in a remote village the villagers harbour a great hope a young lady lies writhing in labour pains the midwife and mother-to-be are all buried deep in anticipation

Mmm this might sound like an oxymoron to you, but I’m talking about those times in life when you feel you need to make a decision, and you need to make it FAST but you’ve no idea which one to make, and it feels like life or death situation.

From the time Kweku was born, I was the one who would generally wake up in the middle of the night to feed him.

He was born quite big and, from day one, was on a breast-bottle combo diet. He would have bottle at night and that was my responsibility, so I spent many a night with him awake.

There are few things that bring about good health and wealth as the ability to effectively communicate your needs.

Imagine yourself in a place, unable to communicate the simplest request.

Reading has always been one of my passions – a source of education, dreams and adventure, an escape from everyday life and a chance to see things from a different perspective. Being read to from a very early age and then discovering the magic of decoding the mystery of the alphabet myself, a whole new world opened up.

We become the product of our choices…. Some choices leave a mark that we can not erase.

I can still remember the panic I felt seeing my close friend lying curled up on the bathroom floor at work.

The one thing all first time Moms get told when anxiously and excitedly awaiting the birth of their first child is … “Your life is going to change!” Well of course it is! You know what to expect when it comes to the birth and breast feeding.

Introduction

During the years when your children are in preschool and early primary school, the main medium of learning is through the sensory-motor system. That is: Through their senses and through movement.

The Family Bed

Independent sleeping is relatively new in human history and the family bed was the norm until about 100 years ago, and still is in most parts of the world. Certainly, no prehistoric cave-dwelling parents would have had separate caves for their babies!

With so many friends around me having babies or even being pregnant, I thought that this week’s topic would be quite appropriate. One of my best friends is actually giving birth next month and I can’t wait to see what a little piece of my friend is going to look like.

When falling pregnant there is so much to look forward to, but also many decisions to make …like who’s going to look after you during this pregnancy? Who are you going trust with your and your babies life?

For people with active lifestyles, workaholics, or real fitness enthusiasts,their fitness routine will have to alter during pregnancy. On the same note, it is important to continue to stay in shape. After pregnancy, you will be able to get back into shape much quicker.

Signing has been in practise in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand for a number of years and is, for obvious reasons, incredibly popular. There are crèches and pre-schools who have included it in their curriculum with overwhelming success.

Two American doctors, Drs Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, conducted a long term research study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and Human Development. Their 8 year study examined 103 infants, randomly selected (and representative of all groups) to use signing or not. They drew many positive conclusions from their work, some of which are discussed below.

You know how precious and tiny a newborn is, all wrapped up in blankets and showered with love and warmth. You know how carefully mother protects it.

The following books have been recommended by Penguin Books as must reads for all parents of babies and young children. They are all available at your local book seller or online book seller.

Nanny Training is run by childcare specialist, Daniele Milner, specialising in infant childcare, first aid and development. Our Comprehensive First Aid & Childcare course is recommended and endorsed by the local paediatricians at Netcare Blaawberg Hospital as well as Paediatric Dietician, Katherine MacGaw.

Following the tragic death of two-year-old Ethan Diergaart last year, who drowned in a swimming pool in Soutpansberg, Jackie Roux, principal of the playschool Diergaart attended, has taken action.

For the past 20 years, 95% of mothers saw disposable nappies as an essential item. This is beginning to change as we become better informed about the negative effects, as well as a result of the revolutionary way in which cloth nappies are now made.

I’ve heard countless moms-to-be saying: “Pregnancy changes everything,” while stroking their perfectly round bellies with motherly affection.

I’ve recently given birth to an adorable baby boy. For the first few weeks I felt like a zombie adjusting to new sleeping patterns. I felt as though I wasn’t coping with the new responsibilities motherhood brings. If I wasn’t changing a nappy or feeding, I was trying to catch up on sleep or sterilizing bottles and dummies.

This is the best time in history to be having a baby.

The remarkable improvement in recent decades in the field of obstetrics has significantly enhanced the positive outcome of human pregnancy... not only for babies, but for mothers as well.

Decorating for a new baby is so much fun! Choosing furniture, selecting the right linen, looking at the different flooring options and then of course, painting the room. The only problem is... where do you start when it comes to deciding on colours or a theme for a newborn.