It is very important to keep an eye on your newborn baby’s nails. Your baby’s nails will grow very quickly and they can easily scratch themselves.
When your baby is first born you can us a pair of scratch mittens to reduce the risk of grazes. For the first three to five weeks newborn nails are very soft and some parents avoid cutting them until they harden a little. It is fine to gently bite off little bits of nail yourself and when you feel more confident you can use some baby clippers or scissors to trim them.

A pregnancy pillow is a fantastic way to help you sleep comfortably during your pregnancy. The pillow can be used in many positions to help support your body during sleep to help relieve common pregnancy ailments such as leg cramps and back pain. Here are some top tips to get the best use out of your pillow:

If you like to sleep on your back try to place the pregnancy pillow under one side of your body. By slightly turning your body to the side you can relieve pressure on your uterus and abdominal nerves.

If you like to sleep on your side try to hold the pillow between your knees and hug it with your arms. This position will help to keep your spine aligned to prevent stress on your back.

If you like to sleep on your stomach try to throw an arm and a leg over the pillow. This will allow you to make room for your belly and get good nights sleep.

You can use your pregnancy pillow when simply resting on the couch for some added support.

Feeding children plain meat, fish or vegetables can significantly boost their mental performance. Children fed meals rich in nutrients and vitamins saw their IQ rise, whereas children under the age of four eating a diet of processed food, fat and sugar have lower brain power.  The brain grows fastest in a child’s first three years and a poor diet, associated with increased intake of processed foods, fat and sugar in early childhood may be associated with lower IQ at the age of 8.5 years.

A healthy diet may be associated with higher IQ and it is possible that good nutrition may encourage optimal brain growth.

5 snack suggestions to help keep your energy levels up through your labour:

Cheese – Mini cheese portions are full of protein and this will help to maintain your energy.

Bananas – Full of fibre, potassium and you gain energy from the carbohydrates.

Cereal Bars – Opt for the bars with lots of nutrients that have a high nut and dried fruit content.

Pretzels – The carbohydrates in this baked snack will give you a boost and contain less fat than crisps which tend to be fried.

 Smoothes – Choose one that includes fruit pulp and this drink will provide lots of nutrition.

Five ways to ease your labour pain:

Epidural – This is where the drugs are injected into your spinal cord and it blocks all of the pain. This can slow down your labour and you will not be able to push with the contractions.

Water – This can allow you to move into a comfortable position and may speed your labour up. A bath or birthing pool can aid your relaxation and ease the pain.

Tens Machine – This is used in the early stages of labour.  You attach pads to your back and tiny electric pulses are emitted. The pulses interfere with the pain signals and you are able to control the strength using a controller.

Gas and Air – You inhale the gas at the start of your contraction and it takes roughly 20 seconds to take effect can be used from the early stages of labour.

Pethidine – This is an injection and takes effect after approximately 15 minutes. This can make you feel a little light headed.