Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 161 / #1-2025 i Your Pregnancy & Baby

I get rather annoyed when I hear someone say of themselves, “I’m just a mom.” Seriously, people, the word “just” doesn’t belong anywhere near the word mom – the role a mother plays in her children’s lives is too important for that. It starts with pregnancy. Just stop for a moment and marvel at the fact that in 40 short weeks you’re making a completely different person! It’s mind-boggling. And breastfeeding? Equally incredible. You can keep another human being alive perfectly with something that your body makes so naturally. A mother’s superpowers don’t stop at the physical. Even our gaze packs a powerful punch. Let me explain… When my Emily was 11, she decided to swim the Midmar Mile. The school sent a form. To secure her place on the…

WHAT MAKES NOAH SUCH A "WILD ONE"? Noah’s first year has been an adventure, and we celebrated his big very first birthday with a “Wild One” party theme – the perfect fit! He’s curious about everything, from how door handles work to how many pictures he can take before his tiny hands get tired. He’s also the happiest little guy, always ready to explore with his toy cars or listen intently to stories about farm animals. Parenting Noah has been a whirlwind for my husband, Stephan, and me. Think late nights, lots of giggles, and plenty of caffeine! But seeing him light up our lives every day makes it all worthwhile. DOES NOAH HAVE A “MINI ME” VIBE? Oh, absolutely! Those sparkling blue eyes are a family heirloom from both…

The Mokki Click & Change Sunglasses include two frames: an everyday and an active one. The first features blue block UV400 lenses that provide 100 percent UV protection and filter out 93 percent of blue light emitted from both the sun and screens, offering extra comfort for daily use. For more active days, the active frame features polarised UV400 lenses, designed to provide enhanced comfort in highly reflective areas such as water, sand or snow. R2 200, sizes 0 to 2 and 2 to 5 years. sprout-store.com Did you know? According to the World Health Organization, by the age of 18, children’s eyes have already received 80% of their lifetime UV exposure from the sun. Unprotected exposure during childhood can also increase the risk of issues like cataracts and age-related…

DINO-MITE FUN Bring prehistoric adventures to life with an interactive book that lets kids pop up their favorite dinos while learning fun facts about the Jurassic era. Perfect for curious minds and little hands, it’s a roaring good way to keep young ones entertained and learning. My Stand-Up Dinosaurs by Rod Campbell, R275, Pan Macmillan. Find it at Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, Readers Warehouse, Wordsworth Books, Takealot and Loot. WILD AND WONDERFUL Take young readers on an adventure! These beautiful board books are perfect for learning about animals in the wild and on the farm. From majestic lions and elephants to friendly cows and chickens are in there! My First Book of the Big Five and My First Book of Farm Animals, R95 each, NB Publishers. A GLOW-RIOUS ADVENTURE AWAITS…

Parenting is difficult enough, but without a routine, it can become overwhelming. Routine is important not only for your sanity, but for the kids too. Of course, life happens, and there will be days when the routine disappears into a whirlwind but, as much as possible, stay on track with a schedule: 1. REGULAR BEDTIMES FOR EVERYONE – THAT INCLUDES YOU If the kids are in bed by 8pm, give yourself until 10pm to do some housework or relax with a movie. 2. GET HOME AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY The demands of our working lives often mean that we end up working overtime. An understanding employer knows that you’re juggling family and work demands, so negotiate to take work home if you need to, rather than putting in…

Vaccinations are designed to mimic natural infections without actually causing them. Your immune system thinks it is being attacked and builds anti-bodies. If you are exposed to the natural disease later on, your body recognises it and mobilises the body’s “troops”, who spring into action right away, preventing you from getting ill. That’s how it works in your body. How it works for a community? If enough people become immune to an illness – this is known as herd immunity – the spread of the illness is stopped. This means vulnerable members of society are better protected when we all vaccinate. So inoculation is not merely a personal choice – it is also something you do for the greater good of society.…

