Category Archives: The Columns

This Month’s Magazines, September Part 2: Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Red, Instyle Turns 10.

Posted on by

This Month’s Magazines, September Part 2: Sarah Jessica Parker Takes Red, Instyle Turns 10.

Keira Knightley is on the cover of Marie Claire looking gorgeous. She tells Marie Claire that ‘Jealousy is the only emotion that has no positive side to it’ and tells of her tomboy ways by saying; ‘I didn’t wear skirts until I was 14. I hated them’.

There is a lot of Autumn clothing and shoes, a fashionista dream. Natalia Vodianova gives her style list, Robert Cavalli tells the secrets of relaunching his fashion label, 18 beauty secrets supermodels swear by, Catwalk beauty section, Is your body better than you think? A good article that shows women are usually in better shape than they think they are, The history of the vibrator, Faces of addicted women, how drugs destroys looks.

Love at first site or slow burn?, Amy Winehouse remembered, How a good ‘To Do’ list can change your life, Article on teaching women how to be good mothers, Tom Hardy interview, Mentors, Jordan AKA Katie Price interview, little white lies; are they okay?, Surviving domestic abuse, Annie Lennox, Hollywood stylists, Jessica Chastain, Anna Faris, Eva Green, Adele Parks, Scarlett Johanson tells her beauty rules, 24 hours to better skin, Staying in with Alex James, Diary of an emotional eater, Breast cancer awareness month.

It is Instyle’s 10th Anniversary and Diane Kruger is on the cover. It is a beautiful cover, with Diane in gold. Diane is interviewed inside. Diane on her style: “I don’t have my own stylist. And I like to be a little different – in LA, everyone wears the same dresses. I think my background as a model helps, because I like experimenting and I’m not afraid of fashion or what other people think of me. What you wear is one of the only things about yourself you can manipulate.”

There are a lot of wonderful articles about the history of Instyle, comments from Instyle cover girls, 10 years of style crushes, when we were 10, What I have learnt about style, party people, are you too old for your moisturiser, The easy way to perfect skin, Emma Watson on beauty, top ten celebrity homes, Eliza Doolittle.

The New Power List, 100 people to watch and all under 25. Diana Vickers talks style, 15 minutes Viktor & Rolf, Georgina Chapman’s Top 10 party list, Blake Lively is Instyle’s beauty crush,

There is a High Street Style special; guest edited by Daisy Lowe, Gemma Atterton is interviewed and talks about being okay with being a size 10, she says: “I don’t have to be skinny”, Jessica Szohr interview.

Sarah Jessica Parker takes the cover of Red. She is interviewed inside and tells Red that ‘I don’t read anything about me. I’ve never googled myself. I don’t have the constitution for it”.

There is a very good article on Tamara Mellon, and she shows her wardrobe, prepare for wardrobe envy. She is on the Red fashion power list alongside Natalie Massenet amongst others.

Two writers debate whether or not it’s good to settle, Isabel Ashdown talks about her fathers alcoholism, The women behind the Outnet talks to Red, the rise of the middle class drug addictions, What I’D save in a fire, Does career plus kids mean compromise?, The denim detox, How making little differences can change your life, What I see when I look in the mirror (Includes Jane Fallon, a brilliant author), KT Tunstall tells of the soundtrack to her life, Joan Collins interview; she announces she has never had plastic surgery, How to make peace with your hair, Pie recipes, The baby recession: Red’s annual fertility survey, cooking with apples. What is your fertility sell-by date?, An end to eye bags, Boot camp for the soul, Eva Green’s best things in life.

PART ONE IS HERE

Wendy's Baby Diary: 21 Weeks – On Holiday

Posted on by

I write this at 8.40pm, missing the last day of the Edinburgh fringe festival, my bottom lip jutting out in disappointment – so near and yet so far. We are staying in Kippford in the Scottish borders, a good 2 hour drive from the land of the fringe.

But this is a lovely part of the world to be in – staying in a beautiful holiday home with a fantastic view of the estuary and rolling hills, with yachts, a kite buggy and waterskiing  in view and a shell beach accessible from the property’s front garden it is idyllic for Dillon’s first holiday.

