familylife2012

from bringing babyhome to choosinga school

guide toparenting...

WELCOME TO PARENTHOOD

WELCOME to the wonderfulworld of parenthood! Yournew role as mum or dad is

set to last a lifetime as you watchyour precious new bundle grow upinto adulthood.A new arrival is sure to turn anyone’sworld upside down and you will need helpand guidance in getting used to your newrole.A new baby is bound to bring newchallenges into your life and questions

every step of the way.This Family Life supplement is full ofuseful tips and advice on how to meet thedemands of parenthood, from preparingthe nursery to healthy eating.You’ll also be introduced to our featuredfamily who tell us all about how the birthof their baby has changed their lives for thebetter.We meet young Jacob who today marksthe milestone of being six-months-old sincehis birth at Huddersfield Royal Infirmaryin October.

BRINGING BABY HOME

■ BABY: He or she will soon settle in and you’ll feel as if your new arrival hasalways been with you

Bringing homethe new member

of your familyIT’S that time, the day has dawned and you

are about to bring home your new baby.Everything is ready. The nursery is freshly

decorated and you have everything to handto make your new arrival feel at home.As proud parents, there’s nothing more exciting thanbring your bundle of joy home from hospital for thefirst time.But often, parents-to-be are so swept up with theanticipation of the birth that they forget to lookbeyond the big event so those first few days at homewith your new arrival can be a bit of a shock to thesystem.One minute you're on cloud nine,cooing over your bundle of joy –the next, you're down to earthwith a bump, getting used to anew routine and surviving on afew hours' sleep.It's exciting and exhausting allright, getting to know your son ordaughter and learning how tocare for their every need, butthese early days can be made alittle easier with some forwardplanning.A few weeks before your due date,(presuming junior arrives ontime!), stock up on groceries andmake lots of meals which you can freeze. Then whenyou come home, you don't have to worry about slavingover a hot stove.Try and get the cleaning out of the way before youbring baby home – hey, maybe that's a job for dads todo in between hospital visits? Then you can relax in theknowledge that you are bringing your newborn into anice, clean environment. You could even rope somewell-wishing relatives into ensuring your pad is spickand span.This leaves you free to enjoy a 'babymoon,' taking timeout to snuggle up and bond as a new family withoutchores getting in the way.And even though they may be knocking your doordown, visitors should be kept to a minimum or youwill be bombarded with hoards of family and friendseager to catch a glimpse of the new arrival. Explain topeople that you just need a little time together and toadjust to your new role as parents – they willunderstand. Then when you feel ready, invite themround in your own time.And don’t be afraid to put them to good use! Whenvisitors do pop round, don’t feel obliged to cater for

them or make endless cups of tea – ask them to put thekettle on and make snacks for you, or even wash a fewdishes – most people won’t mind. They will be glad tohelp and remember what it was like to be a new parent.It takes a good few weeks for a family to settle into aroutine, learning to share responsibilities, as well asgetting used to a change in sleeping patterns.One thing people always advise new parents to do is totake time to rest during the day. They say – when babysleeps, you should sleep – which is good in theory, butin reality, it’s easier said than done when there's amountain of pots in the sink or you've run out of clean

clothes. But try to heed their adviceand take the opportunity to enjoy alittle catnap whenever you can.Before baby takes up residence inyour abode, there will be a certainamount of things you need to buy– from a car seat to a cot – whichcan be very costly.But there's no need to rush out andbuy everything on the baby books''what to buy' lists.There are some essential purchaseswhich you need to make beforejunior's arrival, such as a car seatfor transporting your newbornfrom hospital, but with some itemsit might be better to wait and find

out if you really need them before splashing out.For example, will you be breast or bottle feeding?The beauty of breastfeeding is that, there is noequipment necessary to feed your little one – althougha breast feeding pillow can be useful.If you decide to bottle feed, however, you will need toinvest in a steriliser (steam or electric), as well asaround six bottles with teats and lids, a bottle brush toensure the bottles are really clean, and a tin of formulamilk.Moses baskets are a popular choice of bed for babiesas they are lightweight, can be easily moved around thehouse and can be placed alongside the parents' bed.However, it's not worth spending the earth on one, asbabies grow out of them so quickly and before youknow it, they will be ready for a cot.If you're strapped for cash, you will find many bargainsin charity shops and car boot sales, which are as goodas new.However, if you buy a Moses basket or cot secondhand, it's a good idea to buy a new mattress.