OMEGA 3s Found in your pregnancy vitamins, oily fish and some nuts, these have been shown to help protect against post- and perinatal depression. Just stay away from any fish that is high in mercury. FOLIC ACID Found in leafy green vegetables, it assists your body in making the ”pleasure chemical” dopamine. OATS Besides being a healthy breakfast option, oatmeal also helps the production of serotonin – a chemical that helps to put you in a better mood. COTTAGE CHEESE This is a great source of calcium and also tryptophan, which is an amino acid that helps make you feel good. VITAMIN D Any food or liquid (such as milk) fortified with vitamin D will also increase your levels of serotonin. Combine that with a short walk in the sun…

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 homely kind of atmosphere and are not fussed if you’d like to bring along a few personal items to make the birthing process easier. See the following as a list of suggestions. Choose the things with which you feel comfortable. ■ Birthing plan: very important. ■ Lots of fluids. Water remains king, supplemented with energy drinks or “jungle juice”, as some lactation consultants refer to the potion (2 litres of water, 1 litre apple juice, 1 sachet Rehidrat,…

Kids are costly; you probably figured that before you paid a single doctor’s bill. But before you met your baby, you probably didn’t realise just how deeply in the red you’d be on another kind of debt: sleep debt. You’re listening to child-free friends’ stories of a late night spent partying. They say, “Now we know how you must be feeling, hey? Ha ha…” Do you want to suffocate them with a size 1 nappy? Yes? Congratulations: you’re in sleep debt. Babies fundamentally disrupt a normally functioning adult’s sleep pattern. Your party-hardy friends can make up for Friday night’s bender sleeping away all of Saturday and Sunday, but you are spending that time learning the crucial job of keeping your days-old baby alive and happy. A DIFFERENT KIND OF TIRED…

We all know that breastfeeding is good for our babies – there’s a slew of studies to prove that, which is why the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and breastfeeding up to two years or beyond. But what’s less well known is that breastfeeding has plenty of physical and psychological health benefits for you too. And we’re not just talking about (maybe) shedding that post-baby weight quicker. “Breastfeeding is an important part of the way your body recovers from pregnancy,” explains Dr Eleanor Bimla Schwarz who co-authored an extensive study into the long-term benefits of breastfeeding. “The longer you nurse your baby, the better for both of you,” she says. Sister Hettie Grové, a midwife and internationally certified lactation consultant based in Gauteng, adds…

IN A NEWBORN A formula-fed baby: Stools can be soft, formed and yellow, and will most likely occur daily. An exclusively breastfed baby: can experience very watery, explosive poos that range in colour from yellow to green. They can have up to six stools a day, but as time goes on may only have one poo nappy per week. The number of poos a breastfed baby has in a day can vary quite a lot, and still be totally normal. IN A TODDLER Children of this age will normally have a stool each day, or every second day, and it will be brown and solid and occasionally loose. But it’s still variable. Some toddlers can poo up to four times a day, and this is their normal. WHEN TO WORRY…

Q How will I know my baby is ready for solids? I have read so much conflicting advice. The WHO and many baby-led-weaning groups are adamant that Baby is ready at exactly 6 months, but many paeds and other expert bodies say you can start at 4 months. Why the disagreement in policies, and how do I interpret this for my own baby. A KATH ANSWERS: It’s completely understandable to feel confused when you come across conflicting advice about when to start solids. You’re not alone – many parents feel the same way. Let’s break it down and try to make sense of the different recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends starting solids around 6 months of age, and this is mainly based on global health standards, including ensuring…

"YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH PLAY, AND THIS IS ULTIMATELY WHAT THEY NEED TO BE DOING." Have you ever noticed that what works with one child may not necessarily work for another? Your techniques for combatting fussy eating that worked wonders on your first-born just don’t have the same effect on his sister, and your friend’s child responds well to time in the naughty corner, but yours responds better to being spoken to. Just as each child has his own unique ways and habits, each child learns differently as well. Now that your toddler has embarked on his very first steps in his educational journey by starting preschool, it’s a good time to try to figure out how your little one processes and retains information, so that you know how best…