Bottom teeth

Dillon has a second tooth visible already and he’s not yet 5 months old. It is happening so quickly!

High pitched

Dillon has been babbling for a while but recently he has started high pitched squealing, sounds like he is practicing to be a choir boy or piglet.

 Car travel

It took us 7 ½ hours to get to Scotland including a stop at services, which was very close to how much time it should have taken. All this was thanks to Dillon being very well behaved on the drive. We seem to have learnt from our previous mistakes – we can’t leave him in the back seat unattended, he needs to have his mum there with milk, dummy, teething materials and anything else he may require to hand. Then we have a good journey.

Infacol

The baby has been crying a lot in the evenings and we think this had been caused by wind. Although it takes some getting used to, giving Infacol to Dillon before a feed seems to have helped his digestion and temper a great deal.

 Nose and Gums

I love the triangular shape of the underside of his nose and the top set of gums in his mouth. When he was smaller his chin quivered. The skin on his cheeks is so soft I’ve never felt anything like it. These traits are common to all babies, I never realised how adorable I would find them. His smile and laugh light up the room. Sometimes I want him to stop growing and just stay how he is – perfect. But then I’m so sentimental I cried at Abba’s Slipping Through My Fingers (Mamma Mia)before I had him. I can’t get over the thought that once I was his size, once his grandparents were, once everyone was a tiny helpless baby – even the biggest, toughest, wealthiest, tallest, most beautiful, oldest, powerful people were tiny, possibly breastfed and wet themselves.

There is no internet connection here so I don’t know how long it will be before I can get this online.

Until next time – cherish each moment.

 © Wendy Thomson 2011

Wendy Thomson is the editor of www.femalearts.com an online publication which promotes women in the arts and in business.

This Month's Magazines; September: Adele Takes Vogue Cover, Angelina Jolie Takes Vanity Fair.

Posted on by

This Month’s Magazines; September: Adele Takes Vogue Cover, Angelina Jolie Takes Vanity fair.

This month’s magazines are a bloody good read. It has taken me hours to get through them, here is my monthly round-up.

[Note: Magazines are published a month in advance, so September’s magazines are actually October.]

On the cover of British Vogue is the beautiful and gifted Adele is breaking boundaries and stereotypes. Glamour magazine previously had her on the cover. There is a good interview with Adele inside where she states that: “I’ve seen people who want to be thinner or have bigger boobs, how it wears them down- I don’t want that in my life”.

There is an article on legendary designer Azzedine Alaia and Silvia Fendi. Christa D’Souza writes about crying and Alexandra Tolstoy writes about finding the right couture for the Royal Wedding,

Good articles on David Hockney and Ceclia Birtwell’s collaboration and a good Lara Stone editorial.

There is a now infamous interview with Wendi Murdoch, where she revealed that Tony Blair is godfather to one of her and Rupert’s daughters. The interview gives a good snapshot of a women who rarely gives interviews, and clears up some of the rumours about her.

Vogue has a special on the English women and her style. Of course, Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge features, so does Diana Athill, the England Cricket Team, Amy Childs, Jane Birkin, Tacita Dean, Felicity Jones, Julia Sarr-Jamois, Florence BB (Brudenell-Bruce, Prince Harry’s ex).

Also: how to get ride of freckles and lots of Autumn clothing.

Vanity Fair has one of my favourite actresses on the cover, Angelina Jolie. Jolie interviews well and talks about her directorial debut, In The Land of Milk and Honey. She also wrote the screenplay. Jolie says: ‘I have never felt so exposed. My whole career, I’ve hidden behind other people’s words.”. She also says that she is ‘not pregnant, I’m not adopting…[there’s] no secret wedding.” and says that she doesn’t really watch films and falls asleep watching them; “There is some of my own I have never seen.”

There is a interview with Scott Schuman and Garance Dore of the Sartorialist show Vanity Fair their cool stuff, Elizabeth Olsen and Jane Lynch are interviewed in the Vanities section, There is articles on Comic-Con, the News Corp/Murdoch Hacking Scandal, Vivi Nevo, The 2011 New Establishment is a brilliant annual list and is very interesting reading this year; lots of change.

