and a Ychromosome. Sperm can carry the X or the Y chromosome, while an egg only contains an X chromosome. When an X chromosome fertilises the egg, it’s a girl. Otherwise, it’s a boy, explains geneticist Prof. Louise Warnich, dean of sciences at the University of Stellenbosch. The ejaculate has millions of sperm cells, which makes it difficult to predict which one will fertilise the egg. X- and Y-chromosome sperm cells have…

SMS YPB132 RE SIX REUTERINA HAMPERS WORTH R1 500 EACH Whether you’ve already welcomed your little one to the world or are looking forward to their arrival really soon, Reuterina is here to help. From colic to constipation, and everything in between. As a trusted brand in probiotics for the whole family, Reuterina knows that the first 1 000 days of a baby’s life are crucial when it comes to building a foundation for ahealthy, happy future. That’s why every mom should make Reuterina’s baby health probiotics her new best friend. Each hamper includes a beautiful maternity gown for mom, a cosy receiving blanket and bib for baby. Remember, nurturing a healthy gut starts at birth, so be sure to include a bottle of Reuterina™ Drops in your brand new…

According to Dr Nils Bergman, expert in kangaroo care and developmental neuroscience, nursing is about much more than filling up your baby’s tummy. “Breastfeeding is 90 percent brain wiring and only 10 percent nutrition,” he writes in the foreword to Nancy Mohrbacher’s Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple. While he is nursing, a baby learns through all his senses. He smells and tastes his mother’s milk, feels her warm skin against his, and hears her voice. Because he feels safe, he not only bonds with Mom, his brain also forms a multitude of neural pathways. Feeling secure is essential to learning.…

How do Itell if my child is too sick to go to daycare? I work full time and can’t take off work very often, but Idon’t want to make things worse by sending him to daycare when he’s not feeling well. The decision on whether to keep him at home or not involves both the health of your child and the other children at the crèche who will be exposed to your child’s illness. That being said, you can expect that your child will have on average eight infections per year during the first few years of his life. These will include upper and lower respiratory tract infections, rashes and tummy bugs. But to keep him away from school (and you from work) is often just not possible. Keep your…

The vestibular and proprioceptive systems contribute to the achievement of the calm-alert state. In fact, an underactive vestibular system has been shown to lead to children becoming hyperactive and distractible. It’s important to encourage your child to engage in active movement to activate these senses when it’s important he remains in this optimal state of learning. Movement, which causes your child’s body to stretch or work against resistance, such as hanging from a monkey bar or jumping on a trampoline, are best. One way to help your over-aroused child when he’s required to sit still would be to tie an elastic exercise band to the base of his chair. He may press his feet against the band for a “workout” that provides proprioceptive input that will alleviate the need to…

Mieke, our eldest, was born in Lusaka, Zambia, where my husband worked as a hotelier. She was perfect, and a perfectly healthy baby – she never got acold. Although she did take a bit longer to start moving and only did a slow sort-of bum-shuffle crawl, I didn’t think anything of it. We moved to Tanzania when Mieke was one. She started to walk at 14 months but always held my hand – just like any toddler learning to walk, I thought. Until she tried to climb a chair, grabbed her hip and yelled out in pain. I couldn’t see anything wrong: no wound or bruise, but we started to notice that other movements also caused her to call out in pain. I thought she may have dislocated her hip,…