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CREATING A NURSERY

A special placefor your baby

EVERY baby is a star inits proud parents’ eyesbut celebrities certainly

like to give theirs thered-carpet treatment from themoment they’re born.When it comes to creating a nursery,nothing but the best will do and noluxurious detail is overlooked,whether it’s furniture embellishedwith glittering crystals, elaboratefantasy murals, or exquisitehand-built furniture.Singer Beyonce and her husbandJay-Z reportedly spent around £1mkitting out three nurseries in theirvarious homes for daughter, BlueIvy Carter.As well as a miniature pink bath,studded with 45,000 Swarovskicrystals, and a matching high chair(£10,000), they’re also said to have asolid gold rocking horse as one oftheir daughter’s first toys.If your income isn’t quite in the

same league as Beyonce, not toworry. You can still create a havenfor your precious new arrival.Parents always view the nursery as aspecial place. It’s their child’s ownroom and one in which they spendtheir early years.Today many parents are opting forcolour and personality in theirnursery rooms and moving awayfrom neutral colours.The days of basic pink or blue seemto have passed and parents arechoosing bright and cheerful in arange of colours to suit both boysand girls.Many are choosing to decorate in ahost of bright colours and choosethemes like zoos, rainbows,ladybirds, bumble bees etc.Hand painted murals are alsoextremely popular.Once you’ve decided on your colourand theme, try to find specialaccessories to dress the room.■ NURSERY: Create a special place for your new arrival

■ BRIGHT: This nursery has a range of strongcolours, ideal for both boys and girls

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MEET JACOB

■ HAPPY: Little Jacob’s nearly always got a smile on his face

A real water babyready to find his feet

■ PROUD: Parents Ash and Charlotte in the early days when Jacob was just a few weeks old■ SUNDAY BEST: All dressed up ready his big day,the christening held at Lepton Parish Church

TODAY is a landmark day in the life ofyoung Jacob Dunstan – it's exactly sixmonths since he arrived bang on his

due date at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.Born on October 28 in thehospital's new birthing centre,Jacob Jack Derek Dunstan is theson of Ash Dunstan andCharlotte Apedaile of Shelley.Weighing in at 8lbs 1oz, Jacobarrived after a trouble-freepregnancy for Charlotte andsurprised everyone by arrivingon his due date, which is quiteunusual, especially for a firstbaby.As well as being a welcomearrival for the two families,Jacob also created something ofa stir when he was born with acaul over his face.This is a rare occurrence andbabies born with a caul (aportion of the birth membrane)over their faces are said to belucky. Once born, the thin translucent lining is peeledoff the face and the baby looks like any othernewborn.

been a really good baby and although he's not sleepingthrough yet, he is in his own room and he does verywell.'Last Sunday Ash and Charlotte celebrated Jacob's

christening at Lepton ParishChurch followed by a gettogether with their families andfriends.True to form Jacob behavedhimself and a great day was hadby all.Now Jacob is six-months-oldhe's ready for off and hasstarted sitting up, rolling overand even shows signs of tryingto crawl. He is very alert and isquickly learning to socialisewith other babies when he goesswimming and out and aboutwith mum and dad.Charlotte and Jacob haverecently completed a Sure Startfive week baby massage coursewhich is good for relaxingyoung babies, particularly afterbath time to get ready for bed.