Conrad Black talks about his experience of being in prison, the amazing Joan Didion has written another book, this one on the death of her daughter, there is a very good article on publishing, China and Ernest Hemingway.

Tatler have Zara Phillips on the cover and a post-wedding interview. She denies that the Duke of Cambridge sang Bon Jovi records at her wedding reception and talks of her love of horses.

Angela Missoni gives her mood board (design influences), Morth models watches (yes, really), The Serpentine Summer Party is covered – with lots of pictures, there is an article on the ‘thinking girl’s crumpet; Nouriel Roubini and Alain De Botton feature on it, Balthazar Fabricius talks about launching bookies Fitzdares and being in debt to Zac Goldsmith to the tune of £50,000.

Film producer Stephen Evans is interviewed, and riders are photographed with their favourite horses. Elon Musk and Talulah Riley talk of their love, One Direction are interviewed (weird choice for Tatler) How the Rich stay safe bodyguards and mercenaries apparently) and how to clear up bad skin. Tatler also comes with their annual Schools Guide.

Glamour has Britney Spears on the cover and a comeback interview inside.

Lara Stone is interviewed, there is article on the horrendous London riots, how to tweet proof your career, how Cameron Diaz gets her body, the Truth about Fashion Week, a message to the Norway victims from a Columbine survivor, there is a big section on dating and finding love, Rob Brydon interview, the Downtown Abbey girl’s are interviewed; as are the Made in Chelsea and The Only way is Essex girl’s and Sofia Vergara.

Orlando Bloom, James Cordon, Matthew Macfayden, Luke Evans, Taylor Lautner are also interviewed in the TV special.

The new style bloggers are interviewed, stars give their beauty secrets, Eddie Campbell and a good article on when it is the right time to have a baby.

PART TWO IS HERE

 

<img border=0 src=’http://banners.affiliatefuture.com/538/7891.gif’>

Wendy’s Baby Diary: 20 Weeks – Posset and Celebrity Babies

Posted on by

Bedtimes

We failed to install consistent bedtimes. We put the baby to bed at 7pm – he didn’t sleep. Then 8pm, then 9pm… Now, we just take the baby to bed when we go up at 11pm! If it’s this hard at four months, how are we going to cope when he’s older?  He’ll fall asleep on the sofa, but as soon as you move him, he’s awake and crying. It can take up to an hour to get the baby to sleep. And sometimes he just won’t go to sleep at all.

When we’ve worked out a routine, I’ll let you know.

Deposits of posset

Yesterday, Dillon threw up three times but waited between each bout for me to change my top, so I got sick on three different outfits . It really is horrible having a load of churned-up milk down your front. At least it’s mainly milk, with a bit of baby rice and doesn’t really smell. Baby vomit is called posset and Dillon made his deposits.

Head scratch on Cosatto cot

On Tuesday morning, Dillon got a long scratch on his head from the Cosatto ‘Close to me’ bedside cot. There’s nothing wrong with the wooden frame of the cot itself, it’s the plastic clips inside it that are rough and sharp and unfortunately we didn’t notice this until Dillon’s head was bleeding.  Since babies are growing beings with cells multiplying like crazy, it scabbed up quickly and has nearly healed in a week.  We filed down the plastic clips and covered them in bubble wrap while one angry customer email to the manufacturer is on its way.

Just wait until he starts crawling, then I’ve got a lot more to worry about!

 First tooth

The first tooth is coming up. He’s been crying with teething pain for a few weeks now, gnawing on his fist, on toys, on material, on teething rings and recently we tried a dummy which really helped. And now we can feel the first tooth which has broken through the bottom gum and is slightly protruding. How exciting!

 Nicknames

It’s so tempting to give nicknames to the baby as he changes so quickly and looks so cute. Recently, we’re calling him The Tooth, The Overlip, The OverLord, Churchill, and since he got the scratch on his head, Gorbachev, Harry Potter and Zorro.

 Celebrity babies  

Dillon was born days apart from David Tennant’s daughter Olivia (born 31st March 2011 – on Dillon’s due date) and James Corden’s baby son Max (22nd March). He’ll also be growing up at the same time as the Beckham’s daughter, Harper Seven – what a name! When I see celebrity children in papers and magazines, it is odd to think my son is growing up at the same time and in some ways their lives will be running in parallel.