Nadia Coetzer, a speech therapist at Corli Hanekom Speech and Language Therapists in Cape Town, identifies five easy things to remember for language development. 1. READING Early reading helps develop phonological awareness and active listening. “Reading is a great activity from the age of 3 months because a baby focuses on identifying the reader’s voice, which helps build relationships,” she says. 2. REPETITION There’s a good reason why toddlers are so fond of chanting your one or two words over and over again. “Repetition is necessary for a child to learn new vocabulary, because only after understanding the meaning and context of the word will a child be able to use the word correctly,” Nadia adds. 3. RECOUNTING When a child retells the day’s events, it builds vocabulary and increases…

The way you treat your children's teachers can have a big impact on the smooth running of this vital three way relationship. Here are some things teachers wish parents would take note of where they're concerned: ■ “We’re not an extension of your staff, so please treat us with respect.” ■ “Don’t discuss us in front of your child. Little kids usually love their teacher and will get confused and insecure if they hear negative things being said about her by their parents, because that will mean that they’ll have to love their teacher ‘in secret’.” ■ “Don’t believe everything your child tells you. If something seems to be going wrong, do a bit of investigating before you react.” ■ “Teachers usually don’t go out of their way to offend…

Parents are the ultimate role models for their children when it comes to just about everything, so setting a good example by eating nutritious foods, sitting down at the table and not skipping meals is a must. “Many a fussy eater is cured when allowed to sit on a parent’s lap and eat off their plate. A baby will often reach out to grab the food out of your hand, and little toddlers love to eat big food like you,” says local clinical paediatric dietician Kath Megaw. START EARLY Food preferences, and an enjoyment of healthy foods, begin forming even when kids are babies. So when you introduce solids, expose your baby to a wide range of textures and flavours, Kath suggests. Your positive attitude to a variety of foods…

Relocating to a new country is an adventure that comes with its own set of challenges and rewards, especially when it involves young children. For us, the journey from Pretoria, South Africa, to the picturesque Algarve region of Portugal, has been filled with excitement, cultural exploration, and the inevitable adjustments that come with a major life change. Deciding to relocate is a complex process influenced by various factors. For our family, it was opportunities for better jobs and education, the freedom that safety affords young families and, of course, the desire for adventure. My husband was offered a position at an international wealth management company, and I was offered a teaching position at a popular international school. The Algarve, known for its stunning coastline, mild climate and vibrant culture, has…

sharing@ypbmagazine.com SAID ON SOCIAL And imagine if we all took a moment to really support the moms around us, recognizing that we’re all just trying to do our best in a world that doesn’t always make it easy. @mommy.realist I really wish I could be that mom who always has everything together but unfortunately I’m the mom who’d be last minute trying to dry her kid’s shirt out the car window because I forgot to dry it at home. @kaylafultz I never want my kids to mess up and think, “Mom’s gonna kill me.” I want their first thought to be, “I need to call my mom.” @biglittlefeelings Kid: We never have anything good to eat! Me: Go shake your car seat out. @SatiricalMommy My husband immediately took the trash…

To enter send a clear, good quality photo to us at sharing@ypbmagazine.com The Carriwell Adjustable Padded Maternity & Nursing Bra is made from ultra-soft, flexible, seamless microfibre fabric that allows for expansion and moulds to your changing body shape and bust size throughout pregnancy and nursing. It is supremely functional and comfortable with adjustable straps, convenient one-handed clasps and fully openable drop cups for easy nursing day and night. Double-layered cups, removable pads and slightly wider shoulder straps offer additional support for mums with larger breasts. R650, Baby City, Babies R Us, Dis-Chem, Takealot, Loot, Woolworths, Clicks Baby, Checkers Little Me and baby and maternity stores.…