“He still likes me to massage his legs and it does seemto relax him, although now he is too busy trying to rollover and set off,'' said Charlotte.His parents are already looking forward to Jacob'snext six months during which time he should find hisfeet and start taking his first tentative steps.In no time at all he will be marking his first birthdayand changing from a small baby into a toddler, readyto investigate the world around him.

■ BATHTIME: Little Jacob loves hisbubbles in the bath

Looking back in history,babies born with a caulwere regarded as specialand destined for greatness.Much mention is made ofthis in historical literatureand it is always deemed tobring good fortune andsuccess in life.His mother Charlottesaid: “We were told this isvery rare and it looked asif Jacob had a veil over hisface. Jacob's was a waterbirth and it seems nowthat he loves the water. Itake him swimmingregularly and he just loveshis bath time.''Although the first sixmonths of Jacob's lifehave flown by, Charlotteand Ash have loved everyminute of life with theirnew son.“Nothing can prepare youfor a new baby and howthis will change your life.It's just been a magicaltime and Jacob haschanged our lives for thebetter. He's now in aregular routine with hisfeeding and naps duringthe day and his eveningbath and bedtime. He's

42 New North RoadHuddersfield HD1 5LNwww.kipmcgrath.co.uk

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HEALTHY EATING

■ GOOD EXAMPLE: Eat well and yourchildren will follow your lead and eat healthyboth at home and at school

Healthy eating is essential from day oneENCOURAGING your child to eat

his or her greens is often one ofthe most difficult aspects of

parenthood.With child obesity rates rising, it is essential toget your child into good eating habits from dayone.All parents want to give their children the beststart in life – and a vital part of that good startis a healthy diet.But with 66% of mothers now working full orpart-time, more under-fives than ever areattending childcare, and responsibility for theirdiet lies with child carers as well as parents.As most parents know, providing healthy foodfor toddlers is far from easy.But, after an independent report flagged updemand from both childcare providers andparents for clearer guidance on what to feedchildren under five, the School Food Trust(SFT) has stepped in with new voluntaryguidelines that it hopes regulated childcaresettings including nurseries, childminders,nannies, pre-schools, children’s centres andplaygroups, will follow.Non-regulated settings, such as parent andtoddler groups, are also encouraged to use theguidance when providing food and drink forchildren.The Eat Better, Start Better guide includesinformation about the foods child carers shouldoffer young children, portion sizes, samplemenus and recipes, advice on tackling fussyeating, and how to involve children in food andcooking activities.School Food Trust nutritionist Tricia Mucavele

explains: “The guidelines were brought in inresponse to demand by both childcare providersand parents, who said there was significantconfusion about how to feed children well inearly years settings.”It’s also important that children under five eat adiet appropriate for their age, rather than forolder children and adults, as young children aregrowing quickly and have high energy andnutrient requirements for their size.They should also eat smaller amounts thanolder children and adults.Tricia points out that more than a fifth ofchildren are overweight or obese by their firstyear at primary school, and says the guidancewill help to address the issue.She says: “A diet for older children and adultsis inappropriate for the under-fives, because anadult diet should be low in fat, sugar and saltand high in fibre, but if you had a low-fat andhigh-fibre diet for children under five it wouldbe too bulky.”The guidelines are based on the four foodgroups of starchy foods; fruit and vegetables;meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairysources of protein; and milk and dairy foods.Mucavele points out that some children may bein childcare for 10 hours a day, so 90% of theirfood and drink is consumed at the setting.Others may move from one setting to anotherduring the day, for example from a childminderto a pre-school class.“If all settings use the guidance,” she says, “thatmeans that even if a child has breakfast at onesetting and lunch in another, they’ll still begetting the appropriate daily amount of energy

and nutrients.”Commenting on the new guidelines, Children’sMinister Sarah Teather said: “Healthy eating isat the heart of helping every child get the beststart in life.