Swear Words

We tried to stop swearing when I was pregnant, but habits are hard to change. Now I’m worried every time a four letter word slips out of our mouths, our friends or someone on TV, that Dillon has heard it and one day will repeat it. We’ve set the parent locks on the TV and threatened to fine each other. I think a swear box will have to be started.

Until next time – my new four letter word is FLIP!

 

© Wendy Thomson 2011

Wendy Thomson is the editor of www.femalearts.com an online publication which promotes women in the arts and in business.

Wendy's Baby Diary: 19 Weeks – Who's Holding The Baby?

Posted on by

Childcare

This week, I’d like to discuss the emotive issue of childcare – who to leave your baby with, from what age and what your options are.

Parents

There is an argument for mums to look after their children full time until they go to school and I think that is what my mum did for me. You could even home school if you wanted to continue being with your children full-time and believed that was in their best interest.

I’m finding the childcare situation hard. I love being with my son and he is my responsibility. At the same time, childcare is so demanding that, occasionally, I want a break to be ‘me’ again and not the constant food source / entertainment / companion. We’re in a fortunate situation that Dillon’s grandparents want to babysit for us when they can, but we are also looking into a nursery place for when I go back to my studies and to work.

Nursery

The advantages of a nursery are that your child learns to socialise with other children from a young age, to share, to interact and be stimulated, even educated. I think the main disadvantages are going to be if it’s not a good nursery. There is also the cost (up to £60 a day), which is hopefully outweighed by you being able to earn a salary.

Another consideration is the waiting list. I had no idea how long it can take to get a place. It can take up to months, especially for popular nurseries.  Some mums even sign up for a nursery place while they are pregnant! I was told the best start date for a baby is September / October, because a bunch of kids leave in September when they start school and all the younger age ranges move up a class. By January, most nurseries are full again.

Relatives

Relatives may have no charge attached but it’s important to not take them for granted. Some grandparents almost want to be a parent again and they may offer full time childcare, and in some situations this is the only viable financial solution for a family.

Nanny

Other options are a childminder or a nanny or au pair but I’m not looking for full time childcare and I don’t want someone looking after Dillon in our home. I think the main disadvantage of an individual is if they wanted to be abusive or neglectful there is no-one around to notice. At a nursery, there are a lot of staff and more controls are in place over professional standards of care and competence.

The only way you can tell if a nursery is right for you is by visiting a nursery in person. I went to see two last week and both were well advertised, one was rated Good in an OFSTED report, the other OUTSTANDING and within the first ten minutes of being in each nursery I knew that one wasn’t right for my son and the other one was.

Babies’ age

In terms of age, I’m looking for Dillon to start at nursery two days a week from six months old.  Maternity leave in the UK is allowed for up to 12 months, so six months may seem very young, but some nurseries accept babies from six weeks old. I was told that the average age for babies starting at nursery is currently between nine and 12 months old. A benefit for starting childcare at six months or earlier is that the baby is not so attached to the parent that they get upset when you leave them.

Whether Dillon misses me or not at nursery, I know I will find it hard to leave him there. But I want to provide for him and I want to be a good role model. I hope it all works out.

What the baby has been doing this week

Dillon is a smiler. For the first few weeks of their life babies only smile when they pass wind! and they start to genuinely smile from between six and eight weeks old. I wish I had written down when Dillon first smiled or laughed, but it is genuinely delightful when he does and he has been doing so for a good six weeks, maybe longer. He responds very well to people smiling at him if they hold their faces close and he imitates other people’s laughter.  In the past couple of weeks he has noticed our dog fetching balls and toys and this makes him laugh.

Classes

We’ve recently signed Dillon up for baby sensory classes and also to swimming classes starting in September, so I’ll report on those when they start. I went to a free taster class for the baby sensory and it was very good for the children, a lot of songs, baby signing, toys, a puppet show, a light show (felt like an early introduction to children’s theatre!) and a chance to meet other mums and have a chat. Dillon spent the hour staring at everyone and everything and slept really well afterwards.