Pumpkin, mealie & chicken slices GLUTEN FREE SLICE MAKES 16 PIECES PREP + COOK TIME 55 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME) INGREDIENTS ■ 900g chicken, preferably braaied ■ 500g pumpkin ■ 410g can mealie kernels, drained ■ 4 spring onions, chopped finely ■ 4 eggs, beaten lightly ■ 1T chopped sage leaves ■ ½ cup (75g) gluten-free self-raising flour ■ 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar ■ ¼t smoked paprika Tips & variations ■ Use sweet potato instead of pumpkin, flat-leaf parsley leaves instead of sage. ■ For a vegetarian version, leave out the chicken. ■ Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. ■ Freeze pieces on a tray until firm. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and stack in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with baking…

Q I don’t see the point of vaccination, as nobody gets these diseases anymore, because we live healthier lives. A Deadly diseases that were common long ago are indeed now very rare in developed countries. The only disease that is officially eradicated, though, is smallpox. In a world where borders are crossed with great frequency, a highly infectious disease is only a plane ride away. In Namibia, which was polio-free from 1996, there was another sudden outbreak in 2006. The growing number of people who choose not to inoculate their children is leading to a weakening of our “herd” immunity. If enough people in a community get the necessary inoculations, it stops that disease from spreading. It protects others who battle with compromised immunity, as it lowers their chance of…

Just as having your period changes your mood due to hormone fluctuations, so does being pregnant. Technically, your hormones affect the neurotransmitters in your brain. Those are the chemical messengers in your brain that tell your mind how to react to certain things. You may find that these changes are more noticeable at around six to eight weeks, and then come up again in your last trimester. Besides the chemical changes in your body, there are also psychological stressors that contribute to swinging moods. This is a big life change you are going through and preparing for. Whether your pregnancy was planned or not, dealing with the prospect of becoming a parent, worrying about whether you will be a good parent or not, financial strains and dealing with your body…

Having your blood pressure taken is one of those non-invasive tests that don’t worry you until your doctor or midwife frowns, re-inflates the cuff, takes it again, and leaves you to relax for 10 minutes before taking it again. What now? Too high? Too low? Is it serious? Is there something you can do? Here are some answers to the questions you may be asking. NORMAL, OR NOT? A BP reading reflects the pressure at which the heart beats (called the systolic reading) and relaxes (the diastolic reading). A normal BP is 120/80 or 110/70. BP lower or higher than normal is not an illness per se but – especially during pregnancy – it’s an indication that there’s a possible problem that needs attention. It should be taken seriously. Your…

Q&A Email your question for our experts to SHARING@YPBMAGAZINE.COM Please note that experts unfortunately cannot respond to each question personally. The answers provided on these pages should not replace the advice of your doctor. OUR EXPERT Meet Sister Claire A midwife with more than 34 years of experience, Sister Claire is the host of the Babies R Us Antenatal virtual courses. Babies R Us offers a free online antenatal course on a monthly basis. There are two sessions: Session 1 covers “preparing for birth” and Session 2 covers “giving birth and going home with Baby”. They are both 2-hour sessions presented on a Wednesday or a Saturday morning. Bookings can be made online. Q I’m trying to convince my husband that we should attend antenatal classes, but he’s not keen…

ACUPUNCTURE/ACUPRESSURE Recent Western research has shown acupuncture to be effective in stimulating the release of endorphins -nature’s natural painkillers. Acupressure does the same thing, but instead of needles, firm pressure is placed on certain points on your body. AROMATHERAPY More than 50 percent of mothers who used aromatherapy found it to be effective in reducing fear and anxiety, and promoting relaxation. BREATHING Slow, controlled breathing encourages relaxation and works very well with meditation or with focusing during labour. COMPANIONSHIP OR DOULAS Women who have a birth partner or companion or doula have shorter labours, with fewer complications and better bonding with their babies afterwards. They cope very well with their pain and feel valued and cared for. REFLEXOLOGY There is evidence to suggest that reflexology stimulates the body’s production of…

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 X chromosomes and men an X and a Y chromosome. 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…