“Nurseries play a vital role in getting childrento develop good eating habits – but many lackthe expert knowledge of what is the best foodto serve.”

● A typical day’srecommended meals mightbe:● Breakfast: Starchy foodsuch as low ormedium-sugar contentcereal with milk, or toast,and fruit juice or dried fruit.● Morning snack: Half amuffin with spread and aportion of fruit, plus a drinkof water or milk.● Lunch: Fish pie withseasonal vegetables, with adessert such as applecrumble with custard.● Afternoon snack: Low-fatbreadsticks with egg,tomatoes and a drink ofmilk.● Tea: Risotto or a stir-fry,with a fresh fruit saladdessert.

DAILY MENUSUGGESTIONS

■ LUNCH: These schoolchildren are tucking in to a healthy and nutritious meal

SAFETY AND EDUCATION

Safety on the move for your little onesFROM the moment you discover you are

going to become a parent you areplunged into a whole new world of

bewildering decisions about ‘what is going tobe best for your baby.’Even before your little one leaves hospital a crucialdecision has to be made about the best way to protectyour bundle of joy fromdanger on their journeyhome.Midwives now insist thatevery baby should leavehospital in an appropriatecar seat when they aretravelling by car.It is the law to use a carseat from birth until yourchild reaches either 135cmsin height or 12 years of age– whichever comes first.And it is the driver’sresponsibility to ensure thatchildren under the age of 14years old are restrainedcorrectly.

Correct weight

The weight of your babydetermines the correctgroup of car seat to use andyou will need to buy a newseat when your babyoutgrows its current one.You will start off by havinga rear facing car seat orinfant carrier (Group 0)which will accommodate ababy up to 29lb (13kg) andgives your baby’s head andneck vital support.As long as the crown ofyour baby's head does notstick up above the top of the seat, he or she should stayfacing backwards for as long as possible before it’s timeto invest in a forward-facing seat.

As small babies sleep so much, you can often moveyour baby in and out of the car in the car seat whilethey are sleeping without waking them up. Infantcarriers have a carrying handle to make this easier.They also usually come with little pillows known ashead huggers, which make sure that your newbornbaby's head doesn't wobble about as they travels in

the car.You will need to use thesefor the first three monthsor so until your baby canhold their head up ontheir own.Some infant car seats canalso be used as a handyrocking chair to get babyoff to sleep at home.

Three-in-one

Many of today’sthree-in-one travel systemsincorporate a car seatwhich can be fittedstraight into a pushchairor pram – very handy forgoing out shopping!Your first car seat willusually only last for thefirst nine to 12 months,until you need to buy asecond-stage,forward-facing Group 1seat.However, be guided byyour baby’s weight, ratherthan his/her age.You can, however, buycombination car seatswhich start off facingbackwards but can beconverted to aforward-facing seat asyour child grows.

When it comes to choosing a car seat, always trybefore you buy as different makes and models suitdifferent cars.

■ SAFETY: Road Safety Officer Angela Hewittchecks 18 month-old Harry Tilston's child safety seatto ensure that it has been fitted properly at a recentsafety event

■ CAR: Get a professional to check your car seat is fitted correctly. Even asyour children grow, they will still need a car seat for many years to come

Important educationalchoices to make

TO give your child the best start in life,you need to give him or her a goodeducation.

Choosing the right nursery and school will beimportant decisions for you to make.If your child shows signs of being very bright, it isimportant to choose a nursery or school which givethe necessary support.It’s vitally important that your child is happy with thechoice of nursery and school as he or she will spend

many hours there.Make a point of visiting local nurseries before you makea final decision.Most will welcome you to look round and see how theirchildren are playing and working.You can also meet the staff and see how they interactwith the children in their care. Look at work on displayto see the kind of work the children do.Try and gauge how welcoming the nursery or school isand also think about how easy it will be to travel and toand from your eventual choice. ■ EDUCATION: Choose your child’s nursery and school wisely

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