Until next time – if you work with children, please be good to them!

© Wendy Thomson

Wendy Thomson is the editor of www.femalearts.com an online publication which promotes women in the arts and in business.

Wendy's Baby Diary: 18 Weeks – I Nearly Gave Up David Tennant

Posted on by

Babies come with sacrifices – social, financial, habitual – and I’ve got used to giving up / reducing alcohol, caffeine & sleep amongst others. But this week called for the sacrifice of Much Ado About Nothing tickets, starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, as it was becoming a logistical and babysitting nightmare.

I’m happy to report it all worked out at the last minute, and we had our first evening out without Dillon in the four months since he was born. Great show too.

What the baby has been doing this week
If I place Dillon on his back, he will usually roll onto his front, then holds his head and bottom in the air and proudly rocks in that place – his knees push forwards but he hasn’t worked out what to do with his hands. Eventually he cries in frustration and I change his position.

Teething – Dillon started to teeth a couple of weeks ago. Symptoms are lots of saliva, pushing his fists in his mouth, trying to bite down on any passing piece of fabric or toy and the ubiquitous crying. I’ve had some good advice from a friend who recommended Calpol and a gum gel which relieves soreness. We got Dentinox, but there are other brands. We have teething rings for him which also work. Apparently babies can start to feel their teeth coming through up to two months before they appear, and will continue to teeth up to 2 ½ years old.

Goods
Dillon was given a great toy from M&S called My First Magic Mirror Laptop which plays songs at the touch of a button. It’s marketed for one-year-olds but Dillon likes the music, lights and mirror and bashes away at the buttons indiscriminately with his fist and usually manages to press something. I’m sure the batteries will wear out soon.

Pushchair – if you are choosing a pram this one item will take a lot of thought, as well as being one of the most expensive purchases. We settled on a Quinny Buzz travel system which has a three wheel base and is compatible with a car seat, a cot and a chair. It suits our lifestyle, which includes lots of trips in the car and outdoor walks with the dog. Its downsides are size (width) and weight (quite heavy) but then so is the car seat.

Pets
We have a five-year-old chocolate Labrador and we had concerns about how the dog would get on with the baby. The dog is quite boisterous and strong, although he is good with other people’s children. It has been a gradual integration helped by separating parts of the house with baby gates and the dog instructed to keep away from toys, mats and chairs which belong to the baby. However, this did not stop the brand new Bumbo chair from being chewed (wrecked). We are now onto a second Bumbo, which is kept out of the dog’s reach.

Exhaustion
Earlier on this week, I was feeling really drained and didn’t make it out of the house to see a friend as arranged. I’m feeling rejuvenated after my evening to see Shakespeare in the West End and weekends are always better as my husband is around to help. I’m not sure what advice to give, as I think I need it myself. But babies are more work than I appreciated and when I’m struggling I need to ask for help. I think I have a good support network and it’s a case of dismissing feelings of pride and inadequacy, and being honest. I’m sure lots of mums have times when you feel like you’re not coping.

Until next time – I get by with a little help from my friends.

© Wendy Thomson
Wendy Thomson is the editor of http://www.femalearts.com an online publication which promotes women in the arts and in business.

This Month's Magazines; Jennifer Lopez Believes in Love, 9/11 Anniversary.

Posted on by

Note: Magazines come out a month in advance. September’s magazines are Augusts.

The September issue of Vogue is out and the advertisers have made the issue heavy enough to use as a dumbbell. No complaints from me.

It is the International Collections special and there are lots of clothes to fawn over, Labels and trends to be urban cool, and accessories that make a difference in Vogue’s Big Fashion Issue.

There is a brilliant article on the history of Gucci, Paloma Picasso revisits Venice and talks about her journey to becoming a jewellery designer, Dries Van Noten gives a guide to his Antwerp, up-coming actress, producer and writer Brit Marling is interviewed (Frost loves her), Rifat Ozbek is doing Robin Birley’s new club, Ruperts; Good two page article.