If you’ve ever hummed a lullaby to a baby, distracted a toddler on a car journey with 14 verses of Old MacDonald, or clapped out a rhythm for a marching preschooler, you’ve seen the power of music. Making music is one of our most basic human instincts – all cultures the world over make music with their voices or instruments. Babies worldwide are sung to sleep with lullabies that have a tempo similar to that of the human heart in a relaxed state. A parent’s voice has an almost magical ability to soothe and calm a baby. Music affects us in extraordinary ways, and science continues to find new evidence of its power. A BRAIN THING According to Dr Annette Lotter, a doctor of education based in Randburg, Gauteng, who…

Talking is an important milestone in a baby’s life and is flexible in terms of when and how it happens. You may think a baby starts talking by nonsensically imitating what they hear, but research shows it is a strategic process that develops naturally and can be encouraged by parents creating an enriching learning environment for their little ones. RULES OF THE GAME Karyn Casey, a speech language pathologist and audiologist from the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, says language acquisition is a complex process for children. Much evidence shows a child’s early sentences result from the use of rules and is not a haphazard imitation of adult sentences. “When children acquire language, they discover the ‘raw materials’ (sounds or gestures) of their language and usually rapidly learn to assemble…

To enter, send a good-quality photo to us at sharing@ypbmagazine.com ❤ 3 boxes of breast milk bags ❤ 1 My Pump & Cool Carry Bag Supporting moms on the move! Because we know that breastfeeding can have its challenges, and we’re here to help! mybreastpump.co.za @my_brestpumpsa…

Send a clear, good-quality, high-resolution photo to sharing@ypbmagazine.com. Each photo published receives a R350 Babies R Us Voucher.…

Vaccines have been one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 10 million deaths were prevented between 2010 and 2015 thanks to vaccinations delivered around the world. Many millions more lives were protected from the suffering and disability associated with diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, whooping cough, measles and polio. In short, there is worldwide medical consensus that vaccines are safe and necessary. Strangely, in modern times, vaccination rates have been dropping across the developed world. In France, the country that experiences the strongest vaccination resistance but is also the birthplace of vaccines, there are regular measles outbreaks of a scale that is usually only seen in low-income countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Somalia. The…

We asked you what your partners said about your mood swings… XOLISWA NKOMO SOWETO, GAUTENG My partner could not understand why I cried so easily. I got very emotional, very quickly. MARION SALMON CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE My hubby complained in the first two pregnancies. By the third one, he has learnt to avoid the moods. JENNA RAMSAY JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG My hubby said the next time we’re pregnant, he’ll send me to my mom, and then just come fetch me a day before the baby is due! JANI ALLEM KLERKSDORP, NORTH WEST I had such a short temper with both of my pregnancies. I used to think of all the things we needed to do to fix up the nursery and wanted to do them now! My poor husband did…

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…

Q&A Email your question for our experts to SHARING@YPBMAGAZINE.COM Please note that experts unfortunately cannot respond to each question personally. The answers provided on these pages should not replace the advice of your doctor. OUR EXPERT Q I don’t know what to expect from my c-section. What will happen after I have been taken to the theatre? How long will it take until my baby is born, and can you explain the procedure? A DR PETER KOLL ANSWERS: The preparation for your caesarean section will start in the ward before you are transferred to the theatre. The anaesthetist will see you in the ward, take a full history and examine you to make sure that you are fit for a spinal block and will also briefly explain the procedure to you.…

When baby gets sick it’s easy -and natural – to jump to the most serious conclusions, but it’s usually the severity of the symptoms themselves that show whether you should worry or not. good buy Braun thermometers are fast, accurate, gentle, easy to use and suitable for the whole family. Braun thermometers ensure the early detection of a change in body temperature, which is an early indicator of illness. Look out for Braun's colour-coded interpretation of fever readings or patented Age Precision® technology, which takes the guess work out of interpreting your child's temperature. Every Braun medical device has a unique code that enables you to purchase it through your medical scheme, subject to terms and conditions. From under R340 to R1 400 at Dis-Chem, Baby City, Clicks, Clicks Baby,…