Olivia Wilde talks Haiti and Childhood, there are a lot of autumn clothes that all look too hot, it’s 30c in London at the moment!, Miss V has her excellent social diary, there is a 9 page spread on the turbulent life of John Galliano, Tom Ford on his new cosmetic line and an article on the new David Bailey film. I noticed afterward that in the shops you get a free fashion DVD. However, I did not get this as a subscriber. Bad form.

Emily Mortimer is on the cover of this month’s Tatler and there is an interview inside.

There is a free gift but not for subscribers, grr.

There is a moving tribute to Tatler senior editor John Graham, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, A guide to nightclubs, An article on what it is like to stay on Abramovich’s yacht and the Royal Family residences, who sits where at White’s, Secret Cinema, Kate Middleton joins Competitive Princessing, Sir Michael Sorrell, What to wear: looking posh on less dosh, Legendary Lotharios, Rich Kids, a good 6 page spread on Tina Brown.

Guy Pelly, Astrid Harbord and Jake Warren have a new club, 37 year old Sam Leith goes back to school, Diana Von Furstenberg tells all about what she loves.

There is also lots of Travel and the Bystander (the social diary). Kate Middleton makes an appearance at the Derby with William, as does Elton John’s annual White Tie & Tiara Ball.

Frost has been complain that Marie Claire has not been giving its subscribers free gifts because of ‘cost’, and this month’s issue came with a free gift. It would seem someone listened but, alas, no. In the shops you get a free nail polish and a conditioner. I just got a conditioner.

Anne Hathaway is on the cover and interviewed inside. There is a good article on what to wear to fashion week (which I will be listening to!), an interview with Mulberry bag designer Emma Hill, an interview with Katie Holmes, how to get French style, what the New York fashion pack wear, China’s fashion, what men won’t tell you until the third date, Should you move abroad?, 9/11 Anniversary, A good three page article on Stella McCartney, The X Factor, Beyonce, Oh Land, a One Day Special; article on the book and interviews with cast and lots & lots of fashion and beauty.

Vanity Fair has Jennifer Lopez on the cover and her first interview since her divorce inside. She says she is “an eternal optimist about love…it’s still my biggest dream.”

L’Wren Scott gives us the low-down on her stuff, in Fairground there is a lot of lovely picture of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Hollywood attending the BAFTA party.

Also articles on Michael Buble, Private Eye’s 50th anniversary, Agnes B, how the US failed to stop 9/11, Hackers, The 2011 Best Dressed List; Tilda Swinton, The Duchess of Cambridge, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Andrea Dellal, Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis and Arpad Busson all feature, There is a celebrity portraits of Angelina Jolie amongst others, Michael Lewis investigates German attitudes towards money, the actors who play the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are photographed and interviewed for Madonna’s new film W.E, Designers and their muse, John Currin.

Glamour has Mila Kunis on the cover and she is interviewed inside.

How to be a Cavalli Girl, Feminism, Fall in love with your job again, How to eat well if you have £15 until pay day, 9/11 Anniversary article, Career rules rewritten, What sex feels like, Jim Sturgess interview, Are you Destroying your own love life?, Comedian Jack Whitehall, Why do women want to be WAGs?, Fashion’s Hot 100, How to have a great hair month, How to get more energy.

Phew!

Red has Laura Bailey on the cover and has a free bodywash. Laura is interviewed inside. There is a good article on no kids and no regrets, the original supermodels and what they are doing now, an article on people’s on/off duty wardrobes,

My City, My shopping guide, The looks that sum up a city. Anjum Anand show Red around her life, 8 Lessons in love and loss, four women reveal the moment they found their dream property, Dominic Cooper, Adele, Tom Ellis, Will Young, Colin Farrell, Fiona Neill, Jo Whiley’s Festival Guide, 4 ways to update your face, How to get radiance, there are a lot of good recipes, cooking with in season vegetables , paella, home made curry, global shopping guide, find your health/life balance, what is causing your breast pain and Audrey Tautou tells all about the best things in life.

[This page will get updates as more magazines come out. Thank you.]

Wendy's Baby Diary: 17 Weeks

Posted on by

Hi, I’m Wendy. I’m in my thirties and I have a 17-week-old baby called Dillon.

I’m going to keep a weekly blog on what’s been happening with Dillon, which will hopefully be helpful to anyone who’s pregnant or has a young baby themselves. And I’m also hoping that it will be a great record for him to read when he grows up – or possibly just plain embarrassing.  :o)

In the meantime, if you have a baby or pregnancy-related question you would like answered, you can contact me via frostmag or email editor@femalearts.com and I’ll reply via this blog.

Christening

We recently had Dillon Christened, which was a great day and a good event for extended family and friends to officially welcome Dillon into the world, as well as the church. If you’re not religious. a naming day is a good alternative. A Chinese friend told me they have a tradition of celebrating when the baby is 100 days old.

I think having an official day to celebrate your baby when they are approximately three months old is good for many reasons. Immediately after the birth is too soon to be bombarded with well-wishers. You need time and some privacy to get used to your new arrival yourselves, with perhaps just close friends and relatives. But if you leave a bigger get together until their first birthday, they’re no longer a small helpless baby, but moving about and possibly talking, and even walking.

So, the three month mark is a good compromise. Not so young that you can’t cope, but not so old that the relatives think they have missed out. Three months also seems to be the age that babies appear on TV or book covers as the standard image of a baby. When they’re born, they look too small – because we’re not used to seeing them that size!

Goods

We all know that children are expensive. They shouldn’t be, but we live in a consumer society and we are anxious parents who want our children to be safe, well-educated and stimulated. Guilt sells so many items!

I hate the parent guilt trip, so please do whatever makes sense to you, as parental instinct will see you right. However, I am happy to recommend products that have worked for me and Dillon.

Pampers – You can try other brands of nappies and we did – cheaper, store own brands. And the baby’s shit leaked everywhere. Pampers do a great job of keeping everything in, so long as you change the nappy regularly (after a feed or every two to three hours).

Nappies in general – Make sure your baby is wearing the right size. This changes quickly. Dillon is nearly four months old and in size three, so that’s nearly one size change a month. Buying in bulk may seem like a good idea, as they can get through as many as 12 nappies a day! But you could end up with a lot of nappies left over, as they grow so fast. Of course, you could go down the eco-route and buy washable Terry nappies. I think our environment is important, but I had to draw a line.

Clothes – Similar to nappies. Don’t be tempted to buy loads of newborn outfits. If your baby is born at an average weight (anywhere between 5-8lbs) they may only be in newborn clothes for a matter of weeks. Then the next size of clothes (0-3 months) will only last another couple of months before they’re into the next size (3-6 months). I find it hard to believe that an entire new set of clothes are required every three months. Why hasn’t someone invented adjustable clothes that last six months or a year? But this is capitalism at its best, so be careful and don’t get carried away buying expensive outfits which will only be worn a few times.

Bumbo – Funny sounding seat that is brilliant for babies once they can hold their head and want to sit upright. It is ergonomically designed to hold the baby in place and they seem very happy in their throne. Dillon used his for the first time today and was so delighted, he christened it in the typical ‘throne’ manner (perhaps potty training will go well). I have a lot of chairs for Dillon, some better than others. We live in a three-storey town house, so I want one baby chair on each floor to avoid having to carry chairs up and down the stairs – as well as the baby.

Fisher Price Aquarium Take Along Swing – This is a musical chair that Dillon really enjoys sitting in for about 15 minutes, before he gets bored or frustrated! This was a used gift from friends of my in-laws. I recommend not buying everything new for a baby. It is too expensive and these items take up a lot of space. But if you don’t know where an item has come from (e.g. not passed down by relatives or friends) then of course take precautions and check the product thoroughly for safety. And if in doubt, don’t use it. However, the only items that should always be brand new are your baby’s cot mattress and car seat.

What’s new this week

Dillon is now rolling himself onto his side and his front. It came to light when my husband asked me if I’d put Dillon to bed on his front. “Of course not,” I replied indignantly (as this is a known cause of cot death) we turned him onto his back, and he immediately flipped himself onto his front again!

It’s a good thing for babies to do this (when awake) because they are getting ready to crawl.

Until next time – happy parenting,
Wendy.

© Wendy Thomson 2011
http://www.femalearts.com